Gary DiSarcina Named PawSox Manager for 2013

The Pawtucket Red Sox and the Boston Red Sox are pleased to announce that Gary DiSarcina has been named as the new PawSox manager for the 2013 season. Additionally, the clubs today announced that former Portland (AA) hitting coach Dave Joppie will be the new PawSox hitting coach while pitching coach Rich Sauveur will return for his sixth season with the PawSox and trainer Jon Jochim is back for his fourth year.

The 45-year-old DiSarcina was the minor league field coordinator for the Los Angeles Angels in 2012. He was recently promoted to Special Assistant to Angels General Manager Jerry Dipoto this past October. In 2011 he returned to the Angels organization where he had spent his entire 12-year major league playing career (from 1989-2000).

Gary was in the Red Sox organization for four seasons as he managed the Lowell Spinners (short-A) from 2007-2009 and served as Boston's minor league infield coordinator in 2010. He was originally hired by the Red Sox as a Baseball Operations consultant in November of 2006.

A native of Billerica, MA, DiSarcina attended the University of Massachusetts and was selected by the California Angels in the 6th round of the 1988 draft. In 12 seasons with the Angels he appeared in 1,086 games (tied for 7th most in team history) with 1,069 of those games at shortstop (3rd in club annals). His career batting average was .258 with 186 doubles, 20 triples, 28 HR and 355 RBI. He also consistently ranked among the top American League shortstops in assists, putouts, and fielding pct. throughout much of the 1990s. In 1995 he was an American League All-Star (batting a career-best .307 in 99 games) and was selected as the Angels Team MVP. He also earned Team MVP honors in 1998, hitting .287 with career-highs of 39 doubles and 56 RBI.

Gary signed a minor league free agent deal with the Red Sox for the 2002 season and hit .243 in 35 games for the PawSox playing mostly at second base. He began the year on the disabled list with a broken finger, came off on May 16, and eventually retired on July 15. Buddy Bailey was DiSarcina's manager during that '02 season.

After retiring as an active player, he operated the DiSarcina Baseball Academy in Billerica and served as a NESN analyst during the Red Sox pre- and post-game shows. He was also on the coaching staff for Team Italy in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.

In his three seasons as a manger, DiSarcina compiled a 125-99 record (.558) for the Lowell Spinners, the Red Sox short-season Class A affiliate in the New York-Penn League. He made his managerial debut in 2007 and finished in 2nd-place in the Stedler Division of the NY-Penn League with a 40-36 record. Red Sox outfielder Ryan Kalish and LHP Felix Doubront were both on the '07 Spinners.

3B Will Middlebrooks and catcher Ryan Lavarnway both made their professional debuts on DiSarcina's 2008 Lowell club which finished in 1st-place with a 40-33 mark. Current PawSox INF Jon Hee and RHP Brock Huntzinger were also members of the '08 Spinners who lost to Batavia, 2 games to 1 in the NY-Penn League semi-finals.

Gary led Lowell to back-to-back division championships in 2009 with a 45-30 record to win the Stedler Division by 9½-games. The Spinners fell in the semis to Staten Island by a 2 games to 1 margin. Members of the 2012 Governors' Cup Champion PawSox who played for DiSarcina at Lowell in 2009 included outfielders Alex Hassan and Jeremy Hazelbaker, catcher Dan Butler, and RHP Alex Wilson. Portsmouth, RI native Ryan Westmoreland had an excellent '09 campaign with DiSarcina (.296/7/35 in 60 games).

DiSarcina was born in Malden, MA on November 19, 1967. He currently resides in Plymouth, MA. He has two children, daughter Carlee and son Gary, Jr..