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Visalia Oaks Coaching Staff Announced

January 13, 2004 - California League (CalL1)
Visalia Rawhide News Release


DENVER – Stu Cole, who in 2003 became the first Visalia skipper in twelve years to earn the California League's Manager of the Year Award, will return to guide the club in 2004. Also returning will be Jim Bennett, who is in the second year of his second stint as the Visalia pitching coach.

The Colorado Rockies have also named former Major League outfielder Glenallen Hill as the new hitting coach to replace Don Reynolds, who will be a Major League scout for the Rockies this season.

"It's good to come back, considering the players that were in Asheville last year," said Cole, referring to Colorado's Low-A Affiliate in the South Atlantic League. "It will be good to be with those guys."

This will be Cole's fourth season as a manager in the Colorado Rockies organization and his third at the Advanced Single-A level. He managed the Salem Avalanche in the Carolina League in 2002.

Last year under Cole, the Oaks posted the best regular season record (79-61) in the California League and advanced to the Northern Division Championship Series before being eliminated in a decisive fifth game against the Stockton Ports. The 2003 campaign also included Visalia's first half-season division title since 1992 as the team won the second half crown with a 44-26 mark.

Cole's career record as a manager is as follows:

2001 Tri City Northwest League (Short Season-A) 39-36 .520 2nd Place

2002 Salem Carolina League (Single-A Advanced) 74-66 .529 2nd First Half, 3rd Second Half

2003 Visalia California League (Single-A Advanced) 79-61 .564 3rd First Half, 1st Second Half TOTALS 192-171 .541

Plus, a post season record of 4-3, with a record of 1-1 in playoff series.

Bennett oversaw one of the top pitching staffs in the California League in 2003, which included four players who won 11 games or more. He was also the pitching coach for Visalia as an Oakland Athletics staff member in 2000. In each case, the team advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs.

Hill has accepted a professional coaching position for the first time. The 13-year Major League veteran played for seven big league clubs: Toronto, Cleveland, the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco, Seattle, the New York Yankees and Anaheim. His last season was 2001. Hill finished his career with a .273 average, 185 home runs and 584 RBI.

"I feel like my ability and talents can be used to teach young players to process information," explained Hill. When asked about his two-year absence from professional baseball, Hill said, "I miss it every day of my life."

In 1983, Hill passed up baseball and football scholarship offers from Arizona State after he was drafted in the ninth round by the Blue Jays. He spent the 1985 season with the Kinston Blue Jays of the Carolina League, which is at the same level (High-A) as the California League.

With San Francisco in 1995, Hill achieved career highs of 131 hits, 29 doubles, 24 home runs and 86 RBI. He hit a career best .300 for the Cubs in 1999 and batted .310 during the 1998 season, which he started in Seattle and finished with the Cubs.

Hill is a native of Santa Cruz and still resides there.

Jason Skolnik, who for the last three seasons has been the trainer for Colorado's Pioneer League affiliate in Casper, Wyoming will be the trainer for the Oaks this season. Last year's Oaks trainer, Beau Clay, has been promoted to Double-A Tulsa of the Texas League.

Back in the Cal League: The Texas Rangers have hired former Visalia Oak Todd Mensik as the hitting coach for the Stockton Ports. Mensik led the California League with 123 RBI as a member of the 1999 Oaks. He also hit .291 with 29 home runs that season.

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California League Stories from January 13, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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