CornBelters Announce Billy Horn as Manager
January 25, 2018 - Frontier League (FL)
Normal CornBelters News Release
Normal welcomes their third Manager in team history
NORMAL, Illinois - The CornBelters, presented by Illinois Corn Growers, announced Billy Horn as the team's new Manager in preparation for the 2018 Frontier League season.
Billy joins the CornBelters as the third manager in team history as the team enters their ninth season of operations.
"I was very impressed with not only Billy's baseball background and knowledge but his interest and desire to be involved in our community," said CornBelters President and General Manager Steve Malliet. "We believe he will be an incredible addition to our organization, on and off the field."
This will be Horn's first appointment as a manager, but he arrives in Normal with extensive coaching and playing experience.
"I'd like to thank Steve Malliet and the rest of the Normal Cornbelter organization for this tremendous opportunity to manage the ball club in the 2018 season," said Horn. "My goals are simple - to promote as many players to MLB organizations as possible and to put a competitive team on the field in search of a Frontier League Championship."
Last season with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League, another independent baseball league, Billy served as the pitching coach and assisted in player procurement related activities under manager Kevin Baez. Billy oversaw the entire 2017 pitching staff for the Ducks, which included eight pitchers with MLB experience and a CY Young Award Winner. MLB organizations signed three of his players (RHP Henderson Alvarez, RHP Tim Melville, and OF Quintin Berry), and all three reached the MLB in the 2017 season.
During the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Billy was the pitching coach and oversaw player procurement for the Ottawa Champions of the Canadian American League (CanAm) as a part of Manager Hal Lanier's staff. In 2016, Billy helped Ottawa to a CanAm League Championship.
Hal Lanier was a former infielder, coach, and manager in Major League Baseball. He was also the first-ever manager for the CornBelters (2009).
The 2012 season marked Billy's transition as a professional player and collegiate coach to the professional coaching ranks, as he stepped into the role of pitching coach and assisted with player procurement for the Roswell Invaders of the Pecos League.
Billy spent the 2009 season as the pitching coach for his alma mater, the Lynn University Fighting Knights, where he produced the NCAA Division II National Pitcher of the Year (Dan Wright) and coached current New York Yankees right-handed relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle.
As a player, Billy played three seasons in the Italian Professional Baseball League, including time with the Grosseto Orioles (2010) and the San Marino Titans (2003, 2004). In 2005, he played under MLB great Darrell Evans as a member of the Long Beach Armada in the Golden Baseball League.
Billy resides in Boca Raton, Florida. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Sports Management from Lynn University with a Minor in Hospitality and Tourism while also being a four-year member of the men's baseball team. Billy is also currently studying Spanish and has been utilized by his past teams as a translator for non-English speaking players.
Frontier League Stories from January 25, 2018
- CornBelters Announce Billy Horn as Manager - Normal CornBelters
- Group Outing and Ticketing Information Now Available for 2018 Season - Evansville Otters
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