Cyclones Get New Coaching Staff

February 20, 2009   ·   Patrick Hickey, Jr.   ·   Jump to comments

After failing to make the playoffs for the first time in three years last season and former coach Edgar Alfonzo already agreeing to coach in Savannah, the Mets Organization felt it was necessary to make some changes in Brooklyn and did so by hiring former Savannah coach Pedro Lopez as the team’s new skipper.

“We are excited to welcome a new staff to Brooklyn,” said Cyclones’ General Manager Steve Cohen on the team’s official website. “Each year, we have been fortunate to have coaches who work tirelessly, both on the field and in the community and we look forward to continuing that tradition.”

For longtime Cyclones fans, seeing a coaching staff or even a player roster without an Alfonzo present [Alfonzo's son, Edgar Jr., played with the team in 2004 and 2005] may take a bit of time to get adjusted to, but in time, they should feel comfortable in the hands of Lopez.

Last managing in the Texas Rangers system in 2007, Lopez also has an impressive minor league playing resume under his belt. A .249 career hitter over 877 games in the San Diego, Houston and Milwaukee systems as a player, Perez has plenty of first hand experience at the level to be an adequate teacher to whoever the Cyclones bring to Keyspan this summer. His best season came in 1991 when he hit .284 with eight homers and 57 RBI in 102 games at the A-level Waterloo Diamonds. During his 12-year minor league career, the catcher was also a teammate of big leaguers such as Tim Worrell, Lance Painter, Joey Hamilton, Keith Lockhart and Kevin Maas.

However, the appointment of Lopez was not the only move the team made to shake up the coaching staff.

Pitching Coach Rick Tomlin joins the organization and replaces Brooklyn favorite Hector Berrios, after spending 20 years in the systems of the Washington Nationals, New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins.

Hitting Coach Jack Voigt, who was originally supposed to be the team’s hitting instructor in 2006 joins the the team after three seasons in the Mets organization. Voight is also the only member of the coaching staff to have spent time in the big leagues [92-97, 99] . His best season came in 1997, when he hit eight homers and 22 RBI in 72 games with the Brewers. He was so popular during his time in Milwaukee that he got a drink named after him, which consists of Amaretto, banana liqueur and spiced rum.

Coach Joel Fuentes joins the club after coaching in St. Lucie last season. As a player, he spent seven seasons in the San Francisco Giants organization before retiring in 2003.

Photo by Ron Hatcher.