SPRINGDALE, AR - Thursday, the Kansas City Royals announced that veteran skipper Brian Poldberg will be returning to Northwest Arkansas for a third consecutive season to manage the Naturals in 2010. The steady, affable Poldberg guided the Naturals to a 73-67 record in the 2009 regular season and oversaw a playoff run that fell two wins short of a Texas League Championship.Poldberg's coaches from last season, Pitching Coach Larry Carter and Hitting Coach Terry Bradshaw, also return intact. The trio should have perhaps the most intriguing roster Naturals fans have seen thus far to work with as a few of the Royals' top prospects who have been drafted since the team's arrival in Northwest Arkansas are expected to reach Double-A for the first time.
"We've been very fortunate to have Brian Poldberg as our manager for our first two seasons," said Naturals' General Manager Eric Edelstein. "He's helped us give our fans a quality team and brought us to the playoffs in both seasons, as well as being an exceptional representative of the Naturals in the community."
Poldberg, a Carter Lake, IA resident who will spend his third consecutive Arkansas summer, served as the third base coach under former Royals' skipper Buddy Bell during the 2007 season, capping four consecutive seasons on the Royals' Major League staff that saw him coach first base during the 2006 season and serve as the Royals' bullpen coach during the 2004-05 seasons.
In his 27 seasons with the Kansas City Royals organization, the 52-year old Poldberg has served as a minor league player, roving instructor, and minor league manager in addition to his tenure on the Major League staff.
Poldberg began his baseball career in 1980 as a catcher playing in the New York Yankees farm system. He went on to play six years in the minor leagues, reaching Triple-A with the Omaha Royals in 1985. He is a graduate of Emporia (Kan.) State University and owns a bachelor's degree in business administration.
His career minor league managerial record now stands at 599-634 (.486).
With over 1250 games of minor-league managerial experience, including playoffs, Poldberg is not only one of the most experienced skippers in the Texas League but one of the minors' most tenured managers overall.
Under his guidance, the Naturals have won more home games in 2008 and 2009 than all but a few minor league teams across baseball.
For his part, Carter, a 44-year old Corinth, TX resident, will be entering his ninth season as the pitching coach for the Royals' Double-A team after spending six seasons with the Wichita Wranglers prior to the move to Springdale.
The winner of the 2008 Texas League coach of the year award, named for former Tulsa Drillers' Hitting Coach Mike Coolbaugh, 2010 will be Carter's 13th season in the Royals' organization.
Carter has taken plenty of pitching prospects under his wing during his eight seasons in the Texas League, but performed perhaps his best work during the 2006 season when he worked with Zack Greinke as he worked his way back up to the Royals after leaving the game altogether for a portion of a season.
Greinke began to hit his stride with Wichita, got back to the big leagues that same season, never looked back, and this off-season was rewarded with the 2009 American League Cy Young Award.
Carter was originally selected in the 10th round of the 1986 June Free Agent Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He played in the Cardinals system for 2 years before joining the San Francisco Giants organization and was named to the Texas League All-Star team in 1991. He appeared in six games at the Major League level with the 1992 Giants and was 1-5 with a 4.64 ERA.
Bradshaw will spend his second season tutoring Naturals' hitters after a five year stint as the Hitting Coach for Triple-A Omaha. The 40-year old Franklin, VA native previously spent four years as hitting coach for three of Kansas City's Class-A affiliates: Wilmington (2002-2003), Burlington (2001) and Charleston (2000).
He began his professional playing career after he was a 9th round draft pick by St. Louis in 1990 and spent eight years playing in the Cardinals system, including two brief stops at the Major League level during the 1995 and 1996 seasons. In 65 major league at-bats over 34 games, the outfielder hit.262. The 2009 season will be the third in the Texas League for Bradshaw. He was a member of the 1994 Arkansas Travelers, where he earned a spot on the league's post-season All-Star team.
The Naturals will welcome in one new member to the staff in 2010 as Tony Medina joins the staff as Athletic Trainer following six seasons as trainer for the Surprise Royals, Kansas City's rookie ball affiliate in Arizona.
In addition to his time in Surprise, Medina also served as the trainer for the Dominican Republic in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic and was awarded as Arizona League Trainer of the Year in 2006 and 2008.
Prior to joining the Royals, Medina served as a minor league trainer with the Atlanta Braves.
The Omaha, NE resident earned his undergraduate degree from Emporia State University and also owns a master's degree in exercise science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Former trainer Chris DeLucia has received a promotion to become the Minor League Medical Coordinator after spending the past two seasons in Northwest Arkansas.
His new position is based at the Royals' spring home in Surprise, AZ.
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