BlueClaws Name New Manager

Former Phillies second baseman Mickey Morandini will be managing the Lakewood BlueClaws in 2012.

He becomes the 10th manager in BlueClaws history, replacing Chris Truby, who will move up to manage AAA Clearwater.

Morandini hit .268 over 11 big league seasons, nine of them with Philadelphia. He was the starting second baseman on the club that advanced to the 1993 World Series and an All-Star in 1995.

Most recently, Morandini managed Williamsport in 2011, leading the Crosscutters to a record of 43-33 with a number of players that should be with the BlueClaws in 2012. Morandini had been an instructor at spring training the two previous years and served as the head baseball coach at Valparaiso High School in Indiana.

Morandini is joined on the staff by hitting coach Greg Legg and pitching coach Les Lancaster. Legg returns for his sixth season with Lakewood and fifth consecutive after serving as the first manager in team history in 2001.

Legg has been Lakewood's hitting coach since 2008. Last year, he was the winner of the John Vukovich Award, presented by the Phillies in honor of his 30 years of service to the Philadelphia organization.