Guiver has been recruiting for the Crabs since 2003
Sept. 9, 2016
ARCATA — Crabs Manager Tyson Fisher has stepped down as team manager due to personal reasons. Fisher, who recorded his 100th win on July 22, finishes his three years managing the Crabs with 110 wins and 39 losses. Crabs alumni, recruiter and former assistant coach Robin Guiver will take over as manager of the Crabs for the 2017 season.
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity of managing the ball club for the past three summers," Fisher said in an email to the Crabs organization. "I met some great young men, and worked with some of the best coaches in the nation. For that, I am forever grateful. Following in the footsteps of the Crabs greats has been a wonderful experience for myself and for my family. But, my young family is growing, and I am looking forward to spending more time with them. Thank you to the Humboldt community for supporting the team with such tenacity each year. Also, thank you to the Crabs board, trainer Nate Kees and Crabs board president Vikki Rossi. Building on a storied summer baseball program was a real pleasure, and I wish the Crabs the best moving forward.”
Former players and coaches praised Fisher's time as manager.
Sacramento State’s head baseball coach and former Crabs coach Reggie Christian said of Fisher, “I am sorry to hear that Fisher is stepping down, but I understand that he has a young family and is committed to being with them. The commitment of being the Crabs skipper is also a very important one and I believe Fisher did a great job as the manager these past years.”
Former Crabs outfielder Beau Bozett said, “Coach Fisher let me be myself when I played for him. A lot of coaches will force you to play the way they want you to play. All coach Fisher asked of us was to play hard. I admired him as a coach and his ability to let us play with a clear mind. He allowed me to be goofy while keeping me focused on the game. I couldn't imagine playing for a better person or a better summer baseball program.”
Guiver is no stranger to the Crabs organization. He pitched for the Humboldt Crabs in 1998 and 1999 under then-manger Shorty Ames and coach Al Brisack. Guiver was used in relief and went 2-0 with a .98 ERA in 1998. In 1999, he went 3-0 and posted a 1.21 ERA.
Guiver was hired as an assistant coach by the Crabs board of directors in 2000. Guiver replaced Brisack on the Crabs coaching staff and coached the Crabs until 2013. Guiver’s nephew was diagnosed with cancer and Guiver felt it was best to resign in 2013 in order to help his family.
In addition, Guiver has remained with the organization throughout the years as a player recruiter. Crabs GM Ned Barsuglia asked Guiver to help him with the recruiting in 2003 and he’s been reaching out to colleges ever since.
Recently, Guiver helped outfielder Bozett transfer from Gonzaga University to the University of San Francisco with a simple phone call to the Don’s head baseball coach, Nino Giarratano. Bozett was a junior at Gonzaga and wasn’t seeing much playing time; he wanted to play out his last year of eligibility with some of his former Crabs teammates who were playing for the Dons.
“Guiver helped me continue my baseball career even after I thought it was done," Bozett said. "Without his help, I would not have had the opportunity to play baseball in San Francisco. Guiver’s help was much more than the gift of being able to play ball for another year, but rather it was a great experience, full of baseball memories and amazing people that I will never forget.”
Fisher and Guiver know each other well, as Fisher was hired in 2010 to be an assistant coach when then-manger Matt Nutter (2006-2014) ran the team with assistant coaches Guiver and Matt Wilson (2007-2009). Wilson moved on to become an assistant coach at Pepperdine University.
Guiver is currently coaching at San Lorenzo Valley High School in Santa Cruz — where he lives with his family — as the baseball team’s pitching and assistant coach under the Cougars manager Shane Sutcliffe. This week, Guiver added one more to his growing family with a newborn son, Beau Patrick Guiver.
Guiver has coached alongside many Crabs alumni and notables, including Christiansen, Eric Brown, Matt Pidgeon, Mike Jordt, Nick Giacone, Brad Morgan, Jeff Giacomini and Matt Nutter.
In an interview a few years ago, Guiver talked about his favorite part about coaching the Crabs: “Getting to know the guys and getting to spend time with them and the relationships you build that last a long time. There are a lot of guys I coached that I still get calls from. Just getting to know these guys and being lifelong friends after they spend a couple summers in Humboldt. It’s really cool to see how they doing and how their lives are going as they get older and move on in life, whether it’s in baseball or family and a job. So that’s the coolest part, just seeing them grow up and become men.”
Larry Zerlang, who has served on the Crabs board since its inception in 1995, said, “Robin Guiver is the perfect manager for the Crabs. He was a WSU graduate, outstanding Crabs pitcher for two seasons, proven assistant coach, experienced recruiter and he has first-hand knowledge of all the West Coast colleges. Guiver is a natural fit to lead the Crabs in 2017 and into the future. I have worked with Guiver for more than 20 years and I am very pleased he has taken the job.”
