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Pensacola Blue Wahoos

Pat Kelly Returns for Third Season in Pensacola

January 20, 2017 - Southern League (SL1)
Pensacola Blue Wahoos News Release


PENSACOLA, Fla. - The Cincinnati Reds announced their minor league coaching staff assignments for the upcoming 2017 season on Friday. On the heels of leading the Pensacola Blue Wahoos to back-to-back playoff appearances, Pat Kelly returns as manager for a third season. Kelly is joined again by major league veteran Danny Darwin, welcomes Gookie Dawkins and welcomes back Dick Schofield.

Kelly led the Blue Wahoos to back-to-back playoff appearances during the 2015 and 2016 season. Behind Kelly's leadership, the Blue Wahoos had their best season with an 81-59 record in 2016. This will mark his 11th season in the Reds organization as he brings over 20 years of managerial experience. In 2012, he was named the Pioneer League Manager of the Year with the Billings Mustangs.

Darwin, who pitched for 21 years in the major leagues, enters his second year with Pensacola. Darwin amassed one of the best pitching staffs in the Southern League with the second lowest ERA in the league with a 3.20. Darwin amassed 171 wins and 182 losses over his career for eight different Major League teams with a 3.84 earned run average.

Hitting coach Gookie Dawkins begins his third year working with the same organization that selected him in the second round of the 1997 draft. In 2015, he served as the hitting coach for the Rookie AZL Reds in Goodyear, Arizona and was the hitting coach for the Advanced-A Daytona Dragons in 2016. Dawkins played in parts of four Major League seasons with Cincinnati (1999, 2000, 2002) and Kansas City (2003).

This season, each affiliate will now have a fourth coach on staff to provide more individual instruction and improved in-game teaching. Former big-league shortstop Dick Schofield returns to the Blue Wahoos as bench coach after serving as hitting coach in 2013. He served as the Class-A Dayton Dragons manager in 2016 and managed the Rookie-level Billings Mustangs in 2014-2015. Schofield enjoyed a 14-year Major League playing career from 1983-1996 while leading his league in fielding percentage four times.

Tyler Moos and Nate Tamargo return to Pensacola for their second seasons with Moos serving as the squad's athletic trainer and Tamargo as the Strength and Conditioning coach. Moos previously worked in the Seattle Mariners organization with the Tacoma Rainiers (2015) and the Desert Mavericks (2013-14). Tamargo is entering his fourth season with the Reds organization previously with Dayton (2015) and Billings (2014).

2017 Field Staff Pat Kelly - Manager (3rd season) Danny Darwin -Pitching Coach (2nd season) Gookie Dawkins - Hitting Coach (1st season) Dick Schofield - Bench Coach (1st season) Tyler Moos - Athletic Trainer (2nd season) Nate Tamargo - Strength & Conditioning Coach (2nd season)

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are the Double-A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and a member of the Southern League. Follow the Pensacola Blue Wahoos at BlueWahoos.com, facebook.com/PensacolaBlueWahoos and twitter.com/BlueWahoosBBall.

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Southern League Stories from January 20, 2017


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