Marlins announce 2010 coaching staff
MIAMI – The Florida Marlins today announced their Major League coaching staff for the 2010 season. Manager Fredi Gonzalez, bench coach Carlos Tosca, hitting coach Jim Presley and bullpen coordinator Pierre Arsenault are all returning; they will be joined by pitching coach Randy St. Claire, first base/outfield coach Dave Collins, third base/infield coach Josue Espada and bullpen coach Reid Cornelius. The announcement was made by Marlins President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest.
“This coaching staff is a well-rounded group that brings a great deal of experience in coaching and teaching,” said manager Fredi Gonzalez. “We look forward to starting spring training in preparation for the 2010 season.”
St. Claire joins the Marlins after six-plus seasons as the Expos/Nationals Major League pitching coach. He joined the Expos as Major League pitching coach for the 2003 season, before being relieved on June 1, 2009. Prior to that, he had a seven-year minor league coaching career in the Blue Jays and Expos organizations. St. Claire spent parts of nine seasons pitching in the Majors for Montreal (1984-88), Cincinnati (1988), Minnesota (1989), Atlanta (1991-92) and Toronto (1994). A right-handed reliever, he was 12-6, 4.14 in 162 Major League appearances and pitched in the 1991 World Series with Atlanta.
Collins has had three previous stints as a Major League first base coach, with St. Louis (1991-92), Cincinnati (1999-2000) and Colorado (2003-06). He has managed twice at the Single-A level, with Inland Empire in 2007 and with Salem in 2001 where he led the Avalanche to the Carolina League title, and had three stints coaching at the amateur level. A former outfielder, he played 16 seasons in the Majors with eight different teams from 1975-1990, finishing his career with a .272 batting average, 667 runs, 187 doubles, 52 triples and 395 stolen bases in 1,701 games. Collins was originally a first-round pick by the California Angels in the 1972 draft out of Mesa CC.
Espada is in his fifth season in the Marlins organization, spending the last two years as the minor league infield coordinator. He joined the Marlins organization in 2006 as the Greensboro (A) hitting coach and was the Jupiter (A) hitting coach in 2007. Prior to joining the Marlins, Espada was an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Mobile in Alabama, from 2004-05. A Puerto Rico-native, he played professionally for eight seasons in five organizations from 1996-2003.
Cornelius is in his eighth season in the Marlins organization. He began his Marlins coaching career in 2003 as double-A pitching coach, and returned to that post for the 2008-09 seasons after five seasons as the Jupiter pitching coach. Cornelius was drafted in the 11th-round by the Expos in 1988 and saw Major League action with Montreal (1995), the Mets (1995) and Florida (1999-2000), compiling an 8-17, 4.91 mark in 45 games, 33 starts.
Source: Florida Marlins/Major League Baseball
