About the 2013 Field Staff:

Dave Brundage, who becomes the third manager in the history of the IronPigs, has posted an all-time managerial record of 1,085-1,026 (.514) in 2111 career games, including a 433-422 (.506) mark over six International League seasons.

The 48-year-old Brundage - the only manager in the four-year history of the Gwinnett Braves -- is entering his 16th season as a minor league manager. Last season, he guided Atlanta's top affiliate to a 62-82 record, marking just the fifth time in 15 seasons his team finished below .500. Prior to that, the Portland, Ore., native had three successive winning seasons (231-198, .538) to start G-Braves history - including a playoff berth as the Wild Card in the G-Braves inaugural 2009 season.

Prior to Gwinnett's inception, seven of the 11 teams that Brundage managed advanced to post-season play and three of those squads won league championships. In fact, in his first year in the Atlanta system, he led the Richmond Braves to a 2007 I.L. Championship in defeating the Durham Bulls in five games (3-2).

Brundage spent his first nine seasons as a skipper in the Seattle Mariners system, including his first stint in Triple-A with Tacoma in 2006 (74-70). His most notable success was achieved during his five seasons with Double-A San Antonio (2001-2005), during which time the Missions advanced to the playoffs four seasons and won the Texas League title twice (2002, 2003). In 2003, he was named both Texas League Manager of the Year and Baseball America's Minor League Manager of the Year when San Antonio finished with a league-best 88-51 record, a minors-best 18-game winning streak and a second-straight TL championship. He was also the manager for the West squad in the 2001 TL All-Star Game.

During his playing days, Brundage was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth round of 1986 out of Oregon State University. After two seasons in the Phillies organization - including 14 games in Double Reading in 1987 -- he was traded to Seattle with RHP Mike Jackson and OF Glenn Wilson for OF Phil Bradley and LHP Tim Fortugno on Dec. 9, 1987. Over 10 minor league seasons (1986-1994, 1998), the 1B/OF batted .275-16-261 in 784 games while finishing 1-5, 3.83 ERA 41 G, 1 GS as a pitcher.

Brundage spent a bulk of his playing career in Triple-A, where he spent six seasons for the now-defunct Calgary Cannons (1989-1994). He remains the Cannons all-time leader in games played (354) and walks drawn (208), third in runs scored (196) and sixth in hits (302).

In 1992, Brundage was converted to a pitcher at the Arizona Instructional League and later selected in the minor league phase of the Rule V Draft by Montreal, but was released in spring training and re-signed by the Mariners. He became a player/coach for Calgary in 1993 and 1994 and was even pressed into action for one game while coaching with Tacoma in 1998.

Brundage is one of the most decorated amateur athletes in Oregon state history. He graduated from McKay H.S. in Salem, where he earned All-State honors in football, basketball and baseball. Brundage also spent 11 years as a Golden Gloves boxer, during which time he defeated three future Olympic Gold Medalists. While at Oregon State, Brundage earned All-American honors as an outfielder in 1986 while serving as punter and backup quarterback for the Beavers football team.

Brundage replaces National Baseball Hall-of-Fame member Ryne Sandberg, who guided the IronPigs to a 155-132 (.540) record and a trip to the 2011 Governor's Cup Finals during his two seasons at the helm. Lehigh Valley posted just a 184-248 (.426) mark in its first three seasons under Dave Huppert.


Ray Burris, 62, becomes just the second pitching coach in team history. The native of Duke, Okla., spent the last five seasons as pitching coach at Erie (AA) after one-year stops in Oneonta (Short-Season A) and West Michigan (A) during his first two seasons with the Tigers.

Prior to his time with Detroit, Burris served in a variety of capacities at both the Major and Minor League levels. After retiring as a player with the Brewers in 1987, he began the post-playing phase of his career as a minor league pitching coach for Milwaukee for two seasons (1988-89). He then joined the Brewers' big league staff as the bullpen coach for two years (1990-91) before later serving as a roving instructor, special assistant to the general manager, advanced scout and community development employee while with Milwaukee.

Burris next had a four-year stint with the Texas Rangers, which started as the Rangers' assistant pitching coach in 1992. He then moved to the front office for three years (1993-95) where he spent time as a special assistant for community development and special projects and later as an assistant to the vice president of community development. Included on Burris' resume is a stretch as the roving pitching instructor in the St. Louis Cardinals organization from 2001-02. Additionally, Burris has worked with top prospects in the prestigious Arizona Fall League as the pitching coach for the Mesa Solar Sox (2008) and the Surprise Rafters (2010).

Over his 15-year Major League career, Burris went 108-134 with a 4.17 ERA in 408 games (302 games started) with seven different clubs. Seven of those 15 seasons came with the Chicago Cubs, who drafted the 6-5 right-hander in the 17th round of the 1972 draft out of Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Burris also pitched for the New York Yankees (1979), New York Mets (1979-80), Montreal Expos (1981-83), Oakland A's (1984), Brewers (1985, '87) and Cardinals (1986). Among his career highlights, Burris tossed a five-hit shutout against the Dodgers in Game 2 of the 1981 National League Championship Series.

Burris replaces Rod Nichols, who will take over as bullpen coach for the Phillies, after guiding the IronPigs pitching staff to a top-five ERA in the International League in four of his five seasons.

Sal Rende enters his third season as hitting coach for the IronPigs. Prior to the 2011 season, Rende was the Phillies Minor League Hitting Coordinator for three years. Rende spent his first four seasons in the Philadelphia organization as a hitting coach with both Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (2004-06) and Ottawa (2007).

Rende's post-playing resume is extensive and impressive and includes managerial stints in the Chicago-A (1984), Seattle (1986-87), Kansas City (1988-91) and Florida (1995-96) farm systems. In 12 seasons as a Minor League skipper, he posted eight winning seasons, six first-place finishes, three league championships and a combined 857-778 (.524) record. He was named Minor League Manager of the Year by The Sporting News and the American Association in 1990, going 86-60 with the Triple-A Omaha Royals. Rende's last two years managing came in the IL with the Charlotte Knights in 1995-96.

After being selected by Cleveland in the 27th round of the 1977 draft, Rende spent seven years in the Indians minor league system, which included winning the New York-Penn League MVP award in 1977 for Batavia (A). That season, Rende's first as a professional, he hit .356 with 17 home runs and 60 RBI in just 63 games. In total, the Blue Island, IL native hit .257 with 122 home runs and 474 RBI over his seven-year career.

In 2010, Rende was among a group of Phillies coordinators that assisted as a coach on the IronPigs' bench following Greg Gross' mid-season promotion to Philadelphia.