Round Rock hitting coach Harry Spilman and bench coach Spike Owen have decided not to return. Corpus Christi pitching coach Joe Slusarski also won’t be back. Candidates are currently being interviewed to fill those three positions.
“The travel at the Triple-A level is ungodly, and Harry and Spike both get a little tired of it,” Astros general manager Tim Purpura said.
Brian McTaggart’s article in the Chron.
Edited to add on 1/9/07:
Spilman was just named hitting coach of the AAA Nashville Sounds of the PCL, a club with a travel schedule similar to the Express. Nashville is fairly close to Spilman’s home in southern Indiana, so that have been the determining factor.
(Greeneville manager) Ivan DeJesus was hired as a special assistant to Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella on Monday…