Former New Britain Player – Jeff Smith – Appointed Skipper in HardwareCity
New Britain, CT – The New Britain Rock Cats will have a new Manager in 2010 – 35-year-old Jeff Smith – who will be the first former New Britain player in franchise history to come back to lead the team. The news was announced earlier today by the Rock Cats’ parent club, the American League’s Minnesota Twins.
A former Catcher, Jeff Smith played in New Britain for portions of six seasons (1997-2002) and was selected an Eastern League All-Star in 2002. A 20th Round pick by Minnesota out of StetsonUniversity in1995, Smith will be the 15th Manager in New Britain franchise history. The Akron, OH native appeared in a total of 340 games for New Britain – posted a career MiLB batting average of .282 - and continues to rank 2nd in franchise history in both Hits (336) and RBI (166). The Naples, FL resident replaces Tom Nieto who, in his lone season in the HardwareCity, directed the 2009 Rock Cats into the Eastern League Playoffs. Minnesota recently promoted the 49-year-old Nieto to lead their Triple-A farm club in Rochester, New York.
A local fan-favorite during his playing days, Smith will be the Rock Cats’ fourth Manager in the last four years. Riccardo Ingram (2007), Bobby Cuellar (2008), and the aforementioned Nieto (2009) were all promoted to higher levels on the heels of their service in New Britain.
Speaking earlier today from Florida, a happy Jeff Smith said, “I am very excited for the opportunity to return to New Britain as Manager of the Rock Cats. I have many fond memories of both the area and the team’s enthusiastic fans. I look forward to working with my Coaching staff and the Rock Cats’ front office as we help the Twins’ players achieve their ultimate goal of reaching the major leagues”.
Smith, who helped the Rock Cats reach the Eastern League postseason as a player in both 1998 and 2001, will be entering his sixth season as either a Coach or Manager in the Minnesota system. At the conclusion of his playing career in 2004 – after leaving the Twins he appeared briefly for both the Boston (2003) and Texas (2003-04) organizations – he rejoined Minnesota in 2005 as Hitting Coach for their Gulf Coast League entry. The very next year, he was promoted to manage the Twins’ Beloit affiliate in the Low-A, Midwest League where the club promptly finished 74-64. He returned to Beloit in 2007 and again posted a winning mark (79-61) - before being moved up to manage the 2008 Ft.Myers Miracle in the Florida State League. Following his third consecutive winning season as a skipper (77-59), he proceeded to pilot the 2009 Miracle to an 80-58 campaign, winning each half of the Single-A, Florida State League’s split-season format. He arrives in New Britain with a lifetime managerial mark of 310 – 242.
The supporting cast in New Britain in 2010 will be partially changed as well. While the Rock Cats are delighted to have 53-year-old Pitching Coach Stu Cliburn returning for his ninth year in the HardwareCity, they will be bidding a fond farewell to Hitting Coach Floyd Rayford, who will be joining Tom Nieto in Rochester as the RedWings Hitting Coach. The affable 52-year-old “Sugar Bear” will be succeeded by Rudy Hernandez, 41, who will be making his first trip to the Double-A level after having successfully mentored young hitters in the Twins’ system for 14 years. Lastly, Chad Jackson will be returning to New Britain in 2010 for his sixth season as the Rock Cats’ Trainer.
In other news related to the Rock Cats, a former New Britain skipper – the well-respected Riccardo Ingram – will serve in 2010 as a roving Hitting Instructor, with responsibilities at both Triple-A Rochester and New Britain. In addition, former Rock Cat Jake Mauer, the 30-year old big brother of Joe, has been named Manager of the Ft.MyersMiracle in the FSL. And, good-guy Tommy Watkins – one of the club’s most accessible and popular players of all time – has been appointed a Coach for the 2010 Beloit Snappers of the Midwest League!
