At just 39 years of age, you can barely tell Brady Williams apart from one of the guys one step from “the show.” Yet, the fresh-faced skipper is the new boss of Bull City.
“There’s going to be challenges for myself, learning to deal with an older player,” lists Brady Williams, new Durham Bulls manager. “A guy who’s been up and down, that’s going to be a different challenge for me, but it’s still baseball, it’s still the same game, we’re here to get better. It is the minor leagues, there are things players need to work on so when they get to the bigs, they stay there.”
In some ways similar to his predecessor, Jared Sandberg.
“He’s definitely a player’s guy, Jared (Sandberg) was a player’s manager as well,” says Austin Pruitt, Bulls pitcher.
In other ways, not at all.
“He’s pretty intense, I wouldn’t say Jared was very intense,” says Pruitt. “But, I’d say Brady wants to do the right thing, he’s a pretty, pretty intense guy.”
“Intense is awesome,” smiles Bulls infielder Kean Wong. “You want that as a player because he’s gonna bring the best out of you.”
Intensity to the point where the dugout cannot contain the former five-year skipper of AA Montgomery when his team’s up to bat.
“It’s something that keeps me in the game,” Montgomery says of his penchant for coaching third base. “I just like to think the game coaching third and it’s fun to be out there.”
Sometimes that doesn’t last all nine innings.
“I’ve seen him get tossed a couple times, and you can tell he’s super passionate about what’s going on,” Pruitt describes from their shared time in Montgomery.
“Arguing balls and strikes with the umpires, he’s always into it,” Wong recalls. “As a player we love that, we know he has our back, and we’ll definitely has his back at the end of the season.”
Which, if that’s anything like the previous two, would involving hoisting the Governor’s Cup. A feeling that 16 Bulls on this year’s experienced roster know all-too-well.
Thanks to WRALSportsFan & Jared Fialko for this capcom story, photo & video.
The Durham Bulls opened their 2019 season away in Charlotte on Thursday, April 4, 2019. They will take on the Columbus Clippers in their home opener at the DBAP on Thursday, April 11. Find the full season schedule and ticket information HERE.
