Cleburne Name Gabe Suarez Field Manager03/08/2017 8:48 PM Article By: The Cleburne Railroaders have named Gabe Suarez their field manager for their inaugural season. The 32-year-old Suarez has spent 11 years in professional baseball beginning in 2004 when he was drafted by the Montreal Expos — now the Washington Nationals. Most of his time was spent in the minor leagues. He later played for minor league teams associated with the Colorado Rockies, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers. Additionally, in 2013 he played for Team Spain in the World Baseball Classic. Suarez’s most recent job was field manager for the former American Association of Independent Professional Baseball team the Joplin Blasters. Now that the Blasters are no longer a team Suarez was open to hire, Railroaders President Robbie Fenyes said. He said hiring someone with so much experience was a great opportunity for the team. The field manager plays a major role in the team’s development. “He’s a good evaluator of players,” Fenyes said. He said Suarez was invited to a workout with the Texas Rangers at their training camp in Arizona, where he was able to evaluate Major League prospects and will attend a workout with the Arizona Diamondbacks to do the same. These opportunities could turn up prospects for the Railroaders, should those teams pass on players. Fenyes said it would be great to have a crack at Major League-level players. He also said Suarez liked to get involved in the community. “He has a winning attitude that’s infectious.” “I look forward to opening a new chapter of professional baseball in Cleburne, and continue that tradition of excellence that began so many years ago,” Suarez said. “I am honored to be named the manager of the Cleburne Railroaders.” Suarez was in town this past weekend during team tryouts, Fenyes said, and some of those players might get signed to the team. “The tryouts were really encouraging,” Suarez said. “We picked up three guys.” He said that Joplin was the first AAIPB team he has managed, although he had managed some smaller teams. He said he was excited to get to manage the inaugural season for the Railroaders. Besides workouts with major league teams, Suarez said he’s been scouting players all over, including in California, Mexico and Puerto Rico. He’s been impressed with the quality of players he’s seen, including a couple who have played at the major league level He said he was confident the Railroaders will be able to compete in their first year in the league. “The quality of baseball is very, very high,” he said. He was also impressed with the team’s stadium, which he saw on when he was conducting the tryouts. “It’s a lot more fan interactive” than other stadiums, he said. In one area fans will be able to high-five the players. And even the upper-level seating is close to the action. “It’s great to get a professional like Gabe who has a passion to win and a passion to be part of the community makes him a great fit,” said Cleburne graduate and country music singer Randy Rogers, a member of the Railroaders ownership group, in a statement. |
Browse by Month »
March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 June 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 |