LINCOLN — After another fun season at Haymarket Park, but with disappointing results on the diamond, the Saltdogs are making a managerial change moving on from the 2012 campaign.
Manager Chris Miyake will not be returning for the 2013 season, the Saltdogs announced Friday.
"We met with Chris to review the season and came to a mutual decision that a managerial change was best for the Saltdogs organization moving forward," Saltdogs President Charlie Meyer said. "We appreciate all of Chris’s efforts the past four years with the Lincoln Saltdogs and wish him the best of luck."
Lincoln finished this past season in last place in the American Association and notched the lowest win percentage in franchise history at .410.
The club will begin a nation-wide search to bring in the next manager to help lead the Saltdogs to another league championship.
"We’ll be searching the country coast to coast for the next Saltdogs manager," Saltdogs VP/GM Tim Utrup said. "In the past we have received a lot of interest from some very good managers with tremendous experience, and we will soon be conducting interviews to allow the cream to rise to the top."
Since the Saltdogs were established in 2001, they have been one of the most successful franchises in all of professional baseball. The club has finished with a winning record in 10 of its 12 seasons, and had a streak of eight consecutive campaigns above the .500 mark snapped in 2012.
Lincoln has reached the playoffs seven times, establishing a American Association record for wins in 2006 and winning the championship in 2009.
Marty Scott left the team following the 2011 season to become Vice President of Player Development for the Miami Marlins. Scott had spent three-plus decades in professional baseball, and had been the Director of Player of Development for the Texas Rangers before being named Saltdogs skipper in 2009.
Miyake served as hitting coach for the Saltdogs from 2009-11 before being promoted to manager.
The new manager will be the sixth in Saltdogs history.