Pennant Veteran McEachran Joins Coaching Staff
Published on February 25, 2008 under Frontier League (FL)
Rockford RiverHawks News Release
LOVES PARK, Ill. - A veteran of the Rockford RiverHawks' 2004 Frontier League championship team has rejoined the organization.
The team announced today it had hired former first baseman Aaron McEachran as a member of the coaching staff. The two-time Frontier League All-Star joins manager Bob Koopmann and coaches Sam Knaack and J.D. Arndt, all of whom were members of the staff when McEachran played for the RiverHawks.
"He enjoyed his time in Rockford, No. 1, and he had some success here," RiverHawks director of baseball operations Dave Ciarrachi said. "He wants to transition into coaching and we're able to phase him into coaching with guys he's been around. ... They've had him as a player. It's not like he's going into a new environment as a coach."
McEachran, 29, will work with infielders and catchers and coach first base as well, Ciarrachi said.
McEachran was Toronto's 18th-round pick in the 2001 draft. He hit .336 that summer at rookie-level Medicine Hat, one of three times he hit .300 or better in a seven-year career.
McEachran hit .300 and was an all-star in both his seasons with Rockford, 2004 and '05. He hit .332, third in the league, with 11 home runs and 62 RBI in '04. In the playoffs that year, he drove in 12 runs, more than double anyone else among the league's four postseason qualifiers.
"He's a competitor," Ciarrachi said. "He's been a good player. He's had a lot of experience and I think he'll give a lot just in terms of what it takes to be successful playing professional baseball. ... You don't get a lot of guys under 30 who can do that."
The RiverHawks traded McEachran to Calgary, then in the Northern League, before the 2006 season. He spent a little more than a season with the Vipers and split '07 among the league's three Canadian teams, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg.
Opening Night is at 7:05 p.m. May 21, when the RiverHawks host River City. The RiverHawks are members of the Frontier League, a 12-team independent professional baseball league that will play its 16th season this summer. Advertising and season-ticket information is available by calling the box office at (815) 885-2255. Most games are broadcast live on WNTA (1330 AM) and the internet. Fans can also visit the RiverHawks online at www.rockfordriverhawks.com.
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