Suns Announce Coaching Staff For 2007

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Los Angeles Dodgers announced the on-field coaching staff for the 2007 edition of the Jacksonville Suns. John Shoemaker will return for his third consecutive season, and fourth overall, as the Suns manager, Danny Darwin returns for his second season as Suns Pitching Coach and Luis Salazar will join the team as hitting coach. Yosuke "Possum" Nakajima will join the Suns as the team's athletic trainer in 2007. John Shoemaker has quickly become one of the most fan-friendly and popular managers in Suns history and can easily be mentioned in the same breath as the legendary Ben Geraghty as one of Jacksonville's all-time greats. He originally managed the team to a Southern League co-championship in 2001 while being named Manager of the Year. He returned to Jacksonville in 2005, taking the Suns to the title once again while earning Minor League Team of the Year honors as well. In 2006, "Shoe's" team once again made the playoffs, tying a team record with 86 regular season wins and earning his second Southern League Manager of the Year honors. He also achieved a career milestone in 2006, winning his 1,000th game as a manager. Shoemaker, 50, served as the Dodgers' assistant minor league field coordinator in 2004 and managed the team's Class AAA affiliate in Las Vegas in 2003. He has worked in the Dodgers' minor leagues for 29 years, as a player, manager and defensive instructor. In his 16 seasons as a minor league manager, Shoemaker has posted a 1020-993 (.507) record and has won three league championships while reaching five league finals. In his three seasons with the Suns, he has managed the team to a combined 254-172 record, giving him the highest career winning percentage of any Jacksonville skipper in the SL era. The Vero Beach, Fla. resident played baseball and basketball at Miami (Ohio) University and was drafted in the sixth round of the 1978 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. Danny Darwin returns to the Suns as pitching coach for the upcoming season. Darwin, 51, spent 21 years as a big league pitcher, appearing in 716 games, which ranks 62nd on the all-time Major League list. He led the National League with a 2.21 ERA in 1990 when he went 11-4 for the Houston Astros. Darwin won a career-high 15 games while pitching for Boston in 1993 and finished his career with a 171-182 record. Luis Salazar will enter his first season with the Suns in 2007. A 13-year Major League veteran, Salazar spent the last two seasons as the manager of the Vero Beach Dodgers (Single-A Advanced) of the Florida State League. Prior to his stint in Vero Beach, he spent three seasons at the helm of the Gulf Coast League Dodgers. An infielder/outfielder in the majors, Salazar spent time with the San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs. He played every position except catcher during his big-league career. He was a member of the National League Champion San Diego Padres in 1984 and the NL Eastern Division Champion Chicago Cubs team in 1989. "The Dodgers have put together an incredible staff for this year's team," said Suns President Peter Bragan, Jr. "Shoe is the best manager the Suns have ever had, both on the field and off, and having Danny Darwin back and adding Luis Salazar to work with him give me a lot to look forward to this season. With this staff, I feel confident that we can make it back to the top of the Southern League. The Jacksonville Suns, the Double-A Southern League affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, open the 2007 Southern League season on April 5 vs. the Tennessee Smokies. Season tickets, sponsorships and group tickets for the Suns' 70-game regular season are currently on sale.