After a two-year stint with the now-defunct Victoria Seals of the Golden Baseball League, Anthony Pluta is returning to Vancouver Island.
The Victoria Eagles of the sa国际传媒 Premier Baseball League recently announced that Pluta has been appointed the manager for the 2013 season.
The 29-year-old Pluta, who pitched for the Seals in 2009 and 2010, says this is the perfect situation for him.
"I'm engaged to a girl from Victoria and we are getting married in February,'' said Pluta, who is currently playing for the Newark Bears in the CanAm Independent Baseball League. "When I was back in Victoria, I helped out with the Eagles and I liked what I saw. Then I was offered the job and I jumped at the opportunity to be back in Victoria because I love it.''
Pluta will bring a wealth of knowledge to the Eagles as he has played in six major league organizations as well as in several independent leagues. As a 17-year-old in 2000, the hard throwing Pluta was selected in the third round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Houston Astros. His dreams of playing in the majors took a big hit in 2003 when he had Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm.
"Hopefully, my experience, knowledge and connections will help kids get scholarships and get drafted,'' said Pluta.
"As a manager, I tend to be somewhat aggressive but I do appreciate small ball, liking bunting and moving the runners. My main focus will be on the pitching staff. I want to help them get to a higher level by teaching them how to throw a good fastball and staying healthy. As a pitcher in baseball, you do not get very far without a fastball.
"I'm happy that there are two teams here [the other is the Victoria Mariners]. There are just too many good ball players and it would be very difficult to have just one team.''
During the last 12 years, Pluta has combined playing pro baseball with managing some high-performance teams. He has also organized several baseball academies and camps.
Martin Winstanley, chairman of the Eagles' program, is thrilled to have Pluta as the manager.
"Anthony's infectious passion and energy for the game will energize our entire organization,'' said Winstanley in a news release. "All of the players on our five teams will benefit from his presence. We are very fortunate to have him as the manager of the Eagles.''
Chris Van Rossum, who was Pluta's teammate as a Seal, will also be joining the Eagles as the outfield coach. [email protected] Twitter.com/tc_vicsports
