Remaining field staff of four affiliates also named.
HOUSTON, TX — The Houston Astros today announced their roving instructors and field staffs for four of their minor league affiliates in 2010. The roving instructors include Britt Burns (Pitching Coordinator), Jaime Garcia (Asst. Pitching Coordinator), Mike Barnett (Hitting Coordinator), Danny Sheaffer (Catching Coordinator), Jim Pankovits (Infield Coordinator), Mike Smith (Strength/Conditioning Coordinator) and Pete Fagan (Medical Coordinator).
In addition to his coordinator position, Pankovits will also return to manage Short-Season Class A Tri-City for his second year with the club. Ed Romero will take over at the helm for Advanced Rookie League Greeneville, after serving the last two seasons on the Astros Major League coaching staff. The Astros Gulf Coast League affiliate will be managed for the second year in a row by Omar Lopez, while Luis Martinez also returns for his second season managing the Astros Dominican Summer League team.
The 2010 season will be Pankovits’ 20th in the Astros organization and second managing Short-Season Class A Tri-City. Prior to managing the ValleyCats, Pankovits managed former Astros affiliate Class A Salem for three seasons (2006-08). He also has two previous stints as a minor league manager with the Astros organization, including two seasons (1995-96) at Class A Quad City and two seasons at Double A Jackson (1998-99). Pankovits was named the Astros minor league infield coordinator in 2000 and served as the club’s minor league defense coordinator from 2001-2005. Pankovits spent parts of five seasons as an infielder with the Astros from 1984-88. The remaining staff at Tri-City will all be returning to their 2009 roles. Gary Ruby returns for his second season as Tri-City’s pitching coach after spending the 2008 season as the pitching coach at Salem. Prior to joining the Astros organization in 2008, Ruby spent six seasons as the minor league pitching coordinator for the Pittsburgh Pirates and also has experience with the Phillies (1998-2001) and Angels (1987-95) organizations. Joel Chimelis returns to the ValleyCats as the hitting coach for his fifth season in that role and Bryan Baca enters his third season as the team’s athletic trainer.
Romero will manage Advanced Rookie League Greeneville in his 18th year as a professional coach. Romero spent the previous two seasons on the Astros Major league staff, serving as their bench coach in 2009 and their third base coach in 2008. He has also managed eight seasons in the minor leagues between the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres organizations. Pete Rancont will serve as Romero’s hitting coach after spending last season as Lexington’s hitting coach. The 2010 campaign is his 10th consecutive season as a coach in the Astros organization. Grant Hufford enters his third season as an athletic trainer in the Astros system and third at Greeneville. A pitching coach for Greeneville will be announced at a later date.
The Rookie Gulf Coast League Astros, based at the club’s Spring Training facility in Kissimmee, Fla., will return its entire staff from the 2009 season. Omar Lopez returns for his second season as manager, after spending 2008 managing the Astros Venezuelan Summer League team. Rick Aponte remains as the pitching coach, marking his 34th season in Houston’s minor league system as either a player, coach or scout. He served as bullpen coach for the Washington Nationals from 2007-08. D.J. Boston enters his third season with the Houston organization and second as hitting coach for the GCL Astros. Former Houston Astros scout Gordy MacKenzie also returns for his second year as an instructor. The GCL Astros’ trainer will be John Cortes, who served in the same role in 2009.
The Astros Dominican Summer League team will be managed by Luis Martinez for the second consecutive season. Hector Eduardo will return for his fourth season as pitching coach with the Dominican Republic Academy. Fermin Ward, a former DSL bullpen coach, returns for his second year as assistant pitching coach. Luis Mateo, former Astros minor leaguer Juan Zapata and Ramon Garcia all return to the club as coaches. Samuel Lebron will join the DSL staff as the athletic trainer, while Osiris Ramirez will return as the assistant trainer. Geremias Guzman will return for his sixth season as the strength and conditioning coordinator for the DSL.
2010 MINOR LEAGUE STAFF
ROVING INSTRUCTORS
DICK SCOTT – FIELD COORDINATOR
BRITT BURNS – PITCHING COORDINATOR
MIKE BARNETT– HITTING COORDINATOR
JAIME GARCIA – ASSISTANT PITCHING COORDINATOR
DANNY SHEAFFER – CATCHING INSTRUCTOR
JIM PANKOVITS - INFIELD COORDINATOR/TRI-CITY MANAGER
MIKE SMITH – STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COORDINATOR
PETE FAGAN – MEDICAL COORDINATOR
ROUND ROCK
MARC BOMBARD – MANAGER
KEITH BODIE – HITTING COACH
BURT HOOTON – PITCHING COACH
MIKE FREER – ATHLETIC TRAINER
CORPUS CHRISTI
WES CLEMENTS -- MANAGER
MARK BAILEY -- HITTING COACH
STAN BOROSKI -- PITCHING COACH
JAMEY SNODGRASS -- ATHLETIC TRAINER
LANCASTER
TOM LAWLESS – MANAGER
DARRYL ROBINSON – HITTING COACH
DON ALEXANDER – PITCHING COACH
ERIC MONTAGUE – ATHLETIC TRAINER
LEXINGTON
RODNEY LINARES – MANAGER
STUBBY CLAPP – HITTING COACH
TRAVIS DRISKILL – PITCHING COACH
JOHN PATTON – ATHLETIC TRAINER
TRI-CITY
JIM PANKOVITS – MANAGER
JOEL CHIMELIS – HITTING COACH
GARY RUBY – PITCHING COACH
BRYAN BACA – ATHLETIC TRAINER
GREENEVILLE
ED ROMERO – MANAGER
PETE RANCONT – HITTING COACH
TBA – PITCHING COACH
GRANT HUFFORD – ATHLETIC TRAINER
GULF COAST LEAGUE
OMAR LOPEZ -- MANAGER
D.J. BOSTON -- HITTING COACH
RICK APONTE -- PITCHING COACH
GORDY MACKENZIE -- ASSISTANT COACH
JOHN CORTES -- ATHLETIC TRAINER
DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE
LUIS MARTINEZ -- MANAGER
LUIS MATEO -- HITTING COACH
HECTOR EDUARDO -- PITCHING COACH
FERMIN WARD -- ASSISTANT PITCHING COACH
JUAN ZAPATA -- COACH
RAMON GARCIA -- COACH
SAMUEL LEBRON -- ATHLETIC TRAINER
OSIRIS RAMIREZ -- ASSISTANT ATHLETIC TRAINER
GEREMIAS GUZMAN -- STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
