Kenosha, WI – November 17, 2013. The Kenosha Baseball Club announced the hire of Duffy Dyer as its inaugural Field Manager for the 2014 season. The team extends a warm welcome back to Dyer as he makes his return after coaching the Kenosha Twins nearly 30 years ago.
Dyer brings an incredible resume to the new Northwoods League franchise and he is looking forward to being back in Kenosha. “I’m very excited about the opportunity to return to Kenosha after nearly 30 years," Dyer said. "I have a lot of fond memories and spent two great years in Kenosha. Winning the championship with the Twins was a great thrill and I am looking forward to doing it all over again."
Dyer is returning to a newly renovated Historic Simmons Field and will have his first opportunity to coach college athletes. "I'm anxious to see the Simmons Field improvements. I always thought it was a nice minor league park and from the looks of it, it’s even better now," said Dyer. "Coaching college players is a different game than professional baseball. I'm excited to coach young men who are willing to learn and work hard. They are not playing for the money and are doing it for the love of the game."
Joining Dyer on the coaching staff will be his son Brian, who coaches with his father at Cortez High School in Phoenix, Arizona.
Prior to his managerial experience in Kenosha, Dyer was selected 9th overall by the New York Mets in the 1966 amateur draft. He played in over 14 seasons in the major leagues with the New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos and Detroit Tigers. Dyer made his major league debut in 1968 and was a member of the Miracle Mets team that won the World Series in 1969. Dyer went on to play until the 1981 season and collected 441 hits, 30 home runs and 173 RBI over his 14-year career. Dyer was known for his expertise behind the plate and had a career .992 fielding percentage while making only 30 errors during his entire 14-year big league career. Other highlights include catching a young Nolan Ryan in 1971 and catching a no-hitter by John Candelaria in 1976.
After retiring as a player in 1981, Dyer was back in baseball in 1983 as the bullpen coach for the Chicago Cubs. Dyer went on to manage the Class-A affiliate Kenosha Twins in 1984 to 85 at Historic Simmons Field. He led the team to a Midwest League Championship in 1985 and was named Manager of the Year. Dyer won a Texas League Championship the following year as the manager of Milwaukee Brewer affiliate El-Paso Diablos. The Milwaukee Brewers organization was clearly impressed with Dyer and he served as the team’s Third Base Coach from 1989 to 1995. Manager Phil Garner was suspended for three games in 1993 and Dyer managed the Brewers during the three-game series against the Cleveland Indians. Following his tenure with the Brewers, Dyer served as the Bench Coach for the Oakland Athletics and worked alongside Art Howe from 1996 to 1999.
Dyer, 68, currently resides with his wife Lynn in Phoenix, Arizona and has four children: Cami, Brian, Kevin and Megan. When he is not helping Brian coach high school baseball, he enjoys spending time with his grandchildren.
Fans will have their first chance to meet Kenosha Baseball’s new field manager at the November 23 Launch Party event. Dyer is traveling from Phoenix and the team plans to reintroduce Dyer to the Kenosha Community at the ceremonial event.
Kenosha Baseball plans to unveil the team name and logo as well as the newly renovated Historic Simmons Field at the Launch Party event. The Human Cannonball, David “The Bullet” Smith, live music entertainment, kids activities and stadium tours will be featured at the afternoon event. Free food and beverage are also included for all guests in attendance. The team plans to open the new team store following the name and logo unveiling, and fans will have the opportunity to purchase newly branded merchandise for the very first time. Ticket information will also be available and fans can purchase select ticket packages on the day of the event.
An RSVP is NOT required to attend the Launch Party. However, if you do send an RSVP to Jake@KenoshaBaseball.com you register for the chance to win a pair of 2014 season tickets.
For more information on the Kenosha Baseball Launch Party, Duffy Dyer or photo requests, please contact Jake McGhee at 262-385-7205 or Jake@KenoshaBaseball.com.
The Kenosha Baseball Club is a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including MLB All-Stars Max Scherzer (DET), Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYY), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live and free of charge via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.KenoshaBaseball.com.