Orioles announce minor league staff for 2018 season

The Orioles today announced their minor league staff for the 2018 season. Ron Johnson will return to manage at Triple-A Norfolk and Gary Kendall is back with Double-A Bowie. Ryan Minor is now the skipper at Single-A Frederick and Buck Britton is a first-year manager at Single-A Delmarva.

Among the short-season clubs, Kevin Bradshaw will manage at Single-A Aberdeen, Carlos Tosca is skipper for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Orioles and Elvis Morel is manager of the club's entry in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League.

Brian Graham enters his 11th season with the Orioles and sixth as director of player development. Kent Qualls begins his sixth season as director of minor league operations.

Johnson enters his seventh season as manager at Norfolk. The 2018 season will be his 25th as a minor league manager. Johnson, the winningest manager in Tides franchise history (422 wins), has compiled 1,683 career victories. Mike Griffin returns as pitching coach for the 10th straight season with Norfolk (11th consecutive season in the organization). Butch Davis enters his first season as Tides hitting coach after spending last season in the same position with Bowie. José Hernández, who played 15 years in the majors, will serve as field coach/third base coach, his sixth consecutive season with the Tides and ninth year in the organization. Chris Poole enters his first season as Norfolk's athletic trainer and his sixth year with the organization. Trevor Howell returns for his seventh season in the Orioles organization and fifth as the strength and conditioning coach for Norfolk.

Kendall enters his eighth year as manager at Bowie. In 2017, he led the Baysox to the playoffs for the second time in three years. He is nine games shy of 1,000 as a manager with the Baysox. This season marks Kendall's 19th in the organization. Kennie Steenstra returns for his second straight season as pitching coach for the Baysox and fifth overall, after previously serving in the same role from 2010-12. It will be his 14th year in the organization. Keith Bodie returns as Bowie's hitting coach, after spending the last two seasons as manager of Frederick. He previously was the Baysox hitting coach in 2015. The 2018 season will be his 36th season as a coach or manager in baseball. Brian Guzman enters his first season as an athletic trainer for Bowie, after spending the previous three seasons with Frederick. Strength and conditioning coach Pat Armstrong returns for his ninth year in the organization and seventh year at Bowie.

Minor returns as the manager at Frederick, having previously managed the Keys in 2013. He spent six of the last seven seasons as manager of Delmarva. The 2018 season will be Minor's 11th as a coach or manager in the Orioles organization. Before joining the coaching ranks, Minor was drafted by the Orioles and spent parts of three seasons with the club (1998-2000). Blaine Beatty returns for his second season as pitching coach for the Keys. He returns for his 13th season in the organization and eighth at Frederick, as he previously served in the same role for the Keys from 2006-08 and 2010-12. Kyle Moore enters his second season as Frederick's hitting coach and third in the Orioles organization, after serving in the same capacity for Delmarva in 2016. Former Orioles farmhand and draft pick Jack Graham begins his first season as a coach in the Orioles organization and will serve as a field coach for Frederick. Marty Brinker enters his first season as athletic trainer with Frederick, after serving in the same role for Delmarva last season and Aberdeen in 2015-16. Gene Escat returns for his second season as a coach in the Orioles organization, as strength and conditioning coach. He served in the same role at Delmarva last season. Escat was drafted by the Orioles in 2012 and spent four seasons in the minor leagues with the club.

Britton, a former O's minor league player and the older brother of Orioles closer Zach Britton, will make his managerial debut, as he takes over at Delmarva. The 2018 season will be Britton's second as a coach or manager in the Orioles organization, after spending last season as the Shorebirds hitting coach. Britton will be joined by Justin Lord, who enters his second year of his second stint at Delmarva as pitching coach (also 2013). This will be Lord's sixth season as a pitching coach in the Orioles organization, after serving in the same capacity for Aberdeen from 2014-16. Bobby Rose enters his first season as hitting coach for Delmarva. This is his first season in the Orioles organization after spending the previous five seasons with the Rangers organization as a hitting instructor with short-season Spokane, Single-A Hickory, High Desert and Down East. Adrian Gonzalez enters his first season as athletic trainer with Delmarva after serving in the same role for Aberdeen last season and the GCL in 2015-16.

Bradshaw enters his third season as manager of the Aberdeen IronBirds. The 2018 season marks his 29th in baseball as a coach or manager. Mark Hendrickson, a former major league pitcher of 10 seasons, including three with the Orioles from 2009-11, returns for his second season as pitching coach at Aberdeen. Tim Raines Jr. returns for his second season as hitting coach. Ramon Sambo begins his second season as a field coach. It is his 12th overall year in the Orioles system. Gary Smith enters his first season as athletic trainer for Aberdeen, after holding the same position with the GCL Orioles last season. Chris Cecere will be the IronBirds strength and conditioning coach.

Tosca returns for his second season as manager of the GCL Orioles after spending the previous 12 seasons as a bench coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks (2005-06), Florida Marlins (2007-10) and Atlanta Braves (2011-16). His managerial career also includes time as manager of the Toronto Blue Jays for parts of three seasons (2002-04). Former major leaguer Wilson Alvarez begins his sixth season as pitching coach for the GCL Orioles. Milt May will begin his ninth season as hitting coach for the GCL Orioles. Adam Sparks enters his first season as athletic trainer for the GCL Orioles.

Morel will manage the Dominican Summer League Orioles. He will be assisted by pitching coach Dionis Pascual and coaches Benny Adames (outfield), Ramón Caraballo (hitting), Rubén Francisco (first base/baserunning), Miguel Jabalera (field coordinator), Ramón Lubo (third base/catching) and Robert Peréz (bullpen). Ludovino Alonzo will serve as athletic trainer for the DSL club, while Anthony Adames will serve as strength and conditioning coach.

John Wasdin returns for his second year as minor league pitching coordinator. Jeff Manto enters his fifth year as hitting coordinator. Don Werner enters his 16th year in the organization and will serve as the catching coordinator, while Dave Anderson enters his fourth year with the organization and will serve as the minor league infield coordinator.

Scott McGregor enters his seventh season as the Sarasota-based pitching rehabilitation coordinator. Dave Schmidt, in his 21st season in the organization, will serve as the Florida and Latin America pitching coordinator for the Orioles. Nelson Norman remains the director of Dominican baseball operations, while Felipe Rojas Alou Jr. returns as director of the Dominican Academy. Len Johnston enters his 42nd season with the organization, serving as the administrator of Sarasota operations. Dave Walker will begin his 16th year as minor league medical coordinator and 25th season in the Orioles farm system. Ryan Driscoll returns as Sarasota strength and conditioning coordinator and Jake Parker returns as minor league equipment manager.

Former Orioles B.J. Surhoff and Mike Bordick are back this season as minor league special assignment instructors. Chris Correnti is athletic trainer, pitching performance. Ramón Martinez is special assignment pitching instructor.