2017 Field Staff Announced

Lance Parrish Returns as SeaWolves Skipper

December 13, 2016

The Erie SeaWolves, in conjunction with their parent club the Detroit Tigers, announced their 2017 field staff today. Lance Parrish, the 15^th manager in SeaWolves history, returns to the club in 2017 for his fourth season. He is first manager in team history to lead the club for a fourth season. Parrish has a managerial record of 197-228 in his three seasons with Erie and needs four wins to become the all-time winningest manager in team history.

Joining Parrish will be hitting coach Phil Clark and pitching coach Willie Blair, both in their second seasons with the SeaWolves. T.J. Obergefell will serve as the team's Athletic Trainer and Jeff Mathers will serve as the Strength & Conditioning Coach. Obergefell and Mathers are both newcomers to the Erie staff.

Parrish, a native of Clairton, Pennsylvania, was originally a first round pick (16^th overall) by the Tigers in the 1974 draft. He played in 1,988 major league games spanning 19 seasons with the Tigers (1977-86), Philadelphia Phillies (1987-88), California Angels (1989-92), Seattle Mariners (1992), Cleveland Indians (1993), Pittsburgh Pirates (1994) and Toronto Blue Jays (1995). Parrish was an eight-time Major League All-Star, three-time Gold Glove Award winner and six-time Silver Slugger Award recipient.

The SeaWolves open the 2017 season at UPMC Park on Thursday, April 6 against the Trenton Thunder (New York Yankees) at 6:35 p.m. Fans can purchase ticket packages, group tickets and hospitality offerings by calling 814-456-1300 or visit SeaWolves.com for details.

LANCE PARRISH - MANAGER

Lance Parrish returns for his fourth season as manager of the Erie SeaWolves.

Following his playing career, Parrish joined the Kansas City Royals as their roving catching coordinator in 1996. He coached with the Dodgers affiliate in San Antonio (Double-A) in 1997 and the first half of 1998. He was named the club's manager in the middle of the 1998 season when Ron Roenicke was promoted to Triple-A manager. The team secured a postseason berth but lost in the first round of the Texas League playoffs.

In 1999, Parrish joined the Tigers major league coaching staff where he spent three seasons as the team's bullpen coach and third base coach. He worked the 2002 season as a color analyst for the Tigers before returning to the field in 2003 to spend three seasons as the bullpen coach on Alan Trammell's staff.

In 2006, Parrish rejoined the Dodgers organization to manage Odgen (Rookie) before moving on to Great Lakes (Low-A) the following year.

Parrish and his wife Arlyne have three children, David, Matthew and Ashley. David was a first-round selection (28th overall) of the New York Yankees in the 2000 draft. His daughter Ashley is married to former SeaWolves first baseman Kelly Hunt.

PHIL CLARK - HITTING COACH

Phil Clark returns to the SeaWolves to serve as the team's hitting coach for a second season.

Clark made his return to the Tigers in 2015 after originally being selected by the organization in the first round of the June 1986 draft. He previously spent eight seasons as a coach in the Cleveland Indians minor league system.

Clark has previously served as the hitting coach for Mahoning Valley (2009, 2014), Triple A Columbus

(2012-13), Single A Kinston (2011), and Lake County (2010). Additionally, he served as a coach for the Gulf Coast League Indians from 2007-2008.

Clark played professionally for 15 seasons including parts of five seasons in the majors with the Tigers (1992), San Diego Padres (1993-95) and Boston Red Sox (1996). He ended his professional career with the Osaka Buffaloes in Japan where he was named the Japan League Most Valuable Player in 1998.

WILLIE BLAIR - PITCHING COACH

Former Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Willie Blair returns to the SeaWolves in 2017 to serve as pitching coach for the second straight season.

Blair spent three seasons as the bullpen coach for the San Diego Padres (2013-15). He also served two seasons as a pitching coach in the Padres minor league system with Class-A Fort Wayne (2011-12).

Blair was originally signed by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 11^th round of the 1986 draft. He went 60-86 with a 5.04 ERA over parts of 12 Major League seasons with the Blue Jays (1990), Cleveland Indians (1991), Houston Astros (1992), Colorado Rockies (1993-94), Tigers (1997, 99-2001), Arizona Diamondbacks (1998) and New York Mets (1998).

Blair won a career-high 16 games for the Tigers in 1997. That season, he went 16-8 with a 4.17 ERA over 29 games (27 starts). He was also the final Opening Day starter in Tiger Stadium history on April 12, 1999. His battery mate that day was Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus.