Pete Incaviglia - Field Manager
Pete Incaviglia was named the first manager in Grand Prairie AirHogs history in the fall of 2007 and is entering his third season as skipper.
Under his leadership, ten players to-date have been acquired by Major League organizations, and each year at least seven players have been selected to the American Association All-Star Game.
A California native, Incaviglia is widely regarded as the best college player of all time due to his record-setting career at Oklahoma State University. In three seasons with the Cowboys, Incaviglia recorded 100 home runs in 213 games, and had a career slugging percentage of .915. He still holds the NCAA records for career home runs and for home runs and RBIs in a season.
In 1985 (his junior year at Oklahoma State University), Incaviglia was selected Baseball America's NCAA Player of the Year, establishing NCAA single-season records in homers (48), RBIs (143), slugging percentage and total bases all in just 75 games. In January of 1999, he was named the College Baseball Player of the Century by an assortment of fans and a panel of baseball experts that included George Will, Bob Costas, and Steve Wulf. In 2007, he was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame and in August 2010, he will be inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.
Incaviglia was the eighth overall pick in the 1986 Major League Baseball draft, but was immediately traded to the Texas Rangers where he became only the 15th player in draft history to debut in the majors without playing minor league ball. Pete hit at least 20 home runs in each of his first five seasons in the big leagues and made stops in several places including Philadelphia, Houston, Detroit, Baltimore, and Japan.
Incaviglia played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1986 through 1998. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in 1993 before retiring in 1998 with lifetime totals of 206 home runs, 655 RBIs and a .246 average.
Following his playing career, Incaviglia also spent three seasons coaching in the Detroit Tigers farm system.
Jong-mo Kim, Coach
Jong-mo Kim, a coach and former player in the Korean Major Leagues, joins the AirHogs coaching staff for the 2010 season. In 11 seasons with the Haitai (now Kia) Tigers, Kim batted .298 with 815 hits, 111 doubles, 10 triples, 82 homeruns, and 395 RBI. He won the Korean Series six times as a player, was awarded a Gold Glove in four consecutive years ( ‘ 83, ’84, ‘ 85, ‘ 86) and was named an All-Star MVP in 1987.
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Lance Brown, Pitching Coach
Success can only follow adding a legendary coach to a team’s staff. No, this time we are not talking about AirHogs’ head coach Pete Incaviglia.
The Grand Prairie AirHogs added college baseball coaching legend Lance Brown to the staff this week to work with the ‘Hogs pitching staff.
Brown made his mark on the colligate world at TCU, finishing his 17 year tenure at the helm of the Horned Frog team with the most wins of any coach in TCU history with a record of 517-471. He is one of only two men to earn Southwest Conference player of the year for his pitching performance as a player at TCU, then Southwest Conference Coach of the year in 1994 when he lead the Frogs to a conference title.
Brown continued his career at Texas Tech, serving as the pitching coach in Lubbock. After joining the staff in 2005, he lowered the team’s ERA by a full run in less than a season’s work.
Why will Brown be effective on this level of ball? He said nothing is different in coaching pitching between high school and this level, it’s all about adjusting the pitchers approach.
And his players should be responsive to his coaching styles. Brown said the reason he coaches is to see his players achieve the goals they set for themselves and he feels the most successful when they reach those goals.
Cody Merrell, Coach
Cody Merrell returns to the AirHogs as a coach for the 2010 season. Known for his versatility as a player, Merrell played the position of catcher as well as infield and outfield positions, and coached for the AirHogs in 2008-2009.
The Perryton, TX native played collegiately at Oklahoma State University, Seminole State Junior College, and Texas State University, and later coached at Texas State University (2007-08).
Merrell will be involved with all 2010 AirHogs baseball camps and will oversee two specialized one-day clinics at QuikTrip Park in July and August.
Lester Bedford, Coach
AirHogs coach, Lester Bedford, is in his third season with the team. Lester wears many hats during home games -- serving as first base coach, catching coach/bullpen catcher and batting practice pitcher.
Having grown up the son of a former minor league catcher, Lester has made catching a life-long passion as a player and a coach. At Texas Wesleyan University, he was part of three conference championship teams. He wouldn't make his professional debut until 2005, at the age of 49, when he caught for the El Paso Diablos to become the Central Baseball League's oldest rookie and player. He still catches in a top DFW Amateur league, where he was an All-Star selection in both the 25/over and 45/over leagues in 2009.
Lester's full-time work is with his sports management/marketing firm, The Bedford Agency. He has managed/marketed over 500 sporting events, including events in boxing, baseball, hockey, tennis, basketball and soccer. He is best known for his work in professional boxing, where his company has provided services for over 100 World Championship boxing events, including the recent Manny Pacquiao vs Joshua Clottey event at Cowboys Stadium that attracted over 50,000 fans.
Paul Gillilan, Trainer
Paul Gillilan is returning for his 3rd season has the athletic trainer for the AirHogs. He is responsible for the day-to-day healthcare of the AirHogs players and also performs various other duties in assistance of field manager Pete Incaviglia. Paul, a Fort Worth native, has previously worked for Texas Christian University with their Swimming and Diving Program and the University of Arkansas Razorback Baseball team.