IronPigs Announce Coaching Staff for 2022 Season

Full Coaching Staff has been announced for the 2022 season

Allentown, Pennsylvania (22 February 2022) – The Lehigh Valley IronPigs, in conjunction with the Philadelphia Phillies, have announced their coaching staff for the 2022 season.

Anthony Contreras, who was announced as the new manager for the IronPigs in November, will work with a staff that brings plenty of experience all throughout baseball. The rest of Contreras’ staff this season will be Joe Thurston (hitting coach), Cesar Ramos (pitching coach), Greg Brodzinski (bench coach), Billy Greenfield (developmental coach), Elliot Diehl (athletic trainer), Meaghan Flaherty (athletic trainer), and Mike Lidge (strength coach).

Joe Thurston, Hitting Coach

Thurston enters his first season as a coach in the Phillies organization. The Fairfield, California native played for the Phillies during the 2006 season and spent time in the minor leagues during the 2007 and 2012 seasons. He played for the IronPigs during the 2012 season. Previously, Thurston spent the last four seasons with the Seattle Mariners organization. During the 2021 season, he was the hitting coach for the Arkansas Travelers (AA) after spending the 2020 season as the Mariners first base coach. He spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons as a hitting coach with Modesto (A) and the 2019 season with Everett (A). Prior to joining the Mariners organization, Thurston began his career as a professional coach with Billings in the Cincinnati Reds organization. His 16-year (1999-2015) playing career spanned parts of seven seasons in the big leagues with the Dodgers, Phillies, Red Sox, Cardinals, and Marlins.

Cesar Ramos, Pitching Coach

The former major-league pitcher enters his first season as a coach in the Phillies organization. Ramos has spent the past two seasons as a Player Information Assistant for the Phillies. His 13-year (2005-2017) playing career spanned parts of eight seasons in the big leagues with San Diego, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles (AL), and Texas. Ramos spent the 2017 season with the IronPigs, as he pitched to a 5-4 record with a 4.00 ERA in 40 games (11 starts). He struck out 74 batters in 92 1/3 innings pitched with just 31 walks issued.

Greg Brodzinski, Bench Coach

Brodzinski returns to the minor leagues after spending the past two seasons as a bullpen catcher and catching coach with the Philadelphia Phillies – his first major league coaching position. The former catcher has been with the Phillies organization since the 2015 season when he played for the GCL Phillies (R) and the Williamsport Crosscutters (A). He appeared in just one game for the Reading Fightin Phils (AA) in 2016, playing a total of 22 games over two seasons. He transitioned to the player development staff where he served as a coach for Reading in 2017 and with Williamsport for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Brodzinski was originally drafted by the Phillies in the 18th round of the June 2015 draft.

Bill Greenfield, Developmental Coach

The Radnor, Pennsylvania native joins the Phillies organization as a full-time first-year coach entering the 2022 season. Greenfield most recently worked for Professional Sports Publications as an Inside Sales Representative for two years. The 2017 Furman University graduate also worked for Perfect Game USA as an intern in 2016 and as a part-time instructor and sales associate for All-Star Baseball Academy in Germany, where he also played baseball. Greenfield interned for the Phillies in 2014 working in customer service, gameday operations, and special projects.

Elliot Diehl, Athletic Trainer

Diehl will begin his first season with the Phillies organization as a full-time athletic trainer. He was a minor league athletic training/rehabilitation intern during the 2014 season in the Phillies organization. Diehl has spent the last six seasons with the Houston Astros as a Minor League Athletic Trainer and Minor League Assistant Medical Coordinator. He began his tenure in Houston prior to the 2015 season after working for Pacific Therx as an athletic trainer and PT aide. Diehl graduated from San Diego State University with a B.S. in Kinesiology with a focus in athletic training.

Meaghan Flaherty, Athletic Trainer

The Weymouth, Massachusetts native enters her third season as an athletic trainer in the Phillies organization. She was hired by the Phillies as an athletic trainer for the 2020 season, she spent the 2021 season as an athletic trainer for the Clearwater Threshers (A-). Flaherty spent the 2019 season as an athletic training intern with the Mesa Cubs (R). She graduated from Bridgewater State University (MA) with a master’s degree in athletic training. She also worked as an athletic trainer in the Cape Cod Baseball League as well as for multiple Division-I teams and sports medicine clinics.

Mike Lidge, Strength & Conditioning Coach

Lidge enters his third season with the IronPigs. He served as the IronPigs Strength and Conditioning Coach in 2019. The 2022 season will be Lidge’s sixth season with the Philadelphia Phillies organization after spending four years (2013-16) with the San Francisco Giants’ organization. Lidge served as the Strength and Conditioning Coach with Reading (AA, 2018) and Clearwater (A, 2017). He has a Master of Science in Exercise Science and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Northeastern Illinois University. Lidge is the cousin of former Phillies relief pitcher Brad Lidge and his younger brother Ryan was selected in the 20th round of the June 2017 draft by the New York Yankees.

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The IronPigs are presented by Capital BlueCross.

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