Pirates announce 2012 Minor League staff

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced the minor league staff for the 2012 season.

INDIANAPOLIS (AAA)

Manager: Dean Treanor

Coach: Jeff Branson

Pitching Coach: Tom Filer

Athletic Trainer: Bryan Housand

ALTOONA (AA)

Manager: P.J. Forbes

Coach: Ryan Long

Pitching Coach: Jeff Johnson

Athletic Trainer: Mike Zalno

BRADENTON (A)

Manager: Carlos Garcia

Coach: Kory DeHaan

Pitching Coach: Mike Steele

Athletic Trainer: Dru Scott

WEST VIRGINIA (A)

Manager: Rick Sofield

Coach: Edgar Varela

Pitching Coach: Willie Glen

Athletic Trainer: Phillip Mastro

STATE COLLEGE (A)

Manager: Dave Turgeon

Coach: Dave Howard

Pitching Coach: Justin Meccage

Athletic Trainer: Justin Ahrens

GCL PIRATES (Rookie)

Manager: Tom Prince

Coach: Mike Lum

Pitching Coach: Bobby St. Pierre

Athletic Trainer: Jose Ministral

DOMINICAN (Rookie)

Manager: Larry Sutton

Hitting Coach: Jonathan Prieto

Pitching Coach: Dan Urbina

Athletic Trainer: Keito Homma

Dominican (Rookie)

Manager: Gera Alvarez

Hitting Coach: Johe Acosta

Pitching Coach: Henry Corniel

Coach: Ramon Zapata Coach: Cecilio Beltre

Athletic Trainer: Sergio Mart

• Dean Treanor will return to manage Triple-A Indianapolis for a second straight season after serving as the club’s Pitching Coach in 2010. Prior to joining the Pirates organization in 2009, he spent seven years (2002-08) in the Florida Marlins minor league system, compiling a 428-415 (.508) record in his six seasons as a manager.  Treanor managed Toros del Este in the Dominican Winter League for two straight seasons, and he led the team to a Caribbean World Series berth to represent the Domincan Republic last season.
• P.J. Forbes will return to Double-A Altoona after guiding the Curve to a 64-77 record in 2011. Prior to his promotion to Altoona, Forbes led Class-A Bradenton to the third-best overall record (76-62) and a post-season appearance in the Florida State League in 2010. Forbes joined the Pirates organization in 2009 and managed Lynchburg to a Carolina League Championship that year.
• Carlos Garcia will return to Class-A Bradenton after guiding the Marauders to a playoff berth in 2011 in his first season as a manager. Prior to last year, Garcia served as First Base Coach and Infield Instructor for the Major League team in 2010. Garcia is currently managing Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League.
• Rick Sofield will take over managerial duties at Class-A West Virginia after coaching the University of South Carolina Beaufort the previous four years. Sofield played three seasons (1979-81) in the Majors with the Minnesota Twins and will return to the Pirates for a second stint after serving as the organization’s Minor League Field Coordinator in 2002. It will also be Sofield’s first managerial assignment since 2003 with Triple-A Colorado Springs.
• Dave Turgeon will manage State College in 2012 after serving as West Virginia’s Pitching Coach last season. Prior to last season, Turgeon was the associate head coach and pitching coach at Virginia Tech from 2007-10.
• Tom Prince returns for his sixth season as manager of the GCL Pirates, in addition to serving as the organization’s Catching Instructor. Last year Prince guided the GCL Pirates to a 34-26 record and a postseason appearance for the second time since taking over the team in 2007.
• Larry Sutton will manage one of the organization’s two entries in the Dominican Summer League after joining the organization as the Dominican Field Coordinator. Sutton spent the previous four seasons as Kansas City’s Hitting Coach in the Dominican Summer League. Sutton played parts of seven seasons in the big leagues with Kansas City (1997-99), St. Louis (2000-01), Oakland (2002) and Florida (2004).
• Gera Alvarez will manage Pittsburgh’s other entry in the Dominican Summer League after spending last year as a player/coach for Single-A West Virginia. Alvarez played in the Orioles organization from 2002-07 after being selected by Baltimore in the 16th round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft.

In addition, the Pirates also announced the following assignments:

• Tyler Buckminster, Rafael Sepulveda, Chad Uihlein, Adam Wagner and Ricky White will be strength and conditioning coaches (affiliate assignments to be determined).
• The Pirates also announced the coordinator staff for the 2012 season. In addition to Tom Prince and Larry Sutton, this group includes the following:

Brad Fischer has had his responsibilities expanded as the Field Coordinator. Scott Mitchell has been promoted to Pitching Coordinator after serving as the Assistant Pitching Coordinator last year. Assisting him will be Miguel Bonilla, who will assume supervision of the Rehab and Dominican pitching programs. Tyson Holt has joined the organization as the Mental Conditioning Coordinator. He replaces Bernie Holliday, who was promoted to Director of Mental Conditioning. Holt most recently worked in the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness-Performance and Resilience Enhancement program for the Army. Jeff Livesey (Hitting Coordinator), Kimera Bartee (Outfield/Baserunning Coordinator), and Gary Green (Infield Coordinator) return in their same roles. Frank Kremblas (Special Assistant to Minor League Operations), Woody Huyke (Advisor to Minor League Operations), and Pablo Cruz (Advisor to Latin American Operations) will add experience and perspective throughout the development system.

• On the Athletic Performance side, Mike Winkler and Jeremiah Randall have joined the organization from the Los Angeles Dodgers as the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator and Rehab Coordinator respectively. Joe Hughes will be responsible for overseeing the physical development of the organization’s entry level players as the Athletic Development Coordinator. Kiyoshi Momose (Latin American Strength and Conditioning Coordinator and Assistant Major League Strength and Conditioning Coach) and Carl Randolph (Athletic Training Coordinator) return in their same roles.
• In addition to the field staff assignments above, Diane Depasquale has been promoted from Minor League Administrator to Coordinator of Minor League Operations. The 2012 season will be DePasquale’s 36th in the Pirates organization.