General Muckdogs 2013 Discussion

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Talk about the Muckdogs here.

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The Batavia Muckdogs have announced their manager and coaching staff for the 2013 season, their first as the New York-Pennsylvania League affiliate of the Miami Marlins.

This year’s squad will be led by manager Angel Espada, pitching coach Brendan Sagara and hitting coach Rich Arena.

The 2013 campaign marks Espada’s second year as the manager for the Marlins’ short-season Single-A affiliate, first as manager of the Muckdogs. Espada spent 2012 as the manager of the Jamestown Jammers and the year prior as the hitting coach for the Jammers.

Prior to his time with Jamestown, he spent two years working as the hitting coach for the Gulf Coast League Marlins.

Espada was a 42nd-round pick of the Atlanta Braves in the 1994 First-Year Player Draft. He also played in the Mets and Yankees systems. His playing career spanned 14 years and he finished with a .305 career batting average over 940 games played.

Sagara begins his second season as pitching coach for the Marlins’ short-season Single-A affiliate. Sagara has served as a pitching coach for 11 seasons with various teams.

He broke into the coaching profession with the Dubois County Dragons of the Frontier League in 2001 as the club’s pitching coach. He has also worked for the Braves as a part-time scout (2010-11) and the Mets as an associate scout (2006-09). In 2007, he was named Coach of the Year in the Frontier League while coaching the top pitching staff in Windy City.
He and his wife Michelle reside in Wahiawa, Hawaii.

Arena returns for his second season as hitting coach for the Marlins’ short-season Single-A affiliate. He spent the previous two years as the Director of Scouting for Team One Management in Tampa, Fla.

Prior to his time at Team One Management, Arena was the head coach at his alma mater, Tampa (Fla.) Catholic High School, from 2007-09. He was recognized as the 3A Coach of the Year in 2008 and compiled a 53-18 record at Tampa Catholic.

He spent the previous 10 years with the New York Yankees as scout and coach in the Minor League system.

He and his wife Joselle have five children and reside in Tampa, Fla.

Michael Bibbo will serve as the trainer for the 2013 season, his first year with the Marlins’ organization.

Bibbo previously was the interim Head Athletic Trainer at Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, Pa. Prior to that, he spent four years (August 2007-September 2010, September 2011-June 2012) as the Assistant Athletic Trainer at Malvern Preparatory School. He spent seven months (February-August 2011) as the Rehabilitation Intern with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Bibbo received his Master of Science in Rehabilitation Science from California University of Pennsylvania in 2012 and his bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn. in 2007.

He resides in West Chester, Pa. with his wife, Elizabeth, and 12-year-old stepson, Andrew.

http://thedailynewsonline.com/sports...a4bcf887a.html

[emkayseven]

Cool interview with and background of manager Angel Espada

http://m.thedailynewsonline.com/mobi...9bb2963f4.html