Idaho Taters Owner and General Manager Mike Friedrich shocked the Roger Dorn Baseball League Tuesday night as the Fantasy Baseball-life announced his retirement from the league at the conclusion of the 2022 season.
Friedrich made a name for himself in the Western Independent Fantasy League (WIFL) where he doubled as Commissioner for a number of years. He was hired in November in 2014 as the Assistant General Manager of the Asti Grape Stompers, partnering with long-time friend Terry Shelley.
The duo put together a dominant roster in 2019, leading the RDBL in both hitting and pitching en route to the RDBL Regular Season Title while capturing the club's first East Bay Division pennant as well.
Friedrich was tabbed as the new owner of the Adler's Man Crush Franchise which opened up at the end of 2019. He was forced to wait another season due to the skipped 2020 COVID-season. Friedrich focused on laying down a long-term foundation, building a deep Farm System that was expected to be the strength of their Keeper Roster entering 2022.
While the projections loved the Taters roster, several Draft Day investments and activations flopped, leaving Friedrich's club in 15th place entering play Tuesday.
"While shocked by the decision, we are grateful to everything Mike has brought to the Roger Dorn Baseball League over the past eight seasons" RDBL Commissioner Greg Shelley stated. "Personally, my Fantasy Baseball career started in Mike's living room as a kid trying to help steer his Dad to a WIFL Title before they agreed to grant me my own Franchise. It's been a pleasure competing against him in fantasy circles."
I hate to see Mike leaving the league. Rick Steen and I have been playing fantasy with Mike since 1988. He founded the first league we played in, and before computers, used to painstakingly calculate points by hand and distribute the results to teams on a weekly basis. He was a two time champion and also won two titles in the Natural Fantasy Baseball League, a secondary league in which we participated. He will definitely be missed.