Jayhawk Owens managed the Lookouts for the past four seasons.
photo by Tim Evearitt (file photo)
Cincinnati is set to name a replacement for Lookouts manager Jayhawk Owens who was released by the Reds following the 2007 season.
Chattanooga will also have a new pitching coach. Last year's coach, Grant Jackson, has retired.
The Reds are in the process of filling the positions that opened up when they fired eight player development people in early September. But farm director Terry Reynolds confirmed that they club will not be hiring eight people to fill openings.
The biggest change will be in the number of roving instructors. The Reds had three roving hitting instructors last year and two roving pitching instructors. This season they’ll go with one of each. They’ll also reduce the number of coaches for Triple-A Louisville from four to three.
The Reds fired Owens, assistant farm director Grant Griesser, field coordinator Tim Naehring, roving instructor Rick Burleson; roving hitting instructor Jim Hickman; outfield/baserunning coordinator Lynn Jones; and Billings coach Ricardo Cuevas. The club also announced that Chattanooga pitching coach Grant Jackson is retiring.
"We haven’t filled anything yet," Reynolds said. "We’re in the early stages of interviewing right now. We hope to have everything done by Nov. 1."
The Reds were looking within their system as well as outside to fill the positions.
The Reds had to shift things around a bit for instructional league, which roving infield coordinator Freddie Benavides coordinates with Donnie Scott and Kelly managing the team in games.
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From MLB.com