New pitching coaches join Cubs' organization
CHICAGO -- Marty Pevey, Buddy Bailey, Dave Keller, Mark Johnson and Gary Van Tol all return as Minor League managers in the Cubs' organization, with changes among the pitching coaches, the team announced Wednesday.
This will be Pevey's second season as Triple-A Iowa's manager and his sixth year in the Cubs' organization. Joining him will be new pitching coach Bruce Walton, who spent the 2010-12 seasons as the Blue Jays' Major League pitching coach. Walton handled bullpen coach duties for Toronto from 2002-2009. Brian Harper returns for his second season as Iowa's hitting coach after spending two years managing Double-A Tennessee (2011) and Class A Daytona ('12).
Bailey will begin his third season as Tennessee's manager after guiding the Smokies to a 76-62 record last season, securing the Southern League second-half title. The 2014 season will be Bailey's 26th year as a manager and his ninth with the Cubs. Storm Davis will be the Smokies' pitching coach, moving up from Daytona. Desi Wilson enters his seventh season with the Cubs, returning as the hitting coach for a second year after handling the same duties at Daytona in 2012.
Keller returns for his second season as Daytona's manager after guiding the Cubs to a 75-51-1 record and the Florida State League Championship last season. Former big league pitcher Ron Villone will handle pitching coach duties at Daytona. This will be Villone's third season with the Cubs after serving in the same role with Class A Kane County last season. Mariano Duncan returns for his second season as Daytona's hitting coach after serving the previous two campaigns as the Smokies' hitting coach.
Johnson is back for his second season as Kane County's manager. He spent two seasons as Class A Boise's skipper (2011-12). Johnson led the Hawks to the playoffs in each of his two seasons after enjoying a 17-year professional playing career that included 332 Major League games with the White Sox (1998-2002), Athletics ('03), Brewers ('04) and Cardinals ('08). David Rosario will handle pitching coach duties after serving in the same role for Boise for three seasons (2011-13). Tom Beyers, who has been with the Cubs for 14 years, returns as hitting coach for the second year in a row.
Jonathan Fiero, son of former Cubs athletic trainer John Fiero, will begin his first season as Kane County's athletic trainer after serving in the same role with Boise last season.
This will be Van Tol's second season as Boise's manager after guiding the Hawks to a 41-35 record in 2013, securing a playoff berth with the second-best overall record in the South Division. Joining him will be newly hired pitching coach Brian Lawrence, who spent last season in the Padres' organization as Class A Lake Elsinore's pitching coach. Lawrence made his coaching debut in 2012 as pitching coach for the Normal CornBelters of the independent Frontier League. Former big leaguer Bill Buckner returns as the Hawks' hitting coach for a third season.
Jimmy Gonzalez will begin his first season as Rookie League Mesa's manager after serving as the club's hitting coach last season. Gonzalez, a first-round pick in the 1991 First-Year Player Draft by the Astros, is a former catcher who played 14 Minor League seasons. Anderson Tavares returns for his second season as Mesa's pitching coach, and Ricardo Medina will be back as the hitting coach.
Juan Cabreja, who served as the Latin America assistant field coordinator last season, will manage the Dominican Cubs. He managed the Cubs' second Dominican club in 2012. Leo Hernandez will serve as the pitching coach, while Oscar Bernard returns for his second season as the hitting coach. Yudith Ozorio will be the assistant hitting coach and also oversee all aspects of the outfield defense and baserunning.
Pedro Gonzalez will begin his first year as the Venezuelan Cubs manager. He will be joined by former big leaguer Angel Guzman, who is now a pitching coach, and hitting coach Franklin Blanco. Guzman enjoyed a four-year Major League career with the Cubs from 2006-09.