Cubs Name Minor League Field Staffs And Coordinators

by Al Yellon on Dec 16, 2010 11:51 AM CST in Chicago Cubs News

Coach Mariano Duncan talks with Manny Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers. One of these people is joining the Cubs organization as Double-A hitting coach. (Hint: it's not the guy on the right.) (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

While we await official confirmation of the Cubs' signing of Kerry Wood -- and I'll likely make another post when that happens -- the team announced its minor league field staffs and coordinators today.

Bill Dancy, who managed Double-A Tennessee last year, will succeed Ryne Sandberg as manager at Triple-A Iowa. Replacing him, and new to the organization, will be former Minnesota Twins catcher Brian Harper. Harper managed the San Jose Giants to the California League title last year, his first year as a minor league manager. Marty Mason, also new to the organization, will be the pitching coach under Harper at Tennessee, and the hitting coach there will be former Dodgers first base coach Mariano Duncan.

Also new to managing in the minors will be former major league catcher Mark Johnson, who will manage at Boise. Former Cubs Frank Castillo and Jason Dubois will become coaches for the rookie league team in the Arizona League at Mesa.

A full list of minor league coordinators can be found here.

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Comments

" likely make another post when that happens??????"

How many drafts have you already done?

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either

by Doggie Stalker on Dec 16, 2010 12:00 PM CST reply actions

None, actually.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Dec 16, 2010 12:19 PM CST up reply actions

Perhaps not on your keyboard but in your head

I would bet over a a hundred. I also bet you have been practicing for a while.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either

by Doggie Stalker on Dec 16, 2010 12:27 PM CST up reply actions

Been kinda busy for that.

But I’ll do my best.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Dec 16, 2010 12:37 PM CST up reply actions

Brian Harper

He will be an absolute asset to this franchise.

"A good cigar is like a beautiful chick with a great body who also knows the American League box scores." Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger

by PacificCub on Dec 16, 2010 12:01 PM CST reply actions

Glad you added the 'et'.

He will be an absolute asset to this franchise.

There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. Who says baseball isn't a religion?

by Zeke on Dec 16, 2010 12:05 PM CST up reply actions

I think we have enough asses in the franchise

It’s time for a change!

"A good cigar is like a beautiful chick with a great body who also knows the American League box scores." Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger

by PacificCub on Dec 16, 2010 12:36 PM CST up reply actions

Hmmm

So Jody Davis is out of the organization? Interesting.

Mariano Duncan must love baseball, otherwise why take a DOuble AA gig? Umpteen years following Joe Torre around and this is where he ends up?

"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008

by BeerCub on Dec 16, 2010 12:01 PM CST reply actions

Ken Griffey Sr. was the hitting coach for the Low-A Dayton Dragons last year.

So love of the game is certainly part of the equation.

There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. Who says baseball isn't a religion?

by Zeke on Dec 16, 2010 12:06 PM CST up reply actions

Let's see

Dancy in Iowa, Harper inTenn, Kopitzke in Peoria, Bailey in Daytona, Johnson in Boise. Yup, no Davis that I can see.

"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008

by BeerCub on Dec 16, 2010 12:12 PM CST up reply actions

Davis is currently managing a winter league team in Venezuela

that has a number of Cubs on it.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either

by Doggie Stalker on Dec 16, 2010 12:14 PM CST up reply actions

He followed Sandberg out the door!

by TJ11 on Dec 16, 2010 12:17 PM CST up reply actions

Ah, thanks

"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008

by BeerCub on Dec 16, 2010 12:52 PM CST up reply actions

Glad to see Frank Castillo back!!!!

This is almost as exciting as the Wood story!!!

by TJ11 on Dec 16, 2010 12:17 PM CST reply actions

I met Frank's dad once,

good guy and it sounded like Frank was a well grounded good guy. Hope he does a good job.

We'll miss you Big Boy. #10 for Hall of Fame.

by mrcubsfan on Dec 16, 2010 12:42 PM CST up reply actions

Dubois needs to be Iowa's hitting coach

So they can activate him so he can get the three home runs he needs to be Iowa’s all-time HR leader.

Sigh. I guess he’ll have to settle for being number 2. If only he hadn’t been injured for two months last year.

by Josh Timmers on Dec 16, 2010 12:20 PM CST reply actions

Dennis Lewallyn

Took over Mark Riggins former job as minor league pitching coordinator. Lewallyn has been the pitching coach in Tennessee for the past few seasons and has a very good reputation for working with young pitchers.

by Josh Timmers on Dec 16, 2010 12:24 PM CST reply actions

Good For Bill Dancy

I’m always glad to see successful managers in the minors getting promoted. Quade finally got a big league managing job after a lot of years in the minors that led to his third base coaching job in Chicago. I suppose the odds are against Bill Dancy getting a big league managing job, but he’s closer to one now than he was before.

"The big possums walk late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Dec 16, 2010 2:05 PM CST reply actions

He's got no chance

He’s 59. He’s already too old to get a first managing job. But he does have a very good chance to be a major league coach again. He was the third base coach for the Phillies for a couple seasons. He could reach that level again.

by Josh Timmers on Dec 16, 2010 2:38 PM CST up reply actions

Jason Dubois

I’m glad to see that he’ll be a coach in the minors. I’m not as down on the “AAAA” players as Al is, but Dubois was unequivocally a “AAAA” player that got his shot in the bigs as a player, who didn’t stick. Of course, the odds are against Dubois being a coach at the big league level, but I dare say he realized he had a better chance of getting back to the majors as a coach than he did as a player.

"The big possums walk late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Dec 16, 2010 2:58 PM CST reply actions

Dubois will be 32 in March.

That’s actually a good time to get started on a professional baseball coaching career. If he’s any good at it, he might very well become a major league coach within 10 years.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Dec 16, 2010 3:20 PM CST up reply actions