Rays name Minor League coaching staffs
ST. PETERSBURG -- Tampa Bay announced its Minor League on-field coaching and medical training staffs for the 2013 season on Thursday.
Significant among the moves is Paul Hoover's transition to the role of catching coordinator, replacing Jamie Nelson, who joined the Major League coaching staff. The Rays selected Hoover in the 1997 First-Year Player Draft, and he rose through the system to play for the Major League club in 2001 and '02. He spent last season managing the Gulf Coast League Rays, his first year as a coach.
Danny Sheaffer is the only new hire to the Minor League coaching staffs. He will manage rookie-level Princeton. Sheaffer most recently spent six years with the Astros' organization, including the last five as their roving catching instructor. Previously, he held managerial positions in the Cardinals' and Cubs' organizations. He played in parts of seven seasons in the Major Leagues with the Red Sox, Indians, Rockies and Cardinals from 1987-97.
Triple-A Durham will retain its entire staff from last season, including Charlie Montoyo, who begins his seventh season as the Bulls' manager. Pitching coach Neil Allen, coach Dave Myers and trainer Mike Sandoval will all return as well.
The staff at Double-A Montgomery also remained intact, with manager Billy Gardner Jr. returning for a seventh season. Pitching coach R.C. Lichtenstein, coach Ozzie Timmons and trainer Kris Russell will also be back.
Brady Williams will manage Class A Charlotte after serving the previous three years as the manager of Class A Bowling Green. Also returning will be pitching coach Bill Moloney, coach Joe Szekely and trainer Scott Thurston.
Jared Sandberg will take over for Williams as the manager at Bowling Green after spending the last three seasons as the manager of Class A Hudson Valley. Sandberg brings pitching coach Kyle Snyder with him from Hudson Valley and coach Manny Castillo will return for his fourth year in Bowling Green. Chris Tomashoff also joins the staff after spending the last two years as the trainer for the GCL Rays.
Michael Johns will manage Hudson Valley after spending the last three seasons with Princeton. Pitching coach Steve Watson will join the Renegades after spending his first two years in the Rays system with Charlotte. Coach Dan DeMent will return for his second season with Hudson Valley. Trainer Jeremy Spencer returns to Hudson Valley after spending last year with Bowling Green. He previously served as the Renegades' trainer in 2011.
Returning to Princeton to join Sheaffer will be pitching coach Darwin Peguero, coach Reinaldo Ruiz and trainer Nick Flynn.
Jim Morrison will manage the GCL Rays after spending the last four years managing Charlotte. Pitching coach Marty DeMerritt and coaches Hector Torres and Wuarnner Rincones will return to the GCL Rays. Trainer Brian Newman joins the GCL Rays after spending his first season in the Rays system with Hudson Valley last year.