Former St. Joe’s softball star joins front office

PHILADELPHIA » Dana Parks, a former softball player at Saint Joseph’s University, was hired Friday as the Phillies’ coordinator of player development.

Parks, a graduate of Vineland (N.J.) High School, spent last season as an assistant in the baseball operations department of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Also, Corinne Landrey was hired as an analyst for baseball research and development. A 2008 graduate of Ithaca College, Landrey had been an intern in that department. Before joining the Phillies, she had written for MLB.com and FanGraphs.

With 231 hits, Parks finished her career as the second-leading hitter in Hawks history.

In a swirl of other Phillies front-office moves Friday, Bryan Minniti was promoted to assistant general manager and will oversee player development, amateur and international scouting. Minniti had been a special assistant to general manager Matt Klentak.

Benny Looper, a senior adviser after serving as an assistant general manager since 2008, retired. Also retiring was Del Unser, a member of the Phillies’ 1980 championship team. Unser spent 30 years in the Phillies organization, most recently on the professional scouting staff.

In other activity, Chris Cashman was promoted from advance scouting analyst to player procurement manager. Also, Mike Calitri was named as manager of advance scouting and will report directly to manager Gabe Kapler. Calitri worked for the Cleveland Indians from 2009 through 2016.

Mike Koplove, a graduate of Chestnut Hill Academy and the University of Delaware who pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Indians, will be a Phillies special assignment