Cougars Announce Field Staff for 2017 Season
January 5, 2017 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Kane County Cougars News Release
GENEVA, Ill. - The Kane County Cougars, in conjunction with the organization's Major League affiliate Arizona Diamondbacks, have announced the field staff for the 2017 season which will kick off on Thursday, April 6 against the Clinton LumberKings at Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva, Ill.
Butch Hobson has been named the 18th manager in franchise history. This season will be his first with the D-backs organization having previously spent three seasons as manager of the Boston Red Sox (1992-94), the very team that he made his MLB debut with in 1975.
In 2008, he was named Manager of the Year with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) and most recently spent five seasons as the manager of the Lancaster Barnstormers (2011-16) also of the ALPB.
A two sport athlete at the University of Alabama, Hobson was the backup quarterback under Bear Bryant before being drafted by the Red Sox in the 8th round of the 1973 Amateur Draft. He went on to spend eight seasons in the Major Leagues with the Red Sox (1975-80), Angels (1981) and Yankees (1982). In 738 MLB games, he batted .248 with 107 doubles, 98 home runs and 397 RBI.
Hobson's staff includes pitching coach Rich Sauveur, hitting coach Jose Amado, coach Darrin Garner, athletic trainer Joe Rosauer and strength and conditioning coordinator Matt Tenney.
Sauveur is in his second year with the D-backs and is the only returning member of the Cougars staff for the upcoming season. Last year, the Cougars pitching staff led the Midwest League with a 3.06 ERA. Amado begins his second season in the D-backs organization after spending the 2016 season at Short-Season A Hillsboro. Garner, who also enters his second season with the D-backs, managed the Rookie Level AZL D-backs last year.
Mike Benjamin, who served as the Cougars manager last season, is the new skipper for Rookie-Advanced Missoula while former Cougars coach Shawn Roof has been promoted to manager for the Hillsboro Hops. Athletic trainer Chris Schepel has also been promoted to Class-A Advanced Visalia.
Ticket packages for the 2017 season are on sale now and can be purchased by calling the front office at 630-232-8811. For more information, visit us at www.kccougars.com.
Follow the Cougars on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest on promotions and tickets for the upcoming season.
About the Kane County Cougars
The Cougars, Class-A Minor League affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, have been at the forefront of family-friendly entertainment since 1991. In 2015, the franchise became the first Class-A team in Minor League Baseball history to welcome 11 million fans through the gates. A total of 151 former Cougars have reached the Major Leagues including Miguel Cabrera, Nelson Cruz, Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Kyle Schwarber.
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