2015 Instructors
Barry Moss
CWL Field Coordinator
Moss is a Special Assignment Pro Scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers and previously worked within their organization as an Independent League Scout from 2009-11.
After being taken by the Cincinnati Reds in the fifth round of the 1975 first-year player draft, Moss played eight years in professional ball – six with the Reds’ organization and two with the Blue Jays. He was hired by the Cincinnati Reds as a Hitting Instructor for their Florida State League affiliate for the 1985-86 seasons.
In 1987, Moss led the Salt Lake Trappers (Rookie Pioneer League) to 29 consecutive wins, still a professional baseball record. He managed the Trappers for three seasons.
Moss managed the Erie Sailors of the New York-Pennsylvania League in 1991 and served in a variety of coaching positions for the Spokane Indians (A-Padres), Stockton Ports (High A-Brewers) and Orlando Cubs (AA-Cubs) from 1993-97. In 1998, he was hired as Player Procurement Director for the independent St. Paul Saints, a position he held with the Saints, Brockton Rox and Ft. Worth Cats over the next 13 years.
He served as the Miami Marlins Minor League Hitting Coordinator in 2012.
During the off seasons of 2000-2005, Barry was the Hitting Coach for the U.S.A. Professional Tournament Teams that played for the World Cup and Pan American Games Qualifying Tournaments.
Chris Carminucci
Professional Scout/Independent League Scouting Coordinator – Arizona Diamondbacks
Carminucci currently serves as a Professional Scout/Independent League Scouting Coordinator for the Arizona Diamondbacks after previous scouting experience with the Kansas City Royals and Philadelphia Phillies.
Chris’ playing career spanned parts of eight seasons from 1997-2004 in the Big South and Northeast Leagues. Immediately after, he earned his first managerial experience with St. Johns University and the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod League. Chris’s professional managerial debut was in 2004 with the Bangor Lumberjacks of the Canadian-American League. He was named the Can-Am League’s Manager of the Year in 2009-10 when he led the Brockton Rox to their highest win total in club history.
Carminucci has a unique blend of on-field managing as well as front office experience. In 2006, he was named Vice President of Player Procurement for Ventura Sports Group, where he continues to help build rosters for several Can-Am and American Association teams. Carminucci has served as CEO and Director of Baseball Operations for the Brockton Rox, Atlantic City Surf and Grosseto Professional Baseball Club Italy and owns his own baseball consulting firm, Carminucci Sports Group, and was instrumental in the formation of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England, a summer collegiate baseball league that began play in the summer of 2011.
Ryan Powell
Head Independent Scout – Baltimore Orioles (MLB)
Powell is a former catcher who played professionally in the Independent circuit. After his time playing professionally, Powell turned his focus to scouting, where he is now the head independent scout for the Baltimore Orioles.
2015 will be Powell’s first season with the California Winter League, and he had this to say about joining the CWL, “The CWL is a premier winter league in the world. I look forward to being a part of the 2015 season!”
Denny Henderson
Pro Scout – Chicago Cubs (MLB)
Henderson is currently a professional scout for the Chicago Cubs. But his roots in baseball go back to 1977 when he coach at Corona High School.
He began his scouting career in 1981, spending time with the following organizations: San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, and the Chicago Cubs. While coaching scout teams for those organizations, Henderson had a chance to coach the following pro players: Michael Young, Ryan Madsen, Pat Burrell, and Mike Sweeney.
Rick Schroeder
Pro Scout – Texas Rangers (MLB)
Schroeder has scouted for the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers dating back to 1982. During his tenure as a professional scout, Schroder has scouted and signed the following major and minor league players: Danny Duffy, Derek Holland, Gary Alexander, Steve Buechele, Bob Gamez, Danny Herrera, Randy Kramer, John Lujan, and Alex Rivers.
Mike Garcia
Area Scout – Philadelphia Phillies (MLB)
Ricky VanAsselberg
Manager – Bridgeport Bluefish (Atlantic League)
Ricky VanAsselberg returns to the California Winter League for his fifth season after signing on in 2011. VanAsselberg is a two-time American Association champion, having managed the Shreveport-Bossier Captains to the title in 2010, and winning again the following season with the Grand Prairie Airhogs, whose 64-36 record was the best in the league and also the best in club history. In December 2014, Ricky was named the manager for the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League.
Stan Cliburn
Assistant Coach – Lancaster Barnstormers (Atlantic League)
Stan Cliburn played baseball collegiately at the University of Southern Mississippi, and after a four-year Major League career, has amassed more than 20 years of experience as a professional manager.
Cliburn was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the fifth round of the 1974 first-year player draft and spent time in the Angels, Pirates, and Braves organizations. As a manager and hitting coach, he’s spent time working with some of the game’s greats such as former American League MVPs Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.
Cliburn is currently an assistant coach for the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League.
Bobby Brown
Manager – Amarillo Sox (American Association)
Brown has 17 years of professional baseball experience as a player, coach, scout and manager. This is his fourth season with the CWL.
Brown initially played with the Springfield Capitals of the Frontier League in 1996 before hooking on with the Kansas City Royals the following year. He returned to the Frontier League in 1998 and posted career highs in batting average (.363), home runs (9) and RBI (63) with the Canton Crocodiles.
As hitting coach for the 2011 San Angelo Colts of the ULB, Brown helped the team break nearly every club offensive record. He is currently manager of the Amarillo Sox of the American Association.
Gabe Suarez
CEO – Joplin Blasters (American Association)
Suarez was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 2004 and spent his 10-year career playing with Major League organizations (Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres), independent organizations, and he even played for the Spanish National team in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
In 2014 Suarez became the CEO of the American Association expansion team, the Joplin Blasters.
Ron Biga
Manager – Windy City Thunderbolts (Frontier League)
2014 will be Biga’s second season managing the ThunderBolts and his 16th season in professional baseball. He also serves as a Special Assignment Scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Biga began his professional coaching career as the Assistant Coach & Director of Player Procurement for the Sioux City Explorers (American Association) in 2006. He was then hired to the same positions with the Southern Illinois Miners in 2008 and remained there for three seasons, each culminating in a postseason appearance for the Miners.
In 2011, Biga became Vice President of Baseball Operations for the Joliet Slammers for their inaugural season, and put together the roster that brought home the 2011 Frontier League championship. Overall, Biga’s teams have put together a 271-208 record with him on the player procurement staff.
CJ Thieleke
Assistant Coach – Schaumburg Boomers (Frontier League)
Thieleke has served as Hitting Coach for the Frontier League’s Boomers for the past two seasons after spending the previous year on the coaching staff of the Gary South Shore RailCats
After attending the University of Iowa, Thieleke was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 32nd round of the 1996 first-year player draft. He batted .295 over 43 games for Minnesota’s Appalachian League affiliate.
From 2005-10, he served as manager for the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League, a summer collegiate wooden bat league. Thielke is one of just four managers in Northwoods League history with more than 200 career wins. He owns a 230-178 career mark with the Mallards, having made the postseason three times, including a runner-up finish in the 2008 Northwoods League Championship Series.
Thieleke is also an Assistant Coach for Madison College’s baseball team, a position he has held since 2005.
James Frisbie
Manager – Rockford Aviators (Frontier League)
Frisbie spent four seasons as a professional ballplayer, having pitched in the independent Texas-Louisiana League from 1998-2001. He appeared in 29 career games for the Alexandria Aces, Bayou Bullfrogs and Greenville Bluesmen.
Following his retirement, Frisbie began his coaching career in 2002 as Pitching Coach for the Rio Grande Valley White Wings (Central Baseball League) and was promoted to manager the following season. He then went on to serve as pitching coach for the Jackson Senators (CBL), Chillicothe Paints (Frontier League) and Coastal Bend Aviators (American Association) respectively over the next three seasons.
In 2007, Frisbie returned to the managerial position, this time with the Bradenton Juice. Despite having no home stadium, the Juice finished the 2007 campaign with a 47-42 record. Frisbie then spent three seasons with the Fort Worth Cats as their Pitching Coach before becoming the Rockford Aviators manager last season.
AJ Cicconi
Assistant Coach – Florence Freedom (Frontier League)
Cicconi began his coaching career in 2009 with the DABA (a summer collegiate league), before moving on to become the varsity head coach of the Grand Prarie High School baseball team. In 2012, he served as the coach and private instructor for the Dallas Patriots baseball club, assuming the same role for the DBAT organization in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, Cicconi will join the Florence Freedom’s coaching staff (Frontier League) in addition to being one of the CWL’s instructors.
Cameron Roth
Assistant Coach – Schaumburg Boomers (Frontier League)
Roth was a former draft pick of the Baltimore Orioles in 2010. He then pitched for the Schaumburg Boomers in 2012 before moving on to a career as a coach. Roth instructs both pitchers and position players, helping them evaluate and improve their mechanics.
Chris Mongiardo
Assistant Coach – Lake Erie Crushers (Frontier League)
Mongiardo has several years of experience coaching and scouting throughout professional and collegiate baseball. In addition to his positions with the Lake Erie Crushers, he also works as an Associate Scout for the San Diego Padres.
After spending the 1999 and 2000 seasons as a player-manager for the Canton Crocodiles (Frontier League), Mongiardo served as a coach and recruiting coordinator for several collegiate programs in South Florida. Mongiardo managed the Frontier League’s Richmond Roosters from 2003-05 and has also coached with the Gary South Shore RailCats and San Angelo Colts. He appeared as a catcher in one game each of the 2007 and 2008 seasons with the Colts.
Patrick O’Sullivan
Hitting Coach – So. Illinois Miners (Frontier League)
O’Sullivan has been the hitting coach for the Rockford Aviators for the last four years. As a coach, he helped lead the Aviators to league-leading marks of 911 total hits, 175 doubles and a .277 team batting average in 2012. During the offseason, Pat is a hitting instructor at Fusion Sports Center in Rockford, Illinois.
O’Sullivan brings an extensive hitting background to the Miners organization. When he retired as a player at the end of the 2010 season, he was 13th on the active minor league home run list with 200. Originally drafted in the 34th round of the 1999 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the former New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles farmhand finished his career with an exceptional .317 average over 12 professional seasons. Over six Triple-A seasons he hit .322 with 90 home runs. O’Sullivan also hit 20 home runs in five straight seasons from 2004-2008.
Dan Rohn
Manager – Traverse City Beach Bums (Frontier League)
Dan Rohn, an Alpena, Michigan native and former scholarship athlete of Central Michigan University, played 13 years of professional baseball including 3 stints in the Major Leagues. He then began coaching Minor League baseball in 1990 as hitting coach of the Portland Beavers, a AAA Minnesota Twins affiliate. He spent the next 23 years in baseball working in many facets and was named four times as Manager of the Year, once in the AA Eastern League (2000) and three times in the AAA Pacific Coast League (2001, 2004 and 2005). He also worked as an administrative coach of the Seattle Mariners in 2006. Rohn’s most recent managing experience was with the Las Vegas 51’s, a Toronto Blue Jays AAA affiliate, in 2010.
John Wuerfel, President and CEO of the Beach Bums, said “We are very fortunate to have a manager with his qualifications. There are a lot of good managers in this league but none with the experience Dan has. Dan will manage the team professionally on and off the field; the timing is perfect, we are just very fortunate.” Rohn and his wife Mindy, a teacher at Interlochen Arts Academy, reside in Traverse City. He has been with the Beach Bums since 2011 when he was brought in as a special assistant. In 2013, he was promoted to Bench Coach when the position opened after the departure of Shannon Hunt.
Dan DiPace Sr.
Manager – San Rafael Pacifics (Pacific Association)
Dan DiPace is the Director of Player Procurement for the California Winter League and an Associate Scout for the Atlanta Braves. Dan was signed as a shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1963. He led the Midwest League in hitting (.333), hits and runs scored for the Wisconsin Rapids. In 1966 he also led the Carolina League in hitting (.330).
From 1985 to 1991, DiPace was an associate scout for the Montreal Expos and then began a long career as an associate scout for the Atlanta Braves in 1996, a position which he still holds. DiPace has a long history of coaching, beginning in 2000 as a first base and hitting coach for the Aberdeen Arsenal. In 2002 he went on to become a first base and hitting coach for the Allentown Ambassadors in the Northern League and the Long Beach Armada in 2005. DiPace was a first base coach for the Orange County Flyers in 2007-2008, winning the 2008 Golden Baseball League Championship. He was a coach, and in charge of player procurement, for the Palm Springs CHILL from 2008 to 2009, and was most recently the bench hitting coach for the Victoria Seals of the Golden Baseball League.
Mac Suzuki
Pitching Instructor
Suzuki signed with the Seattle Mariners in 1993 without ever playing professionally in Japan. He made history in 1995, becoming just the third Japanese player in Major League history and the first Japanese pitcher to play in the American League.
Over a six year Major League career with the Mariners, Royals, Rockies and Brewers, Suzuki appeared in 117 games. From 2003-04, he pitched for the Orix Buffaloes of the Nippon Professional Baseball League (Japan).
In 1993 Suzuki signed with the Seattle Mariners and was promoted to the majors in 1995. He made his major league pitching debut on July 7, 1996. His debut cast him as only the third Japanese player to play in the major leagues and the first Japanese player to pitch in the American League. Suzuki went on to play for the New York Mets, Kansas City Royals (where he won 8 games in 2000 including a shut-out), the Colorado Rockies and the Milwaukee Brewers before deciding at the end of the 2002 season to enter the Japanese professional leagues.
In 2005, Suzuki came back to the US and signed a minor league contract with the Oakland A’s, and in 2006 he joined a Mexican League team. In that offseason he signed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs. Suzuki played with the Calgary Vipers of the independent Golden Baseball League to round out his 2008 season. In 2009 he played for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the independent Atlantic League.
Harry Gurley
Manager – Palm Springs Power
Gurley’s has helped more than 45 players gain affiliated baseball experience, including 12 players who have made it all the way to the Major Leagues. Five of his pitching pupils have also been drafted in the first round of the MLB first-year player draft.
As the Ohio State University Pitching Coach from 2006-07, Gurley’s team led the Big 10 Conference in ERA and boasted its first 10-game winner in nearly a decade.
Gurley became the Palm Springs POWER Manager in 2009 as well as 2011-14 and won the Southern California Collegiate Baseball League Championship in all five seasons.
Coach Harry is offering private instructional pitching lessons in January and February 2015 within the Coachella Valley. For prices and to set up an appointment, call (760)778-HITS [4487]
Past Instructors
2012 Instructors
2011 Instructors
2010 Instructors
