Tampa Tarpons Announce Coaching Staff for 2018 Season

Tampa, Fla. - The New York Yankees Player Development office has officially announced the 2018 Tampa Tarpons Field Staff. The team welcomes Pat Osborn back as Manager and new to Tampa, Pitching Coach Jose Rosado and Defensive Coach Jose Javier. Returning from the 2017 season are Hitting Coach Eric Duncan, Catching Coach Michel Hernandez, Athletic Trainer Michael Becker, and Strength and Conditioning Coach Jacob Dunning.
Patrick Osborn enters his fifth season in the Yankees organization and his second with Tampa. He served in the same role for the Single-A Charleston RiverDogs in 2017, notching their second straight 77 win season and clinching a South Atlantic League Division playoff spot. In 2016, he managed the Tampa Yankees leading them to a 79-56 record and finishing the season as the Florida State League North Division Champions. He managed the Staten Island Yankees in 2015 leading the club to the NYPL Championship (41-34). In 2014, he managed the GCL Yankees and led the club to a first-place finish in the Northeast Division (35-25). He spent three seasons (2011-13) as manager of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, a member of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and led the Blue Crabs to three consecutive postseason berths. Osborn was selected by the Indians in the second round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft. He spent six seasons in the minors with the Indians and Astros organizations, batting .274 with 26HR in 546 game. He also played three seasons (2008-10) with independent Southern Maryland, departing as the club's all-time hits leader (423).
Jose Rosado enters his eighth season as a coach in the Yankees organization and his first with Tampa. He served in the same role for Double-A Trenton from 2015-17. In 2017, his Thunder pitching staff led the Eastern League in wins (92), ERA (2.83), strikeouts (1,160), and saves (47). Rosado served as pitching coach for Puerto Rico for the second consecutive World Baseball Classic in 2017, filled the same role for the World Team in the 2015 All-Star Futures Game, and for the Surprise Saguaros in the 2015 Arizona Fall League. He spent 2011-14 as a pitching coach in the GCL. He was selected by Kansas City in the 12th round of the 1994 First-Year Player Draft. In five seasons with the Royals (1996-2000) he went 37-45 with a 4.27 ERA in 125 games (112 starts). The two-time AL All-Star earned the win in the 1997 game in Cleveland and was the only left-handed pitcher selected to the AL team for the 1999 game at Fenway Park.
Eric Duncan enters his fourth season as a coach in the Yankees organization and his second season with Tampa. In 2017, his hitters led the Florida State League in wins (85), SLG (.385), and total bases (1734), with first place finishes in both halves of the leagues Northern Division. He spent his first two seasons (2015-16) serving in the same role with Staten Island and previously served as a volunteer assistant coach for Seton Hall from 2012-14. Duncan was originally drafted by the Yankees in the first round (27th overall) of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft and spent seven years in the Yankees farm system (2003-09). He also spent time in the minor leagues with Atlanta (2010), St. Louis (2011), and Kansas City (2012), batting .249 (901-for-3,615) with 474R, 204 doubles, 27 triples, 109HR and 515RBI in 1,006 games over 10 seasons. He was named a 2004 Midwest League All-Star and the 2005 MVP of the Arizona Fall League.
Michel Hernandez enters his sixth season as a coach in the Yankees organization and his third with Tampa. He served as a defensive coach for Double-A Trenton in 2015 after spending his first two professional coaching seasons with the GCL Yankees. He was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Yankees in 1998, playing in 45 games in parts of three seasons in the Majors with the Yankees (2003) and Tampa Bay (2008-09), combining to hit .237 with 1HR and 12RBI.
 
Jose Javier enters his second season with the Yankees organization and his first with Tampa as defensive coach. In his previous season, he served the same role for the Single-A Charleston RiverDogs, notching a 77 win season and clinching a South Atlantic League Division playoff spot. He finished his playing career in 2015, splitting the season between Charleston and Rookie-level Pulaski. He was signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent, playing six minor league seasons with the Yankees (2010-15), hitting .250 in 277 games while playing all four infield positions.
Michael Becker begins his seventh season as a trainer in the Yankees organization and fifth with Tampa. In 2017, he was named the Florida State League Trainer of the year. He worked with Single-A Charleston in 2013 and short-season Single-A Staten Island in 2012. He previously worked as an athletic training student intern at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre during the 2010 season and graduated from Ithaca College with a B.S. in athletic training in 2011.
Jacob Dunning Begins his second year as Tampa's strength and conditioning coach after one season with Double-A Trenton (2016) and two seasons with short-season Single-A Staten Island. He joined the Yankees organization in March of 2013 as a member of the GCL staff. Dunning graduated from the University of South Florida in 2012 with a B.S. in Exercise Science and was a member of the United States Army from 2004-08 and served in Afghanistan.
The Tampa Tarpons are the Single-A Advanced Affiliate of the New York Yankees. For more information, contact the Tampa Tarpons office at (813) 673-3055 or visit www.tarponsbaseball.com.