Dancy named manager for 2010 season

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Smokies, Double-A minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, proudly announce today Bill Dancy will be the Smokies' manager for the 2010 season. Joining Dancy on the 2010 staff is pitching coach Dennis Lewallyn, hitting coach Tom Beyers and athletic trainer Nick Frangella.

"We're very pleased to have Bill as our manager next year," states Smokies General Manager Brian Cox. "He brings a wealth of managerial experience in the minor leagues which will serve our players and fans well. We look forward to working with him."

Much of Dancy's time in baseball has been in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. After six years (1973-78) as an infielder in the Phillies' minor league system, the Florida native began his managerial career in 1979 at Class A Spartanburg. He then managed at Peninsula (A, 1980-82), Reading (AA, 1983-84, 1988, 1994-95), Portland (A, 1985-86), Maine (A, 1987), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA, 1989-91) and Clearwater (A, 1992-93, 1998-99). Dancy left the Phillies organization for two years to coach the Class AAA Richmond Braves (1996-97). He led Peninsula, Clearwater and Reading to league championships in 1980, 1983 and 1995 respectively, and has a minor league managerial record of 1,518-1,414 (.518).

Dancy left the managerial ranks in 2000 to become an infield coordinator for the Phillies, and then served as the team's field coordinator from 2001-2004. After two years as the Phillies' third base coach (2005-06), he returned to being the team's field coordinator in 2007 and 2008. He spent 2009 with the Kansas City Royals.

"I'm looking forward to coming to Tennessee and managing the Smokies next year," states Dancy. "There are a lot of really good prospects in the (Cubs minor league) system and we're going to be a good solid club. It'll make for a great experience for the fans."

Lewallyn returns for a fourth consecutive year as the pitching coach of the Smokies. He began his coaching career as a pitching instructor for 13 years in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He then moved over to the Arizona Diamondbacks minor league system, serving as the pitching coach for Lethbridge (Rookie League) in 1996. He followed this up working with South Bend (Low-A) in 1997, High Desert (High-A) in 1998 and with El Paso (Double-A) from 1999-2001. Lewallyn is a former first-round draft pick and spent time in the majors with the Dodgers, Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians.

The 2010 season will mark Beyers' second with the Smokies after two seasons as manager of the Boise Hawks (Short-A). He joined the Cubs organization in 2000 as hitting coach for Eugune (Low-A), then Boise from 2001-03. In 2004, as manager, Beyers won the Northwest League's Manager of the Year award. He then resumed hitting coach duties with Boise in 2005 and West Tenn (Double-A) in 2006, before returning to Boise. Prior to his time with the Cubs, Beyers served as a player, coach and manager in the Dodgers organization for 16 seasons.

Athletic trainer Nick Frangella will return for a third season with the Smokies in 2010, his fifth overall in the Cubs' minor league system.

2009 Smokies manager Ryne Sandberg will remain in the Cubs organization as the manager of the Triple-A Iowa Cubs.