Jason and the BlueSox join up
Timing is everything. Just ask Jason Wuerfel.
Wuerfel, 28, the vice president and director of baseball operations for the Frontier League's Traverse City (Mich.)Beach Bums, was named head coach of the Butler BlueSox.
The BlueSox are one of 11 teams in the newly formed Prospect League, a collegiate wooden bat circuit that begins play in June. The BlueSox will play half of their 54-game schedule at Pullman Park.
Wuerfel met BlueSox majority owner Leo Trich when Trich served as a deputy commissioner of the Frontier League.
"Jason was aware of our putting this team together in Butler and had earlier asked me if I knew of any head coaching opportunities in amateur or pro ball, as he was looking around,"Trich said.
"I never dreamed he'd be willing to relocate to Butler for the summer and run this team. I thought he was looking for something closer to home."
Home for Wuerfel is Indianapolis, where he gives hitting, catching and fielding lessons at the Indiana Baseball Academy.
"I hadn't gotten to the point of looking for a head coach yet and I got an e-mail from Jason saying he was interested in coming to Butler,"Trich said.
"That e-mail hit us at the perfect time."
Wuerfel's transition from player to baseball administrator was well-timed as well.
He was a catcher during a playing career that included four seasons at the University of Michigan and a year each in three different summer collegiate wooden bat leagues.
Wuerfel played professionally for the Elmira Pioneers, Mid-Missouri Mavericks and Ohio Valley Redcoats in various minor leagues.
"I finished playing in 2004 and I knew then-Traverse City manager Jeff Isom,"Wuerfel said. "I offered to help him out as an assistant and he took me on."
Isom left Traverse City after that 2005 campaign for an opportunity to manage the Milwaukee Brewers' short-season Class Aaffiliate.
"All of a sudden, there was no one to handle (Traverse City's) busy work in terms of finding and signing players, and the ownership entrusted me to do it,"Wuerfel said.
"I handled that role for a couple of years, but yearned to get back in the dugout, so I took on the duties of hitting coach for Traverse City last year."
While Wuerfel continues to be director of baseball operations for the Beach Bums, he is not required to be on site to fulfill those duties.
"If they need a player or two during the season, they'll call me and I'll find them what they need,"Wuerfel said. "Besides that, I handle my job for them during the winter.
"I've developed so many contacts for players. I've built a huge data base of seniors in college and I've got working relationships with numerous college coaches."
Wuerfel has sent contracts to 13 prospective BlueSox players and hopes to have 90 percent of his 24-man roster filled within the next two weeks.
"I wanted a coach with some experience in collegiate leagues and someone with connections to recruit players, since we're getting a late start,"Trich said. "Jason is a young guy with a great deal of maturity. He's a good fit for us."
