The Atlanta Braves announced their 2013 minor league coaching staffs today, including five managers returning to their current post for the upcoming season. In addition, the Braves will have a new minor league field coordinator for the 2013 campaign, while each of their minor league rovers will be returning.
The Gwinnett Braves (AAA) will feature a new manager as Randy Ready joins the organization from the Texas Rangers where he most recently served as the Rangers minor league hitting coordinator in 2012. Prior to joining the Rangers, Ready served as the San Diego Padres hitting coach from July 2009 until the end of 2011. He also spent six seasons managing in the Padres minor league system, compiling a career minor league managerial record of 489-466.
Ready managed Triple-A Portland from 2008 until joining the big league staff on July 31, 2009, earning "Best Manager Prospect" in the Pacific Coast League by Baseball America in 2008. Pitching coach Marty Reed will serve his third season and hitting coach Jamie Dismuke returns for his fifth campaign. Trainer Mike Graus will be entering his 21st season with the Braves and his eighth with the Triple-A Club.
Aaron Holbert returns to skipper the Mississippi Braves (AA) for his second consecutive season, while hitting coach Garey Ingram will serve as the Double-A hitting coach for his fourth season and trainer Ricky Alcantara is returning for his sixth campaign. New to the Double-A coaching staff in 2013 is pitching coach Dennis Lewallyn. Lewallyn comes to the Braves from the Chicago Cubs organization where he spent the previous six seasons (2007-12), most recently as their minor league pitching coordinator for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Lewallyn brings with him 20-plus years of experience as a pitching coach in the minor leagues.
Luis Salazar will serve his third season as manager for the Lynchburg Hillcats (A) and his 11th season overall as a minor league manager. Also returning to Lynchburg for his third season is pitching coach Derek Botelho. Trainer Joe Toenjes, who is in his fourth season as a trainer for the Braves, will join the Lynchburg staff after spending the previous two seasons as a trainer for the Gulf Coast League Braves.
The Hillcats welcome hitting coach John Moses to their staff after spending the 2011 season as hitting coach for the Houston Astros Double-A affiliate, Corpus Christi Hooks. In his only season in the Astros organization, Moses was honored as the 2011 Mike Coolbaugh Texas League Coach of the Year. Previous to his stint with Houston, Moses served as the hitting coach for the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization for three seasons, from 2008-10.
Randy Ingle, who will be entering his 22nd season as a manager in the Braves organization and is in his second stint with the Rome (A) Braves, will skipper the Club for his second consecutive season, while pitching coach Derrick Lewis also returns for his third term. New to the staff for the 2013 campaign is hitting coach Bobby Moore.
Moore, who will be in his second stint with the club, comes to the Rome staff after spending the 2011 and 2012 seasons as hitting coach for the Lynchburg Hillcats, and previous to that was the Rome hitting coach for 10 consecutive seasons. In his third season as a trainer in the organization, Kyle Damschroder joins the Rome staff from the Danville Braves where he spent the previous two seasons.
The Danville (Rookie) Braves return three coaches as, Jonathan Schuerholz, who is in his third season as a minor league manager, will be at the helm for the second consecutive year. Hitting coach Rick Albert, a staple in the Braves organization since 1972, and pitching coach, Gabe Luckert, are also returning to the Club, with Albert returning for his second year and Luckert for his third campaign. New to the organization and staff is trainer Joe Luat.
Ralph “Rocket” Wheeler will be in his second season as the Gulf Coast League (Rookie) Braves Manager, and his 11th season overall as a skipper in the organization. The GCL Braves will feature a new pitching coach and a new hitting coach as William Martinez will serve as the pitching coach and Carlos Mendez joins the staff as hitting coach. Martinez spent the 2012 season as the Dominican Summer League Braves pitching supervisor, while Mendez, who is in his sixth year as a coach in the Braves organization, served the previous two seasons as hitting coach for the Rome Braves.
Julio Hernandez will serve as the trainer in his first year with the organization after spending the previous seven seasons as a member of the Miami Marlins organization, most recently as their Triple-A trainer.
Dave Bialas, who was previously announced in November (2012) as the Braves minor league field coordinator, joins the organization from the Chicago Cubs organization, where he was most recently the field manager at Triple-A Iowa. Bialas, a 41-year veteran of professional baseball (19 years with the Cubs organization), served as the Cubs field coordinator from 2001-11. He also served as Double-A West Tennessee’s manager for two seasons (2000-01) after spending five seasons at the Cubs major league bullpen coach from 1995 to 2000.
Prior to joining the Cubs organization, Bialas spent two seasons (1993-94) as the San Diego Padres major league bullpen coach and 11 seasons managing in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. A fourth-round draft pick in 1972 by the St. Louis Cardinals, Bialas hit .274 and appeared in 1,019 minor league games as an outfielder in the Cardinals farm system from 1972-82.
Dave Wallace returns for his fourth season with the organization and his fourth as the minor league pitching coordinator, while Don Long will again serve as the minor league hitting coordinator in his second season with the Club. Joe Breeden returns for his sixth season to the role of minor league catching instructor, Doug Dascenzo will serve as the minor league roving outfield and baserunning instructor for his second season, and Luis Lopez will be in his second year as the minor league roving infield instructor.
Also returning to his role for the 2013 season is minor league physical therapist Troy Jones. Jones, who will be in his sixth season with the organization, is based out of the team facility located at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
In addition, James Gonzalez, who is in his second year with the organization, was promoted to the position of assistant strength and conditioning coordinator. Gonzalez is also based out of the team facility located in Lake Buena Vista.
