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These days, Manuel and his wife of 21 years,
Beck y Kirkland, live in Car y with their two teen-
aged children while Manuel travels the countr y
studying rising power hitters. He'll be making
occasional stops in his hometown in the coming
months for Fayetteville Woodpeckers' games and
to visit his parents.
to keep the staff fed on deadline days. It was awesome.
"It was a great joy to have a way to be a nerd and get paid for it."
Already knowledgeable about the game, he immersed himself in covering the
college beat, including the College World Series and the major league dra and
even the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. He was promoted to co-editor-in-chief in
2005.
"I considered it a privilege," he said, "and tried to cover the game with passion,
integrity and a depth of knowledge to earn readers' respect and subscription."
He'd never considered becoming a scout until 2017. at's when Derek Falvey
with the Twins, who had hired several people away from writing, asked him to
recommend another baseball writer with potential as a scout.
"What about me?" Manuel asked.
ese days, he and his wife of 21 years, Becky Kirkland, live in Cary with their
two teen-aged children while Manuel travels the country studying rising power
hitters. He'll be making occasional stops in his hometown in the coming months
for Fayetteville Woodpeckers' games and to visit his parents.
He says Segra Stadium, the minor league Woodpeckers and the city's 30-year
deal with the Houston Astros are great additions to Fayetteville.
He should know.
"I'm always amazed, having grown up when going downtown was a lot
different," he said. "e city has been good to my parents and my family, and it
has changed in a great way. I'm very impressed.
"Segra Stadium is just the right size," he said. "I'm very proud of Fayetteville.
ey did it right."
