The Arizona Diamondbacks have announced that Blake Lalli will manage the Jackson Generals in 2019, leading the field staff for the defending Southern League champions.

According to a press release, Lalli, a former Major League Baseball player who spent time with the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and Atlanta Braves, managed Arizona’s full-season Single-A affiliate at Kane County (Ill.) in the Midwest League last year in 2018.

Lalli, 35, managed the Cougars to a 72-66 record.

Kane County won more than one-half of their games in both the First Half and Second Half of their season, and they finished among the top 25 percent of the league in runs per game (4.6) and ERA (3.46). Lalli, a former infielder and catcher at Gardner Webb University, lives in Shelby, North Carolina.

Lalli’s field staff at Jackson will closely resemble his 2018 leadership corps at Kane County.

Hitting coach Rick Short and coach Jorge Cortés will join the Generals in 2019, filling the same roles they manned last season under Lalli with the Cougars.

Pitching coach Doug Drabek returns for his third consecutive year with the Generals in 2019.

The Generals’ clubhouse continuity will also be fortified by the return of athletic trainer Joe Rosauer and strength and conditioning coach Mike Locasto, who are back at The Ballpark at Jackson for their second and third consecutive seasons, respectively.

(PHOTO: Blake Lalli)

David Thomas, Twitter – @DavidThomasWNWS
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