Andy Haines Accepts Chicago Cubs' Minor League Hitting Instructor Position

DARRELL WILLIAMS

SPECIAL TO THE ADVOCATE

Andy Haines, the New Orleans Zephyrs manager the past two seasons, has accepted the position as the Chicago Cubs’ minor-league hitting instructor, a source close to Haines told The Advocate on Tuesday.

Haines will supervise eight hitting coaches in Chicago’s system.

A native of Louisville, Illinois, Haines is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University where he was Honorable Mention All-Ohio Valley Conference as a catcher.

The Miami Marlins are the major-league parents of the Triple-A Zephyrs. Haines, 38, spent eight years in the organization, managing the Zephyrs to records of 70-74 and 58-86. In his new job, he replaces Anthony Iapoce, who was hired by the Texas Rangers on Nov. 5.

Haines was in the second year of a two-year contract to manage the Zephyrs. The Marlins hired Marc Delpiano, who was the Pittsburgh Pirates’ special assistant to the general manager, as their new vice president of player development to oversee its minor league operations. Delpiano, the source said, told Haines he would be brought back to manage the Zephyrs.

The Zephyrs batted 15th in the 16-team Pacific Coast League last season, one in which a high number of injuries had a trickle-down effect all the way to Single-A. That came a year after there were an unusual number of call-ups to the Marlins.

Although Haines has managed, for the most part, during his tenure in the Marlins organization, his first job in the pros was as hitting instructor of Miami’s Rookie League Gulf Coast Marlins in 2008.

Haines was a catcher in college. After graduating, he took on a job as assistant coach of Olney Central College and then at Middle Tennessee State University, where he also earned a graduate degree. He also managed in the collegiate Northwoods League.

Haines was the hitting coach of the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the Northern League in 2005 and 2006. In 2007, he became manager of the Windy City ThunderBolts in the Frontier League, leading the team to the league championship and winning Manager of the Year honors. He was hired by the Florida Marlins and served as hitting coach with the GCL Marlins in 2008. In 2009, he got his first managerial job in an affiliated league, as skipper of the Jamestown Jammers of the New York-Penn League. In 2010-11, he was the manager of the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the South Atlantic League. In 2012, he moved to the Jupiter Hammerheads in the Florida State League.