Cubs announce 2012 minor league coordinators

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today announced the club’s minor league coordinators for the 2012 season.

Brandon Hyde joins the organization as the minor league field coordinator following nine years in the Florida Marlins organization, including his first full season as the major league team’s bench coach in 2011. The 38-year-old was Florida’s minor league field coordinator to begin 2010 before he took over big league bench coach duties on June 23, 2010. Hyde was a minor league coach or manager from 2003-09, managing the Double-A Jacksonville Suns to the Southern League title in 2009. A former catcher and first baseman, Hyde batted .252 with 15 home runs and 101 RBI in 200 minor league games in the Chicago White Sox farm system from 1997-2001. Hyde takes over for Dave Bialas, who was named Triple-A Iowa’s field manager.

Dennis Lewallyn enters his second season as minor league pitching coordinator, and his sixth in the Cubs organization. He served as Double-A Tennessee’s pitching coach from 2007-10, and helped that club to consecutive Southern League Championship appearances in 2009 and 2010. Prior to his time with Chicago, Lewallyn spent 11 seasons working with Arizona’s minor league system, including minor league pitching coordinator from 2002-06. He began his coaching career in the Dodgers system, working as a pitching instructor from 1983-95.

James Rowson begins his first season with the organization as the minor league hitting coordinator after six seasons in the New York Yankees organization, including the last four as their minor league hitting coordinator. Prior to spending the 2006-07 seasons as hitting coach at Single-A Tampa, he served four seasons in the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim system as a minor league hitting coach. The 35-year-old Rowson is a former outfielder who played professionally from 1995-98, including time in the Seattle Mariners and Yankees organizations (1995-97).

Tom Beyers returns for his 13th season with the organization, and his first as short season hitting coordinator, a newly created position. In this role, he will focus on players with Single-A Boise, Rookie-League Mesa and the Cubs Dominican clubs. Beyers was minor league hitting coordinator in 2011 following two seasons as Tennessee’s hitting coach. Prior to joining the Cubs in 2000, Beyers spent 21 seasons in the Dodgers chain as a minor league player, coach or manager. 

Bill Dancy enters his first season as infield coordinator in his third year with the organization. He managed Iowa in 2011 after earning the 2010 Southern League Manager of the Year award while guiding Tennessee to the Southern League Championship Series. Dancy has 38 years experience as a player, coach or manager in professional baseball and has amassed 1,670 victories in 23 minor league campaigns as a manager. A former infielder, he played six years of pro ball in the Philadelphia Phillies farm system, hitting .273 in 464 games from 1973-78. Dancy takes over for Franklin Font, who was named a special assistant on the major league coaching staff. 

Marty Pevey begins his third season as catching coordinator after managing the Single-A Peoria Chiefs in 2009, his first year with the Cubs organization. Pevey brings 13 years of playing experience and 10 seasons as a manager to the position. The former catcher managed the Rookie-League Medicine Hat Blue Jays (1996-97), the Single-A Hagerstown Suns (1998), the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays (2000-02), the Double-A New Haven Ravens (2003) and the Triple-A Syracuse SkyChiefs (2004-05).

Lee Tinsley enters his second year as the organization’s outfield/baserunning coordinator. He has 11 years of coaching experience following a 14-year playing career that included five major league seasons with Seattle (1993, 1997), Boston (1994-96) and Philadelphia (1996). He was Seattle’s major league first base coach in 2009-10 after serving in the same capacity with the Diamondbacks from 2006-08. Tinsley was Arizona’s roving outfield instructor from 2003-05, the same position he held with Anaheim in 2002. He began his instructional career in 2001 as Double-A El Paso’s hitting coach. 

Carmelo Martinez enters his 15th season in the Cubs organization, and his fifth as Latin American field coordinator. The former major league outfielder and first baseman spent 10 seasons at Mesa, handling managerial duties from 1999-2003 and 2006. His 2002 Mesa club won the Arizona League title with a 35-21 record. Martinez hit .245 with 108 homers and 424 RBI in nine seasons with the Cubs (1983), Padres (1984-89), Philadelphia (1990), Pittsburgh (1990-91), Kansas City (1991) and Cincinnati (1991).

Doug Jarrow begins his fifth season as Chicago’s strength and conditioning coordinator. He previously spent five years in the Dodgers organization, including 2003-05 as the minor league strength and conditioning coordinator and 2006-07 as the major league strength coach. Jarrow began his career as a minor league strength and conditioning coach with Tampa Bay in 1998 and Pittsburgh in 1999.

Justin Sharpe returns as minor league athletic training coordinator for the eighth-consecutive year. He joined the organization in 2003 as the athletic trainer for Double-A West Tenn after six years as an athletic trainer in Atlanta’s system. Sharpe earned the South Atlantic League’s Trainer of the Year award in 2002 and was recognized with the same honor in the Southern League in 2004.

Chuck Baughman enters his seventh season as rehabilitation coordinator, and his 12th year with the organization, after joining the club as Single-A Boise’s athletic trainer in 2001. His career in professional baseball began in 1999 when he was the athletic trainer for Single-A Clinton in Cincinnati’s system.