A few notes on the minor league staff announcements (plus prospect notes)

By Steve Melewski

Orioles

February 17, 2015, 5:27pm

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The Orioles made their minor league managing and coaching assignments official yesterday and they sure have a solid list of eight managers, counting four at full-season affiliates, two with short-season clubs and two for their Dominican Summer League teams.

The managers at their top three affiliates either already are or could become the winningest managers for those teams by the end of 2015.

Ron Johnson, 58, is entering his fourth year as skipper at Triple-A Norfolk. He has a record of an even 216-216. He is 68 wins shy of matching Gary Allenson's 284 victories for the most in Tides franchise history. Johnson is the father of Atlanta Braves third baseman Chris Johnson. Beyond the win-loss record, Buck Showalter often cites Johnson's knowledge and scouting reports on his players and his honest observations of which can help the Orioles at any given time.

Gary Kendall returns to Double-A Bowie, where he is the longest-tenured and winningest manager in franchise history. The Baltimore native will begin his fifth season with the Baysox. He has a 296-271 record and led Bowie to the 2012 Eastern League playoffs. Over the winter, Kendall was inducted into the Hall of Fame at his alma mater, Sparrows Point High School.

The Frederick Keys' all-time winningest manager, Orlando Gomez, will return as skipper in 2015. Gomez, 68, begins his 51st season in professional baseball and his 11th with the Orioles organization. Entering his second tour of duty in Frederick, Gomez led the Keys from 2010-12, amassing a 214-204 record. The only manager in club history to eclipse 200 wins, he led the Keys to their last Mills Cup title in 2011. That team went 80-59 for the best record in Keys history and is the last O's affiliate to win a league championship.

Ryan Minor is returning to manage at Single-A Delmarva with Luis Pujols moving to manage at short-season Single-A Aberdeen and Matt Merullo moving to manage the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Orioles. Nelson Norman and Elvis Morel return to manage the Orioles' two teams in the Dominican Summer League.

In a few changes to the organization from last year, Denny Walling retired as hitting coach for Norfolk and has been replaced by Sean Berry. Berry has plenty of experience. He previously served as minor league hitting coordinator with the San Diego Padres (2011-14) and hitting coach for the Houston Astros (2006-10).

At Bowie, field coach Butch Davis left the O's after 20 years as a minor league coach to take a job as first base coach with the Minnesota Twins. The O's hired Keith Bodie to take over at Bowie. Bodie spent the past 16 seasons with the Houston Astros organization, including the last three as manager of Double-A Corpus Christie.

At Frederick, coach Torre Tyson did not have his contract renewed and has been replaced by Paco Figueroa, who moves up from Single-A Delmarva. Last year, the 31-year-old Figueroa helped Chance Sisco win the South Atlantic League batting title. A former Keys player, Figueroa hit .284 in 2006 with the Keys and was named a Carolina League midseason and postseason All-Star.

Dave Anderson, who served as the Orioles infield instructor for the 2014 season, is now the manager of Triple-A Salt Lake in the Angels system. He has been replaced by Kevin Bradshaw. A former minor league player, Bradshaw spent 23 seasons in the Tigers organization, 14 as a minor league manager.

More prospects news: Meanwhile, FanGraphs has released its list of the top 200 prospects in baseball. The site stopped ranking after No. 142, saying there is not enough separation to put a number value on those players up to No. 200 and the remaining were listed as honorable mention.

FanGraphs ranks pitcher Dylan Bundy at No. 22, pitcher Hunter Harvey at No. 36 and catcher Chance Sisco at No. 78. They list first baseman Christian Walker, pitcher Zach Davies and third baseman Jomar Reyes as honorable mentions.