Iggy Suarez
Iggy Suarez | |
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Boston Red Sox | |
Minor League Baseball manager | |
Born: New York City, New York | May 3, 1981|
Teams | |
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Ignacio Antonio Suarez (born May 3, 1981) is an American baseball manager in Minor League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox, and former professional baseball middle infielder and third baseman. Listed at 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and 165 pounds (75 kg), Suarez batted and threw right-handed. More respected for his glove than his bat, Suarez spent eleven seasons in the minors, reaching the Triple-A level briefly, before retiring in 2013.
Playing career
Amateur
Suarez was born in New York City in 1981.[1] He was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 34th round of the 1999 MLB Draft out of John Bowne High School, but opted to enroll at Southwest Texas State University, where he played baseball for the Bobcats.[1]
Suarez also played for the Wareham Gatemen team that won the 2002 championship of the Cape Cod Baseball League. That year, Suarez posted a .323/.402/.428 slash line in 57 games with the Bobcats, including 15 stolen bases in 18 attempts, and 37 runs scored.
Professional
Suarez was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 24th round of the 2003 MLB Draft.[1]
He played from 2003 through 2009 within the Red Sox farm system,[2] and later played with five different clubs of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in a span of four seasons from 2010 to 2013.[1] His most productive season came in 2008 with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, when he slashed .242/.307/.328 with 15 steals and career-highs in home runs (5) and RBIs (50).[1]
Suarez also played winter ball with the Leones de Ponce in the Puerto Rico Baseball League from 2008 to 2011,[1] and was part of the Ponce championship team that played in the 2009 Caribbean Series.[3]
Overall, Suarez hit .240 with 40 homers and 400 RBIs in 1201 minor league games.[1] He turned in 733 double plays and committed just 213 errors in 5,036 fielding chances, with a collective .959 fielding percentage.[1]
A versatile infielder who played mainly at shortstop, Suarez also saw action as a corner outfielder and often as a reserve for defensive purposes. He was a fundamental player with a likeable disposition, which made him a favorite of both his Portland teammates and the enthusiastic fans at Hadlock Field, to the point of being named Portland Sea Dogs Citizen of the Year in 2007 and 2008.[2]
International
Suarez joined the Colombian national team for the 2013 World Baseball Classic Qualification Round, backing up Édgar Rentería at shortstop.[4]
Post-playing career
Following his playing career, Suarez returned to the Red Sox organization as a hitting coach and instructor for the Class A Short Season Lowell Spinners in 2014 and 2015.[5] Following the 2015 season, he was named manager for the 2016 Spinners.[6] His maiden season as Lowell's skipper resulted in a 47–29 (.618) record, and a first-place finish in the Stedler Division of the New York–Penn League. The Spinners lost the opening playoff round to the Hudson Valley Renegades, two games to none.
Suarez was reappointed to a second season as the Spinners' manager in January 2017.[7] At 33–42, the 2017 Spinners finished last in their division. Suarez' two-year managerial record stands at 80–71 (.530).
Boston promoted Suarez to manage the Class A Greenville Drive of the South Atlantic League for 2018.[8]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Baseball Reference – Iggy Suarez page".
- 1 2 "Boston Red Sox Prospects".
- ↑ 2009 Caribbean Series Rosters (Spanish)
- ↑ 2013 World Baseball Classic – Colombian National Team
- ↑ Espn.co – Sox minor-league coaching staffs set
- ↑ Abraham, Peter (November 11, 2015). "Red Sox notebook: Minor league changes". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
- ↑ Adler, David (January 11, 2017). "Little change in Red Sox' minors staff". Boston Red Sox official web site. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
- ↑ "Red Sox announce minor league field staffs for 2018". Boston Red Sox official website. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)
Preceded by Joe Oliver |
Lowell Spinners manager 2016–2017 |
Succeeded by Corey Wimberly |
Preceded by Darren Fenster |
Greenville Drive manager 2018–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |