The Colorado Rockies have fired Joe Mikulik, who spent 13 seasons as the manager of their Class-A affiliate, the Asheville Tourists. The Rockies have not released the reasoning for the firing and Tourists team President Brian DeWine has said the team itself was not involved in letting Mikulik go.
Mikulik is the latest in of a string of firings that have rippled through the Rockies organization since Jim Tracy resigned at the end of Colorado's 98-loss season.
Weeks before his firing, Mikulik had helped to lead the Tourists to their first league title since 1984, and posted 938 wins with the Tourists over his tenure. He stated before that he was hoping to get a promotion within the Rockies organization, which is currently looking for a new manager:
"Deep down inside, I’m looking for bigger and better things," he said at the time.
"After 29 years in the minor leagues, it’s time to make a move. I would like to move on, but it would be a difficult decision to leave here."
For fans outside of the Rockies organization, the high-tempered Mikulik is probably most well known for his highly publicized 2006 outburst on the field at an umpire, a video that is still a YouTube favorite.
Asheville Manager Joe Mikulik Meltdown (via dweezy35)