truebluefan

14-year Major League outfielder Darnell Coles has been named manager of the 2007 Vermont Lake Monsters by the Washington Nationals, who today announced the coaching staff assignments for their Minor League affiliates.

Coles becomes the 10th manager in Vermont's 14-year history in the New York-Penn League after spending the 2006 season as one of three roving hitting instructors in the Nationals system, which included a couple of trips to Vermont this past season. Before that, the 44-year-old spent three seasons as coach of Countryside (FL) High School.

During his Major League career he played with eight different teams between 1983 and 1997, including the 1993 World Champion Toronto Blue Jays. Although he hit just 75 home runs in 957 career games, Coles is one of just eight players in Major League history to hit three home runs in a game in both the American and National Leagues.

The Nationals also announced today that Tony Tarasco will return to the Lake Monsters as a coach for the second straight year. The 2007 Vermont pitching coach and trainer will be announced at a future date.

2006 Vermont manager Jose Alguacil is now the roving infield instructor for the San Francisco Giants, while 2006 pitching coach Mark Grater is now the Rehab Pitching Coordinator for the Nationals. 2005 Lake Monsters skipper Bobby Williams will be a coach for the Triple-A Columbus Clippers.

Other coaches in the organization with ties to Vermont include former player/coach Troy Gingrich, who will coach at Single-A Potomac and former player Jason Camilli, who will coach with the Gulf Coast League Nationals. In addition, former Vermont Reds infielder and all-time Major League pinch-hit leader Lenny Harris is the roving infield coordinator for Washington.

The 2007 Lake Monsters season will open on Tuesday, June 19th when Vermont hosts the Tri-City ValleyCats at historic Centennial Field.