With Spring Training right around the corner for the Padres are finalizing their minor league coaching staffs.
Friday they announced Michael Collins will take over as manager for the Lake Elsinore Storm. Collins has been with the organization for four years and managed their other Single-A team in Fort Wayne last season. Before that the Canberra, Australia, native managed in the Arizona League and Dominican Summer League affiliates.
Glendon Rusch, who spent 12 years in Major League Baseball, will make his professional coaching debut as Collins’ pitching coach in Lake Elsinore. Since leaving baseball in 2009, Rusch has been working with young athletes in Southern California with his Full Count Baseball Academy. It was also announced that Rod Barajas will continue serving as the Storm hitting coach.
Francisco Morales will make his professional managerial debut taking over for Collins in Fort Wayne. Morales spent 2014 as the hitting coach for Double-A San Antonio. Previously he worked as a bullpen catcher and staff assistant with the Cleveland Indians and a hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.
Lance Burkhart joins the Padres organization as the San Antonio hitting coach. Burkhart had a 13-year career as an MLB catcher and managed the independent Atlantic League Southern Maryland Blue Crabs but will be making his coaching debut in affiliated baseball. Burt Hooton also joins Morales’ staff as pitching coach. Hooton played in the big leagues for 15 years and worked with the Houston Astros’ Triple-A affiliates as pitching coach.
