Struggling Fuego replace manager
Jul. 3—The Santa Fe Fuego have a new manager after the club fired 27-year-old player/manager Tom Fitzpatrick late last week.
Fitzpatrick was in his first season with the Fuego but was let go after losing 14 of his first 22 games at the helm. He has been replaced by David Peterson, a Pecos League coaching veteran who has had previous stints as a coach or manager with Garden City and California City, as well as the league's spring affiliation with the Houston Apollos and Salina Stockade. He spent the last two seasons coaching in the independent Pioneer League with Billings and Rocky Mountain.
Peterson's took over Friday. The Fuego were swept in a three-game series at home against Tucson, losing Sunday's series finale 30-23 in a contest that took more than five hours to finish.
The Fuego lead the league in home runs, but their pitching staff has ranked among the worst all season. They've allowed a combined 554 hits and walks in just 209 innings. The team's ERA is 13.09.
