Badin vs. Versailles
Law Enforcement Memorial Day
American Idol 2012 finale
Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy has retired from the Dayton Daily News after covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years. Hal's blog, though, will continue to be a must-read for Reds fans. He'll share his thoughts on the team this season and will file updates from Great American Ball Park. You also can catch Hal in print every Sunday in his popular Ask Hal columnHome > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2009 > November > 11
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Reds trainer Mark Mann resigns
DO YOU BELIEVE in coincidences? One of my favorite book characters, detective Harry Bosch in the Michael Connelly novels, says in almost every book, “I don’t believe in coincidences.”
Nor do I.
But Cincinnati Reds athletic trainer Mark Mann says his resignation today has nothing to do with the fact his mother, Wilma Mann, suddenly “retired” last Friday - although friends say Wilma was not ready to retire and that she was pushed out.
Wilma Mann has worked 37 years in the Reds scouting department and was Director of Scouting Administration since 1997.
HER SON, Mark, has been the Reds head athletic trainer since 2003 and before that he was the team’s assistant trainer since 1995.
Mann said he is leaving to become a financial advisor for major leaguers and will study the craft in the immediate future. He is joining Bob Castellini Jr. and Tim Allred, who already represent some former and current players.
Asked if what happened with his mother hastened his decision, Mann said, “Ironically, no. I told (general manager) Walt Jocketty about 24 hours before the thing with my mom’s retirement. It is all separate and not related.”
Mann, along with team medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek, over the last 15 years has built the Reds medical staff and facilities into one of the best in the majors and Mann said, “In my subjective opinion, we have the best medical team in baseball.”
Mann said he will play a part in selecting his successor.
“I was just offered a unique opportunity,” he said. “It will be tough to leave the day-to-day stuff of baseball. Because of my mom’s association, I grew up in Cincinnati and around old Riverfront Stadium. I love the team and I love the city. But this will give me a chance to spend more time with my wife (Michele) and my two sons - an opportunity to come home every night and every weekend.”
Ah, the old more-time-with-the-family statement.
Mann is a class guy who was easy for the media to deal with and was always honest and upfront with the information he was permitted to relay.
When Brandon Phillips “announced” last year that he was playing with a broken finger, Mann quickly informed the media that it wasn’t so, that Phillips had neither a fracture nor a break. Phillips used the term fractured and later said he didn’t know that a fracture was a break.
AMAZINGLY ENOUGH, Mann was signed by the Reds as a pitcher in the 29th round of the 1990 draft, but a shoulder injury ended that career and got him interested in athletic health care and a new career.
Since then, he has taken care of hundreds of players shoulders and other parts of their bodies. Now he’ll help take care of their money.
Permalink | Comments (19) | Post your comment |
Tweet
