Saturday, October 13, 2007
[size=125]PHILS RENEW COACHING STAFF[/size]
The Phillies' coaching staff, which instructed the team to the National League East Division championship, has been renewed for the 2008 season, the club announced today.
Rich Dubee (pitching), Ramon Henderson (bullpen), Davey Lopes (first base), Steve Smith (third base), Milt Thompson (hitting) and Jimy Williams (bench) have all had their contracts extended through the 2008 season, as well as catching instructor Mick Billmeyer.
"I couldn't be happier with the job my coaches did this year," said manager Charlie Manuel. "Their hard work paid off in a big way when we won the division."
Dubee, 50, handled a club-record 28 different pitchers this past season with seven of them making their Major League debuts. The team also set a franchise record with nine different pitchers getting saves. Overall, Dubee guided the pitching staff through injuries to starting pitchers Adam Eaton, Cole Hamels, Jon Lieber and Freddy Garcia and relievers Tom Gordon, Ryan Madson, Brett Myers and Mike Zagurski, among others.
In his first season with the Phillies, the 62-year-old Lopes coached the club to the best stolen base percentage in Major League history. The team stole 138 bases -- second-best in the NL -- and was thrown out only 19 times, good for an 87.9 percent success rate. Both Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino finished in the NL's top 10 in both stolen bases and stolen base percentage. Lopes also oversaw the outfield defense. In 2007, the Phillies had 39 outfield assists, tops in the NL and second only to Tampa Bay among all Major League clubs. Aaron Rowand (11), Victorino (10) and Jayson Werth (9) all finished in the top 10 in the league in outfield assists.
For the second time in as many seasons, Thompson, 48, oversaw an offense that led the NL in runs. The team total of 892 was the most by any Phillies club since 1930, when they scored 944 runs. Also in 2007, the Phillies led the NL in triples (41), walks (641), slugging percentage (.458), extra-base hits (580), total bases (2,605) and times on base (2,289), while finishing second in home runs (213).
In addition to his bench coach duties as Manuel's second-in-command, the 64-year-old Williams also was in charge of the pitchers' hitting and bunting. Under his watch, the Phillies' pitching staff finished fourth in the NL with 51 hits, 22 more than the 2006 team (29), and led all NL staffs in runs scored (28). Their 39 sacrifice bunts was 10 more than the previous year (29).
For Henderson, 2008 will be his 11th season as a coach with the Phillies, the longest active streak in the NL East. For the third straight season, Henderson, 44, served as a pitcher for the Century 21 Home Run Derby during the All-Star break. Under Billmeyer's supervision, Phillies catchers threw out the third-most runners in the NL (31). Only the Dodgers (37) and Nationals (33) threw out more. Smith returns for his second season as third base coach and infield instructor.
-30-
Press Releases provided courtesy of the Phillies, Media Relations. Thanks, guys!
