HOUSTON - Houston Astros front-office officials announced Monday the 2010 field staff for the Round Rock Express, the parent club's Triple-A affiliate. Marc Bombard returns for his second season as the Express manager, while Keith Bodie joins the staff as hitting coach. Burt Hooton returns for his seventh season overall as Express pitching coach, and trainer Mike Freer returns for his sixth season with the Express.Bombard guided Round Rock to a 63-81 mark in 2009, his first season as Express manager. Round Rock's third manager, Bombard has managed 10 teams in five different organizations over the past 26 years. He has been named Minor League and Triple-A Manager of the Year three times and has a career Minor League managerial record of 1,772-1,624 (.522). Bombard has led teams to first-place finishes six times and 11 postseason appearances. In all, he has 38 years of service in professional baseball, including seven seasons as a pitcher in the Reds organization.
Bodie spent the 2009 season with the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Astros' Double-A affiliate. The Hooks posted a.261 team batting average last season and tied for third in the Texas League with 107 home runs. Bodie, a New York native, has 14 seasons of Minor League managerial experience, most recently with the Double-A Wichita Wranglers from 2000 to 2003. He also has player development experience with the Astros, Giants, Royals and Nationals. A New York Mets third-round draft selection in 1974, Bodie played nine seasons in the Mets and Astros organizations.
Under Hooton's direction, the Express ranked fourth in the Pacific Coast League with a 4.27 staff ERA in 2009 and tied for third in the league with 10 shutouts. A familiar face at The Dell Diamond, Hooton was an All-American at the University of Texas and spent 15 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cubs, Dodgers and Rangers. He began his coaching career at Single-A Salem of the Northwest League in 1987. He later served as pitching coach for the San Antonio Missions (1990-1995) and the Albuquerque Isotopes (1996). From 1996 to 1999, Hooton was the pitching coach at Texas. He was named to the inaugural Express staff in 1999 and joined the Astros' staff midway through the 2000 season.
Freer is in his 21st season in the Astros' minor league system, joining the Express in 2005 after eight seasons as trainer for the New Orleans Zephyrs. He was named Minor League Athletic Trainer of the Year by the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society in 2003. Freer also joined the Astros for the conclusion of their seasons in 2007 and 2008. Freer began his career in professional baseball with Single-A Kissimmee in 1990. In 2006, he served as head trainer for the Netherlands at the World Baseball Classic.
2010 season tickets are available through the Round Rock Express Ticket Office at 512.255.2255 or online at www.RoundRockExpress.com.
The Round Rock Express, owned and operated by Ryan-Sanders Baseball, LP, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros and a member of the Pacific Coast League.
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