Longtime Minors skip Kelly to manage Louisville
CINCINNATI -- There will be changes in the coaching staff of the Reds' top Minor League affiliate, Triple-A Louisville.
Pat Kelly, who was managing at Double-A Pensacola for the past three seasons, will move up to be Louisville's next manager. Kelly is replacing Delino DeShields, who will remain in the organization as the Minor League bunting and baserunning instructor.
Kelly has managed Minor League teams for 26 years, and he will be making his fifth stop for a team in the Reds' system.
Leon Durham, who played briefly for the Reds in 1988, is returning to the organization as Louisville's hitting coach. Durham spent the past 17 seasons in the Tigers' organization, including last season as their big league assistant hitting coach, and the other 16 with Triple-A Toledo.
Kelly is bringing his bench coach from Pensacola, Dick Schofield, to the same position with Louisville. Jeff Fassero will be back as the team's pitching coach.
At Pensacola, the team told its local media that Jody Davis would be its next manager. Davis was the hitting coach for Louisville last season. Danny Darwin will be back at pitching coach.
Class A Advanced Daytona will have Ricky Gutierrez as manager, Tom Brown at pitching coach, Desi Relaford as bench coach and Alex Pelaez as hitting coach.
For Class A Dayton, Luis Bolivar is returning for his second season as manager, and he will be joined by pitching coach Seth Etherton, bench coach Kevin Mahar and hitting coach Daryle Ward.
Ray Martinez will be back for a third season as Rookie-level Billings manager, and he will have pitching coach Derrin Ebert and hitting coach Bryan LaHair.
Besides DeShields' addition, the Reds' player development coordinators and instructors are largely unchanged from last year, with Billy Doran as field coordinator, Tony Fossas as pitching coordinator, Milt Thompson as hitting coordinator, Darren Bragg as the outfield and quality control instructor, Corky Miller as the roving catching instructor and Joel Noboa as the Latin America field/hitting coordinator.