Around the League

Somerset Manager Brett Jodie Now Has a Managerial Championship

By Bob Wirz

Brett Jodie's biography on Baseball-Reference.com shows the South Carolinian wearing a New York Yankees cap.  If one looks at it closely, the now 38-year-old appears proud and confident.

Why not, this is THE fabled Bronx Bombers.  In fact, the right-handed pitcher only appeared in one regular season game for the Yankees and gave up three home runs in a start that lasted all of two innings.  He also appeared in seven games in that same 2001 season for San Diego (0-1, 4.63), and that was the extent of his major league experience in a playing career that spanned ages 21 to 28 and included 59 mound victories and only 35 losses., an impressive .628 percentage.

Jodie obviously learned a great deal along the way, enhanced by playing for longtime Somerset manager--and Yankees bullpen legend--Sparky Lyle, winning 15 of 25 decisions in '02-03, then serving as Lyle's pitching coach and player acquisition rep for a period before taking over the Patriots' managerial reigns three years ago.

He has put together three stunning campaigns in which Somerset has gone 90-49, 85-55 and this year 89-50 in the regular Atlantic League season, a composite 264-154, .632 record.  He also has earned considerable praise such as this from longtime MyCentralJersey.com beat writer Mike Ashmore earlier this summer:  "Jodie is not only as well-respected as anyone in the league, but is arguably the most respected man in his own clubhouse; he's earned a reputation as being a player's manager that encourages a light atmosphere from a hard-working group, the ultimate recipe for success."

Jodie's own description of his work to Ashmore at that time was to "be confident, do things the right way and how you know they're supposed to be done and don't expect credit for it.  Just do your job the right way, take care of it and stay even keeled."

All of this has Jodie and the Patriots sitting on top of the mountain after they won the organization's record sixth Atlantic League title this week, taking three consecutive games from Southern Maryland after the Blue Crabs had won the Championship Series opener.

Previously the chief spokesman for Commissioners Bowie Kuhn and Peter Ueberroth, Bob Wirz has been writing extensively about the Atlantic League and Independent Baseball since 2003.



Search Archive »




Browse by Year »

2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015

Browse by Month »

April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015