| Greg Sparks | |
|---|---|
 Sparks as a coach for the Chicago White Sox in 2016 | |
| Coach | |
| Born:March 31, 1964 Chandler, Arizona, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Left | |
| Teams | |
Joseph Gregory Sparks (born March 31,1964) is an American professional baseball coach and a former minor league player and manager. In 2016,Sparks was named assistant hitting coach for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball,a position he held through 2019.
Born in Chandler,Arizona,he is the son of Joe Sparks, [1] a retired professional baseball player,coach,manager and scout. Greg Sparks served as a batboy for the White Sox in 1979 (when his father spent part of that year on the club's coaching staff),and was present on Disco Demolition Night. He went on to attend Mesa Community College,then forge a 13-year playing career,mostly at the Double-A level. In 1992,he hit 25 home runs as a member of the London Tigers of the Eastern League. An outfielder and first baseman,he threw and batted left-handed,stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighed 185 pounds (84 kg).
He worked for the Oakland Athletics' organization for 19 years,beginning in 1997,as a minor league manager and hitting coordinator. [2] The White Sox hired him as their assistant hitting coach after the 2015 season. [3]
Disco Demolition Night was a Major League Baseball (MLB) promotion on Thursday,July 12,1979,at Comiskey Park in Chicago,Illinois,that ended in a riot. At the climax of the event,a crate filled with disco records was blown up on the field between games of the twi-night doubleheader between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers. Many had come to see the explosion rather than the games and rushed onto the field after the detonation. The playing field was so damaged by the explosion and by the rioters that the White Sox were required to forfeit the second game to the Tigers.
Miguel Jesús Cairo [ki'-row],is a Venezuelan former professional baseball infielder and currently the bench coach for the Washington Nationals. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine different clubs in a 17-year career,spanning from 1996 to 2012. During his playing days,Cairo stood 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and weighed 225 pounds (102 kg) while batting and throwing right-handed. While primarily a second baseman,Cairo was able to play all the infield positions and as a corner outfielder. He was also used for pinch-hitting duties late in his career. He was interim manager for the White Sox in the latter part of the 2022 season as manager Tony La Russa stepped away due to health concerns.
Juan Manuel Nieves Cruz is a Puerto Rican professional baseball pitcher and coach who is currently the assistant pitching coach for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 1988. He has coached in MLB for the Chicago White Sox,Boston Red Sox,and Miami Marlins.
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David Robert Phillips is a retired umpire,first with the American League from 1971 to 1999,then with both leagues from 2001 to 2002. Phillips wore uniform number 7 when the American League adopted uniform numbers for its umpires in 1980,and retained the number when the staffs merged in 2000.
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Joseph Everett Sparks is an American former professional baseball player,manager,coach and scout. A former infielder in the minor leagues,Sparks batted left-handed,threw right-handed,stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighed 195 pounds (88 kg) during his active career.
Timothy James Hyers is an American former professional baseball first baseman and current hitting coach for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the San Diego Padres,Detroit Tigers,and Florida Marlins. He has also served as the hitting coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers,Boston Red Sox,and Texas Rangers.
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