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Angels Announce 66ers 2012 Coaching Staff

Former MLB Catcher Bill Haselman to Manage Inland Empire
January 13, 2012
San Bernardino, CA- Bill Haselman will be the Inland Empire 66ers manager for the 2012 season. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have made the announcement of Haselman's return to the California League, bringing the former Major League catcher over to the home dugout of the 66ers. Fellow newcomers to the Inland Empire are Brandon Emanuel who will serve as pitching coach for the 66ers, and hitting coach Paul Sorrento. Rounding out the 66ers staff are a pair of returnees to the Inland Empire, trainer Greg Spence and strength and conditioning Coach Ben Gaal.

Haselman was named manager on January 9th by Angels Assistant General Manager Scott Servais. The Inland Empire 66ers new manager held the same position with the Bakersfield Blaze during the 2010 season while working in the Texas Rangers farm system. Haselman's coaching career began with the Boston Red Sox in 2004, where he was a member of Terry Francona's World Series Championship staff, after a 13 season major league career.

Longtime Angels player and coach Brandon Emanuel will serve as the 66ers pitching coach in 2012. Emanuel held the same position for the Arkansas Travelers (Angels AA affiliate) last season. Emanuel spent seven of his eight professional seasons in the Angels system after being drafted by the Halos in the second round of the 1998 draft.

Paul Sorrento will serve as hitting coach for Inland Empire in 2012. Sorrento spent 11 seasons in the majors, recording double-digit home run totals each of the last eight, including a career best 31 in 1997 for the Seattle Mariners. During his playing career he had a couple notable firsts in some of the majors most famous stadiums. In 1992 while playing for the Cleveland Indians in Baltimore, Sorrento recorded the first hit in the history of Camden Yards. In 1995 he would hit the first grand slam in the history of Jacobs Field (now Progressive Field) in Cleveland.

Greg Spence will return as trainer for the 2012 Inland Empire 66ers, and Ben Gaal will be the Strength and Conditioning Coach. It will be the second consecutive season in the Inland Empire for both of them.

The Inland Empire 66ers 2012 season begins on Thursday, April 5th when the California League partners of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim visit the rival Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. The home opener will take place a week later on Thursday, April 12th, when the 66ers take on the High Desert Mavericks.

Reserve a date for your upcoming group event or get season tickets for the upcoming 2012 season by contacting the 66ers front office at (909) 888-9922.

For more information on 66ers baseball, contact Inland Empire 66ers Director of Broadcasting Sam Farber at (909) 495-7632.