Where are they now? Pat Listach

In 1992, Pat Listach won the American League Rookie of the Year Award as he hit .290, stole 54 bases and helped the Brewers to a 92-win campaign, but where is he now?

After his retirement from his playing career in 1998, Listach entered the world of coaching. In 2000, he became the hitting coach for the Class A Lansing affiliate in the Cubs organization and began working his way up through the system.

Now, Listach is in his first full season as the manager of the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate in Iowa.

"It's been pretty good this season," Listach said. "We're winning and the big league team is winning, so that usually makes everything go OK."

Listach is a man who worked his way to the top in each of his baseball stops. In 1988, he led the University of Arizona to the College World Series before being selected by Milwaukee in the fifth round of the First-Year Player Draft that year.

He made it to the big leagues for his first full season in 1992, when he had his best year as a professional on his way to AL rookie accolades. Listach became the first Brewers player to win the award when he beat out fellow base thief Kenny Lofton for the honor.

He also earned Rookie of the Year nods from Baseball America, The Sporting News and Baseball Digest.

"The most important thing is that we won a lot of games that season," Listach said. "Unfortunately, there wasn't a Wild Card back then, because I think we would have been in the playoffs that year if there was.

"But that was a great year. I got to play with two Hall of Famers that year, which was a great experience, and I still have a lot of friends from that team."

After five seasons in Milwaukee (1992-96) and one in Houston (1997), Listach played a season in the Minors before hanging up his spikes in '98.

"I knew it wouldn't last forever," Listach said. "You have to prepare yourself for the rest of your life. I knew I wanted to stay in the game and I love teaching, love managing.

"I've been with the Cubs for nine years now and I love every minute of it."

Listach is on his way to reaching the big leagues as a manager someday, too. After his time in Lansing, he served as Iowa's hitting coach from 2001-05. He also had a 55-game managerial stint with Iowa in 2002 after its skipper at the time, Bruce Kimm, became the interim manager of the big league club.

"It definitely gave me a good goal," Listach said. "I was real happy for Bruce when it happened for him, and to be able to do that and step in for the last 50 or so games of that season was a great experience."

Listach got his chance to try his hand at managing again in 2006, when he took over as manager at the Double-A level for the Cubs. He put together a 148-130 (.568) record over the last two seasons with the Smokies, even earning his team a Wild Card postseason berth in 2007.

"That was fun, the guys had a lot to be proud of last year," Listach said. "It was good to get in the playoffs and even though we lost, it was a good experience. Some of those players made it to the big leagues last season, too.

"Sammy Fuld, Jake Fox and guys like that were able to make it to the big club and help them out last September, so that was nice, too."

Having had success all the way through the Minors on his trek up to the Triple-A level, Brewers fans who remember Listach as the speedy rookie from '92 may soon see him in another role: Major League manager.

"It's a work in progress, that's the goal," Listach said. "If it happens, it would be great. I would love to manage in the big leagues. I love my job now, you really have to do things the right way and enjoy it.

"To manage in the big leagues, you have to be extremely lucky and good at what you do. You are trying to be one of only 30 people in the world to manage a big league club. It's a dream job."

With the Brewers-Cubs rivalry heating up in recent years, it has been a fun time for Listach. While he roots for his new organization, he is ecstatic for the resurgence of his old club.

"I made good friends with a lot of people there in Milwaukee, the fans are always great to me," Listach said. "I watched the last four games and I'm really happy that their fans are there to support them. They have a good young team and I'm happy for those fans."