Sandberg Named IronPigs Manager
"I am totally pumped about this opportunity," Sandberg said via a conference call on Monday afternoon. "It's coming back to my roots in the Phillies' organization. In a lot of ways, I feel like a young kid again."
"This is another landmark moment in the history of our franchise" remarked IronPigs General Manager Kurt Landes. "In addition to being a Hall of Fame player, Ryne Sandberg is one of Minor League Baseball's premier managers and we are ecstatic to welcome him to the Lehigh Valley!"
Sandberg, 51, spent the last four seasons as a manager in the Chicago Cubs' minor league system with Single-A Peoria (2007-08), Double-A Tennessee (2009) and Triple-A Iowa (2010). He led his clubs to two first-place finishes and, overall, has a managerial record of 284-277-1 (.505). This past season, his first as a Triple-A manager, Sandberg was named Manager of the Year in the Pacific Coast League after leading the Iowa Cubs to a tie for the best record in the Northern Division (82-62).
A 2005 inductee to Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame, Sandberg was a 10-time National League All-Star and won nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Slugger awards during his 16-year career (1981-94, 1996-97). He was originally drafted by the Phillies in 1978 and made his major league debut with the club in 1981, appearing in 13 games. Sandberg finished his career with a .285 batting average, 282 home runs, 1,061 RBI and 344 stolen bases in 2,164 games. At the time of his retirement, his 277 home runs as a second baseman was a major league record.
Sandberg becomes just the second manager in IronPigs history, replacing Dave Huppert. In three season's guiding the IronPigs, Huppert's clubs went 184-247 (.427), including 58-85 in 2010.
The remainder of the IronPigs 2011 player development staff will be announced at a later date.
To renew or order season tickets and partial plans for the 2011 IronPigs season presented by Capital BlueCross, call (610) 841-PIGS or visit Coca-Cola Park's ticket office during normal business hours. Nine-Game plans, including the brand-new "Spring" plan featuring a ticket to Opening Day on Thursday, April 7, go on sale to the general public tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are dedicated to providing family-friendly entertainment and are the only Minor League team to offer bubbles to fans entering the AT&T Plaza and balloons for all children exiting Coca-Cola Park.
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