Watertown introduces Potter as new man in charge on field
The Watertown Wizards looked in their own dugout to find their next manager for the 2009 season.
Wizards pitching coach Brandon Potter was promoted to the head coaching position at a press conference Friday. He's the team's fifth manager in the franchise's nine-year history.
Potter replaces Ryan Horning, who Watertown general manager Todd Kirkey said is pursing other coaching opportunities. Horning was with the Wizards as an assistant and manager for two seasons.
Watertown finished fourth with a 17-23 record in the East Division of the New York Collegiate Baseball League last season. The Wizards made the postseason for a fourth consecutive year, which is the longest such streak of any NYCBL team. But for a third straight season, they were eliminated in the first round.
That's where Potter enters the equation. Kirkey believes Potter's expertise will allow the Wizards to vault their first-round obstacle.
"We always want continuity," Kirkey said. "It's nice to have someone who knows the fans, the community, familiarity to the league. Not to mention that I think he knows what he's doing."
Potter, a native of Bloomfield — which is 30 minutes south of Rochester, said quality pitching correlates to wins at any level of baseball. While the Wizards didn't boast the pitching depth they desired, they still went 9-6 in one-run games last season. He wants to place greater emphasis on building the team's bullpen to win a few more close games.
But the pitching is a supplemental component to Potter's biggest intention.
"That every player leaves here more developed than when they came here," Potter said. "That's my long expectation. You want to win, but you've got to help players develop. I want to make sure all the guys get at-bats and all the guys get innings and good enough pitches. Hopefully, that'll take care of the wins."
Potter is the top assistant coach at Cerro Coso Community College (Calif.). He's had coaching stints at St. John Fisher College, Minnesota State and with the Buffalo Bisons — the Triple A affiliate of the New York Mets. Potter also has worked with Major League Baseball pitchers such as CC Sabathia, Fausto Carmona and Cliff Lee.
Kirkey hopes the connections Potter has made through scouting will benefit the Wizards in producing a deeper roster for the upcoming season.
"He's already put together 20 percent of the team, which is different," Kirkey said. "But usually I put the whole team together, and his experience in different regions and scouts in the country has already paid dividends for us."
The only player who might be considered a local player on Watertown's tentative 2009 roster is former Jefferson Community College pitcher Luis Castillo. Castillo will pitch for NAIA power Bellevue University (Neb.) this season. Kirkey said Malone product Derek Marshall and former Thousand Islands standout Justin Wiley also could be added to the team by June.
Potter said John Northrop, a graduate of Immaculate Heart Central, is expected to return as a Wizards assistant for a third straight year. Potter said he'll likely select the rest of his coaching staff in the spring.
