Walbeck Tabbed E.L. Manager of the Year
Published on September 5, 2010 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
PORTLAND, Maine - Altoona Curve Manager Matt Walbeck has been named the 2010 Eastern League Manager of the Year, the league announced today. It is the second time in Walbeck's career that he has been named the E.L. Manager of the Year and it is the fourth overall distinction in the skipper's six years as a manager.
"This great honor could not have been achieved without the outstanding work of the Curve coaching and training staff who helped prepare our players on a daily basis to play at a high level," said Walbeck. "It's been a pleasure to help develop an exciting group of players who gave their best effort day in and day out and who continue to move forward into the post season.
"This award is a reflection of the Pirates farm system and the coordinators involved by helping players reach their potential."
A native of Sacramento, CA, Walbeck began his managerial career with the West Michigan Whitecaps of the Midwest League in 2004 and led the club to a second-half division title and an eventual Midwest League title. In his second year as manager of the Whitecaps (2005) he led them to another playoff berth with a second-place finish in the second half of play. In 2006 with West Michigan, "Wally" led them to a first-place finish in both halves and another Midwest League title.
For his efforts during the 2006 season, the former big league catcher was named the Midwest League Manager of the Year.
He earned a promotion to Double-A Erie in 2007 and he piloted the 'Wolves to a Eastern League Southern Division crown before falling in the playoffs to Akron in the divisional round. He earned his first E.L. Manager of the Year honor and was also named the best manager in all of Minor League Baseball by Baseball America that season.
In five of the six seasons Walbeck has managed a team, and with this year's Altoona club currently at 81-59, he has led three different teams to 80-win seasons.
In his one year away from Minor League managing, Walbeck was a third base coach at the Major League level with the Texas Rangers in 2008.
Walbeck, who now resides in Fair Oaks, Calif., was a catcher in the Major Leagues from 1993-2003 with the Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins, Anaheim Angels, Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers. As a catcher with the Twins, Walbeck caught Scott Erickson's no-hitter on April 27, 1994.
The Curve complete their regular season with games against Reading tonight at 6 p.m. and tomorrow at noon at Blair County Ballpark. Good seats are still available and can be purchased by calling 877-99-CURVE, visiting www.AltoonaCurve.com, or stopping by the Blair County Ballpark ticket office.
The 2010 Eastern League Playoffs begin on Wednesday at Blair County Ballpark with the Curve hosting the Western Division runner-up. Tickets for Games 1, 2, and 5 in the Divisional Playoff Series and Games 1 and 2 in the E.L. Championship Series are also on sale now by phone, online, and at the ballpark ticket office. The 2010 E.L. Playoffs are presented by McDonald's, Peoples Natural Gas, Sheetz, Pepsi and Atlantic Broadband.
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