Quiroz’s Title Quest Brings Him Back to Kannapolis as Manager

(KANNAPOLIS, N.C.) - After leading the Cannon Ballers from the top step in its inaugural season in 2021, former major leaguer Guillermo Quiroz has been named manager of the 2022 KCB squad by the Chicago White Sox, continuing his baseball career that has stretched over 25 years at the professional level. The Venezuelan native will be joined by returners John Ely (pitching coach), Jeremy Kneebusch (trainer), and Kevin Childs (performance coach), with Cam Seitzer (hitting coach) being the lone newcomer of the field staff.

One of the most well-respected players at the Minor League level for 17 years (1999-2016), Quiroz also enjoyed 10 years in the majors as a catcher, spending time with the Blue Jays, Mariners, Rangers, Orioles, Red Sox, and Giants. In 2014, Quiroz put a cap on his major league career by helping the Giants collect their third World Series title in a five-year span. Quiroz enjoyed much success even before he signed for $1 million with the Blue Jays as a 16-year-old star, as the talented young catcher led Venezuela to its first-ever Little League World Series championship in 1994, followed by a Senior League World Series title in 1996.

Following his playing days, Quiroz got his first crack at coaching in 2018 with the Winston-Salem Dash (Class A Advanced). After a successful 84-win season in Winston, Quiroz received a bump up to the Charlotte Knights (Class AAA) as their hitting coach under manager Mark Grudzielanek. After the cancellation of the 2020 Minor League Baseball season that would have seen him as skipper of the Cannon Ballers, Quiroz was finally able to toss on his managerial jersey for the first time in 2021 in Kannapolis.

Ely, 35, returns for the second consecutive season as the Cannon Ballers pitching coach after working at Advanced Rookie Great Falls from 2017-20. The Illinois native pitched in nine seasons for five different organizations, including three years with the Dodgers, compiling 92 strikeouts and four wins in the majors. Collegiately, Ely attended Miami (Ohio) University and was selected to the Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team, while also being named First-Team All-MAC as a sophomore.

A former Swiss Army knife fielder in the Tampa Bay Rays organization, playing at five different positions from 2011-2016, Seitzer made the leap to the pitcher’s mound in 2018 after signing with the Chicago White Sox on a minor league contract. While the pitching experiment for Seitzer proved to be short-loved, he decided to revert back to his skills that helped him bat .270 through six minor league seasons and follow in his father’s (Kevin Seitzer, Atlanta Braves hitting coach) footsteps as a hitting coach. Setizer earned his first chance to do so with Great Falls in 2019 and then the Birmingham Barons (Class AA) in 2020. Born and raised in Overland Park, Kansas, the 32-year-old attended the University of Oklahoma and was named All-Big 12 Second-Team as a junior.

Kneebusch will roll into his third season as a trainer in the White Sox organization in 2022, returning to Kannapolis for the second-straight year. Residing in California but born in Middleburgh Heights, Ohio, Kneebusch spent four seasons as a strength and conditioning coach in the Phillies organization from 2011-14. He is a 2008 graduate of Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) University (B.A., Athletic Training) in San Diego.

A local product from Charlotte, North Carolina, Childs will lead the strength and conditioning program in Kannapolis as the performance coach for his second season. While this is only his second year in the White Sox organization, Childs previously worked in the player development system of the Seattle Mariners organization from 2016-19. A 2012 graduate of Lander (S.C.) University (B.S., Exercise Science), Childs received his master’s degree in Exercise Science from Appalachian State University.

2022 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Field Staff

Manager: Guillermo Quiroz

Pitching Coach: John Ely

Hitting Coach: Cam Seitzer

Trainer: Jeremy Kneebusch

Performance Coach: Kevin Childs

Following a historic year of baseball in Kannapolis in 2021, the Cannon Ballers will kick off its 2022 campaign on Friday, April 8 at 7:00 p.m. against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. For more information on season tickets, mini plans, and group experiences, head to kcballers.com or call 704-932-3267.