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Catfish Field Staff Named

December 11, 2007 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Columbus Catfish News Release


Columbus, GA - The 2008 Columbus Catfish field staff has been set and Catfish fans will see new faces in the dugout. Matt Quatraro will be managing the team and will be joined by pitching coach Bill Moloney, hitting coach Ozzie Timmons and trainer Nick Medina.

After two seasons managing the Rays' short A affiliate, the Hudson Valley Renegades, Quatraro has been promoted to Columbus. Quatraro was 65-85 in two seasons at Hudson Valley. An eighth round pick by the Rays in the 1996 June Draft, he became the first Rays minor league player to join the organization's coaching staff. Matt played seven minor league seasons batting .286 with 200 RBI in 414 games before taking on the role of catching instructor in the Tampa Bay organization in 2003. He joined Hudson Valley as a coach midway through the 2004 season. After coaching in Hudson Valley in 2005, he was promoted to manager for the '06 season. A graduate of Old Dominion University with a history degree, he was named the 1996 ODU Male Athlete of the Year and Male Scholar Athlete of the Year and is one of only two players in school history to compile a career batting average above .400 (.413).

The lone holdover from the 2007 SAL Championship staff is pitching coach Bill Moloney. Under Moloney's guidance, the 2007 Catfish pitching staff finished first in the SAL in saves (44) and second in ERA (3.61). This will be Moloney's second season in the Rays organization after spending the previous six years in the Reds organization.

Timmons begins his second season in the Rays organization after spending the 2007 season with Hudson Valley. Selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 5th round of the 1991 June Draft, he played professional baseball for 16 seasons with the Cubs, Reds, Mariners, Devil Rays, Braves, Diamondbacks and Mets organizations as well as Chunichi Dragons of the Japanese Baseball League, the Mexican League and Atlantic City of the Independent Atlantic League. He owns a .235 career major league batting average with 20 doubles and 20 home runs in 186 games. He played the 2000 season in the Tampa Bay organization leading the Triple-A International League in RBI (104) and runs (100), tied for second in walks (73) and tied for third most home runs (29) and extra-base hits (62) earning All Star recognition. After receiving a September call-up to the Rays, he batted.341 in 12 games with 4 homers and 13 RBI. Timmons was a two-time NCAA Division II All-America selection at the University of Tampa.

Nick Medina will serve as trainer after spending the 2007 season with the Princeton Devil Rays. He is a graduate of the University of New Mexico.

Last year's manager Jim Morrison and hitting coach Brady Williams have been promoted to the Rays high A affiliate at Vero Beach. Trainer Kris Russell has left the Rays organization for a similar position with the Yankees organization. Strength and conditioning coach Brett Watkins will return to the Rays but has not yet received his assignment.

The 2008 season begins on Thursday, April 3 vs. the Savannah Sand Gnats at Golden Park. For tickets, merchandise or more information call (706) 571-8866 or visit www.columbuscatfish.com.

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