The upstart Women’s Pro Baseball League may have only begun playing games 12 days ago, but one of the four teams in the league has already fired its manager.
Former Major League Baseball relief pitcher Keith Foulke lasted just three games as manager of the Boston Hunters. After picking up their first win of the season, the Hunters let Foulke go with a record of 1-2 this week.
The Hunters named former MLB infielder Jemile Weeks as their new manager this week, announcing Foulke’s exit and thanking him for his “time and commitment.”
“We are pleased to have Jemile Weeks take over as manager of the Boston Hunters,” said Justine Siegal, Commissioner of the Women’s Pro Baseball League. “Weeks brings tremendous baseball knowledge, leadership, and a clear understanding of what it takes to lead a professional team. We are confident in his ability to guide this group as we move forward through the season.
“We appreciate Keith’s time and commitment to the Boston Hunters and wish him and his family all the best in the future,” added Siegal. “We have a talented group of players, and our focus is on building a strong, unified team and competing at a high level every day. We believe Jemile is the right person to lead this team, and we are excited about what lies ahead.”
The Boston Hunters fired Keith Foulke as manager, and he was not happy about it
In an interview with The State Journal-Register on Tuesday, Keith Foulke pretty clearly wasn’t happy about the move.
“It’s just disappointing,” Foulke said. “At the end of the day, I walk with my head held high. I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t say anything derogatory, I didn’t say anything mean to my players, ever. I was always really positive. I think the ownership just kind of had a change of mind on the schedule that we’d agreed upon. I was the manager, but I wasn’t going to be able to be there full time, and ultimately, they didn’t think that was a good plan.”
Foulke said his contract with the Boston Hunters permitted him to periodically visit his Arizona home to spend time with his kids and his new wife. According to Foulke, WPBL CEO Keith Stein approved the contract.
“A half hour before our game, I get told they want a new direction. We had just won our first game. But here’s the thing: they said something at that moment about maybe wanting to keep me on as a consultant with the league,” Foulke said. “I just said, ‘This is a lot for me to digest right now. You’re firing me and offering me a job in the same breath?’ I said, ‘that’s a lot to take in right now. I can’t deal with that.’”