Giants announce minor league coaching staff for 2014 campaign
The San Francisco Giants have finalized their minor league coaching staff for the 2014 season.
Fred Stanley, who has 47 years of baseball experience, has shifted positions to Special Assistant, Player Personnel. He previously held the title of Director, Player Development for the past six years and during that span the Giants organization was named the Topps Organization of the Year in 2009 and 2011 and Baseball America Organization of the Year in 2010.
Shane Turner, who will begin his 19th season with the Giants, has been promoted to Director of Player Development. He spent the past six years as the Coordinator of Instruction. In his 18 years with the Giants, Turner has managed over 1,250 games and coached at every level within the Giants' minor league system.
Steve Decker has been promoted to Coordinator of Minor League Instruction and Hitting. The former Giants catcher will begin his 20th year in the Giants' organization as either a coach or player. Decker returned to the Giants' organization after retiring as a player following his 2000 season.
Bob Mariano (triple-A Fresno), Mike Goff (class A Augusta), Gary Davenport (short-season Salem-Keizer) and Nestor Rojas (rookie level Arizona) will remain at their managerial posts. Russ Morman, who previously served as the hitting coach in Fresno, will take over as manager of Richmond. Lenn Sakata will manage Class A Advanced San Jose, the affiliate he managed during the 1999, 2001 and 2004-07 seasons. Finally, Carlos Valderrama has been promoted from hitting coach to manager of the Dominican Summer League Giants.
Other changes within the Giants' minor league coaching ranks include the addition of Dwight Bernard as the Fresno Grizzlies' new pitching coach. Bernard, 61, is a 28-year coaching veteran who spent the last 10 seasons serving as a pitching coach in the Seattle Mariners organization, most recently for the triple-A Tacoma Rainiers (2006-09, 2011-13).
Andy Skeels moves into his ninth season in San Francisco's organization and first as the hitting coach at Fresno. Most recently, Skeels served as the manager for the San Jose Giants (2009, 2011-13).
Todd Linden, a former Giants prospect, will enter the coaching ranks as one of two hitting coaches at Augusta. Linden played eight seasons within the Giants' minor league chain (12 seasons overall) and made his Major League debut with San Francisco in 2003. He played for triple-A Fresno the last two campaigns.
Linden is the latest in a number of former Giants players that have joined the Giants player development staff the last few seasons. Others include: Nestor Rojas, AZL Manager, Carlos Valderrama, DSL Manager, Hector Borg, AUG Hitting Coach, Matt Yourkin, SK Pitching Coach, Mario Rodriguez, AZL Pitching Coach, and Derin McMains, Peak Performance Coordinator.
As sources of extensive baseball knowledge, Jim Davenport (50th season in Giants organization) and Joe Amalfitano (60th season in professional baseball) will remain as valued teachers and mentors to the Giants minor league players and staff for the 2014 season.