Bush named River Cats manager
Bush, who steered Midland to the 2009 Texas League Championship during his two seasons with the Double-A RockHounds, has been promoted to River Cats manager. Joining Bush in the Capitol City will be pitching coach Scott Emerson and hitting coach Todd Steverson. Emerson served in the same capacity for Midland the past four seasons, while Steverson returns to Sacramento after two years as first-base coach on Bob Geren's Major League staff.
Brad LaRosa remains the River Cats' head trainer in 2011.
The River Cats will hold a news conference on Dec. 9 with Bush, prior to the start of the organization's seventh annual Winter Wonderland, a holiday event at Raley Field for families in need.
Bush, 36, replaces Tony DeFrancesco, who led the River Cats to three Pacific Coast League championships and six division titles in his seven years with the team. In 2011, DeFrancesco will manage the Oklahoma City Redhawks, the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, who face the River Cats in Sacramento from May 19-22.
Former River Cats pitching coach Rick Rodriguez will serve as the A's bullpen coach in 2011, while former Cats hitting coach Brian McArn will serve in the same role with the Stockton Ports.
Bush owns a 288-272 managerial record (.514) in four seasons Class A Advanced Stockton in 2007-08 before assuming the reins in Midland in 2009. He guided the Ports to a California League title in 2008. Bush joined the Athletics in 2005 as hitting coach at Stockton for two seasons. Prior to Stockton, he managed independent teams, spending 2004 with Quebec, 2003 with Berkshire and 2002 with Yuba-Sutter.
A former catcher, Bush spent three seasons in the Minor Leagues with San Diego (1999-2000) and Philadelphia (2001). Before signing as a Minor League free agent in 1998, he played three seasons in the independent Frontier League.
Emerson will enter his ninth season as a pitching coach in the A's organization after four seasons with the RockHounds. He spent the previous four seasons with Class A affiliates, spending 2005-06 with Stockton and the 2003-04 campaign with Modesto. Emerson previously served in the same capacity for three seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system, spending two years in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League (2000-01) before moving to short-season Williamsport in the New York-Penn League (2002).
Emerson was selected by Baltimore in the 40th round of the 1991 Draft and played parts of four seasons in the Orioles farm system before being traded to Boston in 1995. He was a 10-game winner with Class A Albany in 1993 and retired as a player following the 1998 season.
Steverson joined the A's organization in 2004 as a hitting coach for its short-season affiliate in Vancouver. He has had managerial stints with Sacramento (2008), Midland (2007) and Stockton (2005-06) before recently spending two seasons on the A's coaching staff. While managing in the Oakland system, he compiled a 297-264 (.529) record.
Steverson had a seven-year playing career that included Major League appearances with Detroit (1995) and San Diego (1996). He finished his Minor League career in 1998 with Triple-A Memphis of the PCL. Steverson was selected out of Culver City (Calif.) High School by the Cardinals in the sixth round of the 1989 Draft but elected to attend Arizona State University. Three years later, he was a first-round pick (25th overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays.
LaRosa, 34, enters his fourth season with the River Cats and in the A's organization. Prior to joining Sacramento, he spent three seasons as a Minor League athletic trainer in the Cardinals organization. In addition to his athletic training duties, LaRosa, a 2000 graduate of Southern Illinois University who earned a graduate degree in 2003, assists with the team's travel and equipment responsibilities.
The River Cats begin the 2011 season on April 7, when they host the Tacoma Rainiers (Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners) at Raley Field at 7:05 p.m. Season tickets, mini-plans and group outings can be purchased by calling the River Cats ticket hotline at (916) 371-HITS (4487). Individual game tickets, starting at $7, will go on sale online on Feb. 7. For more information about the 2011 River Cats season, visit www.rivercats.com. For information on other events at Raley Field, visit www.raleyfield.com.
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Everything you need to know for Triple-A Opening Day
First, there was big league Opening Day. Now it's Triple-A's turn to take the spotlight. The Minor League season opens Friday when the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League seasons get underway for the first of MiLB’s two Opening Days. And right out of the gates, several of baseball's
Top prospects to watch at Triple-A -- one for each organization
It’s Triple-A’s turn up to bat on Friday. The regular season begins for the Minor Leagues’ highest level one day after the action starts on the Major League side. Fun fact: it’ll be the earliest start to a Minor League season since 1951 (March 27). Double-A, High-A and Single-A will
Here's where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
The 2025 Opening Day prospect roster announcements began last week when the Cubs informed Matt Shaw (MLB No. 19) he was making the trip overseas to compete in the Tokyo Series. Roki Sasaki (No. 1) also received the good news, but his assignment was much less of a surprise. Now
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”
Stewart embraces Spring Breakout: 'What's not to love?'
PHOENIX -- Sal Stewart was one fired-up Reds prospect. On Sunday in the first inning during the organization's 9-7 Spring Breakout win over Brewers prospects, Stewart lifted a 2-2 pitch that sailed over the center fielder's head to the wall. Already not known as a speedster, he stumbled running between
Prospect Peña quietly drawing raves in Brewers' farm system
PHOENIX – Jesús Made was at the top of the Brewers’ lineup for Sunday’s 9-7 loss to the Reds in the finale of MLB’s four-day Spring Breakout, a fitting perch when you consider that the 17-year-old infielder is under a bright spotlight as MLB Pipeline’s No. 55 prospect. Made could
Brecht -- in 1st outing since '24 Draft -- wows at Spring Breakout
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Sunday's Spring Breakout showcase was the perfect unveiling for Rockies No. 5 prospect Brody Brecht. A right-handed pitcher from the University of Iowa whom the Rockies selected 38th overall last summer, Brecht had a nice collegiate resume, an interesting backstory as a former wide receiver for the
Braves prospects show promise in Spring Breakout
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- As Terry Pendleton prepared to serve as the manager of the Braves prospect team that played the Tigers prospect team in a Spring Breakout game on Sunday afternoon, he said fans should be patient with John Gil and Luis Guanipa, a pair of teenagers who have
Yanks' Lagrange flashes triple-digit heat in Spring Breakout
SARASOTA, Fla. -- There was an audible “Ooh” from the crowd at Ed Smith Stadium, and Carlos Lagrange quickly glanced beyond the right-field wall, checking the velocity of the pitch he’d just thrown in Saturday’s 5-4 Spring Breakout loss to the Orioles. It had registered in the triple digits, and
Bradfield dedicates Spring Breakout performance to late friend
SARASOTA, Fla. -- It was about more than playing in the national spotlight. More than the dinner bet placed with an old college teammate earlier in the month. More than a game. As Enrique Bradfield Jr. slid home to score a run during the first inning of Saturday night’s Spring