SAL1 Greenville Drive

Luis Alicea to Manage the Drive in the 2006 Inaugural Season

Published on January 6, 2006 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greenville Drive News Release


Greenville, SC - The Boston Red Sox have announced their Minor League coaching staffs for the 2006 season. When the Greenville Drive open up the 2006 season in their new downtown stadium, former major leaguer Luis Alicea will be the Drive's first manager, replacing Chad Epperson who will now manage the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Alicea will be joined by Upstate residents Randy Phillips and Bob Kipper who will returning to the coaching staff in 2006. The Drive will also have a new head trainer in Paul Buchheit. The announcement was made by Red Sox Co-General Managers Ben Cherrington and Jed Hoyer.

Luis Alicea joins the Drive after spending the previous two seasons with the Lowell Spinners of the New York-Penn League. Alicea made his managerial debut in 2004 with the Spinners after concluding his 13-year major league career in 2002. During the 2005 season he lead Lowell to a 42-33 record, good for a second place finish in the Stedler Division.

As a major leaguer, Alicea spent one season with the Boston Red Sox as a member of the 1995 American League East championship team. He hit .270 in 132 games as the club's second baseman and went 6-for-10 with a home run in the Division Series versus Cleveland. Alicea posted a .260 career batting average in 1,341 games with the Cardinals, Red Sox, Angels, Rangers, and Royals.

Randy Phillips begins his second season as the Drive hitting coach after guiding the 2005 Greenville team to a South Atlantic League leading .275 batting average. Prior to joining the Red Sox organization in 2003, the Taylors, SC resident spent ten years coaching in the Braves and Blue Jays organizations. Phillips guided the batters of Hagerstown in 1997, Medicine Hat in 1998, and Knoxville in 1999 to the second-best batting averages in their respective leagues.

Phillips enjoyed a semi-professional career with the Greenville Cardinals for 12 seasons, where he served in a player/manager role for seven of those years. In addition he served as a hitting instructor for Major League Baseball's Australian Academy during 2002 and 2003.

Bob Kipper returns for his second season to watch over the young guns in the Red Sox organization as the Drive pitching coach. During the 2005 season, the Greenville pitching staff posted a 4.04 earned run average which was good for fifth in the South Atlantic League. Before coming to Greenville, Kipper served at the Portland Sea Dogs pitching coach in 2002-2004. As the pitching coach for Augusta in 2001, the Green Jackets hurlers led the South Atlantic League in earned run average (2.93) and fewest walks allowed (314). In 2000, Augusta led the league with 47 saves and ranked second with a 3.45 ERA.

Prior to making his coaching debut in 1995, Kipper spent more than 10 seasons as a pitcher in professional baseball. The Greer, SC resident was selected eighth overall of the 1982 draft by the California Angels. He was the Single-A California League Player of the Year in 1984, finishing the season with an 18-8 record and posting a 2.04 ERA. Kipper made his major league debut in 1985 and was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates later that year. He was a member of the 1990 National League East Division championship team, going 5-2 with a 3.02 ERA in 41 games. Kipper got his first taste of post-season play when the Pirates repeated in 1991, appearing in the third game of the NLCS.

Paul Buchheit joins the Drive as the head trainer after spending the 2005 season with Lowell and the 2004 season with Sarasota in a strength and conditioning supportive role.

Greenville Drive 2006 season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling the Greenville Drive office at (864) 422-1510.

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South Atlantic League Stories from January 6, 2006


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