NDL Forum

Number Retirement
July 6th, 2047
AP - The Toronto Aces held a ceremony prior to today's series opener with the Greeks. The fans at the The Acehole were treated to a surprise number retirement, as the franchise decided to honor their recently retired Manager, Jose Bustamante, by hanging his number 25 from the rafters. Aces management did a great job of making sure nothing was leaked and it came as a huge surprise to those in attendance.

Bustamante joined the Aces in 2040, just as their rebuild was complete and they were ready to compete. His first season he posted a 77-85 record, however, after that he never looked back.

His resume as manager of the Aces is rather impressive. 1134 games managed and a 676-458 record, good for a .596 winning percentage. He has a manager of the year award, which he received in 2041 for turning a 77 win team into a 93 win playoff team. He would make the playoffs 6 straight seasons from 2041-2046. Winner of the NL Blue 4 times. And, of course, Ace fans will never forget the incredible and improbable run to their first ever World Series title in 2046.

Bustamante was very emotional during his tribute video up on the big screen, breakin down into tears multiple times. "I have been extremely blessed in my lifetime." He explained in his speech. "I came from a middle class neighborhood in Southern California. My parents arrived here from Cuba in the late 1970's so they could raise a family in the land of the free. It was because of the opportunities that this great country gave us that allowed us to live a comfortable lifestyle, and also allowed me to play the game that I so dearly loved, baseball. As a child I always envisioned myself being a baseball player and hitting the game winning homerun in the World Series. I don't think any child ever dreams of becoming a manager, I certainly didn't. But now here we are, in this beautiful city, on this beautiful field and I am being honored for my accomplishments as a manager. I never would have guessed this is show my career would go, but I couldn't be happier." He went on to express his appreciation for the city of Toronto. "Any time I would visit the city of Toronto as an opposition I always enjoyed the city greatly. The people, the food, the nightlife, all world class. However it wasn't until I was hired to be the manager that I realized just how special this city really is. They really made me feel like a Torontonian, and it was thanks to them that I felt at home in the city. I now have a permanent home here and would never dream of living elsewhere. I enjoy watching the Aces kick butt on TV, and sometimes in person, and it brings me such joy to see them continue to succeed. My bench coach from the past few seasons Gabe Ramirez has done a fantastic job since taking over as manager, and with a great young manager like Lawerence Franks getting better at the job down in AAA, the managerial future for this franchise is very secure."

Bustamante was greeted with an 8 minute uninterrupted standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 38,000 plus, and upon the conclusion of the ceremony Bustamante hopped on the back of a Cadillac convertible and did a lap around the field, slapping hands with fans as he went, tears still streaming down his face. It was truly a special moment for the franchise, the fans, and the city.