Carlos Garcia to Skipper Curve in 2013
Garcia, 45, piloted the Marauders to a 134-140 record across the last two seasons, which included a trip to the postseason in 2011. Prior to his time in Bradenton, Garcia spent the 2010 season as the first base coach and infield instructor for the Pirates at the major league level. All told, 2013 will mark Garcia's sixth season in the Pirates organization after three years as the first base coach and infield instructor for Seattle. His coaching stay in the Pirates chain began in 2008 when he served as the club's minor league infield coordinator.
In addition to his managerial experience over the past two seasons, Garcia managed Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League in 2009 and 2011. In 2009, the native of Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela led Magallanes to a 41-22 regular-season record and a berth in the Championship Series (a series which they lost to Caracas, 4-3). His overall coaching career began in the Cleveland Indians chain as a player-coach in 2002.
As a player, Garcia broke into the big leagues with his Major League debut on September 20, 1990 as a member of the Buccos and singled as a pinch hitter versus the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. He hit a career-high 12 home runs for Pittsburgh in 1993 with his first career home run coming as an inside-the-park home run off Orel Hershiser at Dodger Stadium on April 16 that same season. His major league career spanned from 1990 through 1999 with stops in Pittsburgh (1990-96), Toronto (1997), Anaheim (1998) and San Diego (1999).
Also heading to Altoona for his first season in 2013 will be Kyles, who spent 11 seasons as a pitcher in the minor leagues before beginning his coaching career. Prior to his stint as the bullpen coach for Milwaukee, Kyles served as the pitching coach for three seasons at Triple-A Nashville from 2005-08. His other stops as a pitching coach in the Brewers system included Triple-A Indianapolis (2004), Double-A Huntsville (2002-03) and High-A High Desert (2001). Before his time with Milwaukee, Kyles coached Cubs farm system (1992-93, 1997-2000) and in the Rockies farm system (1994-96).
A fourth-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in 1979, Kyles played in the Cubs' minor league system from 1979-1983. His minor league career also saw him stop in Oakland (1984-87), Los Angeles (NL) (1988), San Francisco (1989) and Milwaukee (1989). In 279 career games (120 starts), Kyles posted a career-ERA of 3.86 and a win-loss record of 52-56.
Back for another season in Curve, Pa. will be Long, who served in the same capacity as hitting coach in 2012 and from 2009-2010. The 2013 campaign marks Long's 13th as a coach and his fifth as a hitting instructor in the Pittsburgh system. Before working as a member of the Pirates minor-league system, Long spent six season in the Chicago White Sox organization and two with the Kansas City Royals system.
Rounding out the 2013 Curve staff will be Zalno, who will spend a third-straight season in Altoona after back-to-back seasons as the New York-Penn League Trainer of the Year in 2009-10 with State College. Zalno's 2013 campaign marks his 11th season with the Pirates organization since beginning his career as a trainer for the GCL Pirates in 2003. A native of Clearfield, Pa., Zalno graduated from Duquesne University in 2000 with a bachelor of sciences degree in athletic training before obtaining his master of sciences degree in sports administration from Eastern Kentucky in 2001.
The Pirates also announced their other minor league coaching staff assignments, which included a number of former Curve coaches. In Triple-A, Dean Treanor, who was Altoona's pitching coach in 2009, once again serves as manager and Tom Filer (2010 Curve) as his pitching coach.
At the Low-A level, 2012 Curve coach Michael Ryan, who is a native of Indiana, Pa., will get his first minor league managerial assignment as the skipper of the West Virginia Power. He'll be joined in Charleston by last season's Curve pitching coach Jeff Johnson, who will serve in the same capacity in 2013 with the Power.
Kory DeHaan, who played in Altoona in 1999, will be the hitting coach for the Pirates newest affiliate in Jamestown (New York-Penn League). In the Gulf Coast League, 2006-2009 Curve catcher Milver Reyes will skipper the GCL Pirates after a season as a player-coach in 2012.
-CURVE-