2011 CWL Instructors

Darrell Evans

League Commisioner/Instructor

– Atlanta Braves (1969-1976, 1989)

– San Francisco Giants (1976-1983)
– Detroit Tigers (1984-1988)
Bats: Left
Throws: Right

Darrell Evans made his MLB debut on April 20, 1969 for the Atlanta Braves. He was the first player to hit 40 homeruns in both the American and National Leagues. In addition, he became the oldest player to lead the league in homeruns. In 1988, Evans became the 22nd player to hit 400 homeruns. He was also, the second player after Reggie Jackson to hit 100 homeruns with three different teams. Evans hit a total 415 homeruns during his big-league career.

Evans also received the honor of being on two National League All-Star teams in 1973 and again in 1983. Also, in 1983, he received the Willie Mac award for his leadership and spirit. In 1984. Evans was also a Worlds Series Champion with the Detroit Tigers and was the American League Home Run Champion in 1985.

After his playing career, Evans coached with the New York Yankees in 1990, and spent a few years managing for the Long Beach Armada of the Golden Baseball League. In 2009, Evans managed the Palm Springs CHILL.

Dan DiPace

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 went on to win a league championship with the West Carolina League in 1964 and in 1965 was the first player selected in the first Minor League Draft by the Minnesota Twins. DiPace 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 is most currently the bench hitting coach for the Victoria Seals of the Golden Baseball League.

Mac Suzuki
Played for:
-Seattle Mariners (1996, 1998-1999)
-Kansas City Royals (1999-2001, 2002)
-Colorado Rockies (2001)
-Milwaukee Brewers (2001)
Bats: Right
Throws: Right

Mac Suzuki joined the Salinas Spurs minor league team in 1992, at the young age of 17. He became the first Japanese player to enter the major leagues without having first played in the Japanese professional leagues. 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.

Chris Paterson

Chris Paterson is a native of San Bernardino, California and attended Redlands East Valley High School. He was a member of the school’s first Citrus Belt League Title playing on same team as Atlanta Braves pitcher Tommy Hansen. Paterson played one year of junior college baseball at Barstow Community College before going on to play Division I baseball at North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota. While there, he served as a reliever and posted a career earned run average of 4.26, including 2 career starts and a no-hitter against perennial NCAA powerhouse Creighton University. Paterson earned national awards, notably a PING National Spotlight Player/ Performance of the week. He graduated from NDSU in 2008 with a degree in Behavioral Studies.

After College, Paterson was offered multiple Independent contracts, but chose to pursue his career professionally on the international circuit. Paterson played his last season for the French Elite club for the Montigny Cougars as a starting pitcher, first baseman and outfielder. He played and coached this winter in Australia for one of the top leagues, the Victorian Baseball league in Melbourne for the Doncaster Dragons Baseball Club as a pitcher and outfielder. Paterson helped lead the club to the middle of the pack after the team finished last the previous season. He was offered Independent contracts for the next season as well as Professional International contracts including the job as head coach and player for a top team in the Czech Republic in the Czech ExtraLeague.

Paterson enters his second season in the California Winter League and currently resides in Yucaipa, California where he is working on his Masters Degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration at Concordia University-Irvine. “This will be a great opportunity for me to use this experience to recruit and look for talented players for my club, as well as for other European clubs,” Paterson said. He will manage the Roswell Invaders of the Pecos League as well as serving as director of Player Procurement for the Pecos League upon the conclusion of the CWL. Paterson also will be the pitching coach for Pacifica College, a first-year program looking to get on its feet.

Paterson knows multiple contacts throughout Europe and the various Leagues overseas.

Ricky VanAsselberg

RickyVanAsselberg comes to the California Winter League after leading the Shreveport-Bossier Captains to the 2010 American Association Championship. He led the team to a 48-48 record in 2009 – a 22-game improvement from the previous season and the team’s first .500 season since 2006.

Prior to managing the Captains, he spent three highly successful seasons managing the Alexandria (La.) Aces of United League Baseball (ULB). His clubs won back-to-back ULB crowns in 2006 and 2007 and was one win away from capturing a third, falling in the final game of the 2008 Championship Series. In his three seasons guiding the Aces, he posted a 155-114 record (.576 winning percentage) during the regular season and a 12-5 record during the postseason (.706 winning percentage). VanAsselberg was named ULB Manager of the Year after both the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

A Gardner, LA resident, VanAsselberg played collegiate ball at Baptist Christian College in Shreveport, winning back-to-back national small-college championships in 1995 and 1996. He was a two-time small-college all-America selection and was named MVP of the 1996 tournament.

VanAsselberg started his professional playing career in 1996 with the Alexandria Aces and after one season was signed by the Baltimore Orioles. He also spent time with the Ozark (Mo.) Mountain Ducks in 2001 and Rio Grande Valley (Texas) WhiteWings in 2002, serving as a player/coach for both clubs.

John Harris

John Harris comes to the CWL from the Amarillo Sox of the American Association. In 2010, Harris was with the United League’s Amarillo Dillas where he served as hitting coach this past season. He has also served as the Dillas’ manager during the 2004 season and has lived there during the off-season for over 15 years.

A native of Portland, Oregon, Harris was originally selected by the California Angels in the 29th round of the 1976 MLB Amateur Draft. Harris made his MLB debut on September 26, 1979, playing his final MLB game on October 3, 1981. In three seasons with Angels, Harris played in 56 games for the Halos posting career offensive numbers that include a .258 batting average with 8 doubles, 5 homeruns, and 16 RBI, in 131 official plate appearances.

After his MLB career, Harris spent over 20 years managing and coaching in professional baseball where he has been regarded as one of the finest hitting instructors by his peers but is most notable for his ability to procure players.

Stan Cliburn

Stan Cliburn recently joined the California Winter League as an instructor for the upcoming season. He has over twenty years of managing experience and was hired in January to serve as the new manager of the Sioux City Explorers in the American Association. Cliburn played baseball at the University of Southern Mississippi and went on to have a four year MLB career.

Cliburn was drafted in the fifth round by the California Angels in 1974 and made his MLB debut on May 6, 1980. During his MLB career, he was a part of the Angels, Pirates and Braves organizations. After his MLB career he became a manger and hitting coach, and has helped developed some of the top players in the game today. Over his twenty year span of instructing, Cliburn has worked with American League MVP’s Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau as well as many other MLB All-Stars.

Gera Alvarez

Gera Alvarez comes to the California Winter League after winning the 2010 Rogers Hanners Award as Frontier League Manager of the Year. Alvarez, who also serves as an associate scout for the San Diego Padres, led the Oakland County Cruisers to a club-record 52 wins, a ten game improvement from 2009. He also managed the Frontier League All-Star game.

Alvarez attended Texas Tech University where he earned All-Big 12 honors in 2001 and 2002. He still holds the school record for having a 30-game hitting streak. After finishing his college career with the Red Raiders, he was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 16^th round in 2002.

After reaching AAA and playing six years in the minors, Alvarez moved on to be the hitting coach and first base coach of the Midwest Sliders in 2009. He helped the Sliders go from last in team batting average, to third. The Sliders also improved their win total by 13 games in 2009.

Harry Gurley

Harry Gurley has built a very distinguished coaching and scouting career at all levels including professional, collegiate and high school. Most recently Gurley was the pitching coach at Ohio State University for the 2006 & 2007 seasons. During that time, OSU led the Big Ten Conference in team ERA and had its first 10-game winner since 1999.

Prior to working at OSU, Gurley was an assistant coach at Southern Illinois when the Salukis finished second at the 1971 NCAA College World Series. He was also a head high school coach in Arizona, Texas, and Missouri. During those stints, Gurley won a Missouri state championship, was an Arizona state championship runner up, and won a Texas Regional championship.

In 1984, he spent one season as manager of the Helena (Mont.) Gold Sox of the professional Pioneer League (Class A) and led them to the league championship. Gurley also spent several years as an associate scout for the Kansas City Royals and the St. Louis Cardinals.

With all of his coaching and managerial experience, it is no surprise that Gurley is familiar with the collegiate summer baseball circuit. In 1998, he was the pitching coach for the Nevada (Mo.) Griffins who won the Jayhawk Collegiate Baseball Summer League championship and finished second in the NBC Tournament in Wichita, KS.

During Gurley’s distinguished coaching career, he has worked with over 35 players who have played affiliated professional baseball, including 12 players who have made it all the way to the Major Leagues. Five of his prized pitching pupils have also been drafted in the 1st round of the MLB draft. Gurley was the 2009 Palm Springs POWER Manager and claimed the Southern California Collegiate Championship.

Dana Williams

Dana Williams comes to the California Winter League after serving as the hitting coach for the Washington Wild Things in 2010. Williams, a native of Weirton, W. Va., currently resides in Pittsburgh. He coached in the Seattle Mariners organization for 12 years, serving as manager of the AZL Mariners for two years and as a hitting coach with various affiliates for 10 years. He played minor league ball for seven seasons from 1983-89 in the Red Sox and White Sox organizations. Williams also appeared in eight games with the Boston Red Sox in 1989.