San Jose Giants Announce 2020 Coaching Staff

San Jose Giants Announce 2020 Coaching Staff
Dennis Pelfrey leads a staff headlined by former San Francisco Giant and South Bay Native Pat Burrell
San Jose, CA- The San Jose Giants announced their 2020 coaching staff with Dennis Pelfrey named as manager. Hitting coach Pat Burrell, fundamentals coach Gary Davenport and bullpen coach Ray Ortega round out the San Jose staff.
 
Pelfrey enters his first season in the San Francisco Giants organization, coming off five seasons in the Independent Frontier League with the Florence Freedom. Pelfrey boasted four winnings campaigns, made the playoffs in three, and appeared twice in the Frontier League Championship Series. His career record in Florence ended at 261-218.
  
An Arlington, Texas native, Pelfrey played his collegiate ball at Northwood University in nearby Cedar Hill, Texas. He also played professionally from 1999-2004, spending most of his playing career in the Frontier League, manning multiple infield positions for the Dubois County Dragons, Kenosha Mammoths and Springfield/Ozark Ducks.
 
Burrell embarks on his first season as San Jose's hitting coach after a successful 11-year Major League Baseball career. The former Giants outfielder was a standout player at local high school, Bellarmine College Preparatory, before playing his college ball at the University of Miami. Burrell was the 1^st overall pick in the 1998 MLB Amateur draft, selected by the Philadelphia Phillies. In his career, Burrell batted .253 with 292 home runs and 976 RBI, playing for the Phillies, Rays and Giants' organizations before retiring in 2011. A two-time World Series Champion, Burrell played major roles on both the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies and the 2010 San Francisco Giants Championship teams.
 
Davenport returns to the California League for his 17th season as a coach in the Giants minor league system and eighth year in San Jose. Davenport previously served as San Jose's hitting coach in 2005 and from 2008-2012, helping the Giants win three league championships (2005, 2009, 2010). The 2005 San Jose Giants still hold single-season franchise records for batting average (.295) and home runs (143). Davenport spent the 2018 season as fundamentals coach for Double-A Richmond after three years as a roving instructor in the Giants minor league system and two seasons as manager of Salem-Keizer. The former infielder was drafted by San Francisco in 1981 out of Santa Clara University and played three seasons in the Giants organization.
 
Ortega moves to San Jose as bullpen coach after previously serving in the same role for Class-AAA Sacramento in 2019.
The San Jose Giants 2020 Opening Night is Thursday, April 17 at Excite Ballpark against the Lake Elsinore Storm. Ticket packages are on sale now. For more information, visit sjgiants.com or call 408.297.1435.