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In a surprising announcement, Chris "Daddy" Jones, Owner of the Port Hope Battery for almost the whole of its existence, says he is returning to the franchise as owner and that the pending sale of the team is off.
"I retired for legitimate reasons, many of which still exist," Jones said, "but my team is 24-6 so far this year and I'm greedy for a championship. How many chances will I get?"
The Battery were constructed to make a run for the title in 2018, with additional possibilities the next four seasons thereafter. However, 2018 was a first-round disappointment and last season's unlikely run for the title collapsed one out from the Battle for the Beer. In the offseason star Centerfielder Estephan "Condorman" Condrey and leadoff hitter 2B Trad Ale retired, and it looked very much like the team's shot at the title was over.
"I did believe that the team was not going to be able to win a championship without those players," Jones said, "and I still believe that it will be exceptionally difficult. We had, on paper, a better team last season. But it's a crazy game."
Pointing to the team's weak farm system, Jones said he believes the days ahead, after the next couple of seasons, will be tough. "The CBL has a notoriously weak draft system, where it is for all intents and purposes impossible to draft an impact player after the first 10-12 spots of the first round. That argues for selling strong, aging players off and building through the top end of the draft after 'tanking'. It's something the league needs to address."
But in the meantime, Jones says, the Battery will be a force to be reckoned with. Longtime Manager Shug Shaughnessy will continue to manage the team, but will be given complete control over player movement and lineups. "He's doing that better than I ever did. He ought to get to keep doing it," Jones said.
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