Wes Clements Named Manager of Corpus Christi Hooks for 2010

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Former Astros farmhand Wes Clements has been selected as Corpus Christi’s manager for 2010.  That announcement was made today by Ricky Bennett, Houston’s assistant general manager.
 
Clements, 51, made his minor league managerial debut in 2009 with Lancaster of the California League, guiding the JetHawks to a record of 56-84.  Clements had the opportunity to manage catcher/outfielder Koby Clemens, who led the minor leagues with 123 RBI’s, and outfielder Jon Gaston, who tied for the minor league lead with 35 home runs.  Clemens and Gaston are solid candidates to join the Hooks in 2010.
 
“Wes has a tremendous amount of energy and passion for baseball,” stated Bennett.  “His ability to teach all aspects of the game and his positive spirit will be a huge asset for our players as they continue their development at the Double-A level.  We’re excited about the upcoming season for Wes and the staff.”
 
A native of Southern California, Clements played at El Camino Junior College and transferred to Arizona, where he played for two seasons under legendary coach Jerry Kindall.  The Wildcats won the 1980 College World Series as Clements, playing first base and batting cleanup, hit .318 (7x22) with two doubles and two home runs over six games.  He was named to the All-World Series Team. 
 
Among Clements’ teammates at Arizona were current Boston manager Terry Francona and new Astros manager Brad Mills.  
 
Clements was Houston’s sixth-round selection in the 1980 draft and spent his first five pro seasons in the Astros system.  During a seven-year career in the minor leagues, which included stints with the Brewers, Rangers and Tigers, Clements batted .273 with 132 home runs and 525 RBI’s in 765 games.  He played portions of four seasons at the Triple-A level with Tucson and Vancouver.
 
“Wes is a product of that quality program at Arizona and we look forward to his arrival and the coming season with him at the helm,” said Hooks President Ken Schrom.  “We’ve heard great things about Wes and it sounds like he’ll have a significant impact on our players and our club in general.”
 
Following his final season of pro ball in the States (1987), Clements spent time in the Mexican League, where he later managed.  His last year as a player was in 1995 with Aguascalientes of the Mexican League.  In 11 total pro seasons, Clements finished with 173 homers and 664 RBI’s.
 
Prior to managing the JetHawks, Clements served as hitting coach for Double-A Birmingham of the Southern League in 2008.  He joined the White Sox organization as Winston-Salem’s (Carolina League) hitting coach in 2007.  Clements has also been a hitting coach in the Brewers and Angels farm systems.
 
Rounding out Corpus Christi’s field staff in 2010 are hitting coach Mark Bailey, pitching coach Stan Boroski and athletic trainer Jamey Snodgrass.
 
Bailey, Houston’s bullpen coach for the past eight seasons, returns to the Texas League for the first time since 2001, when he served as hitting coach for Round Rock.  Under Bailey’s guidance, Round Rock led the circuit in team batting and home runs in 2000 and 2001.
 
Selected by the Astros in the sixth round of the 1982 draft out of Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State), Bailey played 13 seasons professionally as a catcher, spending portions of seven seasons in the major leagues with Houston and San Francisco.  He played 57 games for the 1986 National League Western Division champion Astros.
 
Boroski enters his fourth season with the Hooks and his 10th as a pitching coach in the Astros farm system.  A native of Ohio, Boroski spent four seasons as the pitching coach for the Salem Avalanche of the Carolina League.  In 2001 and 2002, he served in the same capacity for Michigan in the Midwest League.  Boroski has worked as both a scout and a coach in the Houston organization since 1991.
 
Boroski played at OhioUniversity and was drafted as a catcher by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1981.  Signed by the Royals as a pitcher in 1985, he finished his playing career in the Kansas City system.  
 
Snodgrass returns for his eighth season as the athletic trainer for the Astros Double-A affiliate and his 12th year in the Houston organization.  In 2009, Snodgrass had the opportunity to work with the Astros training staff during September, his first stint in the big leagues during the regular season. 
 
The 2005 Trainer of the Year in the Texas League, Snodgrass was also honored as the Trainer of the Year in the Midwest League in both 2001 and 2002 while working for the Michigan Battle Cats.  Snodgrass is the only trainer the Hooks have known and the only person who has witnessed all 706 games played by the Hooks during the team’s first five seasons.

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