Brewers coach Guerrero honored by Minor Leagues

MILWAUKEE -- Mike Guerrero, the newest member of the Brewers' coaching staff, was recognized by Minor League Baseball on Wednesday for his unsung service down on the farm.

Guerrero was selected as the sixth recipient of the Mike Coolbaugh Award, presented annually to an individual "who has shown an outstanding baseball work ethic, knowledge of the game and skill in mentoring young players on the field." Guerrero will receive his award during the Baseball Winter Meetings Banquet on Dec. 12 at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Guerrero managed Triple-A Nashville in 2013, Guerrero's 25th season as a player, coach or manager in the Brewers' organization. He has been a Brewers instructor since 1996, when Guerrero rejoined the organization as the camp director and manager of Milwaukee's entry to the Dominican Summer League. In 2003, after seven seasons in the DSL, he moved stateside as the hitting coach with the Beloit Snappers in the Midwest League.

Guerrero returned to managing in 2004 with Milwaukee's club in the Arizona League. After two seasons in the AZL, he steadily progressed through the Brewers' farm system, with managerial stints at Class A Advanced West Virginia ('06-07) in the South Atlantic League, Class A Advanced Brevard County ('08-09) in the Florida State League and Double-A Huntsville ('10-11) in the Southern League before taking over at Nashville in '12.

Guerrero is currently managing the Licey team in the Dominican Winter League.

"It is my passion to help develop young players as they strive to achieve their goals of reaching the Major Leagues," Guerrero said in a statement. "I want to thank the Brewers organization for their commitment to me and I thank Minor League Baseball for honoring me with this award."

In the announcement of the award, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin called Guerrero, "A consummate team player [who] has been accepting of any role that we have asked of him within our organization. Through his dedication and hard work, Mike has impacted the development of a number of Brewers players over the years, including Prince Fielder, Yovani Gallardo, Jonathan Lucroy and Rickie Weeks. He has touched the lives of many players and has been a key contributor to the success of the organization."

Previous winners of the Mike Coolbaugh Award include Johnny Goryl (2012), Mike Jirschele ('11), Woody Huyke ('10), Charlie Montoyo ('09) and Bobby Jones ('08).

Coolbaugh, a former infielder who played 39 games for the Brewers in 2001 after toiling for parts of 12 seasons in the Minors, died in 2007 after being struck in the neck by a line drive while he was coaching first base for the Rockies' Double-A affiliate. Base coaches began wearing helmets the following season.