A's & RockHounds Announce Field Staff
As the RockHounds and A's begin the 10th season of their affiliation, Webby will now have been a member of seven of those clubs as a player, coach or manager. He previously managed the club in 2004, guiding the RockHounds to a 72-68 mark, including a 2nd-place finish, four games behind Round Rock in the second half pennant race (the Express won both halves). Ironically, had the current playoff structure been in place in 2004, Webby's team would have reached the Texas League playoffs (the structure was changed for 2005, when the RockHounds swept both halves, en route to the TL title).
Webby's role with the RockHounds began in 1999, the first season of the Oakland affiliation and the first season for the "RockHounds" nickname. He served as a player-coach for the inaugural 'Hounds team, hitting .274 in 43 games. The following season, he returned as a full-time coach with the club.
His managerial career began in 2001 with the Vancouver Canadians, Oakland's (Short-Season Single-A) Northwest League affiliate. He moved up the A's ladder to the Visalia Oaks of the (Advanced Single-A) California League in 2002 and guided Kane County to the top overall record in the (Single-A) Midwest League in 2003 (the Cougars went 80-59) before managing the RockHounds for the first time in 2004.
Selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the second round of the 1983 draft (University of New Orleans), his playing career spanned 16 seasons, 13 of those seasons spent at the Double-A or Triple-A level. Webby reached the Major Leagues with Oakland, appearing in five games with the A's in 1996. In 1,796 minor league games, he hit .268 with 101 home runs and 768 runs batted in.
In each of the past three seasons, he served as RockHounds coach and hitting instructor, and was a member of the 2005 Texas League championship club and the 2006 playoff team.
The Louisiana native and his family continue to make their home in Marrero (New Orleans area).
Scott Emerson - Pitching Coach
"Emo," who enters for his second season as RockHound's pitching coach, was Baltimore's 40th round draft choice in 1991, selected out of Scottsdale, Arizona Community College. During his six-year pro career (1992-97), he was a 10-game winner in 1993 with Albany, the Orioles' (Single-A) South Atlantic League affiliate. Scott reached the Double-A level with the Orioles before being traded to the Boston Red Sox organization during the 1995 season. He retired as a player following the 1998 season.
Before joining the A's organization, Emo spent three seasons (2000-02) coaching in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He was the Bucs' pitching coach with Bradenton of the Gulf Coast Rookie League in 2000 and 2001 and with the Williamsport Crosscutters ... Pittsburgh's affiliate in the (Short-Season A) New York-Penn League in 2002.
With Oakland, Scott spent his first three seasons (2003-05) with the A's (Advanced-A) California League affiliates in Modesto and Stockton before being promoted to the (Double-A) RockHounds last season.
During the current off-season, Scott has developed his own (very entertaining) web site on baseball and the art of pitching. The web address is emo4strikes.com.
Scott and his family make their off-season home in Rockingham, North Carolina.
Casey Myers - Player/Coach
One of the finest hitters in the franchise's history, Casey Myers now becomes a player-coach and will help handle the RockHounds hitting instructor duties.
A two-time 2nd team All-American and two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year at Arizona State (2000 and 2001), Casey was selected by Oakland in the 9th round of the 2001 draft.
In 2005, he was a key member of the RockHounds' Texas League championship club, hitting .340 in 57 regular season games (with just 11 strikeouts in 226 at bats) and .348 in the Texas League playoffs. Although injuries have limited his playing time, Casey's .314 career average with the RockHounds is accompanied by a reputation as an outstanding clutch hitter (his .349 average with runners in scoring position in the 2005 championship season was second only to Daric Barton, Oakland's top prospect).
Casey's dad, Clint, was the longtime (19 years) head coach at Central Arizona Junior College (which produced A's star Rich Harden), winning the JUCO national title at the school in 2002. Clint is now the head softball coach at Arizona State. Casey's brother, Corey, was the Arizona Diamondbacks' top choice (4th overall) in the 1999 draft, and has reached the Triple-A level in his playing career.
Justin Whitehouse - Athletic Trainer
The Stockton, California native joins the RockHounds after spending the last five seasons as Athletic Trainer with the Kane County Cougars, Oakland's Midwest League affiliate. He served in that position in each of the first five seasons of the A's affiliation in Kane County (Geneva, Illinois).
A graduate of the University of Nevada (Reno), Justin earned his Masters Degree at San Diego State University in 2002.
Alumni Report
Former RockHounds managers Tony DeFrancesco (1999-2002) and Todd Steverson (2007) have both been promoted within the Oakland organization.
"Tony D" has reached the Major Leagues, joining Bob Geren's staff as Oakland's third base coach. The first manager of the RockHounds, Tony spent four seasons here before being promoted to the A's (Triple-A) Pacific Coast League affiliate, the Sacramento RiverCats, where he has managed the last five seasons, winning a pair of PCL titles.
Todd Steverson moves up to fill the Triple-A level vacancy after managing the RockHounds last season. His club finished the first half race at 41-26 (.612), the third best half season in franchise history.
Todd's 2007 club and Tony's 2001 'Hounds both finished in the top three (out of 30) Double-A teams in the first half of their respective seasons, yet both missed the playoffs. Round Rock went 50-20 in 2001 and Frisco 47-23 last season ... each playing in the same league and same division as the 'Hounds.