Brian Ebel promoted to head athletic trainer

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles announced this morning that assistant athletic trainer Brian Ebel has been promoted to the head position as Richie Bancells' replacement. Bancells retired in October after 41 seasons in the organization.

Ebel, 51, has spent the last 21 seasons as the assistant and is entering his 34th year with the Orioles. He's only the fourth head athletic trainer in club history.

A graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, Ebel began his career in 1985 at 19 when he served as the head athletic trainer for the Rookie-level Bluefield Orioles during summer breaks from college. He later moved up to Single-A Erie (1988), and Double-A Hagerstown (1989-91) and served as the minor league medical coordinator (1992-1996) before being named the Orioles' assistant athletic trainer in October 1996.

Mark Shires and Patrick Wesley, the head athletic trainers at Triple-A Norfolk and Double-A Bowie, respectively, have been named as assistants to Ebel.

Shires, 41, enters his 20th season as an athletic trainer in the Orioles organization. He spent the previous 11 years with the Tides.

Wesley, 40, will begin his 15th season as an athletic trainer in the Orioles organization, having spent the previous three years with Bowie.

The Orioles also named Chris Poole as their athletic trainer for Norfolk. Everyone else in the system moves up one level from their previous position.

Brian Guzman goes to Bowie, Marty Brinker to Single-A Frederick, Adrian Gonzalez to Single-A Delmarva and Gary Smith to short-season Single-A Aberdeen.

Dave Walker (medical coordinator), Chris Correnti (athletic trainer, pitching performance), Manny Lopez (Latin American medical coordinator) and Ludovino Alonzo Marte (Dominican Summer League athletic trainer) will return to their respective positions.

Meanwhile, pitchers are ready to take the field for the first day of minicamp. Hunter Harvey is in the group and says his arm feels great.

More to come.