Jones returns for third season
Follow @IronPigsThe Philadelphia Phillies have announced their minor league field staffs for the 2020 season and Gary Jones will return to Coca-Cola Park for a third season with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
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The Philadelphia Phillies have announced their minor league field staffs for the 2020 season and Gary Jones will return to Coca-Cola Park for a third season with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Jones, 59, boasts 29 years of managerial and coaching experience in five different organizations including 16 seasons as a minor league manager. Last season, he guided the Pigs to a 66-74 record. Jones owns a 600-539 record in seven seasons at the Triple-A level, as well as a World Series ring from his time with the Chicago Cubs.
Familiar faces on the coaching staff return for the 2020 season, but they will be joined by one newcomer in pitching coach, Aaron Fultz. Fultz joins the staff after spending the 2019 season with the Reading Fightin Phils as their pitching coach. Darryl Robinson (hitting coach), Greg Legg (coach), Mickey Kozack (athletic trainer) and Mike Lidge (strength & conditioning coach) return for their second season with Lehigh Valley.
Robinson enters his 24th season as a professional baseball player or coach. Prior to his arrival in Lehigh Valley last season, he served the Astros organization for ten seasons - eight years with A-Advanced Lancaster and two with Triple-A Fresno. A 1986 second-round pick of the Royals, Robinson played professionally for 12 seasons across multiple organizations.
Fultz will be entering his first season as a pitching coach at the Triple-A level. Prior to his role with Reading last season, he has served as a pitching coach with Williamsport (A, 2012 & 2014), Lakewood (A, 2013 & 2015) and Clearwater (A+, 2016-2018). Fultz pitched in the major leagues for the San Francisco Giants (2000-2002), Texas Rangers (2003), Minnesota Twins (2004), Phillies (2005-2006) and the Cleveland Indians (2007).
The 2020 season will mark Legg's 39th with the Phillies after being drafted by the team in 1982 and his 27th year on the player development staff. The long-time Phillie has served as a manager or coach at multiple levels throughout the organization. He most recently managed the Reading Fightin Phils from 2017-2018. He began his coaching career in 1994 with Clearwater (A+) and first became a manager with Batavia (A) in 1997.
Kozack enters his 14th season as a full-time athletic trainer in the Phillies organization. After spending 2007 in Williamsport, he served at Lakewood from 2008-13, Clearwater from 2014-16 and Reading from 2017-2018.
Lidge enters his fourth season with the Phillies organization after spending four years (2013-16) with the San Francisco Giants' organization. He has a Master of Science in Exercise Science and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Northeastern Illinois University.
The 2020 IronPigs season is the team's 13th at Coca-Cola Park. Follow the IronPigs on Twitter at @IronPigs and like them on Facebook.
The 2020 IronPigs season is presented by Capital BlueCross.