Burns becomes new Toledo pitching coach

The Detroit Tigers have announced today that Toledo Pitching Coach Jeff Jones has been promoted to Detroit and will serve as the Bullpen Coach for the Tigers during the 2007 season.

Jones will take over for Lloyd McClendon, who was named the new Hitting Coach for Detroit.

Jeff Jones spent parts of 12 seasons with the Toledo Mud Hens and 2007 will be his 19th season in the Detroit organization. The 50-year-old was signed by Oakland as their 13th selection in the 1977 draft and spent five seasons with the Athletics from 1980-84. Jones pitched for Bowling Green State University and later played one season for Toledo in 1987.

Britt Burns will now take over as the Pitching Coach for Toledo in 2007. Ironically, Burns did the same thing for Jeff Jones in April 2002 when Jones was promoted to Detroit. The 47-year-old Houston native has been the Pitching Coach for Class A Advanced Lakeland the past three seasons and spent the 2003 season as Pitching Coach for Double-A Erie. Burns spent nine seasons as a coach in the Florida Marlins organization from 1993-2001.

Burns pitched for eight seasons in the Major Leagues with the Chicago White Sox and posted a 70-60 record with a 3.66 ERA in 193 appearances. He debuted with Chicago at the age of 19 in 1978 and was named American League Rookie of the Year that season. Burns participated in the 1981 All-Star Game and the 1983 American League Championship Series.

Traded to the New York Yankees following the 1985 season, his career ended prematurely due to a degenerative hip.