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MLB

Kruzel Returns as Chiefs Manager

By Nathan Baliva
December 10, 2014

PEORIA, IL - The Peoria Chiefs and St. Louis Cardinals have announced the 2015 Chiefs field staff with Joe Kruzel returning as Chiefs manager. His staff will include returning hitting coach Jobel Jimenez along with newcomer pitching coach Dernier Orozco and newcomer athletic trainer Brent Neuharth. The entire staff will also coach the West squad in the 2015 Midwest League All-Star game at Dozer Park on Tuesday, June 23.

     Kruzel, 48, led the Chiefs to their most wins (72) in 2014 since the 2009 team made the playoffs as second half division champions. The 2014 Chiefs went 37-32 in the first half and 35-35 in the second half. In both halves the Chiefs were in a playoff spot until the final week and ultimately missed the post-season by one game in each half. This is the eighth time in franchise history a manager has returned for a second season.

     Before joining the Chiefs, Kruzel led the Rookie Ball Johnson City Cardinals to a 36-31 record in 2013, missing the playoffs by 1.5 games. The 2013 JC Cardinals were third in the league in batting average, second in home runs and runs scored and fourth in ERA. Kruzel worked in the Midwest League as the Quad Cities River Bandits hitting coach from 2008-2012, helping the 2011 squad to the Midwest League Championship. In 2012 the River Bandits were third in the MWL in batting and led the league in home runs and RBI. In 2011 the River Bandits led the MWL in doubles, walks, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Prior to joining the Cardinals in 2008, Kruzel managed the Billings Mustangs in the Pioneer League for the Cincinnati Reds in 2007. He was also the hitting coach for the Gulf Coast League Reds in 2006.

     Kruzel was the head baseball coach at the University of Toledo from 1993-2003 and an assistant for the Rockets from 1989-2003. He is the second-winningest coach in UT history and was named MAC Coach of the Year in 1999. He played second base for Toledo from 1985-88 hitting .311 with 28 RBI in 1988 and also served as an assistant baseball coach at Miami (Ohio) University. A native of Toledo, Ohio, Kruzel was an All-District player at Central Catholic.

     During his time as a manager or hitting coach, Kruzel has taught numerous Major League hitters including: Matt Carpenter, Matt Adams, Juan Francisco, Todd Frazier, Kolten Wong, Pete Kozma, Brett Wallace and the late Oscar Taveras.

     Jimenez returns to the Chiefs for his second season as hitting coach. Prior to joining Peoria in 2014, Jimenez was an instructor in the Cardinals organization since 2007 and spent the 2012 season as the hitting coach with the Rookie Level Gulf Coast Cardinals. Prior to joining the GCL squad he was the hitting coach for the Venezuelan Summer League Cardinals. Jimenez worked in the Boston Red Sox organization from 2001-2006 as a scout, outfield instructor and hitting coach in both Venezuela and the Dominican Republic.

     A native of Venezuela, Jimenez played in the Los Angeles Dodgers system in 1993 and 1994 before joining the Dodgers organization as a scout. He worked for the Dodgers as a Venezuelan Summer League scout and outfield instructor from 1994-1998 and then spent two seasons in the same capacity with the Florida Marlins.

  Orozco is a newcomer to the Chiefs after back-to-back seasons with the short-season State College Spikes in the New York-Penn League. In 2014 the Spikes won the NYPL Championship and finished second in the league as a pitching staff with a 2.97 ERA. The Spikes were also third in strikeouts, second in saves, second in shutouts and a allowed the third least amount of home runs. In 2013 the Spikes made it to the NYPL Finals with a league-best 2.80 ERA under Orozco's leadership.

     A native of Venezuela, the 33-year-old has coached at four different levels in 10 seasons in the Cardinals organization. From 2006-2008 he coached with the Cardinals in the Venezuelan Summer League and returned to the VSL in 2010. In 2009 and 2011 he coached the Gulf Coast League Cardinals before moving up to Dann Bilardello's Batavia staff in 2012. Orozco pitched six seasons in the Boston Red Sox organization. He posted an ERA of 1.88 in the VSL in 2002 and went 4-2 in 14 games for the 2003 GCL Red Sox.

     Neuharth is also a newcomer to the Chiefs staff. Last season he was the Athletic Trainer for the Johnson City Cardinals who won the Appalachian League Championship. The Chiefs strength and conditioning coach will be announced at a later date.

     The Chiefs 2014 pitching coach Jason Simontacchi will work with the Double-A Springfield Cardinals in 2015 while athletic trainer Michael Petrarca will be in Johnson City. Simontacchi joins 2013 Chiefs manager Dann Bilardello and hitting coach Erik Pappas on the Springfield staff.