South Bend skipper to stay same in ’16

Jimmy Gonzalez will be back as manager of the South Bend Cubs in 2016.

It will be Gonzalez’s second season as South Bend’s manager, and his third year as a skipper in the Chicago Cubs organization. The former catcher’s 14-year minor-league career included Midwest League stints in 1992, 1993 and 1995.

In 1992, Gonzalez batted .176 with 4 HR and 21 RBI in 91 games with the Burlington Astros. In 1993, he batted .227 with 15 RBI in 47 games with the Quad City River Bandits. In 1995, he batted .244 with 1 HR and 14 RBI in 35 games with the River Bandits.

South Bend’s new pitching coach, David Rosario, served in the same role for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, the Cubs’ affiliate in the High-A Carolina League, in 2015. He pitched in eight minor-league seasons, including 1987 with the Peoria Chiefs. In 23 MWL games, he went 0-2 with a 3.55 ERA, five saves, 31 strikeouts and 24 walks in 25.1 innings.

South Bend also will have a new hitting coach next year — Guillermo Martinez, who was a coach with the Tennessee Smokies, the Cubs’ affiliate in the Double-A Southern League, in 2015.

Ricardo Medina also joins the South Bend staff as the team’s assistant coach. He has been a coach, manager or scout with the Cubs organization since 1999. He also played six seasons in the Cubs’ minor-league system, from 1989 to 1994. He played 227 games with the 1991-93 Peoria Chiefs, batting .262 with 9 HR and 101 RBI.

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This entry was posted in Burlington Bees, Carolina League, Midwest League, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Peoria Chiefs, Quad Cities River Bandits, South Bend Silver Hawks, Southern League, Tennessee Smokies. Bookmark the permalink.

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