Gallagher: IBL's Chatham Barnstormers fire Rondon as manager

The Intercounty Baseball League’s Chatham-Kent Barnstormers have fired manager Gil Rondon. Photo: Chatham Barnstormers

August 1, 2025

By Danny Gallagher

Canadian Baseball Network

Gil Rondon had held down three jobs with the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers of the Intercounty Baseball League.

He was the manager, pitching coach and Florida scout.

But as of 10:30 a.m. July 31, he no longer had a position because he was fired after owner Dom Dinelle asked him to report to the team's office at the ballpark in Chatham.

Rondon, 71, a Bronx, New York native who played briefly in the majors, got no concrete answer from Dinelle as to why he was being dismissed.

"Why should I be shocked?'' Rondon told this writer in a phone interview from Chatham. "When you assume any kind of job, one guy goes in and the next guy comes in. It was baseball matters. There are a lot of small, little things that sometimes get to the point where the water starts flowing and the house is flooded.

"That was his (Dinelle's) decision. I just hope everything works out. The only people feeling the brunt of this is the players. I had built a relationship with them. I don't want to say much, speculation this and that.''

When he was asked why he would be fired when the team's record is a respectable 18-15, he replied, laughing: "Figure that one out.''

General manager Harry Muir is taking over the managerial reins. Rondon had been pitching coach under Dan Norman in 2024 in the club's inaugural season in the Intercounty Baseball League. After a solid season, Norman was let go and Rondon was promoted to be manager.

Norman, a Montreal Expos player in 1982, told this reporter on Friday that he was never informed of his dismissal by the Barnstormers.

"They never spoke with me. I never heard from anyone. I do not know the reason for not returning as the manager,'' Norman said in a text message. "I thought I did a pretty good job. First year, we made the playoffs. Five players were named all-stars. I was picked as an all-star coach.''

Dinelle declined to respond to an email request for an interview about Rondon and Norman. Rondon is staying in Chatham for a few days to clear up some matters before heading to his home in Kissimmee, Fla.

In other Intercounty news, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Dustin Richardson left the team recently and followed up by writing league commissioner Ted Kalnins to explain the reasons why he quit.

Richardson claims team owners are coddling Japanese female player Ayami Sato, 35.

"Sato should have been cut a long time ago but they can't release her because they brought her in for PR reasons,'' Richardson said in the letter. "In some games, they had a chance of winning but when she came in to pitch, things got out of hand.''

Sato has pitched in 14 innings this season, giving up 30 hits with an ERA of 12.51.