New Bluefish manager VanAsselberg seeking a title right away

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BRIDGEPORT -- Buttoning up his Bluefish jersey and stepping confidently to the podium, new manager Ricky VanAsselberg wasn't shy about setting lofty goals in his inaugural season.

The sixth manager in Bluefish history wants to win a championship, and he wants to do it this season.

"We're here to play baseball and win a championship. Period," VanAsselberg said. "And if you don't like that, then we'll send you somewhere else."

VanAsselberg, who replaces Willie Upshaw, will have his work cut out for him as he inherits a team that is coming off of three straight losing seasons, including a league-worst 47-93 mark last year.

VanAsselberg's championship aspirations are shared by members of the front office.

"The passion just came through the phone," Bluefish general manager Jamie Toole said. "You could tell that he was ready to get going and bring a championship back to Bridgeport. That's our goal. Our goal every year will be to win the Atlantic League Championship."

Founded in 1997, the Bluefish played their first game in 1998 and won the Atlantic League Championship in 1999, though they've been searching for their second league crown ever since.

VanAsselberg, 40, a Louisiana native, may be new to Bridgeport, but he's hardly new to winning.

The Bluefish baseball team's new manager Ricky VanAsselberg, at right, is given his game jersey by General Manager Jamie Toole, during a press conference at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn. on Thursday Dec. 18, 2014. less The Bluefish baseball team's new manager Ricky VanAsselberg, at right, is given his game jersey by General Manager Jamie Toole, during a press conference at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn. on ... more Photo: Christian Abraham Buy photo Photo: Christian Abraham Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close New Bluefish manager VanAsselberg seeking a title right away 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

As a manager, VanAsselberg has captured four league titles: An American Association championship with the Grand Prairie Air Hogs in 2011, an American Association championship with the Shreveport-Bossier Captains in 2010, and a pair of independent United League championships with the Alexandria Aces in 2006 and 2007.

VanAsselberg was named manager of the year for both of his championship seasons in Alexandria.

"I've always had a group of good young guys, and I demand perfection," said VanAsselberg, a catcher/corner infielder from 1996-2002, almost entirely on the independent level. "If you don't demand perfection and you don't demand that out of yourself and your ball club, then you're basically just spinning your wheels."

VanAsselberg's championship history was a key selling point for the front office.

"He's a passionate guy," Bluefish owner Frank Boulton said. "He's going to come out every day, his players are going to be ready, they're going to want to win every game. Every game is the seventh game of the World Series. That's the kind of passion you want when you want to make your team competitive in a very difficult league."

"The first time I got the resume," Toole said, "I looked at it and said `who is Ricky VanAsselberg?' Truth. I looked at his resume, and I saw the credentials. I saw championship, championship, championship, championship. He's managed his teams to four championships."

VanAsselberg has yet to address the players, but he promises a hard-nosed brand of baseball.

"I promise you, guys will be running out balls to first, they'll be taking extra bases, they'll be intermingling with the fans, they'll be high-strung," VanAsselberg said.

With Opening Day slated for April 24 at home against Camden, the roster is far from finalized, though VanAsselberg is open to bringing back a few players from last year's bunch.

"We haven't had a chance to talk to any of the players because we don't know which players we're bringing back," VanAsselberg said. "We're going to have some returning guys that have been here that I think we need. But we're going to shake things up. It's going to be a whole new look in Bridgeport."

VanAsselberg singled out one player as a lock to return in 2015: Center fielder James Simmons. Simmons had a strong season in 2014, batting .295 while leading the team in home runs (20) and RBIs (67) and finishing second in stolen bases (15).

VanAsselberg's coaching staff is also a work in progress, though he indicated that Luis Rodriguez, a catcher and player-coach for the past three years, will return to that position in 2015.

"You won't see arguing with the umpires and being the crybabies of the league," VanAsselberg said. "That's not the way I manage and that's not the way my team is going to carry themselves. It'll be a team Bridgeport can be proud of."

jchik@newstimes.com; Twitter: @jchik17