Generals hire new manager

The Waynesboro Generals have concluded their search for a new manager.

Ronnie Palmer, the head baseball coach at Davis and Elkins College, will manage the Generals for the 2010 campaign as they look to return to the Valley League playoffs.

“Hopefully I will bring an excitement and an energy about the game of baseball,” Palmer said. “I think when you bring players from all over the country into the town of Waynesboro, hopefully they understand that they have been accepted by the community and have a responsibility to it.”

Palmer played for former Generals manager and current Director of Baseball Operations Lawrence Nesselrodt while he attended Davis and Elkins as a student. Palmer said that Nesselrodt is one of his coaching mentors and he influenced his decision to join the Generals.

“His passion for the game wore off on me,” Palmer said. “With me, his word is gold.”

“One of my proudest accomplishments as a coach is to see former players that take on the same profession as me,” Nesselrodt said. “I’m very proud of Ronnie not just as a coach but as the person he has become.”

Majority shareholder Jerry Carter said that the placement of Palmer this early in the year would give the Generals a jumpstart on the season.

“We need someone to be there before Game 1 up until the final day who believes the same things that we do,” Carter said. “Coach Ness has made it clear that we have that guy.”

The Generals finished third in the South Division last season, missing the playoffs with an 18-26 record. After hitting a slump in the final half of the season, Andy Chalot resigned as the team’s manager with 10 games to go. The organization moved assistant coach Derek McDaniel into the manager’s position on an interim basis.

Waynesboro finished the final 10 games of the season 3-7 and posted the second worst record in the league.

“If we can get everyone on the same page and play with a little passion and energy every day we will just go from there,” Palmer said. “If we are here for the summer, let’s make the most of it.”

Carter said that he wasn’t just looking for a manager that can bring success on the field, but also that can become the face of the organization.

“It’s no different than an Apollo mission; the flag is in the ground,” Carter said. “We will never forget the history of how we got here, but it’s time for this to be our team for the community.”