Former Lake Erie Crushers manager Cameron Roth is now the manager of the Gateway Grizzlies. (Image courtesy Gateway Grizzlies)

by Cedric Williams
Senior Editor

After longtime manager Phil Warren announced a couple of weeks ago that he would be stepping away from the field to move into the front office, the Gateway Grizzlies announced on Monday that they have hired Cameron Roth to be the team’s new manager.

Roth began his managerial career with the Lake Erie Crushers in 2017 and led that club to a pair of winning seasons in his three years in charge, including a Frontier League West Division championship in 2019. Roth was selected Frontier League Manager of the Year that year as well.

“As I enter my 11th year in professional baseball and eighth year in the Frontier League, I can’t help but to reflect,” Roth said. “There has always been one away stand that I particularly looked forward to visiting each season, and it just so happens to be the one in Sauget, Illinois. I am excited and humbled to be joining the Gateway Grizzlies as their manager.

“The reputation the Sauget family, Steve Gomric, and Phil Warren have earned through a professional atmosphere, compassion for how the game is supposed to be played, and prioritizing their community is something I have always respected. I will work diligently to ensure the Grizzlies are the premier organization in the Frontier League. I have very big shoes to fill, but I welcome the challenge. I am grateful for Phil’s support during this transition, and I am thrilled he will continue to be a part of this organization.”

After a standout career as a collegiate player at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, Roth began his professional playing career in the Baltimore Orioles organization, who drafted him in the 29th round of the 2010 MLB Draft. Roth spent two seasons in the Orioles’ organization, advancing as high as Class A ball, before signing to play in the Frontier League with the Schaumburg Boomers.

Roth played one year with the Boomers before deciding to move to the coaching side of the field following the 2013 Frontier League season. He worked his way up the coaching ladder and became manager of the Lake Erie team in 2017, where he enjoyed nothing but success.

Covid issues messed up everybody’s plans in 2020 and made Roth consider making changes in his life and career and that’s how he became available to the Grizzlies. Once Warren decided he wanted to do the same and give leading a team from the front office a try, the Grizzlies decided to pounce at the chance to make Roth the fifth manager in the franchise’s 20 year history.

“I am thrilled to have Cam Roth leading our team this season,” Grizzlies general manager Steve Gomric said. “He is a bright young baseball mind with tremendous potential. He has a history of winning. Cam brings intensity to the playing field and professionalism to the clubhouse, not to mention the fantastic success his pitching staffs have had in the Frontier League that will be invaluable to us in a hitter-friendly ballpark.”

In his career as a coach and manager, Roth has a reputation for developing strong pitching staffs. And that was best displayed in 2019, when Roth’s Lake Erie team had a league-best 2.91 ERA. No other club in the league that year had a staff ERA better than 3.30.

Roth’s Crusher club also led the league in total strikeouts, batting average against, and allowed the fewest home runs that season. Roth will be bringing with him two new on-field coaches as well. Bobby Brown will serve as the Grizzlies’ new director of player development and hitting coach, and will be the club’s new catching coordinator, among other duties.

“As a manager, I am a huge advocate of the philosophy, ‘you are only as good as those with whom you surround yourself,’ and that extends beyond the players you sign,” Roth said. “Championships start in the locker room by establishing the right culture. I think Bobby Brown does a phenomenal job procuring the right players for independent baseball, and in this industry, that’s 90 percent of the battle to be successful.

“Also, Bobby’s knowledge and experience put into action as the hitting coach make him invaluable on this staff. (GCS Credit Union Ballpark) is much different than others I’ve called home with it being a ‘hitters park,’ so to speak. We are going to have to learn to live with the solo home run, but we cannot afford to put people on base for free. Offensively, I firmly believe if you try to have at least seven experienced batters in your lineup, you are putting yourself in a good position to produce. Another addition to the coaching staff is James Keller, who served as my catching coordinator in 2019. He is the Swiss army knife of coaches, but he is especially effective with catchers. He will also coach third base. Having someone I trust there is particularly important, so that I can best manage the bullpen, as well as collaborate with Bobby for offensive strategy.”

Roth and his staff will begin their duties right away as the club looks to get its roster set for the coming season. Spring training will begin in just about a month, with the regular season set to begin with the Grizzlies’ home opener at GCS Credit Union Ballpark on May 27.