2012 International League Field Managers Announced
Published on February 14, 2012 under International League (IL1) News Release
Eight of the International League's most successful managers from a year ago have returned for the 2012 season, to be joined by a group of six newly hired skippers that includes two managers making their return to the League.
All four of the managers from the 2011 Governors' Cup playoffs are back for another run at the IL's postseason championship. That includes the manager of the back-to-back Triple-A National Champions, Mike Sarbaugh of Columbus, the 2011 IL Manager of the Year. He'll be challenged by the 2010 IL Manager of the Year and 2009 Triple-A National Championship manager from Durham, Charlie Montoyo. The Bulls are looking for a sixth straight South Division title under Montoyo. In Lehigh Valley, Baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg took the IronPigs to their first postseason in 2011. After falling in the Governors' Cup finals, Sandberg is back for his second year in the IL and third overall as a Triple-A manager. Also back in the League is manager of the 2011 North Division champion Pawtucket Red Sox, Arnie Beyeler.
Anxious for another trip to the postseason are two managers who have already won Governors' Cup Championships but fell short of the playoffs a year ago. Gwinnett's Dave Brundage, a 2007 Cup winner, is back at the reins of Atlanta's Triple-A affiliate for another season. Longtime Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees skipper Dave Miley will be guiding a club without a permanent home in 2012 as PNC Field undergoes a full renovation.
The two other returning managers are both heading into a second season at the helm of their respective IL clubs. In Indianapolis, Dean Treanor narrowly missed the playoffs a year ago after a sluggish start for the Indians. Phil Nevin is also back for his second season in Toledo. Though his Mud Hens played competitively in a tough division, he is the only returning manager whose team had a losing record last season. Collectively, the eight managers returning to the International League combined for a record of 623-522 (.544) in 2011.
Two of the six new managers this season have previously managed elsewhere in the League. The new manager of Norfolk is Ron Johnson, who before two years on the Boston Red Sox staff spent five seasons managing in Pawtucket. Joel Skinner, Buffalo's manager during their division-winning 2000 campaign, takes over in Charlotte as manager of the Knights.
Rounding out the group of 2012 IL managers are four men who have never been in the League as a manager. David Bell is a former Louisville infielder who has been hired to manage the Bats this season. Bell also suited up for Charlotte and Buffalo during his playing days. Another former IL player returning as a manager is Wally Backman. The new Buffalo Bisons skipper played three seasons for Tidewater (now Norfolk) in the early 1980's. New Syracuse manager Tony Beasley never played in the IL, though he did spend one season in Buffalo when the Bisons where part of the American Association. Likewise, Rochester's new skipper Gene Glynn did not play in the International League but did see time in 59 games with the American Association's Indianapolis club.
The 2012 International League field managers include two of the top ten winningest active skippers in all of Minor League Baseball (Miley and Johnson). The group has combined to win over 9,000 Minor League games as well as six Governors' Cups in the IL. As the 2012 season unfolds, only time will tell who will become the 80th manager to have his name etched onto the IL's coveted postseason trophy.
WALLY BACKMAN (Buffalo): Former World Series champion Wally Backman was named manager of the Buffalo Bisons for 2012 after last year's skipper, Tim Teufel, was promoted to serve as a base coach on the New York Mets staff. The 52-year-old Backman is entering his tenth season as a manager and his third in the Mets organization. Last year he managed Double-A Binghamton to a 65-76 record. In 2010, Backman's Class-A Brooklyn club went 51-24 and won a division title. His managerial career began back in 2001 in the White Sox organization. After a year at Class-A Winston-Salem, Backman piloted Double-A Birmingham for two winnings seasons, bringing home a Southern League Championship in 2002. He won a division title in 2004 with Class-A Lancaster of the Arizona farm system, earning honors as the Sporting News Minor League Manager of the Year. Backman would spend the next several years in independent baseball before being hired by the Mets as manager of the Brooklyn club in 2010. A native of Hillsboro, Oregon, Backman played 14 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Mets, Twins, Pirates, Phillies, and Mariners. In 1986, he hit a career-high .320 in 124 games for the Mets team that won the World Series. With six seasons under his belt as a manager in the affiliated Minor Leagues, Backman owns a career record of 408-365 (.528).
JOEL SKINNER (Charlotte): Charlotte has a new manager this season. Former Knights catcher Joel Skinner replaces Joe McEwing, now the third base coach for the White Sox. The 51-year-old Skinner was on the Oakland A's staff last season. His last managerial position came in 2010 with Double-A Akron of the Cleveland system. Before leading Akron to an even 71-71 record, Skinner spent the previous nine seasons on the Indians major league staff. That run included a stint as Cleveland's interim manager in 2002 when Skinner took over for Charlie Manuel and guided the Tribe to a 35-41 mark. The 2012 campaign will mark Skinner's ninth overall as a manager. His managerial career began in 1995 when he led Watertown to the New York-Penn League Championship as the League Manager of the Year. He won division titles in 1996 with Class-A Columbus (Ga.), in 1997 with Class-A Kinston, and in 1998 in his first stop in Akron. In 2000 Skinner made his Triple-A managerial debut with the IL's Buffalo Bisons. Skinner's Herd went 86-59 and won the IL North Division, prompting his promotion to Cleveland. Skinner had formerly played in the Indians organization, and the last six games of his career came as a member of the Charlotte Knights. As a player he spent nine seasons in the Major Leagues with the White Sox, Yankees, and Indians. The native of La Jolla, California comes to Charlotte with a career managerial record of 448-333 (.574) in the Minor Leagues.
MIKE SARBAUGH (Columbus): Back after leading the Clippers to consecutive Triple-A National Championships in his first two seasons in Columbus is Mike Sarbaugh, the 2011 IL Manager of the Year and IL All-Star Manager. Sarbaugh, 44, brought a winning mentality to Columbus when he arrived in 2010. Prior to that, he had spent the previous two seasons managing at Double-A Akron, where in 2009 he guided the Aeros to an 89-53 finish and the Eastern League Championship. This will be the 23rd consecutive season in the Indians organization for the native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania as a player, coach, and manager. Sarbaugh began his managerial career in 2004 by winning the New York-Penn League Championship with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. He moved on to serve as the skipper for Lake County in 2005 and then Kinston in 2006 and 2007 prior to his promotion to Akron in 2008. His stint in Kinston included winning the Carolina League title in 2006 and honors as Manager of the Year in 2007. Sarbaugh owns a career managerial record of 622-442 (.585) over eight seasons, including an impressive 167-121 (.580) mark at the Triple-A level. He played six seasons in the minor leagues, including five in the Cleveland organization (1990-94). Prior to becoming a manager, Sarbaugh spent five seasons as a coach with the Kinston Indians and Columbus (Ga.) RedStixx (1995-99) and four seasons as an Akron Aeros coach (2000-03).
CHARLIE MONTOYO (Durham): 47-year-old Charlie Montoyo returns to the Bulls after five very successful seasons in Durham. Montoyo's Bulls have won five straight South Division flags, going 405-311 overall and highlighted by a Governors' Cup and Triple-A Championship season in 2009. That year he was honored as the Baseball America Minor League Manager of the Year as well as the Mike Coolbaugh Award recipient, given by Minor League Baseball to an individual for outstanding mentoring of young players on the field. In 2010 Montoyo became the first skipper from Durham to be named the IL Manager of the Year. He also piloted the International League team to victory when he served as manager in the 2010 Triple-A All-Star Game. This will be Montoyo's 16th season as a manager, all coming within the Tampa Bay farm system. From 2003-06 Montoyo managed Tampa Bay's Double-A affiliate, Orlando in 2003 and Montgomery from 2004-06. The Biscuits' most successful season under Montoyo's guidance came in 2006, as Montgomery rolled to a 77-62 record and the Southern League Championship. His first managerial experience was in 1997 with Princeton of the rookie Appalachian League, where his club posted a 39-30 record. The second year he guided Hudson Valley to a division title (50-26) in the short season New York-Penn League. From 1999 to 2000 he skippered Charleston of the South Atlantic League, guiding the team to its first winning season as a Tampa Bay affiliate in his second year (73-66). The following season was spent at Class-A Bakersfield of the California League, where his 64-76 club was the organization's only to make the playoffs. In 2002 Montoyo's Bakersfield team missed returning to the postseason by just one game. The native of Manati, Puerto Rico had a 10-year professional career as a player. The former middle infielder played with the Brewers, Expos, and Phillies organizations, tasting the Major Leagues for 27 days with Montreal in 1993. So far in his 15-year managerial career, Montoyo has a record of 1,031-945 (.522).
DAVE BRUNDAGE (Gwinnett): Back for his sixth season at the helm of Atlanta's Triple-A affiliate is 47-year-old Dave Brundage. He's led the Braves to a 231-199 record during the first three seasons of baseball in Gwinnett, which included a Wild Card playoff berth in 2009. Before the team moved to Georgia, he piloted the Richmond Braves to a 140-142 mark from 2007 to 2008. The R-Braves won the Governors' Cup in 2007 during Brundage's first season in the IL. His Triple-A debut had come just one year earlier in the Pacific Coast League with Tacoma, piloting the Rainiers to a 74-70 mark. Brundage spent the previous five seasons as manager of Double-A San Antonio, guiding the Missions to back-to-back Texas League Championships in 2002-03. He earned distinction as Baseball America's Minor League Manager of the Year in 2003 after an 88-51 season. The Salem, Oregon native began his managerial career with Seattle's Class-A clubs in the California League, Riverside in 1995 and Lancaster in 1996. In 1997 he was promoted to manager of the Mariners' Double-A affiliate in Memphis, where he went 67-72. Brundage spent the next three seasons (1998-2000) as a coach for Tacoma before returning to the manager's role in San Antonio. Brundage played ten seasons in the Minor Leagues, including six with the Triple-A Calgary Cannons where he became a player-coach in 1993. Brundage enters the 2012 campaign with a lifetime record of 1,024-946 (.520) in the Minor Leagues, including a 445-411 (.520) mark at the Triple-A level.
DEAN TREANOR (Indianapolis): Dean Treanor led the Indians to a roller coaster season in 2011, his first in Indianapolis as a skipper. Named manager after serving as the club's pitching coach in 2010, Treanor's 2011 club lost an IL-worst 21 of their first 30 games before storming back to nearly win the Wild Card race. The 64-year-old hopes to build on the 76-68 season this year, his 24th in baseball. In seven seasons managing at the Triple-A level, Treanor owns a 505-492 (.506) record. Before joining the Pirates system as pitching coach of Double-A Altoona in 2009, Treanor was manager of the Albuquerque Isotopes of the Pacific Coast League from 2005 to 2008, part of a seven-year stint in the Florida organization. He was the Marlins minor league pitching coordinator in 2004, after having managed Albuquerque in 2003 and Calgary in 2002 before Florida's Triple-A team moved to New Mexico. Treanor's only other managing experience came in 1988 with Class-A Fresno and in 1990 with Rookie League Winter Haven. Every other season between 1989 and 2001 saw Treanor serving as a pitching coach, working in the Cleveland, San Diego, Montreal, and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations. The San Luis Obispo, California native was signed as a player by Cincinnati in 1971. His minor league pitching career took him as high as the Double-A level when he played for Three Rivers Quebec in the Eastern League. Treanor's career managerial record is 581-621 (.487).
RYNE SANDBERG (Lehigh Valley): Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg is back for a second season managing the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He took the young franchise to its first postseason in 2011, winning the Wild Card with an 80-64 record and reaching the Governors' Cup finals. Before joining the Philadelphia organization, Sandberg spent four seasons as a manager in the Chicago Cubs chain beginning with Class-A Peoria in 2007 and 2008 and continuing with Double-A Tennessee in 2009 and Triple-A Iowa of the Pacific Coast League in 2010. His clubs posted winning records in three of those four seasons, including two first place finishes. He was named the PCL Manager of the Year in 2010 after guiding Iowa to an 82-62 record, which tied for the best mark in the Northern Division. Overall, the 52-year-old Sandberg's managerial record stands at 364-341 (.516) entering his third season at the Triple-A level, where his record is now an impressive 162-126 (.563). A 2005 inductee into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Sandberg was a ten-time National League All-Star who won nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Slugger awards during his 16-year career (1981-94, 1996-97). He was originally drafted by the Phillies in 1978 and made his big league debut with Philadelphia in 1981 before being traded to the Cubs prior to the 1982 season. In his career, he hit .285 with 282 home runs, 1,061 RBI, and 344 stolen bases. He retired with a then-Major League record 277 home runs as a second baseman. Sandberg is a native of Spokane, Washington.
DAVID BELL (Louisville): With former skipper Rick Sweet now serving as a roving catching instructor in the Reds organization, the Louisville Bats will be guided by David Bell in 2012. Bell was a Louisville player from 1995 to 1997 when the franchise was part of the American Association. The Cincinnati native spent parts of twelve seasons in the big leagues with the Indians, Cardinals, Mariners, Giants, Phillies, and Brewers. As a member of the 2002 Giants, Bell scored the winning run in the NLCS and also scored a memorable run in the World Series when three-year-old batboy Darren Baker had to be moved out of harm's way as Bell rapidly approached the plate. Bell's brother Mike, father Buddy, and grandfather Gus are all former Major Leaguers. David Bell retired following the 2006 season, and in 2009 he was hired by the Cincinnati organization as manager of Double-A Carolina. Over the next three seasons, Bell's Carolina clubs compiled a 176-239 (.424) record. At 39 years of age, Bell will be the youngest manager in the International League as well as the youngest member of the Bats field staff this season.
RON JOHNSON (Norfolk): Ron Johnson returns to the International League as manager of the Norfolk Tides. Johnson replaces Gary Allenson, who is now piloting the Class-A Aberdeen IronBirds. The 55-year-old Johnson joins the Baltimore organization after spending the last twelve seasons in the Boston organization. He was Boston's first base coach during the last two years, which followed five seasons as manager of the Pawtucket Red Sox. Johnson managed for nine seasons total in the Boston farm system, piloting Class-A Sarasota (2000-01), Double-A Trenton (2002) and Portland (2003-04), and then the PawSox whom he guided to a record of 357-359 from 2005 to 2009. Prior to his time with the Red Sox, Johnson served as a manager for eight seasons with the same organization that drafted him as a player. In the Kansas City Royals system, Johnson managed Class-A Baseball City (1992) and Wilmington (1993), Double-A Memphis (1994) and Wichita (1995-97), and Triple-A Omaha of the Pacific Coast League (1998-99). Johnson was born in Long Beach, California and went on to become an All-American at Fresno State University. His playing career was mostly spent in the minors, though he reached the majors for a total of 22 games with the Royals and Expos. In 18 seasons as a Minor League manager, Johnson has compiled a record of 1,261-1,262 (.500).
ARNIE BEYELER (Pawtucket): Making his Triple-A managerial debut in 2011, Arnie Beyeler led the Pawtucket Red Sox to their first IL North Division title since 2003. The PawSox went 81-61 but were dispatched in the first round of the Governors' Cup playoffs by Lehigh Valley. Beyeler has now managed eleven seasons in the minors, including eight in the Red Sox farm system. Before coming to Pawtucket he served for four years as manager of Boston's Double-A Portland team, where he went 282-283 and made the playoffs in 2007 and 2008. Beyeler is a former player who spent six seasons in the minors from 1986 to 1991, topping out at Triple-A Toledo. He then went to work as an area scout for the Detroit Tigers from 1992 to 1996 before spending three years as a coach in the Yankees organization. In 2000 the native of Moab, Utah came to Pawtucket to serve as hitting coach before leaving in June to manage the short season Lowell Spinners. After two years in Lowell, he was hired by Texas and from 2003 to 2005 he managed at the Class-A level, a stretch highlighted by consecutive playoff appearances for his Stockton club. In 2006 Beyeler was the hitting coach for San Diego's Double-A affiliate in Mobile before rejoining the Red Sox organization in 2007 with Portland. Entering his second season in Triple-A, the 48-year-old Beyeler has a career record of 723-691 (.511).
GENE GLYNN (Rochester): 55-year-old Gene Glynn, a professional scout for the Tampa Bay Rays for the past five seasons, has been named manager of the Rochester Red Wings for 2012. Glynn joins the Twins organization to take the place of Tom Nieto, who is now managing the Yankees Gulf Coast League affiliate. Glynn brings five years of minor league managing experience and 13 years of major league coaching experience to Rochester. The Waseca, Minnesota native has yet to manage above the Class-A level. He piloted Jamestown of the New York-Penn League for two seasons beginning in 1986, then in 1990 he went to the Northwest League where he managed Spokane for two seasons (winning one league title) and Bend for one season. In 1994 Glynn began his major league coaching career with the Rockies, serving as a base coach for five seasons. He then went to Montreal as first base coach for the 1999 season before moving on to Chicago as the Cubs third base coach for three years. From 2003 to 2006 he served the same role for the San Francisco Giants. In total Glynn has 27 years in baseball as a coach, manager, instructor, and scout following his on-field career which lasted from 1979 to 1985 in the Expos minor league system. In his five seasons as a manager, Glynn's record is 190-191 (.499).
DAVE MILEY (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre): During a challenging season in which the team will play all of its games away from PNC Field while the facility undergoes renovation, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees will fortunately have a familiar face managing the club. In five years at the helm of the SWB Yankees, Dave Miley has posted a record of 413-300 and won four North Division flags. The stretch includes an IL Manager of the Year Award in 2007 and a Governors' Cup title in 2008 "" his second (Louisville, 2001). Miley also piloted New York's Triple-A affiliate in Columbus in 2006 (69-73). Prior to joining the Yankees, Miley spent 26 years in the Cincinnati organization, highlighted by his stint as manager of the Reds. From July 2003 to June 2005, Miley's Reds went 125-164. Miley also spent several years as manager of Cincinnati's Triple-A team. In four years with Louisville (2000-03), his record was 296-245 (.547), a period which included the first of two times he would manage the IL All-Stars at the Triple-A All-Star Game (2002 & 2008). Prior to his time in Louisville, Miley was at the helm for four seasons in Indianapolis (1996-99). Miley led the Tribe to four straight winning campaigns, the first two in the American Association before Indianapolis joined the IL in 1998. Miley was named the American Association Manager of the Year in 1997. In 1995 his Chattanooga club enjoyed an 83-60 season and came within one game of winning the Southern League Championship. Miley was honored as both the Southern League and Double-A Manager of the Year. He spent parts of 1993-94 as a Major League coach and Minor League coordinator. His managing debut came in 1988 with Class-A Greensboro of the South Atlantic League, the first of five straight years he guided a club into the postseason. Miley was a catcher for seven seasons (1980-86) in the Reds organization, hitting .238 with 16 HR and 172 RBI, all in the Minor Leagues. The 49-year-old Tampa, Florida native enters the 2012 season with a career mark of 1,722-1,378 (.555), including a record of 1,092-879 (.554) at the Triple-A level.
TONY BEASLEY (Syracuse): Making his Triple-A managerial debut this season in Syracuse is 45-year-old Tony Beasley. He replaces Randy Knorr, now the bench coach with the Nationals. Last season Beasley managed Double-A Harrisburg to a division title by way of an 80-62 record. The 2011 campaign marked a return to the Washington organization for Beasley, who served as the Nationals third base coach during the 2006 season. Before Harrisburg, Beasley spent three years as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League staff, including a stretch as third base coach. Beasley also has five seasons under his belt as a manager in the Pirates chain, all five of which have resulted in playoff berths. His 2002 Class-A Hickory club won the South Atlantic League Championship. Three times Baseball America recognized Beasley as his classification's Manager of the Year (Low Class-A in 2002 and 2003, Double-A in 2004). Overall his managerial record stands at 452-320 (.585). Beasley is a native of Fredericksburg, Virginia. He played a total of nine seasons in the Orioles and Pirates organizations, hitting .260 with 243 RBI in 859 Minor League games. He became a player-coach in 1998 before retiring a year later to permanently focus on coaching.
PHIL NEVIN (Toledo): 41-year-old Phil Nevin will return as manager of the Toledo Mud Hens for the second consecutive season. Nevin's first season at the Triple-A level produced a record of 67-77. Relatively new to the managing scene, Nevin joined the Tigers organization in 2010 when he piloted the Double-A Erie club to a record of 66-76 in the Eastern League. Nevin got into managing in 2009 as skipper of the Orange County Flyers of the independent Golden Baseball League, compiling a record of 37-39. Nevin was selected first overall in the 1992 draft by the Houston Astros after a stellar college career at Cal State Fullerton, where he received the Golden Spikes Award (given to the nation's best amateur player) and was named Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series. He would go on to spend twelve seasons in the big leagues, seeing time with the Astros (1995), Tigers (1995-97), Angels (1998), Padres (1999-2005), Rangers (2005-06), Cubs (2006), and Twins (2006). He retired with a career batting average of .270 to go along with 208 home runs and 743 RBI in 1,217 games, and spent parts of the next two years in broadcasting with the Padres and ESPN before becoming a manager. Heading into his third season managing in affiliated baseball, the Fullerton, California native owns a career managerial record of 133-153 (.465).
International League Stories from February 14, 2012
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
