San Jose announces 2012 field staff
Skeels, 46, is set to begin his seventh season in the San Francisco Giants organization. He has won two league championships in four years as a manager, claiming the 2008 South Atlantic League title as skipper of the Augusta GreenJackets and the 2009 California League crown with San Jose. Under Skeels' leadership, the Giants have enjoyed two of the finest seasons in franchise history. The 2009 squad set a team record with 93 victories en route to the championship before a 90-win campaign last year that resulted in a playoff berth. MiLB.com honored the 2011 club as the Class A Advanced Team of the Year. Skeels' two-year managerial record with San Jose is a remarkable 183-97 (.654).
Skeels' 2008 Augusta squad finished with the best record (88-50) in Minor League Baseball among full-season teams. He also served as manager for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels in 2010. Skeels joined the San Francisco organization in 2006 and spent two years as Augusta's hitting coach. His only other year as a manager in affiliated baseball came in 2002 with the Montreal Expos Gulf Coast League affiliate.
Skeels was an All-American at the University of Arkansas before the San Diego Padres selected him in the seventh round of the 1987 draft. The former catcher spent 12 years playing professional baseball with the Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees organizations, including stints in the California League with the Riverside Red Wave (1988-89), Salinas Spurs (1992) and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (1993). Skeels advanced as high as Triple-A before embarking on a career in coaching.
Cooper enters his second season as pitching coach for the San Jose Giants after winning the 2011 California League Coach of the Year award. Cooper oversaw a Giants pitching staff last season that led the league in ERA (3.70) and shutouts (14). Five San Jose pitchers were named to the California League All-Star team. Prior to joining the Giants last season, Cooper spent two years as pitching coach for the Class A Short-Season Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. Cooper retired from his playing career in 2007 and became pitching coach for the Rookie-level AZL Giants the following season.
Cooper was originally drafted by Anaheim in 1995 and eventually played in the big leagues with the Angels (1999-2001), Toronto Blue Jays (2002) and San Francisco Giants (2004-05). He owned a 5-14 career mark with a 5.80 ERA over 42 major league games (26 starts).
Davenport returns to the California League marking his ninth season as a coach in the Giants minor league system and sixth as hitting coach in San Jose. Davenport served as the Giants' hitting coach the last four seasons (2008-2011) after a two-year stint in the same position with the Double-A Connecticut Defenders from 2006-07. Davenport's initial season as San Jose's hitting coach in 2005 saw the Giants set franchise records for batting average (.295) and home runs (143). Under his leadership, San Jose also set their record for doubles in a single-season (306 in 2011) and posted five out of the top six team batting averages in club history.
Davenport was originally drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 1981 out of Santa Clara University and has a long history of playing and instructing overseas, working in both South Africa and Italy. Davenport is the son of former San Francisco Giants star and current Special Assistant of Player Personnel, Jim Davenport.
Getsoff begins his first season as San Jose's athletic trainer and his fourth year in the Giants organization. He served the last two seasons as athletic trainer for the Augusta GreenJackets after one year in the same role with Salem-Keizer. Prior to joining the San Francisco organization, Getsoff spent the 2008 season with the Oakland A's in their minor league training operations department while also working as an athletic trainer in the Boston Red Sox minor league system during the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
Brooks also begins his first season with the San Jose Giants as strength and conditioning coach.
The 11-time California League champion San Jose Giants begin the 2012 season on Thursday, April 5 at Modesto. The home opener at Municipal Stadium is scheduled for Thursday, April 12 against the Bakersfield Blaze. For more information on tickets, please call (408) 297-1435 or visit sjgiants.com.