Hagerstown Suns announce GM-Seamhead edition

Here is our edition for the seamheads out there as we look back on things that I missed....

The Hagerstown Suns hired Robert Flannery as their new GM to replace Will Smith as the head of their management.
Flannery has GM experience having been in SAL ball with the now defunct Columbus RedStixx,AA baseball with the New Haven Ravens (Now the Connecticut Defenders) and some time in marketing departments for both baseball and hockey teams in Midland Texas as well.
Flannery has spent the last few years working in athletic administration for the University of Nebraska at Omaha before deciding to return to minor league baseball in the Hub City.

Many of our readers know that I have been critical of the Suns in the past,but complementary as well.
I will be open minded about this hire as I have never heard of Flannery before the hire,so I really have a clean slate considering him.
Here is hoping for more promotions (I.E. better ones) and less of the goofy stuff that has marked the Suns on occasion in the past.
We hope to see less of the Sunsations and continue to improve the food at the Muni.
For all the things that we have written about Will Smith and his staff,I do believe that some improvement was shown last season on things and maybe the momentum can keep rolling with someone outside the Kurt Landis clique now as the head man.

Please don't get me wrong,I have nothing against Landis,but fresh blood means fresh ideas.
Welcome to Hagerstown,Mr Flannery and you are welcome here anytime you want to give us an interview.

I am not holding my breath on that one! Ha Ha!

To answer Mr.Wooden's (no,not John) questions on Trent Jewitt and Brad Eldred from the comment page,let me say this-Trent Jewitt will do a fine job in Potomac.
Honestly,he is overqualified to be a Carolina League boss and I liked what he did in Indianapolis as their manager over the years.
Jewitt interviewed for the Pirates job twice but was passed over on both occasions.

As for Brad Eldred,IF Washington gives him 500 at bats (I doubt it),he could give the Nats 30 homers and 175 whiffs.
Eldred really is an all or nothing guy and on a team that is as bad as Washington is,he could be a cheap and entertaining option for Nationals fans.
He will be entertaining with the glove as well,but for the wrong reasons.
Eldred will bring memories of Dick Stuart to mind if given the playing time.

I don't really want to say too much about the two Indian (not Cleveland) pitchers that the Pirates recently signed.
The odds are long that they will reach Lynchburg,let alone Pittsburgh,but I will say this-even if they never get anywhere near the Steel City-this was brilliant.
The Pirates have become the team to follow in India now and with the size of the country,the Pirates brand will make them the front runner for future prospects.
Look at how Seattle was able to do a similar thing with Japanese prospects for years until the bigger teams were able to become entrenched there.
Smart move.

Wilbur Miller has put his grade of the Pirate drafts since 1999 up on his site.
As always with Wilbur's work,well worth a look.
All the grades seem pretty fair,I might have the 2004 draft a nick higher on the grading scale,but otherwise no difference.

Until later today,when we finish up with some hockey talk and a little pigskin as well.