The Greater Green Bay Blue Ribbons announced on Monday, the hiring of Anthony Sottile as the team’s manager for the 2021 season.
Sottile, (pronounced so-TEAL), is a native of Carol Stream, Illinois, and is currently enrolled at Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, where he has worked as both a pitcher and an outfielder for the Sabres baseball team.
A team captain, and Honorable Mention All-Conference selection during his senior season at Glenbard North High School, Sottile made his college debut in 2018, appearing in 17 games, but a season-ending injury in 2019 and a COVID-shortened season in 2020, limited his college playing time over the past two seasons.
A familiar face to Blue Ribbons fans, Sottile spent the summer of 2019 pitching at Joannes Stadium for the DePere Dodgers, going 2-2 with a 2.91 ERA over 34 innings, before hurling for the rival Menasha Macs in the Northeastern Wisconsin Baseball League last summer.
“I am very excited to be back in Green Bay”, Sottile said. “Going back to 2019 when I played for the Dodgers, the great atmosphere at the ballpark as well as the teammates I played with made it a great summer. I believe that playing in Green Bay was the best summer baseball experience I’ve had in my playing career.”
During his previous stint in Green Bay, Sottile was able to play under Luke Gajewski, who managed the Ribbons in 2020, and his predecessor, long-time Blue Ribbons skipper, Denny Ruh. He feels as though he can take away things he learned from both former managers, while mixing in some of his own style as well. “Playing under Luke and Denny was a great experience”, said Sottile. “I realized that Luke did a great job managing games as well as helping our players find success as a collective team, [and] for Denny, one thing that has stuck with me was his passion for the game of baseball and how much he enjoyed being at the ballpark. I feel as I am a player’s coach who looks towards building relationships with players so that I can help them develop to their best ability. Also, I believe that I will be able to assist players with their mental side of baseball, to understand their best mental state for success.”
He’ll get his chance to make his mark with a young, but talented club, when they take the field later this month, and he is ready for the challenge. “I am excited to start the summer season”, he said, “and am looking forward to helping build a program that is based off the development of players as well as having an enjoyable atmosphere. I believe that roster is full of talent and am excited to see what the players bring to the park every day.”
The Greater Green Bay Blue Ribbons open their season on Friday, May 21st, when they travel to Appleton to take on the Legends in a NEWBL clash, then kick off their home schedule the following Wednesday, welcoming the Legends to historic Joannes Stadium on May 26th at 7:30 PM.