2008 Altoona Curve field staff announced

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2008 Altoona Curve field staff announced
01/15/2008 4:58 PM ET
Altoona Curve

Altoona, PA - The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced their 2008 minor league coaching assignments and the Altoona Curve staff will once again be led by manager Tim Leiper. Leiper has posted a winning record of 148-132 (.529) over the previous two seasons as Curve bench boss, including back-to-back winning campaigns.
Also returning to the Curve coaching staff in 2008 will be hitting coach Brandon Moore and head athletic trainer Thomas Pribyl. The only new addition will be pitching coach Brad Holman, who joins the Pirates' organization after spending the past two seasons in the same role with Double-A West Tennessee in the Seattle Mariners' system. Holman takes over Curve pitching coach duties from Ray Searage, who has been promoted to the same position with the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians.
Leiper, 41, is entering his eighth consecutive season as a minor league manager, including his fourth in the Pirates' system. Prior to being named manager of the Curve in 2006, he led the 2005 Lynchburg Hillcats (A) to a 78-62 record and a spot in the Carolina League playoffs. From 2000-02, Leiper managed in the Montreal Expos' system, including one season with Triple-A Ottawa. In 2003, he joined the Boston Red Sox' chain as the manager at Class-A Sarasota before returning to Ottawa in 2004 after the club became a Baltimore Orioles' affiliate. Overall, Leiper has posted a career mark of 552-499 (.525).
Holman, 39, joins the Pirates' minor league system for the first time in 2008 after spending the previous six seasons as a minor league coach in the Seattle Mariners' system. The Kansas native pitched professionally from 1990-96, spending time in the Mariners, Orioles, Rockies, Padres and Royals organizations. In 1993, Holman saw his only major league action, when he pitched in 19 games for Seattle.
Moore, 35, enters his third season as Curve hitting coach and eighth overall as a minor league instructor. He first joined the Pirates' organization in 2005 as the hitting coach at Class-A Lynchburg and helped the Hillcats to a Carolina League-leading .282 average. Before coming to the Pirates, the veteran minor league infielder served as a coach in the Chicago White Sox farm system from 2001-04.
Pribyl, 33, will continue as the Curve's head athletic trainer after first joining the club in 2006. The Texas native has worked in minor league baseball since 1999, including the past seven years in the Pittsburgh organization. During his two seasons with the Class-A Lynchburg Hillcats (2004-05), he was a two-time winner of the Carolina League's Trainer of the Year award.
In addition to naming Altoona's 2008 manager and coaches, the Pirates also assigned the field staffs for their five other minor league affiliates, including the Curve's sister franchise, the State College Spikes.
The Spikes will be managed by veteran coach and instructor Brad Fischer. The 51-year old Fischer spent the previous 29 seasons in the Oakland organization, including 12 at the major league level (eight as bullpen coach/four as first base coach). Pitching coach Wilson Alvarez will return for his second season with the Spikes, while 12-year major league veteran Sid Bream will take over as hitting coach in State College. The 47-year old Bream played six seasons as a first baseman for the Pirates (1985-90) and was a member of the Bucs' 1990 National League Eastern Division Championship club.
The Pirates' minor league managerial and coaching assignments, which were announced today by Director of Player Development Kyle Stark, are listed below:
Indianapolis (AAA)- Trent Jewett (Manager), Hensley Muelens (Hitting), Ray Searage (Pitching), Jose Ministral (Trainer)
Altoona (AA)- Tim Leiper (Manager), Brandon Moore (Hitting), Brad Holman (Pitching), Thomas Pribyl (Trainer)
Lynchburg (A)- Jeff Branson (Manager), Chris Truby (Hitting), Bob Milacki (Pitching), Bryan Housand (Trainer)
Hickory (A)- Gary Green (Manager), Rudy Pena (Hitting), Jeff Johnson (Pitching), Jared Destro (Trainer)
State College (A)- Brad Fischer (Manager), Sid Bream (Hitting), Wilson Alvarez (Pitching), Mike Zalno (Trainer)
Bradenton (Rookie)- Tom Prince (Manager), Edgar Varela (Coach), Woody Huyke (Coach), Miguel Bonilla (Pitching), Keito Homma (Trainer)
The Curve will open the 2008 season on Thursday, April 3 at Blair County Ballpark against the Reading Phillies. Single-game tickets and special packages for the Curve's 2008 season will go on sale to the general public in March, but the best seats to all 71 Altoona Curve home games at Blair County Ballpark can be reserved now by purchasing Curve Season Tickets. Season tickets can be reserved by calling the Curve Ticketing Department at (814) 943-5400 or toll-free at (877) 99-CURVE.
In addition to Season Tickets, fans can also now reserve Mini-Plan Packages, Flex Books, Luxury Suite Rentals, Group Outings (groups of 25 or more), Birthday and Team Parties, and Picnics for the Curve's 2008 season. Information on each of those offerings is also available at AltoonaCurve.com.