Tommy Boy: Thompson back as manager

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (Jan. 21, 2015) - Tommy Thompson will return to manage the Kannapolis Intimidators, Class A Affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, for his third season in the last five years at the helm of the club. Thompson, who has alternated as the manager of the Intimidators and Class A-Advanced Winston-Salem Dash each year since first managing Kannapolis in 2011, will be joined by four returning members of the Intimidators 2014 field staff. Pitching Coach Jose Bautista returns for his fifth straight season in Kannapolis, while Rob Sasser will serve as hitting coach for the second straight season. 

"Not only has Tommy fielded competitive teams in Kannapolis, he's been great with our fans," said Intimidators General Manager Randy Long. "We're excited to have him back in the dugout in 2015. Seeing popular returning coaches like Jose Bautista and Robert Sasser will no doubt make a lot of fans happy as well."

Thompson, 57, has led Kannapolis to a record of 137-138 in two seasons as the team's manager (2011 and 2013), including bringing the Intimidators within a game of the playoffs in 2011 with a 76-62 record. Under Thompson's instruction in 2013, Intimidators second baseman Micah Johnson was named a South Atlantic League Annual All-Star. Thompson has served as a minor league manager in the White Sox organization for the last four seasons and has compiled a career record of 512-534 (.489) over eight seasons. He earned Manager of the Year honors in the Carolina League in 2012 while guiding Winston-Salem to the best record in full-season minor league baseball (87-51). He began his managerial career with the White Sox in 1990 at the helm of Utica (NYPL) and in 1991 with South Bend (Midwest League) before serving as the Sox' catching coordinator from 1992-2005. Thompson spent two seasons with the Orioles as manager of the Frederick Keys (Carolina League), winning a CL title in 2007, before rejoining the White Sox in 2010 as a roving instructor. 

Bautista, 50, will once again oversee the Kannapolis pitching staff, his fifth consecutive season as pitching coach in Kannapolis and his eighth season in the White Sox organization. With the Intimdators, he has helped develop prospects Addison Reed, Jake Petricka, Chris Bassitt, Erik Johnson and Daniel Webb, all of whom went on to make their MLB debuts with the White Sox. Last season, he worked with prospect Tyler Danish, who went 3-0 with a 0.71 ERA in 38.0 IP with the Intimidators before earning a promotion to Winston-Salem. Bautista served as the Sox' Latin Roving Instructor from 2009-10 before joining Kannapolis in 2011. In 312 major league appearances (49 starts), Bautista went 32-42 with a 4.62 ERA with Baltimore, the Cubs, San Francisco, Detroit and St. Louis from 1988 to 1997.

Sasser, 40, will serve as the Intimidators hitting coach for the third time in the last four seasons. Last season, he helped White Sox prospect Trey Michalczewski become a consistent South Atlantic League hitter at age 19 before eventually earning a promotion to the Dash. This will be Sasser's 10th season coaching in the White Sox organization. A 13-year veteran of minor league baseball, Sasser began his coaching career as the hitting coach of Double-A Birmingham in 2006. He also served as hitting coach for Great Falls in 2007 and 2011 and for Winston-Salem from 2008-2010 and 2013. In his lone Major League appearance, Sasser pinch-hit for Texas against the White Sox on July 31, 1998.

The Intimidators' 2015 field staff also includes returning athletic trainer James Kruk and returning strength and conditioning coach George Timke. Kruk, 30, will begin his sixth season with the White Sox and second with Kannapolis. The Coastal Carolina graduate spent 2013 in Bristol and worked in Great Falls from 2009-2012. Timke, 32, joined the Intimidators in 2014 after serving as the conditioning coach for Great Falls in 2013, his first season in the White Sox organization. He previously worked as a strength coach in the Kansas City organization from 2009-12.