Cincinnati Reds announced on Tueday that Jose Moreno will manage the Chattanooga Lookouts for the upcoming 2022 season. Joining Moreno on staff will be returning pitching coach Rob Wooten, hitting coach Eric Richardson, and game planning / catching coach Nate Irving.
This season will be Jose Moreno’s third season in the Reds organization and first in Chattanooga. Last season Moreno served as the manager of the Class A Dayton Dragons, where he led the team to a 65-55 record. Prior to joining the Reds organization in 2020, Moreno spent 19 years with the Mariners organization including serving four years as their Latin American field coordinator. Moreno has also previously managed the Cardenales de Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League, leading them to back-to-back Venezuelan Winter League titles in 2019 and 2020.
Joining Moreno on staff as the team’s pitching coach is former Lookouts pitcher Rob Wooten. Wooten is returning for his second season after overseeing the team’s pitching staff in 2021.
In 2019, the former Major Leaguer started six games for the Lookouts and finished the year in Triple-A with the Louisville Bats.
Hitting coach Eric Ricardson will begin his first season with the Lookouts and his first in the Reds organization. Richardson has spent the previous two years running his own select baseball organization that worked with more than 250 players. The former White Sox draftee also has several years of coaching experience, spending time in the Phillies and White Sox organizations.
Rounding out the coaching staff is game planning / catching coach Nate Irving. Irving will be beginning his first season working for a minor league affiliate. Since 2019, Irving has been the bullpen catcher on manager David Bell’s Major League coaching staff, working in various capacities. Before his tenure with the Reds, Irving was the graduate assistant baseball coach at the University of Virginia.
Next year the Lookouts will also welcome Ryan Ross, who will be in his first year as the team’s athletic trainer, and Trey Strickland, who will be returning for his second season as the Lookouts strength and conditioning coach.
Stay tuned for up-to-date information on Lookouts.com and the Lookouts social media channels. The Lookouts online store is also open for business. Fans are encouraged to check out the line-up of gear and face-masks available. Lookouts gift cards are also available through Lookouts.com.
2022 LOOKOUTS COACHING STAFF
JOSE MORENO - Manager
Jose Moreno is in his third season in the organization and his first at Class AA Chattanooga. He spent the 2021 season as manager at Class A Dayton after working in 2020 assigned as manager of the Reds' rookie Arizona League affiliate in Goodyear. Prior to joining the Reds, Jose spent 19 years with the Mariners organization, managing at multiple levels (most recently at short-season Class A Everett) and serving as Latin American field coordinator for 4 seasons. He also spent 5 seasons as the third base coach with Cardenales de Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League (2005-2009) and 3 seasons with that team as manager, including back-to-back Venezuelan Winter League championship years in 2019 and 2020.
ROB WOOTEN - Pitching Coach
Rob Wooten is in his second season as a professional coach and second at Class AA Chattanooga. A righthanded pitcher from the University of North Carolina, Wooten enjoyed an 11-year playing career, including 3 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Brewers (2013-2015). He spent the last 3 years of his professional career in the Reds' minor league system. Wooten appeared at every level in the minor league system and also pitched in the prestigious Arizona Fall League (2009), Dominican Winter League (2016-17) and Venezuelan Winter League (2012-13). He missed the entire 2010 season after undergoing "Tommy John" surgery on his right elbow. He recovered and made his Major League debut on July 26, 2013 in the Brewers' 8-3 loss to the Rockies at Coors Field. The first big league batter Wooten faced was Todd Helton, who collected an RBI-single. Two innings later, he fanned Helton for his first Major League strikeout. Rob, 36, resides in Sanford, NC with wife Katie, daughter Markie (8), and sons Winston (6) and Wicker Wrigley (3).
ERIC RICHARDSON - Hitting Coach
Eric Richardson is in his first season in the organization, his ninth as a professional coach. He spent the previous 2 years running his own select baseball organization that highlighted more than 250 players. Richardson also has coaching experience in the Phillies (2003-2006) and White Sox (2016-2019) player development systems, including stints as a hitting coach for Lakewood (2004), GCL Phillies (2005), Batavia (2006) and Great Falls (2017-2019). He was a coach on the Arizona Fall League championship team in 2004 and Great Falls' 2018 Pioneer League championship club. Selected by the White Sox in the fifth round of the June 1991 draft, he made his professional debut at age 18 and played for 7 seasons (1991-1997) in their organization. In 1993, Richardson led the South Atlantic league with 47 stolen bases as Defensive Player of the Year. He lives in Austin, TX and has 2 children, son Cameron (24) and daughter Erika (18).
NATE IRVING - Game Planning / Catching Coach
Nate Irving is in his fourth season in the organization, his first working for a minor league affiliate. He was hired during spring training of 2019 and spent 3 seasons as bullpen catcher on manager David Bell's Major League coaching staff, working in various capacities. Before joining the organization, he served as the graduate assistant baseball coach at the University of Virginia, where he worked on the integration of analytics into player and team development. Irving was selected by the Diamondbacks in the 34th round of the June 2014 first-year player draft and spent time in the Pirates' minor league system before playing in the independent Frontier League with the Sussex County Miners and the Atlantic League with the Long Island Ducks and New Britain Bees. He attended the University of Virginia from 2012-2014, where he was an All-ACC Academic honoree, 2013 Team USA Collegiate National Team invitee, 2014 All-ACC and NCAA College World Series All-Tournament selection. During the off-season, Irving resides in Scottsdale, AZ. He is on Twitter and Instagram as @natebirving.
RYAN ROSS - Athletic Trainer, M.S., ATC, CSCS
Ryan Ross is in his sixth season with the organization, his seventh in professional baseball, and his first at Class AA Chattanooga. He spent the 2017-2018 seasons with the Reds' rookie league affiliates in Greeneville and Billings and worked at Class High-A Daytona in 2019. In the 2020 COVID-19 season, Ross was the contact tracer for the Major League team and then in 2021 worked for Class High-A Dayton. He began his career in professional baseball in 2016 with the Los Angeles Angels in their player development system. Before working in professional baseball, Ryan served as the primary athletic trainer for the baseball and women’s soccer programs at St. John’s University, and in 2013 he worked for the NFL’s New York Jets as a season-long intern. He earned his bachelor and master’s degrees from Seton Hall University. Ryan resides in Matawan, NJ with his wife, Alexis.
TREY STRICKLAND - Strength & Conditioning Coach, M.S., CSCS
Trey Strickland is in his eighth season with the organization, his third assigned as the strength and conditioning coach for Class AA Chattanooga. During the shortened 2020 COVID-19 season, Trey worked at the Reds' alternate training site in Mason, OH. He spent the 2019 season at advanced Class A Daytona and worked the 2018 and 2017 seasons as strength and conditioning coach for Class A Dayton. Trey was the strength and conditioning assistant for the Major League club in 2015 and strength and conditioning coach for Rookie Billings in 2016. Prior to working in professional baseball, Strickland coached baseball and strength and conditioning for the Darton State College Cavaliers in Albany, GA. He received his bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science from the University of Georgia in 2013 and his master’s degree in sport and fitness management from Troy University in 2015. Trey lives in Biggers, Arkansas.