Delmarva Shorebirds Announce 2021 Coaching Staff

SALISBURY, MD. -- Today, the Delmarva Shorebirds, in conjunction with the Baltimore Orioles, announced the 2021 field staff that will lead the Shorebirds in the 2021 season. Leading Delmarva for the 2021 campaign is Manager Dave Anderson entering his second season as the Shorebirds skipper joined by Robbie Aviles, Patrick Jones, Matt Packer, David Barry, Gary Smith, and Liz Pardo.

Dave Anderson was named the 16th manager in Delmarva Shorebirds history in 2020 and will lead the Shorebirds in their silver anniversary season in 2021. Anderson enters his seventh season in the Orioles minor league system, serving as the O’s minor league infield coordinator prior to taking the skipper job with the Shorebirds.

Anderson has ten years of minor league managerial experience and over a quarter century of coaching expertise. Spending the past 27 years as a coach, coordinator, or manager, Anderson brings with him a wealth of knowledge to lead the Shorebirds 2021 campaign. Previously managing in the farm systems of the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, L.A. Angels, and at his alma mater, the University of Memphis, Anderson has a storied history of helping baseball players reach the next level. In addition, Anderson brings with him Major League Baseball coaching experience winning two American League pennants in 2010 and 2011 with the Texas Rangers as their third base coach.

Not only does Anderson provide the Shorebirds with coaching prowess, he also brings 10 years of major league playing experience to the dugout. Anderson played eight seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers and two for the San Francisco Giants, batting .242 with 19 homers and 143 RBIs over 873 career games. A 1981 first-round pick and first-team All-American out of Memphis, Anderson won a World Series with the Dodgers in 1988.

Robbie Aviles continues his journey through the Orioles’ minor league coaching ranks after spending the 2019 season as the pitching coach in Aberdeen. Under Aviles’ watch, the IronBirds’ staff boasted the best ERA (2.38) and WHIP (1.11) in the entire minor leagues. In his own playing days, Aviles pitched seven seasons in the Cleveland Indians’ system, reaching as high as Triple-A Columbus in 2017.

Patrick Jones begins his second season in the Orioles minor league system and his first as Delmarva’s Hitting Coach. Growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, Jones won a 2014 Big-East championship at Xavier University before playing two years of independent professional baseball.

Matt Packer will serve as the Fundamentals Coach in his second season with the Shorebirds. Packer previously served as the hitting coach at Post University in Connecticut and at the IMG Academy in Florida. As a pitcher, Packer spent six seasons in the Cleveland system from 2009-14, reaching as high as Triple-A Columbus. He played independent baseball for two seasons before retiring in 2015.

David Barry takes over as the Shorebirds Development Coach in his first season as a coach in Delmarva after serving as the Shorebirds video technician in 2019. Prior to joining the Orioles, Barry served as an intern in the Houston Astros organization and a Baseball Operations Manager for the Indiana University baseball team.

Gary Smith enters his first season as the Athletic Trainer for the Shorebirds and fifth season overall with the Orioles organization. Previously, Smith worked with the GCL Orioles in 2017 before moving up to join the IronBirds coaching staff for the last 3 seasons.

Liz Pardo begins her first season as the Shorebirds Strength & Conditioning Coach and second season overall in the Orioles organization. As a member of the 2020 IronBirds coaching staff, Pardo became the first female coach in the Orioles minor league coaching ranks.

“We are excited to welcome in this new coaching staff for the 2021 campaign as we usher in the 25th season of Shorebirds baseball here on Delmarva,” explained Shorebirds General Manager Chris Bitters. “Consistently, the Orioles provide us with premiere talent and leadership allowing our fans a front-row view to the future Baltimore Orioles in Delmarva today.”

Formerly a member of the South Atlantic League, the Shorebirds will now play in the Low-A East League. Joining the Shorebirds in the North Division are the Fredericksburg Nationals (Nationals), Lynchburg Hillcats (Indians), and Salem Red Sox (Red Sox) who all previously played in the Advanced-A Carolina League.

Opening Day for the Shorebirds is Tuesday, May 4 against the Salem Red Sox. To view the Shorebirds schedule, please click here or visit the Shorebirds website at www.theshorebirds.com.

Delmarva Shorebirds season tickets for the 2021 season are on sale now and you can place a deposit today to reserve your seat for the 2021 season by clicking here. In addition, you can join the Shorebirds individual tickets priority waitlist by clicking here which guarantees you first access to individual tickets when they go on sale.

ABOUT THE DELMARVA SHOREBIRDS

The Delmarva Shorebirds were founded in 1996 and have been the Class-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles since 1997. The Shorebirds have won two South Atlantic League championships in 1997 and 2000 and were named the MiLB.com Minor League Team of the Year in 2019 after going 90-48 in the regular season. Based in Salisbury, Maryland, the Shorebirds are proud to represent the entire Delmarva Peninsula and have hosted two SAL All-Star Games in 1999 and 2011. The Shorebirds are owned by 7th Inning Stretch, LP, based in Stockton, California headed by Chairman Tom Volpe and President Pat Filippone.