MWL1 Kane County Cougars

2011 Cougars Field Staff Announced

Published on October 29, 2010 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Kane County Cougars News Release


GENEVA, IL - The Kane County Cougars, in conjunction with the Kansas City Royals, have announced the coaching staff for the 2011 season - the 21st season of Cougars baseball and the first season of the franchise's affiliation with the Kansas City Royals.

Vance Wilson has been named the 13th manager in Cougars franchise history and will be making his coaching and managerial debut in 2011. Prior to his retirement as a Major League player last spring, Wilson spent eight seasons in the big leagues, debuting with the team that drafted him: the New York Mets. Wilson debuted as a Met at Wrigley Field in 1999 and spent six seasons in New York before a 2005 trade sent him to the Tigers. Wilson's final big league game was in 2006, and he most recently spent the '08 and '09 seasons as a player in the Royals' farm system before retiring last April. The 37-year old Wilson is a former teammate and close friend of former Cougar Nate Robertson, as both players were part of the 2006 American League champion Detroit Tigers squad.

"I'm so lucky to do what I've done in this game, and to be a part of not only an organization like the Royals, but on top of that, to be working with a first-class organization like the Kane County Cougars, I'm very excited," said Wilson.

Damon Hollins, a former outfielder who played professionally in Major League Baseball as well as in Japan, will work with the Cougars hitters. Hollins was a fourth-round draft choice of the Atlanta Braves in 1992 and made his MLB debut six years later with the Braves. His big league career covered four seasons and 256 games.

Jim Brower has been named Cougars pitching coach. Brower, a sixth-round pick of the Texas Rangers in 1994, pitched for nine seasons in the Majors from 1999-2007 with eight different teams and retired during the 2008 season.

James Stone will serve as team trainer after filling that role for one of the Royals' Rookie League teams (Burlington, NC) in 2010.

"We're excited to welcome Vance and his field staff to Geneva for the start of our relationship with the Kansas City Royals," said Cougars General Manager Jeff Sedivy. "This staff has a wealth of big league experience which will be a great asset for our team next season."

Field Staff Announcements elsewhere in the Kansas City Royals farm system

Triple-A Omaha: Mike Jirschele (Manager), Doug Henry (Pitching Coach), Tommy Gregg (Hitting Coach), Dale Gilbert (Trainer)

Double-A Northwest Arkansas: Brian Poldberg (Manager), Larry Carter (Pitching Coach), Terry Bradshaw (Hitting Coach), Dave Iannicca (Trainer)

Class-A Advanced Wilmington: Brian Rupp (Manager), Steve Luebber (Pitching Coach and '98 Cougars PC), Justin Gemoll (Hitting Coach), Mark Stubblefield (Trainer)

Short-A Idaho Falls: Brian Buchanan (Manager), Jerry Nyman (Pitching Coach), Omar Ramirez (Hitting Coach), Masa Koyanagi (Trainer)

Rookie League Burlington (NC): Nelson Liriano (Manager), Bobby St. Pierre (Pitching Coach), Jon Williams (Hitting Coach)

Rookie League Surprise (AZ): Darryl Kennedy (Manager), Carlos Martinez and Carlos Reyes (Pitching Coaches), Andre David and Julio Bruno (Hitting Coaches), Tony Medina (Trainer)

Check out the Kane County Cougars Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Midwest League Stories from October 29, 2010


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.

OurSports Central