Assistant Miller takes HarbourCats’ reins
Curve balls don’t always come at you from the mound in baseball.
The Victoria HarbourCats were thrown one over the weekend when head coach Dennis Rogers had to step aside from the West Coast League club because of family reasons.
Bob Miller, last season’s lead assistant coach to Rogers, will take over as head coach for the 2014 WCL season. Miller was the heir apparent for down the line, but his time has come sooner than expected.
“There was a clear and definite succession plan in place by [HarbourCats owner] John McLean,” said Victoria GM Jim Swanson.
“So this was as seamless a change as can be possible.”
Rogers and Miller guided the HarbourCats to a 22-32 record in their inaugural 2013 season in the WCL, a summer league for top U.S. collegiate NCAA players.
Rogers was the Vancouver Canadians manager for two seasons, and also managed in both the Oakland A’s and Pittsburgh Pirates pro minor-league organizations. He is manager at Riverside Junior College in California.
Miller, son of former CFL Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Ken Miller, grew up in a coaching household and is in his 10th year of guiding Cuesta College in California. He also co-coached the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, where his teams won three Alaska collegiate state championships and the 2001 National Baseball Congress World Series championship.
“Bob is very accomplished and has won at every level,” said Swanson.
Miller keeps continuity in Victoria.
“Dennis has been my mentor in so many ways, and I feel very comfortable continuing with the program in Victoria,” said Miller, in a statement.
“We have worked together all winter in putting together the quality roster, and feel good about the direction.”
Ben Jackson from the University of Kentucky Wildcats will return as pitching coach for the HarbourCats. Swanson said a couple of more assistant coaches will be added.
The HarbourCats open their season June 6 in Kelowna against the Falcons. The home opener at Royal Athletic Park is June 10 against the Cowlitz Black Bears from Kelso/Longview, Wash.
BASE PATHS: Nick Rutckyj, who recorded the first hit in HarbourCats franchise history last year, is unable to return to the club this season because of tendinitis in his knee . . . Devon White, who started in centre field for both the Blue Jays’ World Series championships in 1992 and 1993, and veteran coach Sandy Alomar Sr., have been added to the roster of instructors for the Blue Jays Honda Super Camps July 2-3 at Royal Athletic Park and July 4-5 at Serauxman Stadium in Nanaimo. Previously announced Blue Jays alumni clinicians for the camps include Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar, former closer Duane Ward, all-star Lloyd Moseby, former slugger Jesse Barfield and former outfielder Brian McRae.