News release from the San Diego Padres:
Padres announce Minor League coaching staffs
Former Major League manager John Gibbons and former Major Leaguer José Valentin join Padres staff
(San Diego, CA – November 10, 2011) – The San Diego Padres today announced the staffs for their minor league affiliates, as well as the club’s roving instructors for the 2012 season.
Terry Kennedy returns to the Tucson Padres, for what will be his third season as the Triple-A manager. Prior to taking the helm at Triple-A for the Padres in 2010, Kennedy managed at Double-A San Antonio in 2009 and served as the Missions’ hitting coach in 2008. The former All-Star catcher for the Padres previously managed the San Diego Surf Dawgs of the Golden Baseball League in 2005, earning Manager of the Year honors in the league’s inaugural season. He also spent six seasons as a minor league manager with the St. Louis Cardinals (1993), Montreal Expos (1994), Chicago Cubs (1997-99) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2004) organizations. Steve Webber returns for this third-straight season as the pitching coach for the Padres’ Triple-A staff, while Bob Skube returns for his second season as the hitting coach for Tucson. Wade Yamaski also returns as the athletic trainer for Tucson, in what will be his 13th season in the Padres organization and fourth with the club’s Triple-A affiliate.
John Gibbons takes over the helm as manager at Double-A San Antonio in his first season with the Padres organization. A native of San Antonio, he joins the Padres after serving the last three seasons as the bench coach for the Kansas City Royals. Prior to the Royals, Gibbons spent seven seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, serving as bullpen catcher (2002), first base coach (2002-04), interim manager (2004) and manager (2005-08) of the Big League club over parts of his last five seasons with the organization. He compiled a 305-305 (.500) managerial record, finishing his Blue Jays career as the third-winningest manager in Toronto history, trailing only Cito Gaston (894) and Bobby Cox (335). Prior to the Blue Jays, Gibbons spent 12 seasons in the New York Mets organization, from 1991-2001 holding the posts of roving instructor, coach and manager across multiple levels. Selected by the Mets in the first round of the 1980 First-Year Player Draft, the catcher played parts of two Major League seasons (1984, 1986) for New York.
Joining Gibbons on the coaching staff at Double-A San Antonio will be Jimmy Jones, who returns as the Missions’ pitching coach in his fourth season in the Padres organization, his second at Double-A. Tom Tornincasa also returns as hitting coach for the Missions, in what will be his 13th season as a coach in the Padres organization and third overall as hitting coach for San Antonio. Nathan Stewart returns as the Missions athletic trainer, his seventh season with the Padres and second at San Antonio.
Shawn Wooten takes the reigns as manager of Single-A Lake Elsinore after serving in the same capacity for Single-A Fort Wayne last season. The 2012 season will mark his third with the Padres. He joined the organization in 2010 as the hitting coach for Single-A Eugene following 14 seasons playing professional baseball. Also joining the Storm’s coaching staff is David Newhan, who will take on the role of hitting coach for the Padres’ Single-A affiliate, also following 14 seasons of playing professional baseball. Bronswell Patrick returns as the pitching coach for the Storm in his fifth season with the Padres organization and second with Lake Elsinore. Will Sinon also comes back for his sixth season as Lake Elsinore’s athletic trainer and 15th overall in San Diego’s system.
José Valentin joins the Padres minor league staff as manager at Single-A Fort Wayne in 2012. The shortstop makes his managerial debut after spending parts of 16 Major League seasons playing for the Milwaukee Brewers (1992-99), Chicago White Sox (2000-04), Los Angeles Dodgers (2005) and New York Mets (2006-07). A native of Puerto Rico, he was originally signed by the Padres as a minor league free agent in 1986 before being traded to Milwaukee in a deal that sent former Major Leaguer Gary Sheffield to San Diego in March of 1992. Valentin is joined by Willie Blair, who returns to the TinCaps as pitching coach for the second-straight year after making his professional coaching debut last season. Athletic trainer Daniel Turner also returns for his second season with Fort Wayne and fifth overall in San Diego’s system.
Pat Murphy returns as the manager at Single-A Eugene for his second season with the Padres, having joined the organization after a 15-year tenure as head coach at Arizona State University. Also returning to the Emeralds’ coaching staff will by Chris Prieto as hitting coach and Nelson Cruz as pitching coach, in what will be for both their second season in the Padres organization.
Jim Gabella returns as the skipper of the Padres’ Rookie-level affiliate in Peoria, Ariz. The 2012 season will be Gabella’s second with the Padres organization after six seasons managing the Single-A Burlington Bees, the Midwest League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Ivan Cruz, Dave Rajsich, Tim Worrell and Ricky Huerta will all also return to Peoria as hitting coach, pitching coach, rehab pitching coach and athletic trainer, respectively. Joining the coaching staff in Peoria for 2012 will be former Major Leaguer Damion Easley, who played parts of 17 Big League seasons with the California Angels (1992-96), Detroit Tigers (1996-02), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2003), Florida Marlins (2004-05), Arizona Diamondbacks (2006) and New York Mets (2007-08).
Michael Collins takes over as the field manager of the Padres’ Dominican Summer League affiliate after 10 years of playing professional baseball, most recently in the Padres organization from 2009-10. Collins is joined by Jose Guillen who returns as the infield coach in his third season with the Padres. Also joining the staff in 2012 will be Julio Ramirez as outfield coach and Mel Rojas and Jackson Quezada, both as pitching coaches. Alessandro Bertozzo enters his fourth season as athletic trainer for the DSL Padres and is joined by Juan Cabrera who will again serve as assistant athletic trainer.
San Diego’s minor league roving instructors for 2012 will consist of Field Coordinator Randy Johnson, Hitting Coordinator Sean Berry, Infield Coordinator Gary Jones, Outfield/Baserunning Coordinator Glen Barker, Pitching Coordinator Mike Cather, Coordinator of Latin American Instruction Evaristo Lantigua, Strength/Conditioning Coordinator Dan Morrison, Rehab Coordinator Ryan Bitzel and Medical Coordinator Joseph Tarantino.
TRIPLE-A TUCSON (Pacific Coast League)
- Manager – Terry Kennedy
- Pitching Coach – Steve Webber
- Hitting Coach – Bob Skube
- Athletic Trainer – Wade Yamasaki
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (Texas League)
- Manager – John Gibbons
- Pitching Coach – Jimmy Jones
- Hitting Coach – Tom Tornincasa
- Athletic Trainer – Nathan Stewart
SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (California League)
- Manager – Shawn Wooten
- Pitching Coach – Bronswell Patrick
- Hitting Coach – David Newhan
- Athletic Trainer – Will Sinon
SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (Midwest League)
- Manager РJos̩ Valentin
- Pitching Coach – Willie Blair
- Hitting Coach – TBA
- Athletic Trainer – Daniel Turner
SHORT-A EUGENE (Northwest League)
- Manager – Pat Murphy
- Pitching Coach – Nelson Cruz
- Hitting Coach – Chris Prieto
- Athletic Trainer – TBA
ROOKIE-LEVEL PEORIA (Arizona Rookie League)
- Manager – Jim Gabella
- Pitching Coach – Dave Rajsich
- Rehab Pitching Coach – Tim Worrell
- Hitting Coach – Ivan Cruz
- Coach – Damion Easley
- Athletic Trainer – Ricky Huerta
DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE
- Manager  – Michael Collins
- Pitching Coach – Mel Rojas
- Pitching Coach – Jackson Quezada
- Infield Coach – Jose Guillen
- Outfield Coach – Julio Ramirez
- Athletic Trainer – Alessandro Bertozzo
- Assistant Athletic Trainer – Juan Cabrera
PADRES ROVING INSTRUCTORS
- Field Coordinator – Randy Johnson
- Hitting Coordinator – Sean Berry
- Infield Coordinator – Gary Jones
- Outfield/Baserunning Coordinator – Glen Barker
- Pitching Coordinator – Mike Cather
- Strength/Conditioning Coordinator – Dan Morrison
- Rehab Coordinator – Ryan Bitzel
- Medical Coordinator – Joseph Tarantino
- Latin American Coordinator – Evaristo Lantigua
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