Vancouver Canadians Announce 2009 Coaching Staff
Published on November 18, 2008 under Northwest League (NWL1)
Vancouver Canadians News Release
(Nat Bailey Stadium - Vancouver, BC) - The Vancouver Canadians are proud to introduce the coaching staff for the upcoming 2009 season. The C's open their 2009 schedule on June 20th, 2009 and will be led by some familiar faces including Manager Rick Magnante, Pitching Coach Craig Lefferts, Hitting Coach Casey Myers and Trainer Travis Tims.
Rick Magnante returns for his fourth season as Manager of the Vancouver Canadians, and is the Winningest Manager in C's Short-Season history (110). Magnante is also ranked seventh all-time in Games Managed in Vancouver professional baseball history (227), trailing Tony Muser (1983-84) by only five games to move into sixth all-time.
In 2008, Magnante led one of the youngest Vancouver Canadians teams in franchise history to a 34-42 (.447) record, but guided the C's to wins in five of their final six games of the season, including a three-game sweep of the Eugene Emeralds (San Diego) that cost the Emeralds a shot at the post-season.
Twice named the Southern California Scouts Association 'Scout of the Year', Magnante's abilities to distinguish players' strengths and weaknesses have allowed him to groom some of Oakland's top draft selections over the past four seasons, including infielder Sean Doolittle and outfielders Corey Brown and Travis Buck.
Magnante is currently in South Africa helping their National Program get ready for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. The Canadians Manager will lead the South African contingent to their second straight WBC appearance.
Craig Lefferts returns to the Canadians after spending some time as the club's pitching coach from 2004-2006. 'Lefty' pitched for six teams over his 12-year Major League career. Finishing with 696 appearances during that span, Lefferts is 87th all-time in that category and led the National League in appearances (83) in 1986.
Lefferts has made trips to the World Series, the first time with the San Diego Padres in 1984 where he picked up the Padres only victory of the series, as his Padres eventually lost four games to one to the Detroit Tigers. In 1989, Lefferts returned to the Fall Classic with his Giants falling to the Vancouver Canadians parent club, the Oakland Athletics.
In 2005, Lefferts led the Vancouver Canadians to their best Earned Run Average in franchise history (3.02), helping the C's to within one game of the Northwest League Championship.
Casey Myers returns to Nat Bailey for his third time, but 2009 will mark his first year in a coaching capacity. Myers was drafted out of Arizona State University in the ninth round by the Oakland Athletics in the 2001 MLB First Year Player Draft. He made his pro debut in Vancouver shortly thereafter. Myers then returned briefly in 2006 as part of a rehab stint that lasted 17 games.
In 2008, Myers made his coaching debut as a player/coach with the Midland Rockhounds of the Texas League (AA) before retiring this off-season. The A's thought so highly of the Magna Cum Laude graduate that they kept him in the organization by assigning him to Vancouver of the Northwest League. Myers was a finalist for the NCAA's Johnny Bench Award, which is given out to the top catcher in college baseball. Myers was twice named Pac-10 Player of the Year while at Arizona State University.
Travis Tims returns for his second season with the Canadians as the Head Trainer. Tims was instrumental in 2008 in helping the Canadians keep a number of players on the field as they recovered from a number of injuries. A graduate of Oregon State University, Tims helped the OSU Beavers to their second of two NCAA College World Series Championships and 2009 will mark his second year as a trainer in the pro ranks.
Northwest League Stories from November 18, 2008
- Vancouver Canadians Announce 2009 Coaching Staff - Vancouver Canadians
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