Shuckers Announce 2017 Coaching Staff

The Milwaukee Brewers and Biloxi Shuckers have announced the 2017 Shuckers field staff, with Mike Guerrero returning as the club’s manager. This will mark Mike’s 30th season in baseball and 29th with the Milwaukee Brewers organization as a player or coach.
Mike will be joined by pitching coach Chris Hook, coaches Sandy Guerrero and newcomer Chuckie Caufield. Hook and Mike’s brother Sandy are each returning for their third straight season in Biloxi.
In his first season with the Shuckers and 19th as a Minor League manager, he guided the Shuckers to a 72-67 record in 2016, and earned his 1,000th career victory on July 14.“I’m really happy to be back in Biloxi for another season and part of a great coaching staff,” added Guerrero. “MGM Park is one of the best ballparks in Minor League Baseball and the fans are outstanding.” Mike has managed at every level in the minors, posting a 1,025-893 (.534) record over 19 seasons. Mike began his managerial career in the Blue Jays’ organization in 1995 in the Dominican Summer League. He won the 2001 Dominican Summer League championship and qualified for the playoffs five times (1995, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2009). He also gained additional managerial experience in 2008 with the Oahu CaneFires of the Hawaiian Winter League and in 2010 with the Surprise Rafters of the Arizona Fall League. He has also managed in the Dominican Winter League. His previous managerial stop to Biloxi was with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds (2012-13). In 2013, he earned the Mike Coolbaugh Award, which is presented to an individual who has shown an outstanding baseball work ethic, knowledge of the game and skill in mentoring young players on the field. Following the 2013 season, Guerrero was added to Ron Roenicke’s Major League staff, spending two seasons as the Brewers’ first base coach and infield coach. As a player, he spent nine seasons in the Brewers (1987-92, ‘94-95) and Kansas City Royals (1993) organizations. Guerrero collected a .242 career batting average as a slick-fielding middle infielder.
Mike and his brother Sandy were born into a baseball family, being two of four sons of Epy Guerrero, a renowned scout in the Dominican Republic who unearthed over 40 Major League players. Mike was named after former Major League pitcher Mike Torrez, who was a friend of his father. His uncle, Mario Guerrero, was a Major League infielder with Boston (1973-74), St. Louis (1975), California (1976-77) and Oakland (1978-80). Mike and Sandy are the only tandem of brothers on a coaching staff in affiliated professional baseball.
Hook begins his 10th season in the Brewers organization and 23rd in professional baseball as a player or coach. He served as pitching coach for Double-A Huntsville the three seasons prior to joining Biloxi in 2015. Hook originally joined the organization as pitching coach at Huntsville in 2008, and spent three seasons in the same role with Class-A Wisconsin from 2009-11 before returning to Huntsville (2012-14). In 2015, he served as a pitching coach for the U.S. squad during the MLB Futures Game in his hometown of Cincinnati. In 2014, he served as pitching coach with the Glendale Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League. Prior to joining the Brewers, Hook was the pitching coach for the Florence Freedom of the independent Frontier League (2003-07). He also spent three seasons as the pitching coach for Northern Kentucky University (2000-02). Hook was a pitcher for 11 professional seasons (1989-99), including two years in the Major Leagues with San Francisco from 1995-96. He went 5-2 with a 5.89 ERA in 55 career Major League games. Originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by Cincinnati in 1989, he also pitched in the minors for the Padres, Giants, Angels and Astros.
Sandy enters his 15th season as a coach in the Brewers’ organization and 36th in baseball, as a player or coach. Prior to joining the Shuckers in 2015, he coached with the Brewers’ previous Double-A affiliate, Huntsville (2003-08, 2014) and Triple-A Nashville (2009-11). In addition, Sandy spent two seasons as hitting coordinator (2012-13). He also served as manager for the North Division in the 2007 Southern League All-Star Game after scheduled manager Don Money pulled out of the contest to coach in the MLB Futures Game. Before coaching, Sandy had a 19-year playing career that included stints in the minors with the Blue Jays and Brewers. He also played professionally in Mexico, Taiwan and the independent Northern League. The former infielder played in the Brewers’ farm system with Class-A Stockton (1986-88), Double-A El Paso (1989-90) and Triple-A Denver (1991-92). In 1998, Guerrero won a league championship in Taiwan, claiming the batting title with a .361 batting average. In addition to his coaching skills, Sandy speaks six languages.
Caufield begins his fifth season as a coach in the Brewers’ organization and first with the Shuckers. The 33-year-old spent the previous four seasons as a coach for the Brewers Class-A affiliate Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. He served in the same role at Rookie Helena in 2013. Caufield was drafted by the Brewers in the 39th round of the 2006 draft out of the University of Oklahoma. He was an outfielder for six seasons in the Brewers’ system (2006-2011) and finished his career with Fort Worth of the independent North American League in 2012. During his career, he accumulated a .266 career batting average with 28 home runs and .335 career on-base percentage. He spent three of his professional seasons (2009-11), with the Brewers’ Double-A affiliate in Huntsville.
Joining the staff in 2017 will be athletic trainer Kevan Creighton. The Milwaukee native spent the previous three seasons as an assistant athletic trainer and massage therapist for the Brewers. He previously spent four years as a rehabilitation assistant. In 2014 and 2015, the Brewers’ medical staff was honored with the Martin-Monahan Award for Best Medical Staff in Major League Baseball by Rotoworld.
Creighton is a licensed athletic trainer and massage therapist in the state of Wisconsin. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and his massage therapy degree from the U.S. Career Institute in Colorado. Creighton worked as an athletic training intern for the Brewers in 2008 and also worked with ATI Physical Therapy of Milwaukee.
Strength and conditioning specialist Nate Dine returns for his third season with the Shuckers and his fourth in the Brewers’ organization. He has spent each season at the Double-A level. Dine previously worked as a strength and conditioning coach in the Kansas City Royals organization with Rookie Idaho Falls (2012) and Double-A Northwest Arkansas (2013). Prior to joining the Royals, Dine spent two years as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Dine earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from the University of Nebraska- Omaha in 2009. He received his master’s degree in sport administration from Belmont University in 2011.
Opening Day for the 2017 season is Thursday, April 6, at Montgomery. The Shuckers will open the team’s third season at MGM Park on Wednesday, April 12, at 6:35 pm against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Ticket packages and group outings are now available and can be reserved by calling 228-233-3465 or visiting www.biloxishuckers.com.