Tim Purpura Tapped as New COO of Minor League Baseball

MLN Newswire - NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Veteran Astros player and former Astros General Manager (GM) Tim Purpura was named the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Vice President (VP) of Minor League Baseball (MiLB) aka the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (NAPBL or the NA), replacing Pat O'Conner, who was elected as the new President of MiLB yesterday.

Purpura will oversee all business activities for MiLB and its subsidiary companies, which includes MiLB.com. He becomes the primary liaison contact for all of the minor leagues with Major League Baseball (MLB).

Purpura, 49, has been in professional baseball for 17 years, including his three year stint as Astros GM that saw the club grab the National League Championship pennant in 2005. He has extensive experience in the Astros farm system, and he is credited with establishing the Arizona Fall League developmental program at the end of the regular season.

This is the first of several moves that O'Conner is expected to make as he reshapes the staff of MiLB to set up his administration.