Tyler Martin Returns as A’s Manager

Tyler Martin, who guided the Sheboygan A’s to a 37-25
record and a berth in the championship game of two leagues last summer,
is returning to manage the 2014 club.

Martin is actually in his third season with the
A’s, having served under Kyle Trewyn as a bench coach in the
2012 season before taking over as manager last year. Trewyn left the
A’s for a position on the Bradley University baseball
staff.

Martin, from Pekin, IL, is currently on the staff at Cardinal
Stritch, where he is working toward his Master’s Degree in
Sport Management.

General Manager Denny Moyer is elated to have Martin back.

“Continuity is critical,” Moyer said.
“There is no learning curve. He is familiar with the program,
with the opposition and with the players who will be
returning.”

“It is good to have him back. I like his style.
He’s got a little Riverboat Gambler in him. He makes things
happen. He put us in position to win and we won a lot of games with
double steals and squeeze bunts. We didn’t have a whole lot of
3-run homers last year and we won 37 games. Tyler stole a few of those
for us,” Moyer said.

Born in Pekin, IL, Martin was a baseball and basketball
standout at Tremont High School. He was awarded scholarships to pitch
for Kankakee Community College and then Cardinal Stritch where he and
Trewyn became friends and battery mates.

The two played together at Stritch and for the Wisconsin
State League’s Eau Claire Cavaliers where in 2009 Martin went
5-1 with a 2.88 earned run average and 53 strikeouts in 55 innings. One
of those wins came in the form of a no-hitter over the Addison Braves.
He was runner-up to Kenosha’s Jon Olson in Pitcher of the Year
balloting that year.

“The Sheboygan Athletic Club runs a first class
program and I’m proud to be a part of it,” Martin
said. “Losing those two championship playoff games really hurt
last year, but it set up our goal for this year – not only to
get to the playoffs, but to win those last games. And I think the
returning players have the same mindset.” Martin
said.

“Last year was a good experience for me and
I’m happy to be coming back,” he said.

The A’s tied for the Langsdorf League regular
season championship with Kenosha Kings last year, but after eliminating
third place West Allis in the qualifying round, lost to the Kings the
final game of the best of three playoffs 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth.
The club finished third in the Northeastern Wisconsin League, and
nipped Appleton before taking regular season champion Menasha to the
third game of best of three only to lose in the bottom of the ninth
again, 4-3.

The A’s open their 2014 home season against those
Menasha MACs at Wildwood Park on Friday night, May 30. That game will be
preceded by the Project G.R.I.L.L. unveiling program.

A’s Notes:

The Project G.R.I.L.L. unveiling is the first of a
season full of events that will accompany A’s games this
season. The club will release the events schedule as soon as all the
dates are confirmed.

College and professional coaching positions are nothing new
for A’s players, coaches and managers. In addition to Martin
at Cardinal Stritch and Trewyn at Minnesota Duluth and Bradley, others
to continue in coaching are Dick Rasmussen, Rochester University; Ron
Herr, Atlanta Braves and Marian University; Greg Grall, Boston Red Sox;
Dave Moyer, Eastern Kentucky; Randy Wilke, UW-Milwaukee; Marc
Marizzaldi, Seton Hill; Damon Day, Nebraska Kearney; Jason Bartelt,
Marian University; Kevin Post, Upper Iowa; Chris Thousand, Lakeland;
and Chad Gorman, Dana College.

The first weekend in May will be busy one for the Sheboygan
Athletic Club. Not only is the club once again hosting the regional
collegiate club baseball tournament at Wildwood Park, but is holding its
spring fund-raiser on Saturday night, May 3. They are bringing in Bella
Cain, one of the state’s top Country bands to perform at the
Blue Line Ice Center.