The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Luke Carlin will manage in Lake County in 2018
Luke Carlin will be the Captains’ manager in 2018. “I love the place. It has everything you need to run a first-class operation,” Carlin said. He managed Mahoning Valley in 2017.
Luke Carlin worked briefly at Classic Park the last two Septembers as an instructor when the Indians brought minor-league prospects there for the Fall Development Program.
The 37-year-old Maryland native is about to get prolonged exposure to the Eastlake ballpark that opened in 2003 as the home of the Lake County Captains.
The Indians on Jan. 17 announced that Carlin in 2018 will manage the full-season Single-A affiliate playing in the Midwest League.
“I love the place,” Carlin said of Classic Park in a telephone interview from his home in Texas. “It has everything you need to run a first-class operation.”
Carlin made his minorleague managerial debut last season with the shortseason Single A Mahoning Valley Scrappers of New York-Pennsylvania League.
He guided the Scrappers to a 44-29 finish, good for first place in the NYPL’s Pinckney Division.
“It definitely was a good group of guys, players and staff. We had some fun and won a lot of ballgames,” Carlin said.
Carlin had a playing career that spanned 14 seasons after the Detroit Tigers selected him in the 10th round of the June 2002 draft as a catcher out of Northeastern University.
He spent parts of four seasons in the big leagues, including four games with the Indians in 2012. He had a .179 career batting average with three home runs and 11 RBI in 56 games.
His minor-league coaching career began in 2016 with the Akron RubberDucks, the Indians DoubleA affiliate.
Carlin is scheduled to make his first public appearance as Captains manager when the team stages its annual Hot Stove Dinner on Feb. 8 at Holiday Inn Mentor.
Other members of 2018 Captains staff are the following: • Joe Torres, pitching coach • Pete Lauritson, hitting coach • Kyle Hudson, bench coach • Juan Acevedo, strength and conditioning coach • Jake Legan, trainer The Captains’ season opener is scheduled for April 5 at Classic Park against the Fort Wayne (Ind.) TinCaps.