Greenjackets Announce 2010 Coaching Staff
December 18, 2009 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Augusta GreenJackets News Release
Augusta, GA - The San Francisco Giants and Augusta GreenJackets announce that the GreenJackets coaching staff will see minimal change for the 2010 season. Dave Machemer returns for his second season as manager, Lipso Nava returns for his third season as hitting coach and Steve Kline returns for his second season as pitching coach.
In addition, the team will welcome David Getsoff as the athletic trainer for the upcoming campaign. He replaces LJ Petra, who was selected by his peers in the league to serve as the trainer for the Southern Division All-Stars at last season's South Atlantic League All-Star Game. Petra has moved within the Giants organization to work with San Jose in the California League.
Machemer is a veteran of the bench with more than 20 years of managerial experience. The Michigan native guided the GreenJackets to a 76-63 overall record in 2009, the best end of year mark in the Southern Division. Although the Jackets missed the playoffs because they were not in first place at the end of either the first or the second half of the season, Machemer's ballclub stayed in contention throughout the campaign. On June 13th in Savannah, the cagey skipper earned the 1,300th win of his minor league managerial career.
Nava returns for year three of a successful stint in Augusta that's seen the development of several premier hitters in the Giants organization. Last year, Josh Mazzola developed into the league's top RBI man with 96 runs driven home under Nava's tutelage. Nava also served as a valuable mentor for the team's Latin talent, many of whom were playing full-season, stateside ball for the first time in their careers.
The affable Kline returns after a successful debut as a minor league pitching coach. The lefty - with 11 years of major league experience - was a terrific tutor for a pitching staff that boasted the league's fifth-best ERA. Kline's pitching staff also boasts the SAL's second-winningest pitcher (Eric Surkamp, with 11 victories) and two hurlers (Ari Ronick and Kyle Nicholson) who finished in the league's top-10 in best ERA. Many of Kline's pitchers were able to earn midseason promotions to higher levels and one, Dan Runzler, reached the major leagues with San Francisco, becoming the first GreenJacket in the modern era of Augusta baseball to reach the majors in the same season he pitched for the GreenJackets.
Getsoff begins his second season in the Giants organization after serving last year as athletic trainer for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in the Northwest League. The resident of Brooklyn, New York has also spent time in the Athletics and Red Sox organizations during his career.
The GreenJackets play their 2010 home opener at Lake Olmstead Stadium on April 16th of next year. 2010 Season Tickets are currently available and can be purchased by calling the GreenJackets front office at (706) 922-WINS.
South Atlantic League Stories from December 18, 2009
- West Virginia Power Coaching Staff Returns - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Greenjackets Announce 2010 Coaching Staff - Augusta GreenJackets
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