Yard Goats Complete 2020 Coaching Staff

Yard Goats Complete 2020 Coaching Staff
Entire New Coaching Staff in Place for Upcoming Season

Hartford, Conn- The Hartford Yard Goats Baseball Club, the Double-A Eastern League Affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, announced that its 2020 coaching staff has been completed. Pitching Coach Frank Gonzales and Hitting Coach Tom Sutaris will join first year manager and Southington native Chris Denorfia to make up an all new coaching staff this season. Denorfia, who was named manager earlier this month, was with the Chicago Cubs last season on Joe Maddon's staff, and played 10 years in the Major Leagues. Gonzales was the Supervisor of Development for the High-A Lancaster JetHawks in 2019, and Tom Sutaris served as Hitting Coach for the JetHawks in the California League last season. Hoshito Mizutani returns for his third season as the Yard Goats trainer and Mason Rook will join the club for his first season as Physical Performance Coach.
Denorfia played 10 years in the Major League's with Cincinnati (2005-06), Oakland (2008-09), San Diego (2010-14), Seattle (2014) and the Cubs (2015). The former outfielder finished his playing career in the Rockies system at Triple-A Albuquerque in 2017. Denorfia graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford before playing at Wheaton College (Norton, MA), where he was a NCAA Division III All-American, and drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 19^th round in 2002.
Gonzales will begin his eighth season in the Rockies organization and his first as the Yard Goats Pitching Coach. He spent the past two seasons as Supervisor of Development with High-A Lancaster in the California League. He previously served as manager at Rookie-level Grand Junction in 2016 and 2017, and managed Short-Season Boise in 2015. He spent his first two seasons in the Rockies organization as the pitching coach for Short-Season Tri-City. Gonzales was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 16^th round in 1989 out of Colorado State University and pitched nine seasons in the Tigers, Pirates and Red Sox chains while reaching the Triple-A level.
Sutaris will begin his third season in the Rockies organization and his first as the Yard Goats Hitting Coach in 2020. He was the Hitting Coach at High-A Lancaster in the California League during the past two seasons. Sutaris was the assistant coach at the University of Incarnate Word in 2017 after serving as the special assistant for the University of Texas baseball team from 2014-2017. He played professionally in the Frontier League from 1993 through 1996 for the Ohio Valley Redcoats. The Toms River, NJ native graduated from Lynn University in 1993.       
The Yard Goats open the 2020 season on April 9th (7:10 PM) against the Red Sox affiliate, the Portland Sea Dogs. Yard Goats season tickets are available by calling 860-246-GOAT (4628), or in person by visiting the Click It or Ticket Box Office at Dunkin' Donuts Park.