Cartwright: Skippers' GM job 'harder task than I thought'

Editor’s note: This story was written prior to the River City Skippers’ announcement that the Skippers has changed owners. Randy Cartwright and his family will continue managing the operations of the Elizabeth City-based summer collegiate baseball team.

Randy Cartwright has been involved in some form of baseball for the past four decades. So last year, when he was asked to help out his son, then River City Skippers head coach Noah Cartwright, as assistant coach during the team’s inaugural season, he readily agreed.

Then when the season was over, he learned the Skippers were looking for a new general manager. The team’s owners asked if he’d take on the role, and he agreed to do that.

Cartwright, who retired as sheriff of Pasquotank County six years ago after a 24-year career as the county’s top lawman, told the Elizabeth City Morning Rotary Club last month that helping his son as assistant coach was an easy call. “We wanted to make (the Skippers) as good as we could that first year and I was glad to help,” he said.

But he’s found the job of general manager of Elizabeth City’s summer collegiate baseball team in the Old North State League a “much harder task than I thought” it would be.

One challenge is how “fast” the season goes. It started May 24 and will end on July 22.

“Often their college coaches are looking to get them right back in action by August,” he said, referring to Skippers players who play collegiate baseball around the country.

There’s also the challenge of managing a team of young athletes whose primary commitment is their college or university while still wanting to put winning baseball out on the field.

“We’re making sure we are not over pitching them, making sure they are getting time in at the gym weightlifting, Cartwright said. “Some need to get in internship hours. Some need to find a job while here and work a few hours. This is all about making them better, not them getting hurt.”

Then there are the things Cartwright has to take care of both before and after each game. The list includes securing a reliable list of sponsors to help with the team’s transportation and equipment costs. Cartwright suspects the Skippers go through dozens of baseballs each week.

Then there’s the matter of ensuring the Skippers and their game opponents get enough to eat. While all of the players stay with host families while they’re here for the summer, Cartwright has to ensure both teams at home games — the Skippers and the visiting team — are fed a post-game meal.

“If we can get churches, businesses and other sponsors to provide meals that’s good,” he said. “They can see a lot of hamburgers in a season so they like to see something different, too. They see a lot of sandwiches, too.”

One thing that hasn’t been too much of a challenge is getting college players to come to Elizabeth City to play. Being close to the beach helps.

“We’re close to the ocean. For guys who have never seen the ocean, they get to go out there. Some really like going to the beach,” Cartwright said.

Cartwright said his daughter, Abby Cartwright, the team’s assistant general manager, helps him “get a lot of things done.”

“We are still learning. We are not perfect with this,” he said. “The sponsors were really good last year and this year. We’ve had some people who hosted more than one athlete.”

Cartwright said he and Abby have been pleased at fan response to the Skippers, both through attendance at games and on social media.

“It’s good to see how much this thing has become a community effort, with all the community support,” he said. “The kids love coming to the field, seeing the games, looking for balls that are out of play. At the end of the night, they love to run the bases.”

He also says the Skippers have become a “family affair” for his family.

“Kathy, my wife is in concessions,” he said. “My son Noah was here last year helping and the other son Andrew is helping this year with stats.”

This year, Noah Cartwright is director of baseball management for the Skippers and head coach of the Wilson Tobs, a collegiate summer baseball team in the Coastal Plains League.

The Skippers have a number of special events planned at upcoming games at Knobbs Creek Park. On Friday, all profits from concessions as well as donations will go to help John Delano, a Camden firefighter who suffered a traumatic brain injury after he was struck by a ball before a May 11 softball game. Delano was transported to a Richmond, Virginia hospital for medical treatment.

Military Night will be Saturday, July 6. All active duty and retired military personnel will be admitted free.

Saturday and Friday, July 19, will also be fireworks nights. A fireworks show will follow the conclusion of home games played those nights.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Randy Cartwright and Abby Cartwright are taking over the operations of the River City Skippers' baseball team. The Cartwrights will continue to oversee the team's operations.