Erie SeaWolves 2014 field staff announced

The Erie SeaWolves, in conjunction with their parent club the Detroit Tigers, announced their 2014 field staff today. Lance Parrish, a member of the 1984 World Series Championship Detroit Tigers, has been named the 15th manager in SeaWolves history.

Joining Parrish will be hitting coach Gerald Perry and pitching coach Jaime Garcia, both in their second seasons with the SeaWolves. Athletic trainer T.J. Saunders will join the SeaWolves for his first season while strength and conditioning coach Fred Murphy returns for his fourth season.

Parrish, a native of Clairton, Pennsylvania, was originally a first round pick (16th overall) by the Tigers in the 1974 draft. He played in 1,988 major league games spanning 19 seasons with the Tigers (1977-86), Philadelphia Phillies (1987-88), California Angels (1989-92), Seattle Mariners (1992), Cleveland Indians (1993), Pittsburgh Pirates (1994) and Toronto Blue Jays (1995). Parrish was an eight-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove Award winner a six-time Silver Slugger Award recipient. He last managed in the minor leagues in 2007 with the Great Lakes Loons (Low-A - Dodgers).

The SeaWolves open the 2013 season against the Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates) at Jerry Uht Park on Thursday, April 4. Season tickets, mini-plans and group outings are available now by calling (814) 456-1300.
 
LANCE PARRISH - MANAGER
Lance Parrish rejoins the Tigers organization in 2014 to serve as manager of the Double-A Erie SeaWolves. Parrish last managed in 2007 in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization with Class-A Great Lakes.
 
Parrish, a native of Clairton, Pennsylvania, was originally a first round pick (16th overall) by the Tigers in the 1974 draft. He played in 1,988 major league games spanning 19 seasons with the Tigers (1977-86), Philadelphia Phillies (1987-88), California Angels (1989-92), Seattle Mariners (1992), Cleveland Indians (1993), Pittsburgh Pirates (1994) and Toronto Blue Jays (1995). Parrish was an eight-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove Award winner and six-time Slugger Award recipient.

Following his playing career, Parrish joined the Kansas City Royals as their roving catching coordinator in 1996. He coached with the Dodgers affiliate in San Antonio (Double-A) in 1997 and the first half of 1998. He was named the club's manager in the middle of the 1998 season when Ron Roenicke was promoted to Triple-A manager. The team secured a postseason berth but lost in the first round of the Texas League playoffs.

In 1999, Parrish joined the Tigers major league coaching staff where he spent three seasons as the team's bullpen coach and third base coach. He spent the 2002 season as a color analyst for the Tigers before returning to the field in 2003 to spend three seasons as the bullpen coach on Alan Trammel's staff.
 
In 2006, Parrish rejoined the Dodgers organization to manage Odgen (Rookie) before moving on to Great Lakes (Low-A) the following year.

Parrish and his wife Arlyne have three children, David, Matthew and Ashley. David was a first-round selection (28th overall) of the New York Yankees in the 2000 draft. His daughter Ashley is married to former SeaWolves first baseman Kelly Hunt.

GERALD PERRY - HITTING COACH
Gerald Perry returns in 2014 as the hitting coach of the SeaWolves. Prior to joining the Tigers organization, Perry was the hitting coach for the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA-Boston) in 2012. Perry has also served as the Major League hitting coach for the Oakland A's (2006 & 2011), Seattle Mariners (2000-02), Pittsburgh Pirates (2003-05) and Chicago Cubs (2007-June 2009).

Originally an 11th round selection by Atlanta in the 1978 Draft, Perry played parts of 13 Major League seasons with the Braves (1983-89), Kansas City Royals (1990) and St. Louis Cardinals (1991- 95). A .265 lifetime hitter with 59 home runs and 396 RBI in 1,193 games, the Savannah, Ga. native was named to the National League All-Star Team in 1988 when he batted .300 with 29 doubles, eight homers, 74 RBI and 29 stolen bases for the Braves. In 1987, he set an Atlanta record with 42 stolen bases, the most by a full-time Major League first baseman since Rod Carew swiped 49 with Minnesota in 1976. When he finished his career in St. Louis, he left as the Cardinals' all-time leader in pinch hits (70).

Perry is a 1978 graduate of H.E. McCracken High School in Buffton, S.C. He and his wife, Tara, have three children, Portia, Falon and Gerald Jr.

JAIME GARCIA - PITCHING COACH
Jaime Garcia returns in 2014 as the pitching coach of the Erie SeaWolves. Prior to joining the Tigers organization, Garcia spent six seasons with the Houston Astros organization.

In 2012, Garcia was the pitching coach with the GCL Astros and Latin Pitching Supervisor. He also served as the Astros' minor league pitching coordinator (2011) and four seasons as assistant pitching coordinator (2007-10).

Prior to his stint with the Astros, Garcia joined the Reds organization in 2003 as the pitching coach at Class A Dayton and spent the next three seasons (2004-06) in the same capacity with the Rookie-Level Gulf Coast League Reds. Garcia also spent two seasons as the Latin American pitching instructor for the Kansas City Royals before joining the Reds. Prior to that role, he served as the Royals pitching coach at Class A Charleston and has held various coaching positions with the White Sox (1988-96), Brewers (1997) and Rangers (1998-99) organizations.

T.J. SAUNDERS - ATHLETIC TRAINER
T.J. Saunders enters his 6th season as an athletic trainer in the Tigers organization and his first with the SeaWolves. Before joining Erie, Saunders spent three seasons with the Class A West Michigan Whitecaps.  
The Annapolis, MD native graduated from Florida State University in 2001 with a bachelor's of science in sports medicine, with an emphasis in athletic training. In 2009, he graduated with a Master's of Science in Exercise Physiology from the University of Tennessee.

T.J. is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the Southeastern Athletic Trainers Association and the Athletic Trainers Association of Florida. T.J. currently resides in Lakeland, FL.

FRED MURPHY - STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH
Fred Murphy enters his fourth season in the Tigers organization, all with the SeaWolves. The South Haven, MI native graduated with a BS in Exercise Science with a minor in Biology from Western Michigan University. He received his Master's of Science Physiology from WMU. Prior to joining the SeaWolves, Murphy completed two internships with Western Michigan University Strength & Conditioning department covering all of the Broncos sports.

Murphy is a registered Strength & Conditioning Coach and a certified Strength & Conditioning specialist. He is also a member of the National Strength & Conditioning Association. In the off-season, Murphy resides in Kalamazoo, MI.