R-Phils new manager has strong ties to the area

Reading, PA – The Philadelphia Phillies named their 2009 coaching staffs for all of their Minor League affiliates, Chuck Lamar, Philadelphia Phillies assistant general manager, player development and scouting, announced December 16. 

Eastern Pennsylvania native Steve Roadcap becomes the 23rd manager in the Reading Phillies’ 43-year history. Also new to the R-Phils staff is pitching coach Steve Schrenk. Frank Cacciatore (coach), Chris Mudd (athletic trainer) and Justin Zabrosky (athletic trainer/strength and conditioning specialist) will all return from the 2008 club. 

Born in Pottsville, Roadcap grew up in nearby Spring Glen, on the Dauphin and Schuylkill County line. He graduated from Upper Dauphin High School. Roadcap now resides in West Virginia.

Roadcap has been in player development for 22 seasons with the Cubs, Mariners and Phillies. He has spent 17 seasons as a manager, four as coordinator and one as a pitching coach. He joined the Phillies in 2006 as the manager at Batavia. He spent 2007-2008 with Low-A Lakewood in the South Atlantic League. He led the BlueClaws to the best overall record (80-60) in the SAL Northern Division in 2008 following a 69-65 campaign in 2007. He has helped develop many future Major Leaguers, owns a career record of 985-1,019 (.493), qualified for his league’s playoffs four times and led Inland Empire (SEA) to the California League Championship in 2003. 

A catcher during his playing days, Roadcap played in the Cubs Minor League system from 1982-86 making it as high as Triple-A. He played for Pittsfield in the Eastern League in 1985 and briefly again in 1986. He was a teammate of Reading Baseball Hall of Famer and former R-Phils manager Gary Varsho with Pittsfield. Roadcap has followed Varsho once before. He took over as manager of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Seattle, Midwest League) in 1999, after Varsho left to begin his three-year stint as the R-Phils skipper. 

Schrenk began coaching professional teams in 2004 at Clearwater (FSL-A). He spent 2005-2006 at Lakewood before returning to Clearwater the past two seasons. A 4th round pick of the White Sox in 1987, he pitched professionally through 2002 and appeared in 52 games in the big leagues with the Phillies for parts of the 1999 and 2000 seasons. He was 88-72 in the Minors with a 3.35 career ERA. 

Cacciatore, who was the R-Phils coach in 2008, his first in the Phillies system, has over 20 years of experience in player development. He has been managing or coaching in the Minor Leagues since 1988. He has worked for Houston (1988-92), San Francisco (1993-98), Florida (1999-01), Montreal/Washington (2002-05) and the New York Mets (2006-07). An Eastern League veteran, Cacciatore managed Portland, then a Marlins affiliate, in 1999 and was the hitting coach for Harrisburg in 2002 and 2005.

P.J. Forbes, who managed Reading from 2006-2008, is now the Phillies Minor League bunting/baserunning coordinator. As all coordinators do, Forbes will visit the R-Phils and other Phillies affiliates, providing prospects supplemental instruction. Tom Filer, the R-Phils pitching coach from 2005-2008, takes over at Short-Season Williamsport in the New York-Penn League. 

System Notes: Mike Compton is the field coordinator … Gorman Heimueller (pitching), Jerry Martin (outfield), Sal Rende (hitting) Doug Mansolino (infield), Brian Cammarota (athletic trainers) and Shawn Fcasni (strength/conditioning) all return as coordinators. Heimueller was Reading’s pitching coach in 1999 and 2001. Martin played for Reading in 1973 and is in the Reading Baseball Hall of Fame. Cammarota (2003) and Facasni (2006) were both athletic trainers for the R-Phils as were Troy Hoffert (1997-2001) and Jason Kirkman (2007) … Eric Valent returns to coach at Williamsport. Valent, who played parts of five seasons in the Majors (2001-2005), was Co-MVP of the 2000 R-Phils (Rusty McNamara). He resides in Berks County … Dusty Wathan, who caught one game for the R-Phils in 2007, moves up a level to manage Lakewood … Lehigh Valley coach Greg Gross (2007) and pitching coach Rod Nichols (2002-2004) are former Reading coaches … Clearwater coach Ramon Henderson coached the R-Phils in 1997 and is also a Berks County resident … Lakewood coach Greg Legg managed Reading (2002-2004) and played for the R-Phils (1983-84, 1988) … Gulf Coast manager Roly deArmas caught for Reading in 1975; pitching coach Carlos Arroyo played for Reading in 1978 and coached for the R-Phils for several seasons, most recently in 2000. 

Phillies Minor League Field Staffs for 2009: 
Lehigh Valley (AAA): Dave Huppert (manager), Greg Gross (coach), Rod Nichols (pitching), Jason Kirkman (athletic trainer)
Reading (AA): Steve Roadcap (manager), Frank Cacciatore (coach), Steve Schrenk (pitching), Chris Mudd (athletic trainer), Justin Zabrosky (strength)
Clearwater (Hi-A): Ernie Whitt (manager), Ramon Henderson & Kevin Jordan (coaches), Dave Lundquist (pitching), Ichiro Kitano (athletic trainer)
Lakewood (Lo-A): Dusty Wathan (manager), Greg Legg (coach), Mickey Milacki (pitching), Mickey Kozack (athletic trainer)
Williamsport (Short-A): Chris Truby (manager) Eric Valent (coach), Tom Filer (pitching), Jon May (athletic trainer)
Gulf Coast (R): Roly deArmas (manager), Luis Melendez (coach), Carlos Arroyo & Aris Tirado (pitching), Troy Hoffert (athletic trainer)

This story was posted on December 16, 2008