Results tagged ‘ 2012 ’
Astros announce 2012 Minor League staff
2012 MINOR LEAGUE STAFF
ROVING INSTRUCTORS
Field Coordinator Paul Runge
Pitching Coordinator Jon Matlack
Hitting Coordinator Ty Van Burkleo
Roving Infield Instructor Tom Lawless
Roving OF / Base Running Milt Thompson
Roving Catching Instructor Danny Sheaffer
Strength & Conditioning Frank Renner
Medical Coordinator Jamey Snodgrass
Rehab Coordinator Daniel Roberts
OKLAHOMA CITY
Manager Tony DeFrancesco
Pitching Coach Burt Hooton
Hitting Coach Leon Roberts
Athletic Trainer Mike Freer
Strength & Conditioning Gary McCoy
CORPUS CHRISTI
Manager Keith Bodie
Pitching Coach Gary Ruby
Hitting Coach Joel Chimelis
Athletic Trainer Eric Montague
LANCASTER
Manager Rodney Linares
Pitching Coach Don Alexander
Hitting Coach Darryl Robinson
Athletic Trainer Bryan Baca
LEXINGTON
Manager Ivan De Jesus
Pitching Coach Dave Borkowski
Hitting Coach Josh Bonifay
Athletic Trainer Grant Hufford
TRI-CITY
Manager Stubby Clapp
Pitching Coach Rick Aponte
Hitting Coach Mark Bailey
Athletic Trainer Michael Rendon
GREENEVILLE
Manager Omar Lopez
Pitching Coach Hector Mercado
Hitting Coach Cesar Cedeno
Athletic Trainer Corey O’Brien
GULF COAST LEAGUE
Manager Ed Romero
Pitching Coach Jaime Garcia
Pitching Coach Charley Taylor
Hitting Coach Edgar Alfonzo
Assistant Coach Gordy MacKenzie
Athletic Trainer Steve Miller
DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE
Manager Luis Martinez
Pitching Coach Jose Martinez
Bullpen Coach Joel Santo
Hitting Coach Luis Mateo
Infield Instructor Johan Maya
Assistant Coach Ramon Garcia
Outfield Instructor Juan Zapata
Catching Instructor Sixto Ortega
Athletic Trainer Ambiorix Reyes
Assistant Trainer Edwin Garcia
Strength & Conditioning Geremias Guzman
Heck discusses challenges of top pick
For only the third time in their 50-year history, the Astros will have the overall No. 1 pick in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The Astros earned that distinction when Minnesota won its 60th game on Thursday, ensuring the Astros would have the worst record in baseball.
The last time the Astros had the No. 1 overall pick was in 1992, when they selected Phil Nevin, whose career took off after he left Houston. They also had the top pick in 1976 and chose left-handed pitcher Floyd Bannister.
“You better get it right picking No. 1,” Astros assistant general manager/director of scouting Bobby Heck said. “Obviously, it’s an opportunity. I hope it’s the only opportunity I ever have to pick one. The idea is to pick in the late 20s and even better, pick 30.
“These are the types of players you need to get you back to that point. As far as our approach, we walk into every year taking about candidates for the first pick, and I suspect we’ll have a smaller number going into the year. We’re still going to be open-minded and do our do diligence and select the best player.”
Unlike in recent years when phenoms Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper were the clear-cut no. 1 overall picks, Heck said there is a pack of players who have separated themselves. Stanford right-hander Mark Appel, Arizona State shortstop Deven Marrero, Florida catcher Mike Zunino and high school pitcher Lucas Giolito of California and outfielder Byron Buxton of Georgia are among the players who could go No. 1.
“That group will grow as we walk through the fall and enter the spring,” Heck said. “It’s just a matter of getting a group and expanding on it as you get towards the end and then shrinking it down.”
With the No. 1 pick comes a healthy financial commitment. The Astros this year paid a $2.525 million signing bonus when they took University of Connecticut outfielder George Springer with the 11th pick, and they could have to shell out about three times as much. This year’s No. 1 pick, pitcher Gerrit Cole, got an $8 million bonus from the Pirates.
“The precedent says you’re going to pay a lot of money for that first pick,” Heck said. “First and foremost, we better put the talent in the right order and deal with the money factors at a later time.”
Astros got it right with this coaching staff
It’s rather unusual to see a Major League coaching staff get multi-year deals, but the Astros felt so good about what they had in manager Brad Mills’ staff that they announced Saturday they had extended the contracts of the field staff by two years, though 2012.
The Astros will have to wait a couple of more weeks before hitting coach Jeff Bagwell tells them whether he wants to return, but Mills and general manager Ed Wade have put together a terrific coaching staff in Brad Arnsberg (pitching coach), Dave Clark (third-base coach), Bobby Meacham (first-base coach), Al Pedrique (bench coach) and Jamie Quirk (bullpen coach).
Not only do they have the respect of the players, but the group puts in long hours poring over advance scouting reports and in the video room before the players even arrive at the ballpark.
“I knew from basically July on we wanted to keep this group together,” Wade said. “I talked to [owner] Drayton [McLane] and [president of baseball operation] Tal [Smith about doing two-years and they see the same things I’ve seen and they’re very supportive of extending beyond this organization’s norm.
“If you look at coaches’ contracts, there’s not a lot of multi-year deals out there. There are some, but not the vast majority. To be able to do that with the entire unit sends a message to them that we appreciate the kind of work they’ve done and a message to the players, too, that there’s continuity and stability. With a younger group, that’s an important message to try to deliver.”
Don’t be surprised to see the Astros pick up Mills’ option for 2012. He’s under contract next year, but with his staff getting contracts through 2012, it only makes sense the manager gets the same deal.
Brian McTaggart
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