The Los Angeles Dodgers announced the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers coaching staff for the 2020 season, led by manager Travis Barbary, who is returning for his second year with the club.
Barbary is entering his 26th season in the Dodgers organization as a player, staff member or coach, which included 12 years as the organization’s catching coordinator.
He has held a number of different positions in his time with the Dodgers organization. The 48-year-old previously served four total seasons managing the Rookie-Level Ogden and Low-A Columbus from 2003-06. He also was a bullpen catcher for the big league club from 1998-2001. In his first season with OKC in 2019, he led the team to a 62-77 record despite a ton of roster turnover with a number of the organization’s top prospects being called up to the big leagues throughout the course of the season.
There is one returning staff member from the 2019 season and that is pitching coach Bill Simas. The new members are hitting coach Emmanuel Burriss, bench and third base coach Mark Kertenian and bullpen coach Justin DeFratus.
Simas enters his 10th season as a pitching coach in the Dodgers organization and his third consecutive season with Oklahoma City. He has also spent time with Ogden (2011-12), Low-A Great Lakes (2013-14), High-A Rancho Cucamonga (2015) and Double-A Tulsa (2016-17).
Prior to coaching, Simas had a 16-year professional career that included six Major League seasons with the Chicago White Sox from 1995-2000.
The 35-year-old Burris is entering his first season as a coach period after spending last season as a roving instructor throughout the Dodgers organization.
He played professionally as a utility player from 2006-18, including parts of seven seasons in the Major Leagues with the San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies. Burris was originally drafted 33rd overall by the Giants in 2006 out of Kent State.
Kertenian heads to OKC after a successful season as manager of High-A Rancho Cucamonga in 2019. He has had success every stop of the way with the Dodgers, managing Rookie-level Ogden Raptors to a Pioneer League championship in 2017 and then the Rookie AZL Dodgers to an Arizona League title in 2018. The Quakes had an 81-57 record under his guidance a year ago, finishing in first place in the South Division in both the first and second halves.
Prior to joining the Dodgers, he coached at three colleges – Cal State Northridge, Nevada and Florida International.
DeFratus spent the last two seasons as a pitcher with OKC so is very familiar with the team, but now makes the transition to being their first bullpen coach. The 32-year-old played professionally for 13 seasons and made 191 career big league appearances with the Phillies from 2011-15.
The OKC Dodgers open their 2020 season on Thursday, April 9 in San Antonio. They then play their home opener at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark on Tuesday, April 14 against the Nashville Sounds.
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