La Crosse, Wis. – The La Crosse Loggers have found their new skipper and his name is Bill Sandillo. Team officials announced the hiring of Sandillo today, making him the sixth manager in Loggers team history succeeding Jason Nell who stepped down after two seasons at the helm.
Sandillo, who lives and works out of Chandler, Ariz., brings with him a wealth of baseball experience to La Crosse having enjoyed over 15 years in professional baseball as either a player, coach or executive as well as one season in the Cape Cod Summer Collegiate League.
Currently, Sandillo oversees three baseball-driven businesses in Chandler, Ariz. He is the founder and CEO of Predator Performance Sports Management, a multi-faceted company that offers management services, marketing, personal training and instructing for athletes of all age groups. Past clients include Hall-of-Fame outfielder Frank Robinson and current Detroit Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter. In 2012, Bill founded and became the brand ambassador of the National Certified Coaches Association (NCCA) and in 2013 he became the co-director of ShowUsU.com, a baseball recruitment website that assists high school players garner recognition and be recruited by collegiate coaches across the country.
Sandillo, a West Springfield, Mass. native, is also quite familiar with the summer collegiate scene having spent the summer of 2010 in the Cape Cod League. That summer he served as the hitting and first base coach as well as the defensive specialist for the Orleans Firebirds, working with the likes of current St. Louis Cardinals infielder Kolten Wong, current Toronto Blue Jays hurler Marcus Stroman and former Loggers pitcher Kyle Simon.
In 2009, Sandillo managed the U.S. Military All-Star traveling team in dedication to his father, Albert, who was an original Navy All-Star player in the 1940s and ’50s, where he played against athletes such as former New York Yankee great Joe DiMaggio. He also fought in World War II with the Navy and the Korean War with the Air Force. That same U.S. Military All-Star team made three visits to Copeland Park as a part of their annual tours.
Prior to the stints with the Military all-stars and the Cape Cod League, Bill was integrally involved in professional baseball. After an all-American playing career at American International, Sandillo signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 1996 but his playing career was cut short due to injury. He continued on in pro ball though, working in the front offices of minor league teams such as the Pittsfield Mets and New Britain Red Sox before hall of famer Frank Robinson lured him out west where he had the opportunity to work in the front office of the San Francisco Giants Triple A affiliate and later got the opportunity to work with Robinson again in Major League Baseball’s Arizona Fall League.
Loggers general manager Chris Goodell believes Sandillo is the perfect fit for La Crosse and the Northwoods League. “When you couple the experience and level of expertise that Bill brings to the table with his evident passion for the game, we’ve found a leader that our incoming Loggers will love to learn from and develop under,” proclaimed Goodell. “We can’t wait to introduce Bill to our Logger faithful and go to work with him as we prepare for 2015.”
Sandillo shared in the excitement of the new venture, "I am honored that I was chosen to be the next manager for such a great organization." Sandillo continued, “I am very thankful to the Loggers management and ownership for this great opportunity and I look forward to working with everyone in La Crosse.”
Sandillo will take over after Jason Nell elected to step away from the Northwoods League following the 2014 season that saw the Loggers finish below .500 (33-39) for the first time since 2007. Each of the Loggers two previous managers rank in the top ten on the all-time managerial wins list in the Northwoods League with Nell sitting at fourth with 249 career victories and Andy McKay, the Loggers skipper from 2008-2012, at eighth with 206 wins. A complete list of the Loggers managerial history, and their records, are below …
MANAGER (Years) W-L PCT.
Estevan Valencia (2003-04) 61-66 .480
Adam Sadler (2005) 26-41 .388
Rick Boyer (2006-07) 61-75 .449
Andy McKay (2008-12) 206-139 .579
Jason Nell (MAN 3, WAT 2, LAC 2: 2013-14) 249-235 .514
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The La Crosse Loggers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Preparing for its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (BOS) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.lacrosseloggers.com.