Brian T. Smith's post on Houston Astros | Latest updates on Sulia

#Astros announce #MiLB coordinators, roving instructors, medical staff for 2013 season

The Houston Astros announced Friday the club’s three minor league coordinators, two roving instructors and the medical staff for the 2013 season. The Astros coordinators are Paul Runge (field coordinator), Dyar Miller (pitching coordinator) and Ralph Dickenson (hitting coordinator). Craig Bjornson, who spent the 2012 season as the bullpen coach on the Astros Major League staff, will serve as a roving pitching instructor, while Jeff Albert will serve as the roving hitting instructor. Brendan Verner (strength and conditioning coordinator), Jamey Snodgrass (medical coordinator) and Daniel Roberts (rehab coordinator) make up the club’s minor league medical staff. Runge returns for his third season as the club’s minor league field coordinator. Prior to joining Houston’s organization, Runge compiled 14 years of minor league managerial experience, all coming in Atlanta’s system, which included three Appalachian League Championships while managing rookie-level Danville (2005-06, 2009). Runge also enjoyed an eight-year Major League playing career with Atlanta from 1981-88. Miller joins the Astros from St. Louis, where he served as the Cardinals bullpen coach in 2012. Prior to joining the Cardinals Major League staff, Miller served as the organization’s minor league pitching coordinator for four seasons from 2008-11. Miller’s playing career lasted 17 seasons (1968-84), which included nine Major League seasons with four different MLB clubs. He joined the coaching ranks in 1985 and has served as a coach, a pitching coach, a bullpen coach or a roving pitching instructor over the last 28 seasons (1985-2012). The 2013 season will be Miller’s 46th consecutive season working in baseball. Dickenson will serve as the minor league hitting coordinator, a position he’s held for 19 seasons (1990-92, 1995-2009) for six different clubs throughout his coaching career. Dickenson joins the Astros organization from Toronto, where he served the last three seasons as a hitting coach in the Blue Jays minor league system. Dickenson played six seasons in the minors after being a supplemental first-round selection by Minnesota in 1969. The 2013 season will be Dickenson’s 36th season as an instructor at the professional or collegiate level.