IL1 Buffalo Bisons

Torey Lovullo Returns as Bisons Manager in 2008

Published on December 13, 2007 under International League (IL1)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


The Buffalo Bisons today announced that Manager Torey Lovullo, Pitching Coach Scott Radinsky and Hitting Coach Dave Myers will all return to the team for the 2008 season. Athletic Trainer Jeff Desjardins will also remain with the Bisons, keeping intact the team's coaching staff from the 2007 season.

"Having our entire staff return from a winning team is very unique at the Minor League level," said Mike Buczkowski, Vice President/General Manager of the Buffalo Bisons. "We are fortunate to have Torey and the staff back as we look forward to another winning season in 2008."

Lovullo, 42, has led the Herd to winning records in each of the past two seasons. After finishing 73-68 in 2006, the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Famer ('03) guided the Bisons to a 75-67 record last year. In 2007, the Bisons were in first place for 74 consecutive games, May 5-July 16, and weren't eliminated from the playoffs until the second-last game of the season. In each of the past two years, Lovullo has also led the team to a Thruway Series Championship, a competition with the two other teams connected by the I-90 Thruway (Rochester Red Wings, Syracuse Chiefs).

Prior to joining the Herd, Lovullo won league championships and manager of the year honors at Single-A Kinston of the Carolina League in 2004 and Double-A Akron of the Eastern League in 2005. Lovullo has posted a winning record in each of his six years as a skipper, compiling a career mark of 472-369 (.561 winning percentage). Lovullo also played 13 seasons of professional baseball from 1987-1999. He spent three of those seasons with the Bisons, and won back-to-back championships with Buffalo in 1997 and 1998. A strong supporter of the Western New York community, Lovullo earned the Bisons' Frank J. "Fremo" Vallone Community Service Award in each of his three seasons as a player on the team.

Radinsky, 39, is back for his second season with the team. Last year, his Bisons' pitching staff finished 2nd in the International League in complete games (8) and 6th in shutouts (10). Radinsky helped groom young pitchers such as Sean Smith and Aaron Laffey as the team was hit hard by injuries to Adam Miller and Brian Slocum.

Radinsky spent the 2006 season as the pitching coach at Akron. His Aeros staff won a league-best 87 games and finished 5th with a 3.74ERA. Radinsky pitched professionally for 15 seasons from 1986-2002, including parts of 11 years at the Major League level. He had a career record of 42-25 with a 3.44ERA, 52 saves and 358 strikeouts in 557 games with the White Sox, Dodgers, Cardinals and Indians. He also pitched in 16 games with the Bisons in 2001 and went 0-1 with a 4.11ERA.

Myers, 48, is also back for his second season with the team. In 2007, he helped the Bisons' offense finish 2nd in the IL in walks (511), 3rd in batting average (.266) and runs scored (664) and T3rd in home runs (129). The 2007 season also produced the Bisons' first league batting champion since 1990 as Ben Francisco posted an IL-best .318 average.

Prior to joining the Herd, Myers spent 18 seasons in the Seattle Mariners organization. He began his coaching career as a player/coach for the Mariners' Double-A Vermont team in 1988. He then spent the next 12 years as a skipper in the Mariners' farm system (732-645, .532 winning percentage) and won four division titles, a league championship with short-season Bellingham in 1992, and the Arizona League Co-Manager of the Year in 1989. From 2001-2004, he was Seattle's third base coach and infield coach before spending the 2005 season as a special assignment coach. Myers also played eight seasons in Seattle's minor league system from 1981-1988 and hit .272 with 26 home runs and 438RBI in 795 career games. He led the Southern League with a .328 batting average in 1987 and was invited to the Mariners' Major League spring training camp in 1988.

Desjardins will also be spending his second seasons with the Buffalo Bisons. This will be Desjardins' eighth season in Minor League Baseball, all of which have been in the Cleveland Indians organization.

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International League Stories from December 13, 2007


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