R-Phils Announce 2011 Field Staff

(Reading, PA) - The Philadelphia Phillies have announced that Mark Parent, who guided the Lakewood BlueClaws (A) to the South Atlantic League championship in 2010, will manage the Double-A Reading Phillies during the upcoming 2011 season. Parent, who will begin his second season in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, will be joined by returnees Frank Cacciatore (hitting coach), Bob Milacki (pitching coach), and Chris Mudd (athletic trainer), as announced earlier today by Philadelphia Phillies Assistant General Manager, Player Development, Chuck LaMar.

Parent, who will take over at the helm of the R-Phils in place of former manager Steve Roadcap (2009-2010), returned to baseball in 2010 after a two-year absence. The 13-year Major League veteran, who led Lakewood to their second-straight South Atlantic League championship last year, has also managed before. The Ashland, Oregon native was the original manager of the Chico (CA) Outlaws in the Golden Baseball League, and led the club to a championship in 2007. 

As a player, Parent spent 13 Major League seasons as a catcher and spent the last two with the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1998, at the age of 36, the 6'5" backstop caught 24 innings of a doubleheader for Philadelphia. In 474 Major League games, Parent hit 53 home runs with 168 RBIs. 

Reading Phillies 2011 Field Staff Bios:

Mark Parent, 49, begins his second season in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, and will become the 24th manager in Reading Phillies history when he takes the field in 2011. In 2010, as the first-year manager of Single-A Lakewood, the Ashland, Oregon native led the BlueClaws to an 84-55 record and a South Atlantic League championship - the club's second in as many seasons. 

Originally drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 4th round of the 1979 MLB Draft, Parent played 13 Major League seasons before retiring after the 1998 campaign. Over his 13-year career, he spent time with the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, and Philadelphia Phillies. His best offensive season came in 1995, when he mashed 18 home runs and 38 RBIs as a member of both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs (sent to the Pirates as part of a conditional deal on August 31). 

Frank Cacciatore, 57, returns for his fourth season as the R-Phils hitting coach after first entering the Phillies organization in 2008. Under Cacciatore's tutelage in 2010, the R-Phils finished fifth in the Eastern League in team batting average (.264), sixth in hits (1,239), fourth in home runs (128), and seventh in RBIs (621).

Before joining Reading in 2008, Cacciatore spent 20 years as either a Minor League manager or coach for the Houston Astros (1988-92), San Francisco Giants (1993-98), Florida Marlins (1999-01), Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals (2002-05) and New York Mets (2006-07). As an outfielder for Florida Southern College (1974-1975), Cacciatore assembled a .322 career batting average. He was elected to the college's Hall of Fame in 2006.

Bob Milacki, 46, enters his third season in the Philadelphia organization and his second-straight as the pitching coach of the R-Phils in 2011. Last year, in his first year as R-Phils pitching coach, Milacki's staff compiled a 4.63 ERA with a league-best seven complete games. 

In 2009, the New Jersey native spent the entire year as pitching coach of the Lakewood BlueClaws, where his staff compiled a team ERA of 3.79 as the team garnered the second South Atlantic League Championship in franchise history. Before his time in the Philadelphia system, Milacki served as the pitching coach for Lynchburg (2005-2008), Altoona (2002), and Hickory (2001, 2003-2004) in the Pittsburgh Pirates system.

Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the second round of the 1983 Draft, Milacki made his Major League debut for the Orioles on Sept 18, 1988. In three games started during the 1988 season, Milacki posted a 2-0 mark with a 0.72 ERA and quickly became a household name in Baltimore. In 1989, Milacki started an American League best 36 games, while posting a 14-12 mark with a 3.74 ERA. Two years later, on July 13, 1991, Milacki combined with three other pitchers (Mike Flanagan, Mark Williamson and Scott Olson) on a no-hitter -- only the second time in Major League history that four pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter. Milacki became a free agent after the 1992 season, and combined to pitch 22 games with the Indians, Royals and Mariners through the 1996 season.

Chris Mudd, 32, will return for his eighth season in the Phillies organization in 2011, and fourth-straight as the R-Phils athletic trainer. Mudd, a 2000 graduate of Western Kentucky University and 2002 graduate of the University of Alabama, will enter his 11th overall season in the professional ranks. A native of Leitchfield, KY., Mudd has spent time with Clearwater (2007), Lakewood (2006) and Batavia (2004-2005) while in the Phillies organization.

The entire 2011 Philadelphia Phillies Player Development Staff was also released earlier today by Philadelphia. Former R-Phils Ryne Sandberg (Triple-A Lehigh Valley) and Mickey Morandini (Single-A Williamsport), have been brought back to the organization as managers. Sandberg, who was officially hired as manager of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs last week, is a Reading Baseball Hall of Famer. "Ryno" played for the R-Phils in 1980 and his number 26 was retired by the R-Phils on July 2, 2006. Morandini, who played for the R-Phils in 1989, and was elected to the Reading Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, spent the past two years as a guest instructor during spring training for the Phillies. 

The 2011 Philadelphia Phillies Player Development Staff

Lehigh Valley (AAA)
Ryne Sandberg (manager)
Sal Rende (coach)
Rod Nichols (pitching coach)

Reading (AA)
Mark Parent (manager)
Frank Cacciatore (coach)
Bob Milacki (pitching coach)

Clearwater (A) 
Dusty Wathan (manager) 
TBA (coach) 
Dave Lundquist (pitching coach) 

Lakewood (A)
Chris Truby (manager)
Greg Legg (coach)
Steve Schrenk (pitching coach)

Williamsport (A) 
Mickey Morandini (manager) 
Jorge Velandia (coach) 
Lance Carter (pitching coach) 

Gulf Coast Phillies
Roly deArmas (manager)
Kevin Jordan (coach)
Carlos Arroyo (pitching coach) 
Les Lancaster (pitching coach)

The Reading Phillies will open the 2011 season at the newly-renovated FirstEnergy Stadium on Thursday, April 14 for a 7:05 p.m. game against the Akron Aeros. Fans interested in renewing their season tickets and mini-plans, can do so now by visiting readingphillies.com, or by calling 610-370-BALL. America's Classic Ballpark...Just Got Even Better.