A's name Connelly Class A pitching coach

Steve Connelly, who pitched in both the A's and Giants organizations during a nine-year professional career, has been named pitching coach of the Vermont Lake Monsters, the A's short-season Class A Minor League affiliate in the New York-Penn League.

Connelly, 39, has been the pitching coach for the University of Alabama-Huntsville the past three seasons.

Connelly's Major League career consisted of three games in relief for the A's in 1998, when he was 24. He allowed one earned run on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings, but otherwise spent his career in the Minors, with four years with the A's and five with the Giants.

The native of Long Beach, Calif., starred on Oklahoma's 1994 College World Series championship team and was selected by the A's in the 24th round of the 1995 Draft.

Connelly was 34-31 with a 4.50 ERA in 335 Minor League games, with all but one of those games coming as a reliever. He pitched his final five seasons in Triple-A ball before retiring in 2004.