Fishkill, NY - The Tampa Bay Rays have announced the on-field coaching staff for the 2008 Hudson Valley Renegades. Joe Alvarez will be taking over manager for the Renegades and joining him on the bench will be Pitching Coach Rafael Montalvo, the lone returning coach from the 2007 staff, along with new Bench Coaches Jared Sandberg and Michael Johns.
Fans will notice a new manager at the helm for the Renegades this season; Cuban-born Alvarez will be taking over for former Manager Matt Quatraro. Last season Alvarez was the base running and hitting instructor for the Lakewood Blueclaws, Philadelphia Phillies Single-A. Under Alvarez the Blueclaws led the Phillies organization in stolen bases (177). Prior to coaching with the Blueclaws he was the hitting coach for the Batavia Muckdogs, Short-Season A.
Alvarez, 52-years-old, has been around professional baseball since 1974 when he played for the Yankees (1974-75) organization. Alvarez played for two other organizations, Astros (1976) and Orioles (1977), before ending his playing career in 1977. In 1978 he started his coaching career in the Baltimore farm system. He spent two seasons with the Baltimore organization before moving onto coach in the Dodgers farm system. Alvarez got his managerial start with Sarasota, Single-A team for the Dodgers, where he led the team to one championship (1987). After managing for Sarasota he moved onto Vero Beach where he managed for two seasons and brought home another championship (1990).
Joining the coaching staff will be former Renegades player Jared Sandberg. Sandberg played most of the 1998 season at the hot corner for the Renegades racking up a .288 batting average (78-for-271), with 15 doubles, 15 homeruns and 54 RBI. This will be Sandberg's first coaching position as he spent the last 12 years playing professional baseball
Sandberg, 29-years-old, started his professional baseball career in 1996, when he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 16th round of the June Draft. Sandberg got his first taste of the majors on Aug. 7th, 2001. He spent the rest of the '01 season with the Rays and than split the '02 and '03 seasons between Triple-A Durham and Tampa Bay. He still holds the Rays all-time minor league records for homeruns (113), RBI (473) and runs scored (417). Sandberg is the nephew of Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, who played for the Chicago Cubs from 1982-1997.
The second Renegades bench coach will be Michael Johns, 33-years-old. Johns graduated from Tulane University where he was a two-time Conference USA, all-conference shortstop. After having success at the colligate level Johns was drafted by the Colorado Rockies 19th overall in the 1997 June Draft. Johns spent two years with the Rockies Single-A teams, Asheville, N.C. and Portland, Ore. During his time in the minors he slugged five homeruns, two doubles and 36 RBI.
After his professional baseball career, as a player, was over he ventured to Fernandina Beach (Fla.) High School where he spent four years as the assistant baseball coach. He than landed a head-coaching job at Orange Park (Fla.) High School. Johns has been the head baseball coach for Orange Park High School for the past four years. During his tenure at Orange Park High School he lead the baseball team to a 50-55 record. This will be Johns first professional coaching job.
Coming back to join the Renegades coaching staff will be Pitching Coach Rafael Montalvo. Montalvo will be coming back for his second consecutive season with the Renegades; he was the Renegades pitching coach from 2002-'04 and then re-joined the team in 2007. Montalvo has been a coach at the professional level for the past nine years, all with the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Under Montalvo's tutelage the 2004 Renegades pitching staff earned a 3.01 ERA, which placed the 'Gades second for the lowest team ERA in all the minor leagues.
Montalvo started his professional baseball career with the Dodgers organization back in 1980. He spent the majority of his professional player career with the Dodgers but enjoyed stints with the Astros (1986-'88) and the Angels (1990-'91) farm clubs. His lone major league experience came in 1986 with the Houston Astros.
The Williamsport Crosscutters field staff for 2008 will feature two rookies and a returning veteran.
Philadelphia Phillies announced that Dusty Wathan, 34, will manage the Cutters in '08. It will mark his first year as a manager after 14 years as a professional player. Wathan began is pro baseball career in 1994 as a non-drafted free agent by the Seattle Mariners. The former catcher and first baseman also spent time in the Marlins, Padres, Brewers, Royals, Indians and Phillies organizations.
He played in a total of 1,019 Minor League games compiling a batting average of .273 with 58 home runs and 417 RBI. He played a total of 3 games in the Major Leagues with the Kansas City Royals in 2002. Wathan spent the 2007 season with the Ottawa Lynx (Triple-A Phillies) hitting .272 in 75 games and is the son of former Royals catcher and manager John Wathan.
Reflecting on his new position, Wathan stated, "I'm looking forward to turning the page in my career. I've always wanted the opportunity to manage and after 14 years of playing professionally I thought the time was right. I'm really looking forward to being a part of the Williamsport Crosscutters".
The Cutters hitting coach in '08 will be Eric Valent, another newcomer to the coaching ranks. Valent, 30, was a Phillies first-round draft choice (supplemental phase) in 1995 and played parts of five seasons in the Major Leagues with the Phillies, Reds and Mets.
Rounding out the staff will be pitching coach Bill Bliss, 38, who returns for his second season in Williamsport and his third as a coach in the Phillies organization. Under Bliss, the 2007 Williamsport pitching staff ranked 4th in the NY-P League with an ERA of 3.55.
Williamsport's manager in 2007, Greg Legg will spend the '08 season as a coach for the Lakewood Blueclaws, the Phillies long-season A affiliate.
All of the Williamsport coaching staff is expected to attend the Cutters Hot Stove Banquet on January 17 at the Genetti Hotel. Tickets are available by calling (570) 326-3389.
In a press conference held today at Historic Bowman Field, Cutters mascot Rusty Roughcut announced he will be leaving the team effective immediately.
In a statement, read by Cutters Vice-President of Marketing & Public Relations, Gabe Sinicropi, Rusty stated, "My years as the Crosscutters mascot have been the most rewarding of my life. Spending summer nights at Bowman Field with the fans, and especially the children of the area has been a truly memorable experience. I'll never forget my first game in 1999 or the championship years of 2001 and 2003."
In explaining his departure, Mr. Roughcut said, "As good as all this has been for me and my career, I miss being a lumberjack. The feel of the saw, the smell of fresh cut wood and all that goes with it. In addition, watching the Crosscutters compete on the field over the years has my competitive juices flowing."
"It is for those reasons I am announcing that effective immediately, I will be joining the United States Axeman's Association and beginning my training to compete in sanctioned Lumberjack competitions across the nation. My ultimate goal is to set a new world record in competition with the one man crosscut saw."
Rusty has some possible mascot replacements in mind and will be talking to his friends and providing his recommendations to the Crosscutters in the coming months.
Williamsport Crosscutters Vice-President - General Manager Doug Estes thanked Rusty for his years of service saying, "The Crosscutters organization has had the pleasure of working with Rusty for over 9 years. He will be missed by fans and by his co-workers."
"We thank him for his hard work and dedication to the team. The Crosscutters are pleased to announce that we fully support Rusty in his new endeavor and will be providing sponsorship support to him while he is on the road pursuing his dream. The door for his return to the Cutters will always be open."
Rusty Roughcut spent a total of nine seasons as the mascot for the Williamsport Crosscutters. The team is expected to introduce their new mascot in early spring.
Greenville, SC - The son of a former Major League manager, a former All-American for the Clemson Tigers baseball team, and a returning Upstate resident and former Major League standout will comprise the Drive coaching staff for the 2008 season.
The World Series Champion Boston Red Sox have announced that Kevin Boles will take the reins as the team's new manager, and will be joined by Billy McMillon and Bob Kipper as the Drive's hitting coach and pitching coach, respectively.
With the 2008 Drive coaching staff set, the Red Sox have insured that their highly acclaimed player development system is set to continue its winning ways as many of the organization's top prospects have the opportunity to play at West End Field.
Drive General Manager, Mike deMaine noted, "The Red Sox are among the best in the game at scouting, drafting and developing fresh major league talent, like Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester, Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Jonathan Papelbon, and Kevin Youkilis." deMaine added, "We look forward to cheering our new Drive coaches and their future Red Sox stars on to greatness over the coming season!"
Kevin Boles, 32, comes to the Red Sox after having spent the previous four seasons within the Minnesota Twins organization. Kevin, the son of former Florida Marlins manager John Boles, boasts a seven-year managerial with stints in the Twins, Royals, and Marlins organizations.
Boles has an impressive ability to develop young players and see them move to the next level. During his time in Minnesota's organization, Boles played an integral part in the development of a number of major leaguers, including Matt Garza and Nick Punto.
In addition, Boles has boasted a winning record as he has guided three of his teams to the playoffs over recent seasons, including the 2000 GCL Marlins, the 2005 Beloit Snappers and the 2006 Fort Myers Miracle. Boles' 2006 Miracle posted the best record in the Florida State League en route to capturing the first and second half Western Division titles.
"When we hired Kevin we felt his experience on the field and management style would benefit our organization and the Greenville Drive," added Red Sox Director of Player Development Mike Hazen. "We are excited to have him join the organization."
A 42nd round selection of the Chicago Cubs in 1998, Boles takes over as the Drive's manager for Gabe Kapler, who announced on September 20th that he was going to resume his playing career.
Although he will be entering his first season as the hitting coach for the Drive, Billy McMillon is no stranger to the Upstate. From 1991-1993 the 36-year-old enjoyed a solid playing career for the Clemson University Tigers, where he earned First-Team NCBWA All-American honors in 1993.
A six-year Major League veteran, McMillon broke into the big leagues with the Florida Marlins in 1998. A lifetime .248 batter, he also made stops in Philadelphia, Detroit, and finally in Oakland, where an injury in 2004 forced him to retire. McMillon attempted a comeback with the Red Sox in 2005, but was unable to bounce back. McMillon's enjoyed his best season as a pro in 2000, when he batted .301 with four home runs and 24 RBI in 46 games with the Tigers.
McMillon has been high on the Red Sox coaching list for the past two years. Boston originally offered the Irmo, SC resident the Lowell Spinners managerial position for 2007, but McMillon declined the offer citing distance from his wife and children as the reason.
McMillon replaces Taylors, SC resident Randy Phillips, who served as Greenville's hitting coach during the 2005, 2006, and 2007 seasons.
After spending the 2005 and 2006 seasons as Greenville's pitching coach, Bob Kipper, 43, joined the Red Sox Advanced-A affiliate, the Lancaster JetHawks, in 2007. The Greer, SC resident returns to the Drive for the 2008 season in the same capacity. While serving as the Drive's pitching coach in 2006, Kipper played a key role in the development of the Red Sox top pitching prospect Clay Buchholz, who tossed a no-hitter for Boston on September 1st.
Prior to making his coaching debut in 1995, Kipper spent more than 10 seasons as a pitcher in professional baseball. Originally drafted eighth overall in 1982 by the California Angels, Kipper also spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Minnesota Twins, and New York Mets.
Drive President and Co-owner, Craig Brown, commented on the announcement, noting, "The 2007 World Series win said a lot about the quality of the coaching staff and the talent the Red Sox have built into their player development system." Brown continued, "Kevin Boles and Bob Kipper have proven track records of molding future Major Leaguers, and Billy McMillon has the experience and knowledge from his playing career to be a very successful coach. 2008 promises to be another great year for our baseball fans at West End Field."
There are still plenty of great seats available for the 2008 season through the Drive's variety of ticket plans. Call (864) 240-4500 to speak with a representative or log onto to greenvilledrive.com: Home for more information. And don't forget, the Drive's Official Team Store has plenty of gift ideas for the baseball fan on your holiday list.
Former Gnat Alex Morales Honored By Pitch And Hit Club Of Chicago
CHICAGO - The Pitch and Hit Club of Chicago will name former Sand Gnats pitcher Alex Morales Chicago Area Minor League Player of the Year at an awards dinner to be held on January 20, 2008 in Rosemont, Ill. Morales pitched for the Gnats in 2005.
Morales began his 2007 campaign with Hi-A Potomac and went 1-0 with 3 saves. In 13.1 innings, the Chicago native didn't allow an earned run while striking out 19. After receiving a promotion to Double-A Harrisburg, Morales went 3-2 with a 3.04 ERA in 16 appearances out of the bullpen. With Triple-A Columbus, Morales posted a 1-1 record with a 6.91 ERA in 14.1 IP. He ended the season with the Harrisburg Senators.
While wearing a Sand Gnats uniform in 2005, Morales was 1-1 with a 4.82 ERA in 18 games.
Headlining the list of guest speakers at this year's awards dinner is former Cleveland Indians pitcher, Hall of Famer Bob Feller. Past award winners at the dinner include current Chicago White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen and newly appointed Cincinnati Reds Manager Dusty Baker.
Also being honored at the event is Jayne Simmons, wife of Sand Gnats owner John Simmons. Jayne, who is the owner of the Southern Illinois Miners, is receiving the award for Independent Executive of the Year.
The Pitch and Hit Club of Chicago, formed in 1942 by a group of major league players and scouts, is a professional baseball organization that promotes professionals in the game of baseball in the Chicagoland area.
Savannah opens the home portion of its 2008 season with an April 11 contest versus the Columbus Catfish at Historic Grayson Stadium. For more information, visit sandgnats.com or call 912-351-9150.
Columbus, GA - The 2008 Columbus Catfish field staff has been set and Catfish fans will see new faces in the dugout. Matt Quatraro will be managing the team and will be joined by pitching coach Bill Moloney, hitting coach Ozzie Timmons and trainer Nick Medina.
After two seasons managing the Rays' short A affiliate, the Hudson Valley Renegades, Quatraro has been promoted to Columbus. Quatraro was 65-85 in two seasons at Hudson Valley. An eighth round pick by the Rays in the 1996 June Draft, he became the first Rays minor league player to join the organization's coaching staff. Matt played seven minor league seasons batting .286 with 200 RBI in 414 games before taking on the role of catching instructor in the Tampa Bay organization in 2003. He joined Hudson Valley as a coach midway through the 2004 season. After coaching in Hudson Valley in 2005, he was promoted to manager for the '06 season. A graduate of Old Dominion University with a history degree, he was named the 1996 ODU Male Athlete of the Year and Male Scholar Athlete of the Year and is one of only two players in school history to compile a career batting average above .400 (.413).
The lone holdover from the 2007 SAL Championship staff is pitching coach Bill Moloney. Under Moloney's guidance, the 2007 Catfish pitching staff finished first in the SAL in saves (44) and second in ERA (3.61). This will be Moloney's second season in the Rays organization after spending the previous six years in the Reds organization.
Timmons begins his second season in the Rays organization after spending the 2007 season with Hudson Valley. Selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 5th round of the 1991 June Draft, he played professional baseball for 16 seasons with the Cubs, Reds, Mariners, Devil Rays, Braves, Diamondbacks and Mets organizations as well as Chunichi Dragons of the Japanese Baseball League, the Mexican League and Atlantic City of the Independent Atlantic League. He owns a .235 career major league batting average with 20 doubles and 20 home runs in 186 games. He played the 2000 season in the Tampa Bay organization leading the Triple-A International League in RBI (104) and runs (100), tied for second in walks (73) and tied for third most home runs (29) and extra-base hits (62) earning All Star recognition. After receiving a September call-up to the Rays, he batted.341 in 12 games with 4 homers and 13 RBI. Timmons was a two-time NCAA Division II All-America selection at the University of Tampa.
Nick Medina will serve as trainer after spending the 2007 season with the Princeton Devil Rays. He is a graduate of the University of New Mexico.
Last year's manager Jim Morrison and hitting coach Brady Williams have been promoted to the Rays high A affiliate at Vero Beach. Trainer Kris Russell has left the Rays organization for a similar position with the Yankees organization. Strength and conditioning coach Brett Watkins will return to the Rays but has not yet received his assignment.
The 2008 season begins on Thursday, April 3 vs. the Savannah Sand Gnats at Golden Park. For tickets, merchandise or more information call (706) 571-8866 or visit Columbus Catfish: Home.
Charleston, WV (December 10, 2007) - For the first time since 2005, a new face will lead the Power on the field as Jeff Isom, who led the Helena Brewers to a first half championship in the Pioneer League in 2007 has been named the Power manager for the 2008 season.
Isom, 35, takes over for Mike Guerrero who had a very successful two year run with the Power, going 156-116 and managed the franchise to its first appearance in the South Atlantic League Championship since 1992. Last year was Isom's first year in the Brewers system. Under his guidance, the Helena Brewers went 48-28 and captured the first half title in the Pioneer League's Northern Division.
Prior to joining the Brewers in 2007, Isom spent six years managing in Independent ball. In 2006 he guided the Traverse City Beach Bums to a 57-39 record. Isom spent three years in the minors as a pitcher in the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates organizations from 1993-95. He was selected by the Pirates in the 13th round of the 1993 draft out of Purdue. He had a record of 10-12 with a 3.45 ERA over his three year career in the minor leagues.
West Virginia resident, and manager of the 1990 South Atlantic League Champion Charleston Wheelers Jim Lett will serve as the Power hitting coach. Lett, 56, served as the bench coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates for the past two seasons (2006-07). Prior to his stint with Pittsburgh, Lett spent five seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, serving as the team's bench coach in 2005 after four seasons as the bullpen coach (2001-04). He was also a part of the Toronto Blue Jays organization from 1997-2000 including three seasons as the bench coach. He spent the 2000 season as Toronto's Assistant Director of Player Development.
Lett has worked in professional baseball as a player, coach, manager and front office executive for the last 33 years, having spent 24 of those years within the Cincinnati Reds organization from 1973-1996. He began his career as a player with Bradenton in the Reds minor league system in '73 and batted .256 with six home runs and 110 RBI in three minor league seasons. Following his playing career, he began coaching with the Reds as a Minor League manager from 1977-1985. In two separate stints, he served as Cincinnati's Bench Coach (1986-89, 1996). He managed again in the minors in 1990, coached for the Nashville Sounds (1991-92) and was the organization's Minor League Field Coordinator (1993-95).
Lett graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1973 with a degree in Geography. He was selected to the All-Southeastern Conference baseball team in 1971 and also was a quarterback on the Wildcats football team. He and is wife, Diane, reside in Winfield, West Virginia. They have two children, daughter, Meridith and son, James Craig.
John Curtis will return for his fourth season as the pitching coach of the Power. Curtis has been the pitching coach for the club since the affiliation change and the move to the new ballpark in 2005.
John Curtis enjoyed a 15-year career in Major League Baseball. He pitched for a total of five different teams. His big league career began in 1970 with the Boston Red Sox, the team who drafted him in the first round of the 1968 Supplemental Draft. Curtis was with the Red Sox until 1973. He began a 3-year run with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1974 and was primarily a starter with the Cards until he left for San Francisco in 1977. John was with the Giants until the 1980 season when he began his first of two stints with the San Diego Padres. After two years in San Diego, John left for his first go around with the California Angels in 1982. John played in California during the 1982 season and found his way back to San Diego that same year, only to return to California for the final two years of his career.
Curtis went 89-97, had a 3.96 ERA, recorded 14 shutouts, 42 complete games and pitched 1,641 innings in his career. He was out of baseball from 1984 until 2000 when he served as the pitching coach for Long Beach, CA in the Western Baseball League until 2002. This will be his sixth season with Milwaukee.
Jeremy Herniman will return as the head athletic trainer. Last year was Herniman's first with the Power, and his first in the Brewers' organization. Herniman was the athletic trainers for the Kalamazoo Kings of the Frontier League in 2006.
The Power will open the 2008 season on the road at L.P. Frans Stadium against the Hickory Crawdads on Thursday, April 3rd and will host their home opener against the Augusta GreenJackets on Monday, April 7th.
news 12/15
New York-Penn League
