SAL1 Charleston RiverDogs

Greg Colbrunn Returns For Fourth Season As RiverDogs Hitting Coach

Published on January 12, 2010 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release


CHARLESTON, SC - The New York Yankees have announced that former big leaguer Greg Colbrunn will return as hitting coach for the Charleston RiverDogs.

Colbrunn, who resides in the Charleston suburb of Mt. Pleasant, will begin his fourth season as the RiverDogs' popular hitting coach. The former infielder spent 13 seasons in the major leagues with stints with Montreal, Florida, Minnesota, Atlanta, Arizona, Colorado and Seattle. He won a World Series ring playing for the Diamondbacks in 2001 when the team upset the New York Yankees, who had won the previous three World Series titles from 1998-2000.

"I am extremely happy to be back with the Yankees and the RiverDogs for my third season, and my family and I remain happy to be in Charleston," said Colbrunn. "We (RiverDogs) have made marked improvement at the plate over the last few seasons, and I'm hopeful the progression will continue this year."

"We are very happy to have Greg return to the RiverDogs," said General Manager Dave Echols. "He is very popular with the players and our fans have come to appreciate his hard work with our hitters. And the fact that he lives here is only a plus."

A lifetime.289 hitter in 992 major league games, Colbrunn made an immediate impact on the RiverDogs in his first season as a coach in 2007, helping guide third baseman Mitch Hilligoss to a league-record 38-game hitting streak that lasted from April 17 to June 2.

"Having Colby come back takes a lot of pressure off me and the hitters because he keeps them relaxed and aggressive at the plate," said Manager Torre Tyson. "He's been there and done that at the highest level possible and lets our hitters know what it takes to get to the big leagues."

That track record continued to improve last season as the RiverDogs' offense led the league in triples (46), finished second in hits (1,228) and tied for third in the league in average (.260).

While Charleston lost sluggers Brian Baisley, David Adams and Dan Brewer to promotion, it was still a banner year for a pair of outfielders and a pair of infielders.

Dominican Republic native Melky Mesa slugged 20 home runs in his first full season in Charleston to lead the squad and finish tied for fourth in the league. The 6-1 flycatcher also led the team in doubles (24), extra base hits (51), RBI (74) and runs scored (76), which was good for fifth in the circuit. Mesa was named SAL Hitter of the Week from June 22-29 and earned selection to the SAL's Midseason and Postseason All-Star Teams, the third year in a row that event has happened for the RiverDogs (Jesus Montero, 2008; Mitch Hilligoss, 2007).

Second-year RiverDog Abraham Almonte flourished in the second half of the season, hitting.368 over his final 33 games to finish with a.280 average, highlighted by a league-best 26-game hitting streak from Aug. 6 through Sept. 4, the longest for Charleston since Hilligoss raked in 38 straight in 2007. The 5-9 fireplug ended the '09 season tied for second in triples (10) and finished fifth in the league in stolen bases (36), the most for a RiverDog since Austin Jackson swiped 37 bags in '06. Over his two-year stint, Almonte ranks 11th in RiverDogs history in both hits (224) and RBI (102).

Promotions gave the final two players a terrific opportunity for success, and Corban Joseph and Jose Pirela did not let chance go to waste. Joseph, the Yankees fourth round pick in 2008, joined the team in mid-May, hit safely in his first 12 games in a Charleston uniform, and raced to a.300 average in 100 games, tied for the fourth-best mark in the SAL. Joseph was named SAL Hitter of the Week from July 20-27 when he notched six-straight multi-hit games.

Pirela came onto the scene in late May and ended up hitting a robust.295 over 97 games to finish ninth in the league. The Venezuelan came in second on the squad in hits (119) and doubles (23) as the team's leadoff hitter.

Ticket packages for the 2010 season and the RiverDogs Hot Stove Banquet on Jan. 22 are available by calling (843) 577-DOGS (3647), or by visiting www.riverdogs.com.

Check out the Charleston RiverDogs Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



South Atlantic League Stories from January 12, 2010


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central