Senators Announce 2012 Coaching Staff
LeCroy comes to the Senators from Potomac where he guided the P-Nats to a playoff spot in the Carolina League in 2011. He spent 2009 and 2010 as the skipper of the Hagerstown Suns. He last played in 2008 for the Lancaster Barnstormers. He is 189-224 in his three seasons as a manager in the Nationals organization. He was the Carolina League manager in the Carolina League vs. California League All-Star game in 2011.
LeCroy was originally drafted in the first round of the 1997 amateur draft by the Minnesota Twins. He debuted in the 2000 season with the Twins starting an eight-year career in which he played in 476 games, primarily as a catcher. He batted .260 in his career with 60 home runs in just 1388 at bats, or one home run every 23 at bats. During his career, he appeared in the postseason three times with the Twins including the American League Championship Series in 2002 against Anaheim. He batted .269 in 26 postseason at bats with an RBI. His best season was 2003, batting .287 for the Twins with 17 HRs and 64 RBIs in 107 games. Matt played one season for the Nats, 2006, and appeared in 39 games.
Menhart was originally selected in the 8th round of the 1990 amateur draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched in parts of three seasons with the Blue Jays, going 5-9 with a 5.47 ERA in 41 games, 23 of them starts. Paul made his major league debut on April 27, 1995 when he came in during the ninth inning of a game against the Oakland Athletics. His battery mate was former Sens manager Randy Knorr. Menhart has spent the past three seasons in Potomac as the pitching coach. This is his seventh season as a pitching coach in the Nationals organization. He spent three years as a coach for his Alma Mater, the Western Carolina Catamounts prior to joining the Nationals organization. He finished his playing career in 2001 with the independent league Solano Steelheads.
Fox was selected in the 1st round of the 1986 amateur draft (January Secondary) by the Seattle Mariners. This is his second stint as hitting coach with the Senators, having served in the same role in 2001. He made his major league debut on July 7, 1992 for the Oakland Athletics. He played parts of four years in the major leagues, three with the Athletics and one with Texas. He played in the postseason with Oakland in 1992, going one for four against Toronto in the American League Championship Series. Fox comes to the Nationals organization after having been with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. His last season of playing professionally was 1997, appearing in 92 games combined with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Rochester.
The 2012 home opener is Thursday, April 12 at 7:00pm against the Reading Phillies. Season tickets, mini-plans, and group tickets are available by either going online at www.senatorsbaseball.com or by phoning the Senators at 717-231-4444.