Mike Micucci Will Manage Travs in 2012
Published on January 13, 2012 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
NORTH LITTLE ROCK - The Los Angeles Angels have announced that Mike Micucci has been hired as the manager of the Arkansas Travelers for the 2012 season. Micucci joins the Angels organization following a successful six-year coaching stint in the Texas Rangers minor league system. Rounding out Micucci's coaching staff are new pitching coach Trevor Wilson and Francisco Matos, who returns for his fourth season as the club's hitting coach. Mike Metcalfe also returns for his second season as the Travs athletic trainer.
Micucci, 39, joins the Travs after serving the past two seasons as the minor league field coordinator for the Texas Rangers. He enters the 2012 season will be Micucci's 12th as a coach or manager in professional baseball and his fifth managerial assignment. He owns a 246-244 (.502) record as a skipper at three levels of the Rangers organization including a 72-68 mark with the 2009 Frisco RoughRiders, finishing just two games out in the Texas League South Division. Before that Micucci enjoyed two successful seasons piloting the Clinton Lumberkings featuring the Midwest League's best record in 2008 (78-59) and another division title in 2007. He took his first managerial post with the 2006 Spokane Indians, also in the R angers farm system.
Micucci spent his first 12 years in professional baseball as a player and coach with the Chicago Cubs, who drafted him in 1994 out of Montclair State University in New Jersey with a 51st round choice. A catcher for six years in the Cubs' farm system, Micucci reached as high as double-A before retiring after playing 268 career games. He began his coaching career in 2000 with the Daytona Cubs followed by four years as the hitting coach for the Lansing Lugnuts. He returned to Daytona in 2005 before starting his managerial career in the Rangers organization.
Matos, 42, will serve in his fourth year as hitting coach with the Travelers. Matos, who also works with Travs infielders, enters his sixth year as a coach with the Angels organization following stints at Rancho Cucamonga and rookie-level Orem. The native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic enjoyed a 16-year playing career which included 14 games with the Oakland A's in 1994. Four Travs position players have been named postseason Texas League All Stars during Matos's tenure, most recently Baseball America's 2011 pick as Minor League Player of the Year Mike Trout.
Wilson, 45, enters his 12th year as a pitching coach and fifth in the Angels organization. He joins the Travs following one year with the Cedar Rapids Kernels and three seasons with the Tempe Angels. Wilson coached seven seasons throughout the San Francisco Giants farm system before joining the Angels in 2008. A veteran of 11 seasons, Wilson appeared in 169 Major League games posting a career record of 41-46 with a 3.87 ERA.
Metcalfe, 31, returns for a second season as the Travs athletic trainer and his eighth year with the Angels. He spent three seasons at Rancho Cucamonga prior to his work in Arkansas. Once he was hired with the Angels in 2005, Mike worked one season each at Mesa, Orem and Cedar Rapids. Mike graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN in 2004 with Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Athletic Training and Health/Fitness.
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