Miley back to defend Governors' Cup
Dave Miley, who led the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees to the 2008 Governors' Cup, returns as manager along with hitting coach Butch Wynegar and trainer Darren London.
Scott Aldred is the Yankees' new pitching coach, replacing Rafael Chaves, who has taken a position with the Los Angeles Dodgers as the organization's Minor League pitching coordinator. Aaron Ledesma is Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's new infield coach, taking over for Alvaro Espinosa, whose contract was not renewed by New York. Lee Tressel will join the staff in 2009 as strength and conditioning coach.
"We're excited to have Dave Miley coming back as manager of the Yankees in 2009," said Scranton/Wilkes-Barre executive vice president and general manager Jeremy Ruby. "Anytime you can bring back a manager who led your team to a championship as well as the best record in the league, you can't help but be excited. Dave has been great to work with over the past two seasons and we look forward to another successful season with him guiding the team."
Miley enters his fourth season guiding the Yankees' Triple-A club. The first was with the Columbus Clippers (2006) and the previous two with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Prior to joining the Yankees, Miley spent 26 seasons in the Cincinnati Reds organization, including three seasons (2003-2005) as the big league manager in Cincinnati.
Under Miley's guidance, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has posted the best record (172-115) in the International League over the past two seasons, including winning the 2008 Governors' Cup as league champions.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre tied Louisville for the IL's best record in 2008 at 88-56, becoming just the fifth franchise in the league's 125-year history to post the top mark in at least three consecutive seasons. In his inaugural season with SWB, Miley led the Yankees to a league best 84-59 record and a berth in the International League Governors' Cup Playoffs. He was named the IL's Manager of the Year.
"I'm excited about coming back to the Yankees in 2009 to help defend the Governors' Cup," said Miley. "Being able to bring a championship to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season was tremendous. The great regular season and the run we had through the playoffs and all of the great fan support made it a fantastic year. I'm looking forward to another great season in 2009. The coaching staff that Mark Newman (NY Yankees Director of Player Development) and the Yankees have put together is tremendous and will help make my job easier."
This will be Miley's ninth season in the International League, where he has posted a record of 685-569 (.546). In three seasons as skipper of the Yankees' top farm club, Miley's record is 241-188 (.562). Miley also spent six seasons in the IL from 1998 through 2003 with Indianapolis and Louisville. In four seasons at Louisville, he went 296-245 (.547) and established franchise records for wins and games managed (541). In 2001, he guided Louisville to its first Governors' Cup Championship over the former Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons.
In his Minor League managerial career, which spans 17 seasons, Miley has an overall record of 1,356-973 (.566) with 15 winning seasons. As a player, he was signed by the Reds in 1980 and spent seven seasons as a Minor League catcher, batting .238 with 16 HRs and 172 RBIs.
HITTING COACH - BUTCH WYNEGAR
Wynegar will be in his third season with the Yankees. Prior to joining Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he spent four seasons as the Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach and played 13 seasons with the Twins, Yankees and Angels.
Under his guidance, the Yankees placed in the top six in the IL in several offensive categories, including runs, hits, homers, RBIs and walks. In 2007, with Wynegar at the helm, the Yankees led the league in runs scored.
While with Milwaukee, his pupils put up some impressive numbers. In 2003, the Brewers' offense was third in the National League with 194 home runs. In 2005, they tied an NL record with 571 extra-base hits. Prior to joining the Brewers, he was a manager in the Texas Rangers system from 1995-1997 and the Minor League roving hitting instructor from 1998-2002.
As a player, the two-time American League All-Star played in 1,301 Major League games, compiling a .255 average with 65 HRs and 506 RBIs. In 1976, he was named The Sporting News American League Rookie of the Year and became the youngest player at the time to appear in an All-Star Game (20 years, 212 days). While with the Yankees, he caught Dave Righetti's no-hitter on July 4, 1983 and Phil Niekro's 300th victory on Oct. 1, 1985.
PITCHING COACH - SCOTT ALDRED
Aldred begins his fourth year as a professional coach in the Yankees Minor League system and his first as pitching coach with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In 2008, Aldred's Trenton Thunder staff led the Eastern League in ERA (3.13) for the second consecutive year en route to the league title. In his debut season as a coach in 2006, he guided the Class A Charleston pitching staff to the second-best ERA in the South Atlantic League (3.20).
Originally drafted and signed by the Detroit Tigers in 1987, he made his Major League debut with the Tigers in 1990. Aldred appeared in 229 games over an 11-year Major League career, posting a 20-39 record with a 6.02 ERA with six different teams (Detroit, 1990-92, '96; Colorado, 1993; Montreal, 1993; Minnesota, 1996-97; Tampa Bay, 1998-99; Philadelphia, 1999-2000).
INFIELD COACH - AARON LEDESMA
Ledesma will be in his first season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and his second in professional coaching after serving as hitting coach for the Class A Advanced Tampa Yankees in 2008. Originally a second round selection by the New York Mets in the 1990 Draft, he made his Major League debut with the Mets in 1995. Ledesma hit .296 with 38 doubles, four triples, two HRs and 76 RBIs in 284 big league games over five seasons with the Mets, Baltimore, Tampa Bay and Colorado.
His lone full season in the Majors came in 1998 with the Devil Rays after he was selected in the third round of the 1997 Expansion Draft from Baltimore. Ledesma led Tampa Bay with a .324 average (97-for-299), appearing in 95 games and playing all four infield positions.
During his Minor League career, he appeared in the International League with Norfolk (1994-1995), Rochester (1997) and Durham (1999). He earned Junior College All-American honors at Chabot College in 1990.
ATHLETIC TRAINER - DARREN LONDON
London will be entering his 17th season as the Yankees' Triple-A Athletic Trainer and 20th in the organization. He began his career in 1989, working at Class A Prince William his first two seasons. He was promoted to Class A Advanced Fort Lauderdale in 1991 and Double-A Albany in 1992.
He joined the Columbus Clippers in 1993 and was named the 2006 International League Athletic Trainer of the Year by the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS). He is a graduate of the University of Maine-Orono, where he earned a BS in physical education with a coaching minor.
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH - LEE TRESSEL
Tressel joins Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as strength and conditioning coach after spending the 2008 season in a similar position with the Yankees' Double-A affiliate in Trenton.
Prior to working in Trenton, Tressel served as the strength and conditioning coordinator at the Yankees Minor League complex in Tampa, Florida. He also served for three seasons (2004-06) as an assistant in the Yankees baseball operations department under general manager Brian Cashman. Tressel graduated from Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio in 2003 with a degree in sports management and business.