Mike Breyman named Joliet Slammers manager
By Dick Goss dgoss@stmedianetwork.com January 2, 2013 4:50PM
Mike Breyman
Updated: February 4, 2013 2:45PM
Chris Franklin has made his first major move as general manager of the Joliet Slammers, and he went with what he knew.
Mike Breyman, 31, the hitting coach for the River City Rascals in 2010 and ’11 and the Gateway Grizzlies in ’12, was named Wednesday as Slammers manager, replacing Bart Zeller, who was fired after the Slammers finished 37-58 in 2012.
During Breyman’s stint with River City, Franklin was the Rascals GM. They won the Frontier League championship in 2010 and Breyman was named the league’s coach of the year in ’11, when the Slammers won the title. He also was Gateway’s bench coach in ’09 after playing five seasons with the Grizzlies, finishing with a .325 career batting average and a .999 career OPS.
Gateway won the West Division in ’12 with a 57-39 record and lost to Florence in five games in the opening round of the playoffs.
“Mike Breyman is a great leader and an even better person,” Franklin said. “We have enjoyed success together in the past and I look forward to working with him again.”
“Chris and I developed a great relationship in River City,” Breyman said. “I’m excited for the opportunity to manage a team in Joliet.”
The Slammers will have a news conference next week to introduce Breyman.
