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Chris Cron Back as Manager, Aces Announce 2020 Coaching Staff

January 10, 2020

The Reno Aces, in conjunction with the Arizona Diamondbacks, have announced Chris Cron as Manager for the 2020 season. It will be Cron's second season at the helm for the Aces and 21st season overall as a manager in professional baseball. Joining Cron will be a familiar staff, the same

The Reno Aces, in conjunction with the Arizona Diamondbacks, have announced Chris Cron as Manager for the 2020 season. It will be Cron's second season at the helm for the Aces and 21st season overall as a manager in professional baseball.
Joining Cron will be a familiar staff, the same as 2019. Coach Greg Gross is back in the Biggest Little City for his eighth season. Jason Camilli returns for his third season as the team's hitting coach. And Jeff Bajenaru will be back in the dugout for his second season as the club's pitching coach.
Strength coach Steven Candelaria and athletic trainer Michael Powell round out the support staff.

"I'm absolutely thrilled to be coming back to Reno, it's a first-class organization and the fan support is off the charts," Aces Manager Chris Cron said. "I really enjoy what I'm doing for a living. Just being around a group of people that is the entire Aces organization, the front office, D-backs on-field personnel, the fans, the Reno community - I just can't wait to get it going again."
"I'm also really happy to have the entire on-field staff back. We worked very well with each other and having that year under our belt will make it easy this year," Cron added.
"Chris is a fantastic leader and a pleasure to work with, "Aces General Manager Emily Jaenson said. "He represented both the Aces and the D-backs with excellence in the Northern Nevada community last season and we are thrilled to have him return. We know with Chris leading the charge, we will have a team that will have fans excited to watch the Reno Aces every time we take the field."
Cron enters his 36th season in professional baseball and seventh season in the D-backs' organization. Last year, Cron managed the Aces to a 66-74 record and a second-place finish in the Pacific Northern Division. With Cron in charge in 2019, eight Aces passed through Reno and made their Major League debuts. (Taylor Clarke, Kevin CronJon Duplantier, Kevin GinkelDomingo Leyba, Joel Payamps, Josh Rojas, and Alex Young)
Before managing the Aces, Cron had 19 years of managerial experience. During that stretch, he won Manager of the Year honors twice; Carolina League (1998) and Pioneer League (2008). He led his teams to eight playoff appearances (1997-98, 2005, '07-10, 2013) and won the Pioneer League Championship in 2008. Including last season in Reno, Cron enters 2020 with a 1,193-1,223 (.494) managerial record.
As a player, Cron appeared in six games with the California Angels in 1991 and six games for the Chicago White Sox in 1992. He recorded two career Major League hits, both coming against the Blue Jays in Toronto. Cron is the father of big leaguers C.J. Cron and Kevin Cron, both of whom hit their first career home runs against the Blue Jays in Toronto.
Cron played 12 Minor League seasons with the Atlanta Braves (1984-86), Angels (1987-91), White Sox (1992-93, '95), and Cleveland Indians (1994). During his minor league career, he hit .268 with 251 doubles, 172 home runs, and 785 RBI in 1,250 games after being selected in the second round of the 1984 MLB draft out of Santa Ana College in California.
He resides in Ahwatukee, Arizona and has three children, C.J., Kevin, and Carly.
Greg Gross returns for his eighth season in Reno after spending 2010-2012 as the hitting coach of the Philadelphia Phillies. He managed the Aces in 2017 and 2018 compiling 152-130 record while leading Reno to a Pacific Northern Division title in the process.

Gross played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phillies. Over his big-league career, he hit .287 with seven home runs, 130 doubles, 46 triples, 308 RBIs, 449 runs scored, 39 stolen bases, and a .372 career on-base percentage. Gross won a World Series ring with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980.
Some other career highlights include a .314 batting average during his rookie campaign with the Astros in 1974 garnering Sporting News Rookie of the Year honors while finishing second in the BBWAA NL Rookie of the Year race. The lefty owns 143 career pinch-hits, the fifth most all-time in Major League history.
He and his wife, Konnie, reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania and have two children, Megan and Michael.
Jason Camilli enters his third season as Reno's hitting coach and ninth in the D-backs' organization. He began his coaching career as a minor league instructor with the Montreal Expos' organization in 2004.
Under the instruction of Camilli, the Aces enjoyed one of their best offensive campaigns in team history last season. They hit a franchise-record 242 home runs in 2019 besting their previous high of 178 set in 2011. They drove in a record 881 RBIs, 12 more than their previous best of 869.

Individually, Illdemaro Vargas became the franchise's all-time hit king with his 400th base knock in an Aces' uniform this past season. Kevin Cron set the single-season franchise-record for homers and also became the team's all-time home run leader with his 56th career blast with Reno coming on August 13.  
Camilli joined the Arizona Diamondbacks organization as the hitting coach of the Yakima Bears in 2012 and progressed to the South Bend Silver Hawks in 2013, Visalia Rawhide in 2014, Mobile BayBears in 2015-2016 and Jackson Generals in 2017.
He and his wife, Megan, reside in Peoria, Arizona with their two daughters, Jadyn and Jordyn.  
Jeff Bajenaru enters his second season with Reno and 10th season coaching in the D-backs' organization. He was named California League Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2018 with the Visalia Rawhide. During his playing career, Bajenaru earned a World Series ring with the White Sox in 2005.

Bajenaru started his coaching career in 2011 with the Arizona Diamondbacks as a Minor League pitching instructor. In 2015, he was the pitching coach for the Pioneer League Champions, Missoula Osprey.
Other notable moments in Bajeneru's career include a 2006 Triple-A and Pacific Coast League Championship with the Tucson Sidewinders.
He and his wife, Alysa, have two children, Joe and Leila, and reside in Arlington, Texas.
The Aces open their 2020 season on Thursday, April 9 at 1:05 p.m. against the Sacramento River Cats at Greater Nevada Field.
For tickets or more information, fans can visit the team's website at www.renoaces.com or by calling (775) 334-4700. Follow the club all offseason long on Twitter (@Aces) or like the team on Facebook.