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Frisco RoughRiders

Rangers Announce 2020 RoughRiders Field Staff

December 9, 2019 - Texas League (TL1)
Frisco RoughRiders News Release


FRISCO, Texas - On Monday, in conjunction with the Texas Rangers, the Frisco RoughRiders announced that former major league catcher Bobby Wilson will serve as the RoughRiders' ninth manager in franchise history for the 2020 season. Additionally, Wilson will be joined by Jeff Andrews (pitching coach), Josue Perez (hitting coach) and Jonathan Gelnar (assistant coach). Both Alex Rodriguez (athletic trainer) and Wade Lamont (strength and conditioning coach) return to the RoughRiders in 2020 as well after spending 2019 in Frisco.

Wilson, who played 16 seasons in professional baseball, begins his managerial career with the RoughRiders. The 36-year-old was signed out of St. Petersburg College (Fla.) in 2002 after being drafted in the 48th round by the Anaheim Angels. The catcher made his major league debut with the Angels in 2008 and played for the club over the next five seasons (2008-2012). Following a stint in the New York Yankees farm system in 2013, he spent time with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014 and then both the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers in 2015. In 2016, the Dunedin, Fla. native played a career-best 75 games, bashing a career-high seven home runs between the Rangers, Rays and Detroit Tigers. Wilson played in the Los Angeles Dodgers system in 2017 and spent 2018 with the Minnesota Twins before finishing out his playing career in Detroit for the 2019 season.

Andrews enters his 17th season with the Rangers organization and returns to Frisco after serving as the RoughRiders pitching coach from 2009-15. In that role, he earned the 2014 Texas League Mike Coolbaugh Coach of the Year award and shared the 2013 Bobby Jones Player Development Man of the Year Award. The South Dakota native will celebrate his 35th season as a minor league instructor in 2020. As a player, the right-handed pitcher was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 26th round of the 1981 draft and played two seasons in the Cubs farm system.

Perez, who spent the last five seasons as the Rangers organizational hitting coordinator, will serve as the hitting coach for the RoughRiders. Perez worked as the hitting coach for High-A Myrtle Beach in both 2013 and 2014, helping top talents such as Joey Gallo and Rougned Odor before transitioning into the hitting coordinator role. Perez has been a coach in the Rangers system since 2006. As a player, the Havana, Cuba native played eight seasons professionally for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and Rangers organizations. Perez was named the Phillies ninth-best prospect following the 1999 season.

Gelnar, who will serve as the RoughRiders assistant coach in 2020, enters his first season with the Rangers organization. Since 2013, Gelnar served as the head baseball coach at Union High School in Tulsa, Okla. After a successful high school playing career at Hobart (Okla.) High School, he played baseball at South Mountain Community College (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Redlands Community College (El Reno, Okla.). Gelnar's father, John, played five seasons in the major leagues as a right-handed pitcher (1964, 1967 and 1969-71) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Pilots and Milwaukee Brewers.

Rodriguez returns for his ninth season in the Texas organization and his second with the RoughRiders. Prior to last season, the San Juan, Puerto Rico native worked with the Down East Wood Ducks (2017-2018), High Desert Mavericks (2016), the Arizona League Rangers (2015) and the Dominican Summer League Rangers (2012-14). While in the Dominican, the Barry University graduate was honored as the DSL Trainer of the Year in 2013.

For Lamont, 2020 marks his fourth-consecutive season with the RoughRiders as their strength and conditioning coach and his ninth year in the Rangers organization. As a player, he was selected in the 29th round of the 2007 draft by the Detroit Tigers and the first baseman played three seasons in the minors. His father, Gene, was a catcher with the Tigers for five seasons (1970-72, 1974-1975).

A look at the 2020 Rangers minor league staff (changes from 2019 underlined in italics; new hires denoted by*)

Further information about the 2020 season, including ticketing information and the promotional schedule, will be unveiled in the coming weeks and months. For more information, visit RidersBaseball.com.

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