9/30/2014-8/13/2014- JD Droddy retires from Triggers. Droddy has gone full circle with the Pecos League. He attended the first ever game in Ruidoso in 2011 and was an active volunteer and host family for the White Sands Pupfish that year. He also helped with the Carlsbad Bats in 2011. Droddy served as Triggers Assistant Manager in the 2012 season. He managed Trinidad in 2013 when the Triggers were followed by the Fox Sports 1 TV Show, "The Pecos League." He ended his managing career in 2014 by guiding the Triggers to the playoffs.
He served with the Triggers from day one of the teams inception and lead the Triggers to the playoffs all three years with the team. The 2014 season was the best season in Triggers history. They had six players sign with higher level leagues, including Nick Rodesky to the Philadelphia Phillies.
"My body is tired, I cannot take the day to day grind. After the season I felt as though I slept for a solid week. People don't realize that managing in the Pecos League is a lot of work. It was an absolute joy and I really got to manage a great group of guys. The TV show was popular, and that was just icing on the cake."
Droddy might be most remembered for his role on the Triggers 'TV Show as the field manager.
JD is from Hull, Texas, and graduated from Stephen F Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas. JD then joined the Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant. In Vietnam Droddy flew 44 combat missions in the B52.
While in the Air Force JD earned an MBA from University of North Dakota. Droddy retired in 1986 as Lieutenant Colonel where he served as assistant deputy commander for resource management at Torrejon AFB, Spain. During his span in the Air Force JD lived in Sacramento, Fort Worth, Grand Forks, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Louisville.
After his retirement from the Air Force, JD attended and graduated from Harvard Law School. JD Droddy practiced law in Oregon and Kentucky where he worked for large law firms. In 1993, JD left the practice of law and returned to graduate school, where he earned a masters and PHD in political science at the University of Kentucky. Droddy then was an assistant Professor of Government for four years at Western Kentucky University.
JD then moved to Ely, Minnesota, where he was chief operating officer and chief academic officer at Vermilion Community College. He served there two years before he decided he would retire for good.
He moved to Alamogordo, New Mexico, in 2002 to get out of the cold. From 2003-2013 JD was instrumental in the Alamogordo Music Theatre. He produced three musical stage plays and he wrote two others.
In 2010 the Pecos League announced the arrival of the White Sands Pupfish. Droddy was immediately intrigued and served as a host family in 2011 for the Pupfish. JD housed three members of the Pupfish and wanted to be a part of the league. JD was the team photographer and helped with a variety of roles.
In 2012 the Pecos League expanded to Trinidad Colorado taking White Sands assistant Coach Justin Lowery and naming him manager. Lowery immediately named JD assistant coach. Droddy always loved Colorado from his Air Force Days. In the middle of the 2012 season JD took over as interim manager duties from Lowery when Lowery was removed from the team. JD then moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado and was named manager for the 2013 season. JD led the Triggers to the playoffs in both 2014 and 2013 and ran a very structured program.
JD will assist in the Pecos League in a variety of ways in the future and he will take a part in hiring the new Triggers Field Manager for the 2015 season.