KMets Announce 2012 Field Staff

The Kingsport Mets have announced their coaching staff for the 2012 baseball season. Jon Debus has been named manager and Yunir Garcia will be the hitting coach. Jonathan Hurst will be returning for his 4th year as the team's pitching coach. The KMets are the Appalachian League rookie affilate of the New York Mets. This will be the 32nd season that the parent club has been in Kingsport. Debus served as the New York Mets bullpen coach last season. Prior to that he spent over two decades in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Debus was drafted out of the College of St. Francis (IL) in 1980 and spent the next 10 seasons as a player in the Dodgers minor leauge system making it as high as AAA. After serving as a hitting coach in San Antonio (AA) in 1990-91 Debus was a minor league manger in both the Pioneer League and Florida State League from 1992-96. He returned as a coach for the next 3 years working at both Albuequreque (AAA) and Vero Beach. After working as a minor league general manager for two years Debus returned to the Dodgers in 2002 where he served as both a minor league catching coordinator and major league bullpen coach for several seasons. Before joining the Mets Debus spent two years coaching in the Japanese Professional baseball league. Debus will be joined on his staff by a pair of veterans in the Mets system. Garcia served as hitting coach for the Gulf Coast Mets last year. Prior to that he was the manger of the Dominican Summer Leauge Mets in 2010 and was the hitting cocah for the Venezuealan Summer League Mets in 2008-09. Garcia spent 8 years in the Mets minor league organization as a player. Hurst is in his 7th year as a minor league coach in the Mets farm system, as this will be his fourth consecutive year in Kingsport. Hurst had nearly a 20 year career as a player making it to the majors with the Montreal Expos in 1994. VP & GM Roman Stout is looking forward to working with the staff. "This is a veteran group and a group that you hear nothing but good things about from everyone. Obviously we've known Hurstie here for a while and he's done a good job for us. The reports that we get on Jon and Yunir are excellent. Our fans can feel confident that with the expereience and expertise that we'll have in the dug-out this season that our players will be in good hands." The KMets will be hosting several events at Hunter Wright Stadium in the months leading up to the season. For this or any other team informantion feel free to call (423) 384-0573.