GARY SOUTHSHORE RAILCATS MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2022
Contact: Ryan Zimmerman
Phone: 219-882-2255
[email protected]
RailCats Announce 2022 Coaching Staff
Gary, IN – New manager Lamarr Rogers has filled out his coaching staff ahead of the 2022 American Association season. With two newcomers and one returner, Rogers surrounds himself with plenty of experience as the RailCats look to capture their first league championship since 2013.
No stranger to The Region, Darryl Robinson is set for his first season as the new RailCats Hitting Coach. Most recently, he served as the Hitting Coach for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Philadelphia Phillies Triple-A affiliate.
A Chicago native, the Kansas City Royals selected Robinson in the 2nd round of the 1986 Major League Baseball Draft out of Whitney Young Magnet High School. He played seven seasons in the Royals system, reaching as high as Double-A, before playing five seasons in independent baseball for the Sioux City Explorers, Aberdeen Pheasants, Minot Mallards, Allentown Ambassadors, Atlantic City Surf, and Nashua Pride.
Upon the conclusion of his playing career, Robinson joined the Houston Astros organization and became the Hitting Coach for their High-A affiliate, the Lancaster JetHawks. There, he developed the next wave of Astros stars, including Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and George Springer, that helped them win the 2017 World Series. After eight seasons in Lancaster, the Astros promoted Robinson to the same position with the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies, where he worked for two seasons before joining the IronPigs.
“Darryl brings a wealth of knowledge and experience both as a player and hitting coach,” manager Lamarr Rogers said. “His track record of success in both the Astros and Phillies organizations will be an asset to our hitters in Gary. I feel very lucky to have him on the staff.”
Guye Senjem makes his professional baseball coaching debut as a Catching Coach/Assistant Hitting Coach in the same place where his playing career ended. He played for the RailCats during their 2007 Northern League Championship season.
Senjem began his playing career as a St. Paul Saint in 1997 following his graduation from Iowa State University. Three seasons later, the Cincinnati Reds purchased his contract, and he spent five seasons in affiliated baseball split between the Reds and Colorado Rockies. He finished his career with an additional three seasons in independent baseball which included a return to the Saints, a two-and-a-half-year run with the Brockton Rox, then of the Can-Am League, and a brief stint as a RailCat.
Since his retirement, Senjem has been coaching at ADG Academy, a private baseball training facility in Lakeville, Minnesota, where he provides individualized training to youth and high school baseball players in the greater Twin Cities area.
“Guye will be the Swiss Army knife on the coaching staff,” Rogers said. “He will serve primarily as the Catching Coach, but he will also be our Assistant Hitting Coach and Third Base Coach. He brings valuable professional playing experience from his time with the Reds and Rockies along with over 15 years in player development. I’m excited to welcome him back to the ‘Cats Family.”
The lone returner from last year’s staff, Tom Thornton, is back at the U.S. Steel Yard for his third year as a Pitching Coach. In his return to professional baseball after a 10-year absence, he helped develop Trevor Lubking into one of the top arms in the American Association while three other pitchers, Adam Heidenfelder, Nolan Clenney, and David Griffin, had their contracts purchased by Major League Baseball Organizations. He held the same position with the RailCats in 2011, a year in which the team barely missed the playoffs with a 54-46 record and seven qualified pitchers compiled earned run averages under 4.00.
The Detroit Tigers took Thornton in the 21st round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft from the University of Notre Dame, and he posted a 2-4 record, 3.33 earned run average, 1.247 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts in his one season in their organization as a member of the short-season Oneonta Tigers. He played an additional four years in independent baseball with the Traverse City Beach Bums, Nashua Pride, Evansville Otters, and Schaumburg Flyers while also spending two seasons as a RailCat.
“I will be leaning a lot on Tom and his experience from working with the returning pitchers and players from last season,” Rogers said. “Since coming aboard, we have had several positive conversations about the team and its direction, and I look forward to our opportunity to work together.”
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The RailCats 2022 season begins at the Steel Yard on Friday, May 20 vs Lincoln Saltdogs. Season tickets packages and group outings for the 2022 season can be reserved by calling 219-882-2255 or emailing [email protected].