JAMESTOWN, N.Y. - The Jamestown Jammers have announced their manager and coaching staff for the 2012 Season. Angel Espada will lead a talented, well-rounded group of coaches for the Jammers this summer.
The 2012 campaign marks Espada's first year as manager of the Miami Marlins' Short-Season A Minor League Baseball team. Espada spent the past season as the hitting coach for the Jammers. Prior to last season, he spent two years working as the hitting coach for the Gulf Coast League Marlins.
Espada was a 42nd-round pick of the Atlanta Braves in 1994. In addition to the Braves, he also played in the Mets and Yankees systems. His playing career spanned 14 years and he finished with a .305 career batting average over 940 games played. Espada and his wife Jasmine have one son, Adriel, and reside in Bridgeport, Conn.
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Angel Espada
Brendan Sagara begins his first season in the Marlins' organization as pitching coach for the Jamestown Jammers. Sagara has served as a pitching coach for 10 seasons with various teams. He broke into the coaching profession with the Dubois County Dragons of the Frontier League in 2001 as the Club's pitching coach. He has also worked for the Braves as a part-time scout (2010-11) and the Mets as an associate scout (2006-09). In 2007, he was named Coach of the Year in the Frontier League while coaching the top pitching staff in the Fla. in Windy City.
Rich Arena returns to professional baseball as the hitting coach for the Jammers. He spent the past two years as the Director of Scouting for Team One Management in Tampa, Fla. Prior to his time at Team One Management, Arena was the head coach at his alma mater, Tampa Catholic High School, from 2007-2009. He was recognized as the 3A Coach of the Year in 2008 and compiled a 53-18 record at Tampa Catholic High School. He spent the previous 10 years with the New York Yankees as scout and coach in the minor league system.
Rigoberto Silverio returns for his fourth season as a Jammers coach. In five seasons in the Marlins farm system, the former infielder was a career .243 hitter in 225 games.
Ben Cates begins his first season as athletic trainer for the Jamestown Jammers. He spent last season as an intern under the Athletic Training and Rehabilitation Coordinator, Gene Basham. Cates received his bachelors of Science in athletic training from Western Illinois University.
"We are very excited to have this talented staff in place for the 2012 season," said Jammers' General Manager Matt Drayer. "With opening day just a few months away, the season will be here before we know it."
Opening Day for the Jammers is June 18.
The Jammers are Chautauqua County's only professional sports team. They are owned by a local Buffalo company, Rich Products Corporation, which also owns the AA Northwest Arkansas Naturals and AAA Buffalo Bisons.