JetHawks give reins to Coolbaugh

By ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

That position being, filling in where Mark Parent once stood.

On Monday, the Lancaster JetHawks and the Arizona Diamondbacks announced that Coolbaugh will manage the 2001 JetHawks. He takes the reins from Parent, who managed the club in 2000 while it was affiliated with the Mariners.

"Me and Mark are old friends," Coolbaugh said of the 2000 Cal League manager of the year. "If I can come in here and be as successful as he was this year, that'd be great."

Parent's team finished 89-51 in 2000, his managerial debut.

In the winter of 1990 Coolbaugh and Parent were traded for one another. Parent was sent to Texas and Coolbaugh to San Diego.

"He's an intense guy," Coolbaugh said of Parent, "but if you can see past that, he has an amazing baseball mind and has a lot to offer. Hopefully they can work it out so he can come back to the game next year.

"Maybe one day we'll be on a staff together."

For now, though, Coolbaugh will look to improve on his Cal League standing from last year. As the manager for the High Desert Mavericks, Coolbaugh, in his first full managerial season, went 48-92, the worst record in the league.

"Last year's record in High Desert has no reflection on the job Scott did," Arizona farm director Tommy Jones said. "He brings a unique blend of patience and competitiveness to the job."

For his part, Coolbaugh is excited at getting another shot at the Cal League.

"I know it's going to be a competitive team," Coolbaugh said. "They're going to be a fan friendly group of guys . They're going to be working with the fans. the kids that they draft . . . are good kids. I'm very excited about being here.

"I talked to Mark Parent about being here and he said nothing but good things about being here.

"We're really excited about the upcoming season," Lancaster general manager Kevin Younkin said. "Mr. Coolbaugh is a first-class gentleman . . . and we're really excited about having (him) here."

Joining Coolbaugh in 2001 will be the rest of the High Desert staff from 2000.

Mike Parrot will serve as the pitching coach in Lancaster and Rick Schu as the hitting coach. The trio has a combined 43 years of professional baseball experience, including 18 at the major league level.

Coolbaugh will become the fifth manager in franchise history following Parent, Darin Garner (1999), Rick Burleson (1997-98) and Dave Brundage (1996).

Uploaded October 3, 2000