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Silver Knights GM move: Cook in, Pahucki out

By Tom King - Staff Writer | Aug 27, 2019

Telegraph file photo by TOM KING After a season as operations manager, Cam Cook has been promoted to general manager by Nashua Silver Knights owner John Creedon, Jr.

NASHUA – There’s another change at the top with the Nashua Silver Knights.

Basically, it’s this: Dave Pahucki out as general manager after one season, with operations manager/assistant GM Cam Cook promoted to the GM role.

Silver Knights owner John Creedon, Jr. confirmed the move on Monday, calling it a mutual decision.

“Dave brought a lot to the table for us,” Creedon said of the Pahucki, a former Nashua Pride and Lowell Spinners pitcher who came on board in late March. “He was instrumental in the transition from the (former owner) Drew Weber Silver Knights to my and my family’s Silver Knights. We’re grateful to him for everything he did.”

In fact, Creedon said he would welcome Pahucki back to the Silver Knights at some point.

Either way, its the fourth general manager change for the franchise since Ronnie Wallace stepped down in November of 2017.

The next major move for the team will be to hire a new field manager and figure out player procurement duties after B.J. Neverett, who did both, stepped down at season’s end. It’s expected a managerial announcement could come any day this week, and longtime pitching coach Kyle Jackson remains the favorite to get the job.

Pahucki, who during the season talked about how he was looking forward to having a full off-season to build the franchise up, issued a statement via text.

“The only comment at this time is that I’m considering several options with the season being over,” he wrote, “and I hope for the success of the organization whether I’m a part of it or not.”

Cook, the former Silver Knights third baseman who helped the team win two titles (2016-17), said this is basically his dream job coming ahead of schedule.

“I’m really excited,” he said. “It was something I was kind of looking forward to and it’s happening probably a little sooner than I thought. Being a general manager is awesome, but being the general manager of the Silver Knights is special.”

Cook graduated from Nichols with a business degree and said that he often would attend whatever business community functions he could find in the area last spring to acclimate himself to that end of the business. And, as operations manager, “There were nights I was a concessions worker, or nights I would do things that an intern would do. I think that’s all helped me prepare for this.”

Creedon said that Cook “brings leadership qualities to the front office” and his long association with the franchise will help. As for sales, a big part of the job, “He and I will be working in tandem on those efforts, we’ve already gotten some contact with local businesses.”

Creedon said there was no hurry in naming a new operations manager, since that is a lot of season and game night work. But, in terms of an assistant general manger, the team promoted office manger Katie Arend to that role.

“She’s very talented and has proven herself,” Creedon said.

After Wallace and assistant GM Cheryl Lindner stepped down two years ago, then-owner Weber hired vastly experienced minor league general manager Rick Muntean to the job for the 2018 season. But Muntean was let go about a year ago this week, and in the off season Weber named assistant GM Victoria Cookson and new hire Michael Broderick as co-GMs last December.

But Weber then sold the team to Creedon in February, and in March Creedon let both go and brought in Pahucki and Cook in the name of a fresh start.

Now there’s a restart.

“Things change, people come and go, things evolve,” Creedon said. “We’re very confident in Cam’s and Katie’s ability. We’ve already hit the ground running since the season ended.”

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The All-FCBL team was announced recently, and the Silver Knights had three players named, tied with Westfield and Pittsfield for the fewest. League champion Worcester and runnerup Bristol had six.

The only first teamer for Nashua was slugger Jared Dupere, who hit .270 with eight homers, 11 doubles and 32 RBIs. Named to the FCBL Second Team were outfielder Kyle Sandstrom, who hit .320 with a homer and 21 RBIs, plus 12 doubles and 34 runs scored, along with catcher Dylan Jones. Jones hit .306 with a team high 38 RBIs, plus two homers, 13 doubles, three triples and 32 runs scored.

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