The Los Angeles Dodgers formally announced coaching staffs for their Minor League affiliates for the 2018 season, which for Double-A Tulsa included Scott Hennessey returning as manager. He was named interim manager last July when Ryan Garko resigned to take a head coaching position at the University of the Pacific.
Hitting coach Terrmel Sledge and coach Leo Garcia remain on the Drillers staff. Meanwhile, Dave Borkowski, technology/development coach Peter Summerville, trainer Kalie Swain and performance coach Shaun Alexander are new hires for the 2018 campaign.
Hennessey becomes the Drillers’ 23rd full-time manager. The team went 27-13 under his direction to close out the 2017 regular season, earning a Texas League North Division second-half title. The Drillers fell one win short of winning their first Texas League Championship since 1998.
Prior to being named interim manager last season, Hennessey was a scout for the Dodgers since 2007. After helping the team prepare for the Draft, he was assigned to the Drillers last June to serve as an additional assistant coach.
Sledge enters his third season with the Drillers. His time with the affiliate has included working with the likes of Cody Bellinger, Kyle Farmer and Tim Locastro. Sledge also aided Matt Beaty, who was named Texas League Player of the Year last season.
This year will mark Garcia’s fourth with Tulsa and 10th as a coach within the Dodgers organization. Prior to joining in 2009, he coached in the San Francisco Giants Minor League system for six years.
Borkowski joins the Drillers after two years spent as pitching coach of Double-A Corpus Christi (Houston Astros affiliate). He worked in that capacity for eight seasons (2010-17) in the Astros organization.
Borkowski replaces Bill Simas, who earned a promotion and is now pitching coach with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Similarly, Swain replaces Jason Kirkman, who was promoted to trainer of OKC.
Swain has been a trainer in the Dodgers farm system since 2014. She spent her first two years with Low-A Great Lakes and was with High-A Rancho Cucamonga last season.
Alexander also was with the Quakes in 2017, filling the same position he now will for the Drillers. Alexander replaces Tyler Norton, now the performance coach with Oklahoma City. Alexander has been a strength and performance coach in the Dodgers system since 2014.
Summerville’s position is one that was newly created for this season.
