Raleigh, Gardner named All-Star managers

The Southern League of Professional Baseball Clubs has announced the coaching staffs and umpiring crew for the 2008 Southern League All-Star Game scheduled for July 14 at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, NC. The Southern League selected the staff of the host Carolina Mudcats to coach the North Division and that of the defending league-champion Montgomery Biscuits to coach the South Division.

North Division Manager
Matt Raleigh (Carolina)

Amid his first year as a professional manager, Raleigh will skipper the North Division in his home park. The 16th manager in Mudcats history, Raleigh is the first to play, coach and manage for the club. Signed as a free agent in 1999, Raleigh played in 48 games for the Mudcats that summer. Four years later, he served as hitting coach on Tracy Woodson's Southern League Championship team that featured current major league stars Miguel Cabrera and Adrian Gonzalez. Raleigh got his managerial career off to a fast start as the Mudcats won 15 of their first 20 games in 2008. Carolina went 38-32 (.543) in its first half under Raleigh after finishing 20 games under .500 last season.

Joining Raleigh at the All-Star Game will be Mudcats Pitching Coach Scott Mitchell, Hitting Coach Theron Todd and Trainer Ben Heimos.

South Division Manager
Billy Gardner Jr. (Montgomery)

In his first season as manager in the Southern League, Gardner guided the Biscuits to their second consecutive league title in 2007. With Gardner at the helm, Montgomery rallied to win 15 of their final 16 regular-season games to win the second-half title in the South Division and claim the best overall record in the circuit (81-59) by one game over Jacksonville. Prior to 2007, Gardner spent one season in the Cincinnati Reds organization after three years managing minor league teams for the Kansas City Royals, who drafted him in the 50th round of the 1987 draft. Gardner's father played 10 seasons in the major leagues before launching a managerial career of his own. The elder Gardner was Southern League Manager of the Year in 1973 before compiling a 330-417 mark as manager of the Minnesota Twins (1981-85) and the Royals (1987).

Joining Gardner, Jr. in the South Division dugout will be Biscuits Pitching Coach Neil Allen, Hitting Coach Ben Oglivie and Trainer Joel Smith.

The three-man umpiring crew for the All-Star Game will consist of crew chief Chris Bakke, Matt Schaufert and Art Thigpen.