Bend's Trevor Brown moving up to manage Pirates
New Moses Lake skipper comes with 'fantastic set of credentials'
MOSES LAKE - As the old saying goes, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
In the case of the Moses Lake Pirates and their new manager, Trevor Brown, it's an appropriate analogy. Brown, who was hired recently to replace departing manager Gabe Boruff, has Northwest ties through his playing days at Lane Community College and an assistant coaching stint with the Bend Elks of the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League.
Brown also credits Boruff for helping him get his first head coaching job - the two were roommates and close friends in college.
"He's a lot of the reason why I'm at Moses Lake," Brown said Monday.
Boruff, who guided the Pirates to the league's best record and their first league championship in August, left recently to take a volunteer assistant coaching position at Washington State University.
Pirates owner Brent Kirwan said Brown's familiarity with the WCCBL and his coaching mentality set him apart from other candidates.
"He comes with a fantastic set of credentials and I think he can help us take the Pirates to the next level," Kirwan said. "He came very highly regarded and in our conversations in the hiring process, we shared a lot of the same philosophies as far as handling the team."
Brown spent the past two summers as an assistant coach for Bend. The Elks finished 23-19 last season, third in the West Division behind Corvallis and Kitsap.
Brown is also entering his third season at Oklahoma State University, where he has served as the graduate manager and assistant director of baseball operations. The Cowboys have played in the NCAA Tournament the past two springs, losing in regionals to Oral Roberts in 2006 and in super regionals to Louisville in 2007.
"I've learned that young kids benefit off a lot of reps and true experience," Brown said of his time at OSU. "Our head coach (Frank Anderson) is very organized, thorough and concentrates on fundamentals."
Prior to his coaching career, Brown was an NAIA All-American at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. In 2001, the San Diego Padres selected him in the 17th round of the Major League Baseball draft, and he went on to play four seasons of minor league ball for the Padres and Oakland Athletics.
Brown said his interest was piqued in Moses Lake because of the club's positive direction.
"The main reason (in coming) is I thought I had the ownership who wanted to win - I want to go after another championship," Brown said. "I just kind of felt it was a good setup for me to take my first head job."
New franchise?
Kirwan said Monday that league owners have conditionally approved a ninth franchise for next season. The team, which has yet to be named, would play in the Longview-Kelso area of southwestern Washington.
The franchise is owned by Strategic Baseball Ventures, an East Coast-based group. Kirwan said SBV has until Nov. 7 to finalize an agreement for its ballpark. Two sites are under consideration, according to www.ballparkwatch.com - David Story Field at Lower Columbia College in Longview, and Stan Rister Stadium, a Babe Ruth League park in Kelso.
Kirwan said if the franchise is officially approved, the league would add an extra six games to its schedule for a total of 48. That also means each team would receive a bye week during the season, something Kirwan believes would be beneficial.
"That'll give everyone a chance to heal up and rest," he said. "I'd also look to schedule some non-league games during that time."
Centralized umpiring
Kirwan also talked about the WCCBL's plan to use a centralized umpiring system next summer. The league has trained and scheduled its own locally-based officials in the past, but Kirwan thinks going through a third party is better. NCAA Division II and community college umpires will form the majority of crews, he indicated.
"We've been pushing for centralized umpires for at least two years now," Kirwan added.
Get your tickets!
Season tickets for the Pirates' 2008 campaign are on sale. A special online price of $149 runs through Oct. 31, after which the price increases to $162.
Season ticket holders also receive invitations to exclusive team functions, special merchandise offers, and priority for future season ticket requests.
More information on season tickets is available online at www.mlpirates.com, by email at Tickets@mlpirates.com, or by phone at 509-764-8200.