2008 Field Staff
TOM BROOKENS - MANAGER
Tom Brookens will serve as the Erie SeaWolves skipper for the 2008 season. Brookens is the 14th manager in SeaWolves history and the sixth since becoming a Detroit Tigers affiliate in 2001.
Brookens spent the 2007 season with the Tigers Class-A affiliate in West Michigan. He led the Whitecaps to their second straight MidWest League Championship and was named MidWest League “Manager of the Year.” He joins former ‘Wolves manager Matt Walbeck in winning a title and manager of the year award prior to joining Erie.
Brookens managerial career began in 2005 with the Tigers Class-A affiliate in Oneonta. He guided the Tigers to a Stedler Division championship in his first season and finished second in 2006.
He played 12 seasons as an infielder at the major league level with the Tigers (1979-88), New York Yankees (1989) and Cleveland Indians (1990). Brookens finished his career with a .246 batting average, 71 home runs and 431 RBI.
Brookens was also a member of the Tigers World Championship club in 1984, batting .246 with five home runs and 26 RBI in 113 games.
GLENN ADAMS – HITTING COACH
Glenn Adams returns to the SeaWolves for his second season as the club’s hitting coach in 2008. It is also Adams second season in the Tigers organization.
Prior to joining Detroit, Adams spent six seasons with the Seattle Mariners organization where he served as the minor league hitting coordinator.
His coaching career began in 1986 when he managed the Kinston Indians (Cleveland Indians Class-A Affiliate, Carolina League). He led the K-Tribe to a Carolina League
championship in his final season (1988).
In 1989, Adams moved to the Minnesota Twins organizaton where he served as a minor league hitting instructor for six seasons.
From 1995-2000 he was the hitting coach for the Chicago Cubs Triple-A affiliate, the Iowa Cubs.
Adams was selected in the first round of the 1968 June Draft by the Houston Astros. He spent six seasons in the minors and his .352 batting average with Phoenix in 1974 was tops in the Pacific Coast League.
Adams spent eight seasons in the big leagues with San Francisco (1975-76), Minnesota (1977-81) and Toronto (1982).
Adams is still tied for the Twins single-game RBI record with eight which was set on June 26, 1977 against the Chicago White Sox.
RAY BURRIS – PITCHING COACH
The 2008 season will be the first for Ray Burris with the SeaWolves and his third in the Tigers organization. Burris spent the 2005 season with Class-A Oneonta and 2006 with Class-A West Michigan.
Burris served as a minor league pitching coach for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1988-89 before joining the club’s Major League staff as a bullpen coach for two seasons (1990-91). Additionally, he worked as a roving instructor, special assistant to the General Manager, advance scout and community development employee for the Brewers. In 1992, Burris joined the Texas Rangers as an assistant pitching coach before moving to the front office for three years (1993-1995) as the Rangers special assistant for community development and special projects and as assistant to the vice president of community development.
Burris’ most recent coaching assignment before joining the Tigers organization was as a roving pitching instructor with the St. Louis Cardinals for two seasons (2000-01).
A veteran of 15 seasons at the major league level, Burris saw action with the Chicago Cubs (1973-79), New York Yankees (1979), New York Mets (1979-1980), Montreal Exops (1981-83), Oakland Athletics (1984), Milwaukee Brewers (1985, 1987) and St. Louis Cardinals (1986).
CHRIS MCDONALD - TRAINER
Chris McDonald enters his eighth season as a trainer in the Tigers organization, his third with Erie. Before joining the ‘Wolves, McDonald spent three seasons with Class-A Lakeland.
The Troy, Michigan native graduated from Bowling Green State University in 2000 with a bachelor’s of science in education after majoring in sport management with an emphasis in athletic training.
Chris resides in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic during the off-season while working for the Licey Baseball Club of the Dominican Winter League.
SCOTT SADOWSKI - STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH
Scott Sadowski is in his first season as the Erie Strength and Conditioning Coach and his second season in the Tigers organization. Sadowski spent the 2007 season with the Tigers Class-A Affiliate in West Michigan.
The Crawfordsville, IN native graduated from DePauw University in 2006 with a bachelor's of science in Sports Medicine with an emphasis in athletic training.
Sadowski is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (C.S.C.S) and is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (N.S.C.A.).
