Rockies, Tourists reveal coaching staff

ASHEVILLE-The Colorado Rockies announced on February 4, 2013 that former Tourist infielder Fred Ocasio will manage the Asheville team during the 2013 campaign. The announcement includes the addition of the role of Development Supervisor in which Marv Foley will fulfill. Ocasio will be joined in the Tourists' dugout by Foley and returnees Joey Eischen, who will oversee the team's pitchers for the third straight season, hitting coach Mike Devereaux and trainer Billy Whitehead.

Ocasio has spent the past 17 seasons as a member of the Rockies' organization. The Oklahoma State University product debuted in the farm system when he batted .320 in 41 games with the Tourists in 1994 before returning to Asheville for 14 contests in 1995, when he hit at a .308 clip. His coaching career started in Rookie ball with Tucson in 1998 prior to moving up to Class A Salem in 2000. A year later he became the hitting coach at Tri-City in the Northwest League, a job he held for five seasons. In 2006, Ocasio became the Dust Devils' manager and skippered the team for the next seven years, through the 2012 campaign. During that time he guided Tri-City to the NWL championship series on three occasions and compiled an overall record of 264-268.

Ocasio becomes the first Tourist manager other than Joe Mikulik since the 1999 season. Mikulik led Asheville for 13 years and guided the Tourists to the South Atlantic League championship in 2012. Mikulik accepted a job with the Texas Rangers in December as a roving minor league outfield instructor.

"We're looking forward to having Fred Ocasio back in Asheville and managing the Tourists in 2013," said team president Brian DeWine. "Fred worked with many of the players last year at Tri-City who will be on our team this season. He also will be working with Joey Eischen, Mike Devereaux and Billy Whitehead, all of whom were integral parts to our championship team last year."

The Development Supervisor is a leadership role that is highly responsible for the oversight and implementation of the Colorado Rockies development philosophies and practices. The Development Supervisor will be a team-builder who will create synergy among staff members so that they may generate and evaluate best practices on a daily, weekly, monthly and season-long basis. Foley was the Rockies Minor League Catching Coordinator in 2012. He will work hand-in-hand with the coaching staff and travel with the team throughout the season.

"The addition of the Development Supervisor role is one we are pleased to embrace," DeWine added. "Developing players is one of Marv's greatest strengths and we are eager to welcome him to Asheville and the Tourists organization."

The 2013 campaign will be Devereaux's second slate with the Tourists and third in the Rockies' organization after spending the previous two seasons in the Baltimore Orioles' farm system. He was a coach for Advanced Class A Frederick in 2011 after toiling in 2010 as a coach at Delmarva in the South Atlantic League. Devereaux played 12 seasons in the major leagues with Baltimore, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers. He finished seventh in the Most Valuable Player balloting in 1992 for the Orioles while batting .276 with 24 homers and 107 RBIs. He also was named the MVP of the 1995 National League Championship Series after hitting at a .308 clip with a home run and five RBIs for the Braves. He was originally selected in the fifth round of the 1985 June draft by the Dodgers.

Eischen enters his third season as a coach with Asheville after working with the pitchers at Tri-City in 2010. The pitching coach played 17 seasons in the professional ranks, from 1989 to 2006, including parts of 10 campaigns in the major leagues. Originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in the fourth round in 1989, the left-handed hurler made all 324 of his career major league appearances in relief. Eischen twirled for the Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals and went a combined 11-9 with a 3.67 ERA.

Whitehead will be the Tourists' trainer for the fifth consecutive campaign after spending the 2007 and 2008 seasons as the trainer of the Casper Ghosts in the Pioneer League. Whitehead is a 2005 Athletic Training graduate of Texas Tech University, where he also served as a trainer for the Red Raider baseball team.

The Tourists open the 2013 season on the road at West Virginia on April 4 before debuting at McCormick Field on Thursday, April 11, at 7:05 p.m. against the Power, the first contest in a seven-game home stand. Season ticket packages are currently available at the McCormick Field box office. For more information, contact the Tourists' front office at (828) 258-0428.

Please direct any questions or interview requests to Doug Maurer at (828) 258-0428 ext. 203 or [email protected].