New Las Vegas Manager and Coaches

TONY DeFRANCESCO NAMED MANAGER OF THE

LAS VEGAS 51^S FOR THE 2018 CAMPAIGN;

GLENN ABBOTT NAMED PITCHING COACH;

JOEL CHIMELIS NAMED HITTING COACH

LAS VEGAS:  The Las Vegas 51^s PROFESSIONAL baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets, announced today, in conjunction with the Mets Media Relations Department, that Tony DeFrancesco was named manager for the Mets Triple-A affiliate for the 2018 season. DeFrancesco becomes the 24^th manager in the history of the Las Vegas franchise (1983 – 2017, 35 seasons).

                The 51^s coaching staff was also announced as Glenn Abbott was named pitching coach and Joel Chimelis was named hitting coach.  The athletic trainer position is Grant Hufford and Josh Fields will return for his second season as the strength coach.  In addition, Jeremy Accardo was named bullpen coach and Kiyoshi Tada was named assistant athletic trainer.  The right-handed pitcher Accardo was a member of the Las Vegas 51^s for two seasons (2009-10, Toronto Blue Jays affiliate) and is the franchise leader with 37 saves.  In 2017, he served as pitching coach for Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Mets.

                DeFrancesco, 54, has compiled 33 seasons overall in professional baseball, including 23 seasons as manager (over .500 seasons in 19 of 23 years). He has also been manager in the PCL for 14 seasons from 2003-07, 2009-17. He was a member of the Houston Astros organization for the past seven seasons (2011-17) and was the manager for Triple-A Oklahoma City for four seasons (2011-14) and Triple-A Fresno for three seasons (2015-17).  He was the manager of the PCL squad at the 2017 Triple-A All-Star Game.

                DeFrancesco has compiled an overall managerial record over 23 seasons of 1,625-1,414 (.535) and an impressive PCL managerial record over 14 seasons of 1,103-890 (.553) which includes four PCL championships (2003, 2004, 2007, 2015), two Triple-A National Championships (2007, 2015) and eight division titles. He was named the 2003 PCL Manager of the Year and the 2015 Minor League Manager of the Year by Baseball America. The four PCL titles is tied with Hall of Famer Del Crandall for the most championships in league history. Crandall’s championships with Albuquerque were in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982.

                He first joined the Oakland A’s organization as a minor league manager prior to the 1994 season, following a nine-season professional playing career as a catcher in the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds organizations (reached Triple-A with both organizations). In 2003, he managed in his first season at Triple-A Sacramento (Oakland A’s) and guided the River Cats to the PCL championship. In 2008, he earned his first full-time Major League coaching job, as third base coach for the A’s, before returning to Sacramento to manage in 2009.

                He then moved to the Astros organization following the 2010 campaign to manage Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2011. In 2012, he was elevated from Oklahoma City to Houston and was named the Astros interim manager on August 19, replacing Brad Mills who was fired.  He managed the final 41 games of the season and on August 24, he earned his first Major League victory, defeating the New York Mets, 3-1, at Citi Field. He compiled an overall record of 16-25 (.390) and with the Astros switching to the American League for 2013, DeFrancesco was the final manager to lead the Astros as a National League franchise.

                “I’m excited to be a part of the Mets organization and to also work with the 51^s organization,” 51^s Manager Tony DeFrancesco said.  “I have been coming to Las Vegas for 14 years as the opposing manager and I enjoy working with everyone in the Las Vegas front office. I have developed a great relationship over the years with Don (Logan) and his staff.

                “The PCL continues to be a very competitive league, with a high caliber of future major league stars, and our goal is to get to the playoffs and win the championship. I’m excited about our coaching staff and I have worked with Glenn Abbott in the Oakland organization and I know Joel Chimelis from the Astros organization.”

                 The Suffern, New York native attended Suffern High School and then played two seasons for Seton Hall University (1982 & 1984).  DeFrancesco began his professional career when selected by the Boston Red Sox in the ninth round of the June 1984 First-Year Player Draft.