The Mainz Athletics re-launched their new website on Friday with a surprise news. Three weeks before the start of the season the reigning German champion and their head coach Ulli Wermuth are parting ways. German national team player Max Boldt is taking over as player-manager. Don Freeman, who had coached the team together with Wermuth last season, already had left the club to join the Munich-Haar Disciples as their new head coach.
After concluding his playing career with the first Mainz championship in 2007 Wermuth started his coaching career with the A’s working with the youth teams and took over as manager of the Bundesliga team in 2011. He also was instrumental in the founding of the Rhein Main Baseball Academy, has been working with the German Baseball Academy (DBA) and coached the youth teams of the regional federation for numerous years. He won eight titles with the club, four as a player and four as a coach. In the German Baseball-Bundesliga as a coach he finished with a 112-61 record and led Mainz from a non-playoff team back into the postseason. In 2016 they beat the Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg in four games for their second national title.
Both sides couldn’t reach an agreement to negotiate a new contract and Wermuth terminated his contract in mid February. The team got informed this week and on Friday the club sent out a press release announcing the decision. “After turning a passion into a profession, I would love to continue working in baseball. Still, I probably will take some time off and am looking forward to spend a summer with my family. I am thankful to the Mainz Athletics and leave on good terms”, said Ulli Wermuth to Mister-Baseball.com.
Photo by Mainz Athletics
Spielercoach werd schwer…