2014 Daytona Cubs Coaching Staff
Daytona Beach, FL - The Chicago Cubs announced, Wednesday, that Manager Dave Keller, Hitting Coach Mariano Duncan and Trainer Pete Fagan will be returning to Daytona for the 2014 season. 2013 Daytona Pitching Coach Storm Davis will be in AA-Tennessee.
Keller returns for his second season as Daytona's manager after guiding the Cubs to a 75-51-1 record and the Florida State League Championship last season, the club's sixth title since 1995 and second in the last three years. Entering his 11th season with the organization, Keller served as Iowa's hitting coach in 2012 and was an assistant on the major league coaching staff in 2011.
Duncan returns for his second season as Daytona's hitting coach after serving the previous two campaigns as Tennessee's hitting coach (2011-12). The 12-year major league veteran (1985-87, 1989-97) joined the Cubs in 2011 after spending the previous five seasons (2006-10) as the Los Angeles Dodgers major league first base coach.
Handling pitching coach duties for Daytona in 2014 will be Ron Villone, who begins his third season with the organization after serving in the same role with Kane County last season. Villone pitched 15 seasons in the big leagues (1995-2009) with 12 different teams.
Fagan returns to Daytona as the athletic trainer for the fourth-straight season. The Clearwater, FL native has worked in baseball for over 30 years.
2014 marks the first time since 2011 that any coach from the year prior returns to Daytona (Manager Buddy Bailey, Pitching Coach Tom Pratt).
The Daytona Cubs, who were named 2013 Baseball America Minor League Team of the Year, will open the 2014 season on Thursday, April 3rd at Brevard County. The '14 home opener is scheduled for Friday, April 4th at 7:05 P.M. with postgame fireworks.