Phillies Promote Rhys Hoskins’ Home Run Derby Pitcher to Minor League Field Coordinator

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

While the Philadelphia Phillies ponder their next offseason player transaction, the club made one change to their minor-league coaching staff on Wednesday: promoting Chris Truby from infield coordinator to field coordinator, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jim Salisbury.

Truby replaces Doug Mansolino,  who was let go in early September, along with minor-league hitting instructor Andy Tracy, assistant hitting instructor Frank Cacciatore, Triple-A hitting coach Sal Rende and High-A hitting coach John Mizerock. All such moves occurred shortly after Joe Jordan resigned as director of player development.

While Truby, 44, has worked his way up within the coaching ranks of the Phillies minor-league system, and is known as a "great baseball man," per Salisbury, Phillies fans might recognize him as the pitcher who threw to Rhys Hoskins during this past season's Home Run Derby in Nationals Park. "We obviously have a really good relationship spending a lot of time together in the Minor Leagues. And, yeah, he throws money BP," Hoskins said of Truby prior to the Derby.



Truby has been with the Phillies as a minor-league coach since Nov. 2008, serving as manager, as well as his most recent position. Prior, he was a coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates from June 2007 to October 2008. Familiar month, right?


Like Mansolino and his fellow minor-league colleagues, pitching coach Rick Kranitz was also recently let go by the Phillies. They, and utility player Pedro Florimon (minor-league contract with spring training invite) have since signed with the Atlanta Braves. Mansolino will serve as the Braves minor-league field coordinator, while Kranitz will serve as their major league pitching coach next season.

Truby played four seasons (2000-2003) as third baseman for the Houston Astros, Montreal Expos, Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Palm Springs, California, native slashed .231/.269/.388 with 42 doubles, 23 home runs and 107 RBI spanning 263 games.

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