Indians Finalize 2008 Player Development Staff

Sarbaugh Promoted to Akron; Tremie to Kinston; Holbert Named at Lake County;

Former Indian Travis Fryman to Manage Mahoning Valley; Odor Returns to GCL

CLEVELAND, OH-- The Cleveland Indians & Director of Player Development ROSS ATKINS today announced the remaining staff assignments for the 2008 Player Development System. Today, Atkins appointed MIKE SARBAUGH Manager at Akron, CHRIS TREMIE Manager at Kinston, AARON HOLBERT Manager at Lake County, TRAVIS FRYMAN Manager at Mahoning Valley and ROUGLAS ODOR Manager of the Gulf Coast League Indians.

The Indians also announced the field staff assignments for the 2008 season. DAVE HUDGENS (Field Coordinator), BRUCE FIELDS (Hitting Coordinator), DAVE MILLER (Pitching Coordinator) and TED KUBIAK (Defensive Coordinator) will all return to the same positions they held during the 2007 season. TIM LAKER, who was the Manager of the Mahoning Valley Scrapper last season will be the Indians Catching Coordinator in 2008. GARY THURMAN joins the Indians Player Development System as the Outfield/Baserunning Coordinator after spending the last half of the 2007 season as the First Base and Outfield Coach of the Seattle Mariners. He played nine (9) seasons at the Major League level (KC, DET, SEA, NYM) and was a member of the Mariners organization for the previous nine seasons as a minor league manager, coach or coordinator.

Sarbaugh, 40, has been promoted to Akron after spending the last two seasons as the Manager of the Kinston Indians. Last year, Sarbaugh was named the Carolina League Manager of the Year as he led Kinston to both the first and second half titles in the Carolina League as they finished with an overall record of 87-52 (.626). TONY ARNOLD will stay with Sarbaugh as he will serve as Sarbaugh’s Pitching Coach with the Aeros. Last year, Arnold was the Pitching Coach of the Kinston Indians where he guided the Indians staff to a 3.53 ERA, which ranked 2^nd in the Carolina League. LEE MAY Jr. will again serve as a coach of the Aeros and MICHAEL SALAZAR will return as the teams Athletic Trainer.

Tremie, 38, has been promoted to Kinston after managing the Lake County Captains in 2007. Last year, in just his 2^nd season as a Manager, Tremie led the Captains to a 64-74 (.464) record. GREG HIBBARD will serve as Tremie’s Pitching Coach this year after spending the 2007 season as the Pitching Coach of the Akron Aeros. JON NUNNALLY will return as a coach, while CHAD WOLFE will again serve as the Indians Athletic Trainer.

Holbert, 34 (turns 35 Jan. 9), will make his managerial debut as the Manager of the Lake County Captains. This will mark Holbert’s first season in the Indians organization. Last year, Holbert was the Hitting Coach at Billings, the Cincinnati Reds Rookie league team. A former first round selection (18^th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1990 draft, Holbert played 17 seasons of professional baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Boston Red Sox, Florida Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds organizations. A former infielder he made his Major League debut with the Cardinals in 1996 and then returned to the big leagues in 2005 with the Reds. RUBEN NIEBLA returns to the Captains for the third consecutive season to serve as Holbert’s Pitching Coach with JIM RICKON serving as a coach for the second straight year. JEREMY HELLER will again serve as the Athletic Trainer.

Fryman, 38, was recently named as the Manager of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. A five (5) time All-Star and former Rawlings Gold Glove winner (2000) Fryman played 13 seasons at the Major League level including his final five seasons with the Cleveland Indians from 1998-2002 This will mark the first managerial or coaching assignment of Fryman’s post-playing career. KEN ROWE returns to Mahoning Valley to serve as the Scrappers Pitching Coach on Fryman’s staff. This will mark Rowe’s 17^th season in the Cleveland Indians organization. ANTHONY MEDRANO will serve as a coach of the Scrappers. Medrano, a former 2^nd round selection in the 1993 MLB draft, played 12 seasons in the Minor Leagues from 1993-2004 where he owned a lifetime average of .275. Medrano returns to the Indians organization as he played for the Buffalo Bisons during the 2001 and part of the 2002 season.

Odor, 39, will again guide the Gulf Coast League Indians as his entire staff from 2007 rejoins him with the GCL Indians. STEVE LYONS returns as Odor’s Pitching Coach with PHIL CLARK returning to serve as a coach. TEDDY BLACKWELL will again be the teams Athletic Trainer.

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