SAL1 Lexington Legends

Linares to Return as Legends Manager in 2011

Published on December 21, 2010 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Lexington Legends News Release


HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Astros announced today three additional roving instructors, their minor league medical staff and the field staffs for six of their affiliates in 2011. Prior to today, the Astros had announced Paul Runge as their field coordinator, Stubby Clapp as their roving infield instructor and Milt Thompson as their roving outfield and baserunning instructor. Joining those three in 2011 will be Jaime Garcia (pitching coordinator), Ty Van Burkleo (roving hitting instructor) and Danny Sheaffer (roving catching instructor). Frank Renner (strength and conditioning coordinator) and Jamey Snodgrass (medical coordinator) make up the club's minor league medical staff.

Garcia has spent the last four seasons (2007-10) as the Astros assistant pitching coordinator. Prior to that role, He had been a minor league pitching coach in every season since 1988, working for the White Sox (1988-96), Brewers (1997), Rangers (1998-99), Royals (2000-03) and Reds (2003-06) organizations.

Van Burkleo joins the Astros organization after spending the last four seasons as a Major League coach. He spent the 2009-10 seasons as Seattle's bench coach and the 2007-08 seasons as Oakland's hitting coach. Prior to his Major League stops, Van Burkleo spent six seasons (2001-06) as the roving hitting instructor in the Angels minor league system.

Sheaffer, the only holdover from last season's instructors, is returning for his fifth season with the Astros organization and his fourth as the club's minor league roving catching instructor. Prior to joining the Astros, Sheaffer managed eight seasons in the minor leagues (1999-06) and played in parts of seven seasons in the Major Leagues (1987, 1989, 1993-97).

Renner spent the entire 2010 season as the club's interim strength and conditioning coordinator, assuming those duties in March of 2010. Prior to that post, Renner was the strength and conditioning intern at Triple A Round Rock from 2007-09.

Snodgrass is being promoted from Corpus Christi, where he spent his last six seasons (2005-10) as the Hooks' athletic trainer. He's been working as a trainer in the Astros system since 1999, having also made stops at Class A Auburn (1999-2000), Class A Michigan (2001-02) and Double A Round Rock (2003-04).

CLASS A LANCASTER JETHAWKS

Joining Manager Tom Spencer's staff at Lancaster will be Darryl Robinson (hitting coach), Travis Driskill (pitching coach) and Bryan Baca (athletic trainer). Robinson is the only returning member of Lancaster's coaching staff in 2011, which will be his third with the club. Driskill has spent the last three seasons as a pitching coach in the Astros system with Double A Corpus Christi (2010) and Rookie League Greeneville (2008-09). Baca is being promoted from Class A Tri-City, where he has spent the last three seasons (2008-10) as an athletic trainer. He was also Greeneville's trainer in 2007.

CLASS A LEXINGTON LEGENDS

Manager Rodney Linares returns to Lexington for his second season as the club's manager, his fifth as a manager in the Astros system and his 13th in Houston's organization. During his tenure with the Astros, Linares has spent time as manager at Rookie League Greeneville (2007-09), as Lexington's hitting coach (2005-06) and as a scout and hitting coach for the Astros Dominican Republic operations (1999-04).

Filling out Linares' staff will be Joel Chimelis (hitting coach), Dave Borkowski (pitching coach) and Grant Hufford (athletic trainer). Chimelis spent the last five seasons (2006-10) as Class A Tri-City's hitting coach and has a total of seven seasons of experience as a minor league hitting coach. Borkowski and Hufford are both being promoted from Greeneville, having held the same positions with the ValleyCats in 2010. Borkowki, a former Astros pitcher, will be coaching for his second season, while Hufford will be returning for his fourth season (2008-10) in the Astros system.

SHORT-SEASON CLASS A TRI-CITY VALLEYCATS

Minor league roving infield instructor and Tri-City Manager Stubby Clapp's staff will consist of Mark Bailey (hitting coach), Gary Ruby (pitching coach) and Kevin Ortega (athletic trainer). Bailey, the Astros bullpen coach from 2002-09, spent his 2010 season as the hitting coach for Double A Corpus Christi. Ruby returns to Tri-City for his third consecutive season as pitching coach and his fifth in the Astros organization. He also spent six seasons as the minor league pitching coordinator for the Pittsburgh Pirates and also has experience with the Phillies (1998-2001) and Angels (1987-95) organizations. Ortega joins the Astros organization after serving as a student athletic trainer over the last six years with Oklahoma State (2005-09) and Oklahoma (2009-10) Universities.

ROOKIE LEAGUE GREENEVILLE ASTROS

Omar Lopez, the Astros 2010 Player Development Man of the Year, has been promoted to serve as Greeneville's manager in 2011. He spent the last two seasons (2009-10) managing the Astros Gulf Coast League affiliate. Prior to his time in the GCL, Lopez managed, coached and scouted for the Astros Venezuelan program.

Joining Lopez's staff will be Josh Bonifay (hitting coach), Rick Aponte (pitching coach) and Michael Rendon (athletic trainer). Bonifay, a former Astros minor leaguer with Corpus Christi in 2006, rejoins Houston after serving as a player/coach over the last three seasons (2007-09) in the Pirates organization. Rick Aponte will serve his third consecutive season as a pitching coach in the Astros system, marking his 35th season in Houston's minor league system as either a player, coach or scout. Rendon joins the Astros from Southern Illinois University, where he served as a student athletic trainer. He also has experience in minor league baseball, as an athletic training intern with Double A Springfield (2008-09).

ROOKIE GULF COAST LEAGUE ASTROS

Ed Romero will manage the GCL Astros in 2011, his 19th year as a professional coach. Romero spent last season as Rookie League Greeneville's manager. He is two years removed from the Astros Major League staff, having served as the bench coach in 2009 and the third base coach in 2008. He has managed a total of nine seasons in the minor leagues between the Houston, Milwaukee and San Diego organizations.

Edgar Alfonzo, the club's hitting coach, will be joined by pitching coaches Hector Mercado and Charley Taylor, assistant coach Gordy MacKenzie and athletic trainer John Cortes. Mercado returns to the GCL Astros for his second consecutive season following a 15-year professional playing career. After not coaching in the 2009-10 seasons, Taylor returns as a pitching coach in the Astros system for his 28th season as a coach in the organization and his 34th overall. MacKenzie and Cortes both return to the GCL Astros for their third consecutive seasons with the club.

ROOKIE LEVEL DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE ASTROS

The Astros Dominican Summer League team will be managed by Luis Martinez for his third consecutive season. Jose Martinez will begin his first season as pitching coach with the Dominican Republic Academy. His assistant pitching coach will be Joel Santos. Luis Mateo also returns for his third season as the club's hitting coach. The instructor positions will be filled by former Astros minor leaguer Juan Zapata (outfield), Johan Maya (infield) and Sixto Ortega (catching). Ramon Garcia will return to the DSL Astros as an assistant coach. Ambiorix Reyes will join the DSL staff as the athletic trainer, while Edwin Garcia will be the assistant trainer. Geremias Guzman will return for his seventh season as the strength and conditioning coordinator for the DSL.

2011 MINOR LEAGUE STAFF

ROVING INSTRUCTORS

PAUL RUNGE - FIELD COORDINATOR

JAIME GARCIA - PITCHING COORDINATOR

TY VAN BURKLEO - ROVING HITTING INSTRUCTOR

STUBBY CLAPP - ROVING INFIELD INSTRUCTOR/TRI-CITY MANAGER

MILT THOMPSON - ROVING OUTFIELD/BASERUNNING INSTRUCTOR

DANNY SHEAFFER - ROVING CATCHING INSTRUCTOR

FRANK RENNER - STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COORDINATOR

JAMEY SNODGRASS - MEDICAL COORDINATOR

TBD -- REHABILITATION COORDINATOR

OKLAHOMA CITY

TONY DEFRANCESO - MANAGER

KEITH BODIE - HITTING COACH

BURT HOOTON - PITCHING COACH

MIKE FREER - ATHLETIC TRAINER

CORPUS CHRISTI

TOM LAWLESS -- MANAGER

JOHN MOSES -- HITTING COACH

DON ALEXANDER -- PITCHING COACH

ERIC MONTAGUE -- ATHLETIC TRAINER

LANCASTER

TOM SPENCER - MANAGER

DARRYL ROBINSON - HITTING COACH

TRAVIS DRISKILL - PITCHING COACH

BRYAN BACA - ATHLETIC TRAINER

LEXINGTON

RODNEY LINARES - MANAGER

JOEL CHIMELIS - HITTING COACH

DAVE BORKOWSKI - PITCHING COACH

GRANT HUFFORD - ATHLETIC TRAINER

TRI-CITY

STUBBY CLAPP - MANAGER

MARK BAILEY - HITTING COACH

GARY RUBY - PITCHING COACH

KEVIN ORTEGA - ATHLETIC TRAINER

GREENEVILLE

OMAR LOPEZ - MANAGER

JOSH BONIFAY - HITTING COACH

RICK APONTE - PITCHING COACH

MICHAEL RENDON - ATHLETIC TRAINER

GULF COAST LEAGUE

ED ROMERO -- MANAGER

EDGAR ALFONZO -- HITTING COACH

HECTOR MERCADO -- PITCHING COACH

CHARLEY TAYLOR -- PITCHING COACH

GORDY MACKENZIE -- ASSISTANT COACH

JOHN CORTES -- ATHLETIC TRAINER

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE

LUIS MARTINEZ -- MANAGER

LUIS MATEO -- HITTING COACH

JOSE MARTINEZ -- PITCHING COACH

JOEL SANTOS -- ASSISTANT PITCHING COACH

JOHAN MAYA -- INFIELD INSTRUCTOR

RAMON GARCIA -- ASSISTANT COACH

JUAN ZAPATA -- OUTFIELD INSTRUCTOR

SIXTO ORTEGA -- CATCHING INSTRUCTOR

AMBIORIX REYES -- ATHLETIC TRAINER

EDWIN GARCIA -- ASSISTANT ATHLETIC TRAINER

GEREMIAS GUZMAN -- STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

Check out the Lexington Legends Statistics

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South Atlantic League Stories from December 21, 2010


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