Cubs Announce 2013 Coaching Staff
Pevey begins his 31st season in professional baseball (13 years as a player and 17 in coaching) and becomes Iowa's seventh manager in the last seven seasons. Pevey joined the Cubs' organization in 2009 as the manager for the Peoria Chiefs in the Midwest League. Pevey led the Chiefs to an 81-57 record and was named the Midwest League's co-Manager of the Year. He has served as the Cubs' catching coordinator for the last three seasons.
Pevey began his managerial career with in the Toronto Blue Jays' organization with short-season Medicine Hat from 1996-97. He managed single-A Hagerstown and was named the South Atlantic League's Manager of the Year in 1998. After serving as Toronto's bullpen coach in 1999, Pevey returned to the managerial ranks with high-A Dunedin (2000-02), double-A New Haven (2003), and triple-A Syracuse (2004-05) before returning to the Blue Jays major league staff as the first base coach in 2006 and then third base coach from 2007-08. He was voted as the Florida State League Manager of the Year with Dunedin in 2000 and the Eastern League Manager of the Year with New Haven in '03. In 10 seasons as a manager, Pevey has a career record of 644-617 (.511).
As a player, Pevey was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 19th round of the 1982 draft out of Georgia Southern University where he was a three-time All-Conference selection. Pevey played 13 seasons, including nine at triple-A. He made his major league debut with the Montreal Expos on May 16, 1989 and played 13 games in his only big league season.
Mason enters his sixth year with the Cubs' organization, all with Iowa, and his 22nd year in pro coaching. Prior to joining the Cubs, Mason was the Kansas City Royals minor league pitching coordinator in 2007 and their roving pitching coach in 2004-06. He also held that position from 2000-01, with a two-year stint as the Triple-A pitching coach for the Philadelphia Phillies at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in between.
From 1991-99, Mason was a coach in the Royals' system with stops in Appleton (1991-92), Memphis ('93-94), Springfield ('95), Lansing ('96-97), and Wichita ('98-99). Mason pitched eight seasons in the big leagues with Texas (1982-87), the Cubs ('87), and Minnesota ('88). He compiled a 29-39 record with a 4.53 ERA in 140 games, including 90 starts.
Harper begins his first season as a hitting coach in the Cubs' organization after managing high-A Daytona last year and double-A Tennessee in 2011. He just completed a stint as the hitting coach for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League. Prior to joining the Cubs' organization, Harper was a manager in the Los Angeles Angels' organization from 2001-2007, including two seasons with Salt Lake from 2006-07. From 2008-09, he served as the San Francisco Giants' roving catching instructor and then managed their high-A team in San Jose in 2010.
Harper was drafted by the California Angels in the fourth round of the 1977 draft out of San Pedro (CA) High School. He made his major league debut in 1979 and played 16 big league seasons with the Angels (1979, '81), Pittsburgh Pirates ('82-84), St. Louis Cardinals (1985), Detroit Tigers (1986), Oakland A's (1987, '95), Minnesota Twins ('88-93), and Milwaukee Brewers (1994). He played in the World Series with the Cardinals in '85 and Twins in '91. He finished with a career .295 average, 63 home runs, and 428 RBI.
This will be Frangella's 10th season in the Cubs' organization. Prior to joining Iowa last year, he had spent the previous four seasons at double-A Tennesse and also had stints at single-A Peoria and short-season Boise. Frangella earned a Bachelors of Science degree from Illinois State University and has a Masters Degree from California University of Pennsylvania.
Former Iowa Cubs' manager Buddy Bailey will return as double-A Tennessee's manager and his eighth in the Cubs' system. Bailey managed Iowa in 2008. Dave Keller, who was Iowa's hitting coach last season, will manage the Cubs' high-A affiliate in Daytona. Mark Johnson, who played for the I-Cubs in 2005 and 2009-10, will begin his second season as a manager in the Cubs' system and move up from short-season Boise to the Kane County Cougars, the Cubs' new single-A affiliate in the Midwest League.
The Iowa Cubs open the 2013 season on Thursday, April 4 at Albuquerque and the home opener at Principal Park will be Friday, April 12 at 7:05 against the Isotopes. Season ticket packages are available by calling (515) 243-6111 or find more information online at iowacubs.com.