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IL1 Toledo Mud Hens

Mud Hens Announce Field Staff For 2008 Season

October 31, 2007 - International League (IL1)
Toledo Mud Hens News Release


The Toledo Mud Hens are pleased to announce their field staff for the 2008 season at Fifth Third Field. The Hens are coming off their third straight IL West Division title.

The 2005 Sporting News Manager of the Year, Larry Parrish, returns to Triple-A Toledo for his fifth season as the Mud Hens skipper. Parrish's coaching staff will once again include hitting coach, Leon "Bull" Durham and will also include new pitching coach, A.J. Sager. Matt Rankin will serve as the athletic trainer for the eighth straight season.

Parrish missed the entire 2007 season as he recovered from ankle surgery performed on April 4, 2007. In his fourth season with the Mud Hens in 2006, Parrish guided the team to an outstanding 76-66 record and the Governors' Cup championship for the second straight year. Parrish enters his 17th season in the Detroit organization and has a 555-544 (.505 winning percentage) record during that span. The 54-year-old Parrish played 19 seasons of professional baseball including 15 major league seasons. Parrish was named to the All-Star team in 1979 & 1987 and hit 20 or more home runs five times during his career.

A.J. Sager will join Toledo as pitching coach after spending last season in the same capacity with Double-A Erie in the Eastern League. The former Tiger pitcher will be entering his seventh season as a coach in the Detroit organization. The 42-year-old was the pitching coach with Single-A West Michigan from 2002-06. As a pro, Sager pitched for 12 seasons from 1988-99 with the following organizations: San Diego, Colorado, Detroit & Cincinnati. In 123 overall major league appearances, Sager posted a 12-15 record with a 5.36 ERA and five saves.

Sager pitched for the Toledo Mud Hens for parts of the 1996 & 1998 seasons, compiling a record of 2-2 with an ERA of 2.76 (19 ER/62.0 IP) in 32 games (two starts).

Leon "Bull" Durham returns for his eighth season as hitting coach and his 13th season in coaching. Durham spent the first five seasons of his coaching career with the Los Angeles Angels organization. Selected by St. Louis in the first round of the 1976 draft, the 50-year-old played 19 seasons of professional baseball. Durham was named to the National League All-Star team in 1982 and 1983 and hit 20 or more home runs on five occasions.

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