SUNSHINE coach Shaun Moore has announced his retirement from baseball and vacated the player-coach post, unaware of whether his side will be relegated from division 1.
The Eagles finished second last on the ladder and usually that comes with relegation attached.
They compiled an impressive 12 and a half wins in a promotion year, a win count that would usually be enough for survival.
But not this summer, which was an anomaly with one of the tightest top-to-bottom races on record.
For the Eagles to survive, they will have to wait until the end of the division 2 season, to see whether the runner-up club meets Baseball Victoria’s criteria for promotion to the top flight.
It’s understood that should Williamstown Wolves reach the grand final, they will not meet the requirements of a division 1 side, thus keeping the Eagles in the big league.
The Eagles are no stranger to that predicament, having earned second-tier promotion in years past, only to be forced to stay put.
Moore said he would not wish that feeling on anyone, but would gladly accept the chance for the Eagles to be playing division 1 baseball next summer in what will be the club’s 75th anniversary season.
“You wouldn’t wish it upon any club. Every club wants to be in division 1 when they earn the right for promotion,” he told the Weekly. “It happened to us for three or four years where we didn’t meet the criteria to go up.
“I hope for Sunshine’s stake, we get to stay up.
“It’s out of our hands now, so we’ll see what happens.”
Moore made his decision to retire during the regular season.
He told the club early so it could begin the process of finding the right replacement.
Moore quit as a player because his body was starting to feel the strain after two decades in the game.
He moved on as coach because he felt the team would be better served by a more demanding coach.
“I’m 33 next week, I’ve been doing it a long time and the body has deteriorated a bit,” he said.
“I’m stepping aside from the coaching because I think they need someone who can challenge the boys, really knuckle down and get the boys to step up a notch.”
Moore is a stalwart of the club and will always have the Eagles close to his heart.
The only time he spent away from Talmage Street was a five-year stint with the Geelong Baycats.
His dad, Allan, and brother, Scott, are also big names at the club.
Moore will remain involved as a regular onlooker at Barclay Reserve, just not with a baseball glove in hand.
