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Former Wizards Collect Honors, Move Up
By Chad Gramling | December 14, 2007
The San Diego Padres have announced the promotion of Former Wizards manager, Randy Ready to manager of the club’s Triple-A Portland affiliate. Another former Wizards coach, Max Venable has been promoted to hitting coach at Triple-A Portland.
Ready, 47, enters his fifth season in the Padres organization, having managed at Fort Wayne (2004-06) and Double-A San Antonio (2007). He led the Missions to a 73-66 (.525) overall record and the Texas League Championship. His club swept the Texas League honors with third baseman (and former Wizards player) Chase Headley being named Player of the Year. Former Wizards pitcher, Josh Geer was named Pitcher of the Year.
In his three years with Fort Wayne, Ready guided the Wizards to a 208-209 mark (.499). Selected by Milwaukee in the fifth round of the 1980 First-Year Player Draft, Ready’s professional career spans 19 years, including parts of 13 Major League seasons with the Brewers (1983-86), Padres (1986-89), Phillies (1989-91, 1994-95), Athletics (1992) and Expos (1993). He batted .259 (547-for-2110) with 107 doubles, 21 triples, 40 home runs, 239 RBI and 312 runs scored in 777 Big League games.
Venable, 50, takes over as Portland’s hitting coach after serving in the same capacity at Single-A Lake Elsinore (2007) and Single-A Fort Wayne (2005-06) over the previous three seasons. Venable’s previous coaching experience also includes five seasons in the Atlanta Braves minor league system from 1994-98. He began his coaching career in 1994 as manager of the Braves Rookie-level Idaho Falls club, later managing at Rookie-level Danville (1995) and coaching at Single-A Durham (1996) and Triple-A Richmond (1997-98).
Originally selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third round of the 1976 First-Year Player Draft, Venable played parts of 12 Major League seasons with the Giants (1979-83), Expos (1984), Reds (1985-87) and Angels (1989-91). He hit .241 (337-for-1397) with 57 doubles, 17 triples, 18 home runs, 128 RBI and 64 stolen bases in 727 games. His son, Will Venable, is also a former Wizards player and currently an outfielder in the Padres organization.
[Source: MadFriars.com]
Tags: Randy Ready, Minor League Baseball, Max Venable, Josh Geer, Chase Headley, Will Veneble, Fort Wayne Wizards
