Damon Berryhill Named Gwinnett Braves Manager for 2017
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA - The Gwinnett Braves, in conjunction with the Atlanta Braves, have announced the team's field staff for the 2017 season. Former Major League catcher Damon Berryhill has been named the sixth manager in Gwinnett Braves' history, while former Major League pitcher Reid Cornelius has been named the fourth pitching coach in G-Braves' history. John Moses, who managed the club for 81 games in 2016, returns to his original role as Gwinnett's hitting coach. Trainer Ricky Alcantara also returns for his second season with the club.
Berryhill, 52, joins the Atlanta Braves organization after spending seven seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2009-15). He embarks on his ninth season as a minor league manager in 2017, his third at the Triple-A level and first in the International League. He managed the Dodgers' Triple-A Pacific Coast League affiliate from 2014-15, guiding Albuquerque to a 63-79 record in 2014 and Oklahoma City to a league-best 86-58 mark in 2015. In leading Oklahoma City to a franchise-record 86 wins, the American Northern Division title and a berth in the PCL Playoffs, Berryhill was named the PCL's Manager of the Year for 2015.
Berryhill owns a career managerial record of 418-387 (.519) over eight seasons, leading five teams to the playoffs in that span. His previous experience includes five seasons as the manager for Rookie-level Ogden of the Dodgers organization (2009-13) and one season as the manager for Advanced-A Bakersfield of the Texas Rangers organization (2008). He has also served as a minor league catching coordinator with the Rangers (2005-07) and Arizona Diamondbacks (2003-04) after beginning his coaching career with Advanced-A Rancho Cucamonga of the Los Angeles Angels organization in 2002.
Selected by the Chicago Cubs in the first round (fourth overall) of the 1984 January Amateur Draft, Berryhill logged a 10-year Major League career as a catcher with the Cubs (1987-91), Atlanta Braves (1991-93), Boston Red Sox (1994), Cincinnati Reds (1995) and San Francisco Giants (1997). The Laguna Beach, CA native batted .240 with 47 home runs and 257 RBIs in 683 regular-season games, and also appeared in 20 postseason games for the Braves (1992, 1993) and Giants (1997). His biggest career highlight came with Atlanta in Game 1 of the 1992 World Series, when his three-run homer off Jack Morris led the Braves to a 3-1 win over Toronto.
Cornelius, 46, joins the Atlanta Braves organization after spending 14 seasons with the Florida/Miami Marlins, including the last seven seasons as the Major League bullpen coach (2010-16). He also spent time in the Marlins' minor league system, serving as the pitching coach for Double-A Carolina (2003), Class-A Jupiter (2004-08) and Double-A Jacksonville (2009). Selected by the Montreal Expos in the 11th round of the 1988 June Amateur Draft, Cornelius went 8-17 with a 4.91 ERA in 45 games (33 starts) over three seasons with the Expos (1995), New York Mets (1995) and Marlins (1999-2000). The Thomasville, AL native also pitched parts of four seasons in the International League with Ottawa (1994-95), Norfolk (1995) and Charlotte (1997-98), going 32-16 with a 4.03 ERA and four complete games in 69 games (67 starts).
Moses, 59, returns for his third season with the Gwinnett Braves, his fifth season with the Atlanta Braves organization. He spent all of 2015 and the first two months of 2016 as the Gwinnett hitting coach before being named the fifth full-time manager in G-Braves' history on June 14. Including a two-game stint as interim manager from May 17-18, Moses went 36-45 (.444) in 81 games on the first managerial assignment of his career. Under his guidance, Gwinnett claimed its first IL South Division title, second berth in the Governors' Cup Playoffs (first since 2009) and first trip to the Governors' Cup Championship Series.
Moses' minor league coaching career includes stints as the hitting coach with Triple-A Las Vegas (2008) and Triple-A Albuquerque (2009-10) of the Dodgers organization, Double-A Corpus Christi (2011) of the Houston Astros organization, and Advanced-A Lynchburg (2013-14) and Double-A Mississippi (2014) of the Braves organization. He has also held Major League positions as the bench coach for the Cincinnati Reds (2005) and first base coach for the Reds (2006) and Seattle Mariners (2000-03, 2007).
Selected by Seattle in the 16th round of the 1980 June Amateur Draft, Moses played an 11-year Major League career as an outfielder for the Mariners (1982-87, 92), Minnesota Twins (1988-90) and Detroit Tigers (1991). The Los Angeles, CA native batted .254 with 11 home runs, 145 RBIs and 101 stolen bases in 162 total games.
Alcantara, 42, enters his second season with Gwinnett following stints as the trainer for the Gulf Coast League Braves (2003-04), Advanced-A Myrtle Beach (2006-07) and Double-A Mississippi (2008-15).
Atlanta's minor league field staff announcement also includes two former Gwinnett players taking top posts for the first time. Barrett Kleinknecht, a G-Braves' infielder in 2015, has been named the manager of the Gulf Coast League Braves. Kanekoa Texeira, a member of the G-Braves' pitching staff from 2014-16, has been named the pitching coach for Rookie-level Danville.
The Gwinnett Braves open the 2017 season at Coolray Field on Thursday, April 6 with a 7:05 p.m. game against the Durham Bulls. Season ticket packages are available for purchase now by calling the Coolray Field Ticket Office at 678-277-0340.