Forty Former Crawdads in Major/ Minor League Positions
Forty former Crawdads players, coaches and managers currently dot the landscape of baseball jobs. Here is the list of assignments for the 2011 season.
MAJOR LEAGUES:
Mike Barnett (hitting coach '96): Houston Astros - Hitting Coach. Barnett was the Astros' minor league hitting coordinator the past two seasons.
Ricky Bennett ('93): Houston Astros - Director of Pro Scouting. Bennett was reassigned in the Astros' shakeup of their minor league system, moving over from his former position as the Director of Player Development.
Dave Clark (manager '04): Houston Astros - Third Base Coach. Clark is in his third season with the Astros.
Dave Keller (hitting coach '95): Chicago Cubs - Special Assistant. Keller was promoted to the major league club after serving as the Cubs' minor league hitting coordinator.
Pete Mackanin (manager '01): Philadephia Phillies - Bench Coach. Mackanin is in his third season with the Phillies.
Mark Salas (hitting coach '93): Chicago White Sox - Bullpen Catcher. Salas is in his fifth season as the bullpen catcher, his second stint in this capacity after serving the same role in 1996-1999.
Ray Searage (pitching coach '05): Pittsburgh Pirates - Pitching Coach. Searage served as the interim pitching coach late last season with the interim title removed during the off-season.
Allen Thomas ('96-'97): Chicago White Sox - Director of Conditioning. Thomas is in his eighth season with Chicago.
Adam Virchis ('94): Chicago White Sox - Scout. Virchis is in his eighth season as a scout with the White Sox.
MINOR LEAGUES:
Mike Rojas (manager '95): Detroit Tigers - Director of Player Development. Rojas was the Tigers' Field Director for three seasons until his promotion last August.
Bob Henley ('02): Washington Nationals - Field Director. Henley is in his second season as Washington's Field Director.
Gary Green (manager '07-'08): Pittsburgh Pirates - Minor League Infield Coordinator. Green had managed the Pirates Low A affiliate at Hickory and West Virginia the past four seasons.
Curt Hasler (pitching coach '93-'94): Chicago White Sox - Minor Pitching Coordinator. Hasler's has a new role role after 18 seasons as a pitching coach in the White Sox system. Hasler was the pitching coach at Bristol (Rookie) the past two seasons.
MINOR LEAGUES - AAA
Greg Norton ('93): New Orleans Zephyrs (Florida Marlins) - Manager. After completing a 14-year major league career, Norton began last season as the hitting coach with the Zephyrs. He took over the managerial reins when Edwin Rodriguez was named the Marlins' manager in June.
Frank Menechino ('93): Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre Yankees (New York Yankees) - Infield Coach. Menechino was with the Yankees' AA team at Trenton last season.
Jeff Branson (manager '05-'06): Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh) - Hitting Coach. Branson is in his third season with the Indians.
MINOR LEAGUES - AA
Tony Beasley (manager '02-'03): Harrisburg Senators (Washington Nationals) - Manager. Beasley begins his first season in the Nationals organization after spending three years as the third base coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Chris Cron (manager '96-'97): Erie Seawolves (Detroit Tigers) - Manager. Cron joins the Tigers organization after spending the last four years as the manager with Great Falls. (Rookie - Chicago White Sox)
Chris Tremie ('93): Akron Aeros (Cleveland Indians) - Manager. In his first season with the Aeros, Tremie managed the Arizona Summer League Indians last season.
Bob Milacki (pitching coach '01): Reading Phillies (Philadelphia Phillies) - Pitching Coach. Milacki is in his second season with the Phillies' AA team in Reading.
Brandon Moore ('04): Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates) - Hitting Coach. Moore returns to the Curve as their hitting coach after two seasons with State College (SS-A). Moore was with the Curve from 2006-2008.
MINOR LEAGUES - HIGH A
Blaine Beatty (pitching coach '00): Frederick Keys (Baltimore Orioles) - Pitching Coach. Beatty returns for his fifth season with the Keys.
Brad Holman (pitching coach '09-'10): Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Texas Rangers) - Pitching Coach. Holman bumps up to the Rangers' High A affiliation after two seasons in Hickory.
Dave Lundquist (player '94 & '02, pitching coach '06-'07): Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia Phillies) - Pitching Coach. Lundquist is in his third season with the Threshers.
Doc Watson (pitching coach '99): Charlotte Stone Crabs (Tampa Bay Rays) - Pitching Coach. Watson joins the Rays' system after the three years in the Florida Marlins organization, the last season with Jupiter (High A).
MINOR LEAGUES - LOW A
Mark Haley (pitching coach '94, manager '98): South Bend Silver Hawks (Arizona Diamondbacks) - Manager. Haley is in the seventh season with South Bend.
Carlos Chantres ('96): Charleston RiverDogs (New York Yankees) - Pitching Coach. Chantres joins the R-Dogs after spending the last two seasons with the Gulf Coast League Yankees (Rookie).
Jeff Johnson (pitching coach '08): West Virginia Power (Pittsburgh Pirates) - Pitching Coach. Johnson is in his third season with the Power.
Ben Oglivie (hitting coach '99): West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers) - Hitting Coach. Oglivie returns to baseball after a year away from the game. He was in the Tampa Bay Rays system for three years prior to his absence in 2010.
MINOR LEAGUES - SHORT SEASON LEAGUES
Mark Johnson ('95): Boise Hawks (Chicago Cubs) - Manager. Retired last season after seeing limited playing time with the Cubs' AAA team at Iowa. This is Johnson's first managerial position.
Ryan Newman (player '03, hitting coach '07): Great Falls Voyagers (Chicago White Sox) - Manager. Newman is in his first season with the Voyagers after spending two seasons with the White Sox affiliate at Bristol, TN.
Hector Ortiz (manager '09): Arizona Summer League Rangers (Texas Rangers) - Manager. Ortiz will manage the Rangers summer league team after serving as the hitting coach in 2010.
Pete Rose, Jr. ('94): Bristol White Sox (Chicago White Sox) - Manager. Rose returns to affiliated baseball after an extended term with independent league teams as a player and coach. Rose was the hitting coach last season with the Florence (KY) Freedom in the Frontier League.
Josh Bonifay (player '00-'01, assistant coach '08): Greeneville Astros (Houston Astros) - Hitting Coach. Bonifay joins the Astros for his first season after spending last year with the Pirates' Low A affiliate West Virginia Power.
Franklin Bravo ('99): Auburn Doubledays (Washington Nationals) - Pitching Coach. Bravo is in his seventh year with the Nationals organization, his second with the short season affiliation, which moved from Vermont after last season.
Greg Briley (hitting coach '00, '02, '05-'06): Bristol White Sox (Chicago White Sox) - Hitting Coach. Briley moves to the White Sox rookie league affiliate after two seasons with the Low A affiliate at Kannapolis.
Nelson Cruz ('95): Arizona Summer League Padres (San Diego Padres) - Pitching Coach. Cruz is in his second season with the AZL Padres.
Brian Dayett (hitting coach '09): Spokane Indians (Texas Rangers) - Hitting Coach. Dayette will be in his second season with the Indians.
Scott Dwyer (assistant coach '09): Connecticut Tigers (Detroit Tigers) - Hitting Coach. Dwyer will spend his second season with the rookie league Tigers.
Wuarnner Rincones ('94): Princeton Rays (Tampa Bay Rays) - Hitting Coach. Rincones will be in his second season with the Rays' rookie league team.