Anglers Tab Former Pitching Coach Cook As 2025 Manager

CHATHAM – The Anglers have a new skipper.

The Chatham Athletic Association recently announced the hiring of Dennis Cook as its manager for the 2025 season. Cook had a 15-year Major League Baseball career before turning to coaching, and he served as Chatham’s pitching coach from 2018 until 2022.

“We were impressed with Dennis’s approach during his first tenure in Chatham,” CAA President Steve West said in the team’s press release. “He knows the league, he knows Chatham, he knows what we expect of a manager. We believe he will be a great fit and just the right person to lead the Anglers into the future.”

The 61-year-old Cook replaces Jeremy Sheetinger, who in July resigned midway through his debut season and cited personal reasons for his decision. Eric Beattie, a Cape League Hall of Fame inductee who served as pitching coach this summer, took over for Sheetinger as interim manager and led the Anglers to their first postseason appearance since 2019.

Cook will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to Veterans Field. In addition to coaching in Chatham, he also managed several European national teams, served as the pitching coach at Northwestern University and was selected as the first manager for the Abu Dhabi-based falcons in the upstart Middle East/Indian-subcontinent professional baseball league.

The Texas native is excited to return to Chatham next summer.

“I’m really excited to be back in Chatham as the manager,” he said. “Chatham is a first-class organization with high-quality people in charge. I look forward to putting together a highly competitive team for loyal Angler fans.”

Cook was an accomplished Major League Baseball reliever from 1988 to 2002. He won a World Series with the Miami Marlins in 1997 and was a member of the 2022 World Series champion Anaheim Angels, though he did not appear in the postseason during the Angels’ title run. In nine postseason series, Cook compiled a perfect 0.00 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP.

His pitching knowledge was on full display during his first stint with the Anglers.

“I was very impressed with Dennis’s professional approach to his role during his initial time in Chatham,” Chatham general manager Mike Geylin said. “The players responded well to his methods and respected his knowledge, understanding of the game and his experience in living a baseball life, which is the dream many of them come with to Chatham. His resume creates a solid foundation for this respect, and Dennis’s actions reinforce it.”

Cook’s baseball acumen isn’t limited to pitching, however. As a National League pitcher, he hit .264 with two home runs and was considered the best-hitting relief pitcher of his era.

“So, anyone who questions his ability to manage the entire team – pitching and position players – does not know the full story of Dennis Cook,” Geylin said. “I think we will all enjoy watching this next chapter develop.”