Coaching staff returns, three promotions in baseball ops

Posted Nov 30, 2011 by Roger Mooney

Updated Nov 30, 2011 at 03:56 PM

The Rays will bring back all but bullpen coach Bobby Ramos next season, resigning the staff to two-year deals.

Stan Boroski, who has served as the assistant pitching coach during the past two seasons, has been promoted to bullpen coach.

Ramos, who missed the second half of the season because of a throat and respiratory illness, will not return to the team.

The Rays also promoted Chaim Bloom to Director, Baseball Operations; Erik Neander to Director, Baseball Operations; and James Click to Director, Baseball Research and Development.

Here is a breakdown of the Rays coaching staff:
 
Prior to joining the Rays, Boroski, 48, spent 18 years in the Houston Astros organization where he served as either a coach or scout, including his final three seasons (2007-09) as pitching coach for Double-A Corpus Christi. Boroski was drafted as a catcher by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1981 and two years later became a pitcher, spending four seasons pitching in the Kansas City Royals minor league system.

The remainder of the coaching staff will remain intact, with bench coach Dave Martinez, third base coach Tom Foley, first base coach George Hendrick, pitching coach Jim Hickey, hitting coach Derek Shelton and senior baseball advisor Don Zimmer all returning.

Dave Martinez, 47, will begin his fifth season as bench coach under Maddon.  Martinez played 16 seasons in the majors as an outfielder, including three (1998–2000) with the Devil Rays.

Tom Foley, 52, enters his 17th season with the Rays organization, 11th at his current post.  In addition to his role as a major league coach, he has served as a minor league manager, field coordinator and director of minor league operations.

George Hendrick, 61, will return for his seventh season as first base coach.  He has also served on the major league coaching staffs of the Los Angeles Dodgers (2003), Anaheim Angels (1998-99) and St. Louis Cardinals (1996-97).

Jim Hickey, 50, will return as Rays pitching coach for a sixth season.  He previously spent 16 years as a pitching coach in the Astros system, including the final two and a half (2004-06) as major league pitching coach.

Derek Shelton, 41, returns for his third season as hitting coach. It will mark his eighth year as a major league hitting coach, following four and a half seasons (2005-09) with the Cleveland Indians.

Don Zimmer, who turns 81 in January, will begin his 64th season in professional baseball—his 54th in the major leagues as a player, coach or manager—and his ninth as senior baseball advisor with the Rays.  The 2011 campaign marked the 18th time he has been involved in postseason play.  In his current role, he is in uniform as a coach during spring training and for pregame practices at all regular-season home games.

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