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Community briefs

<p>MOOSIC &#8212; Continuity is one of the most-underrated aspects in all of sports.</p><p>And the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders accomplished just that when they announced the return of manager Al Pedrique for the upcoming season on Thursday. Pitching coach Tommy Phelps, athletic trainer Darren London, clubhouse manager Mike Macciocco and strength-and-conditioning coach Brad Hyde also return for the 2017 season, while hitting coach P.J. Pilittere and defensive coach Doug Davis are new additions to the staff.</p><p>A bullpen coach and video manager are expected to be added at a later date.</p><p>&#8220;I think they&#8217;re important,&#8221; Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders president Josh Olerud said of bringing back Pedrique and Phelps. &#8220;We can&#8217;t be happier to have them back, and obviously the Yankees see the value of having these two guys there with these kids at this important time in their careers is really important.&#8221;</p><p>Pedrique earned International League Manager of the Year honors last year en route to a 90-win season and the franchises second Governors&#8217; Cup and first Triple-A National Championship. This will be Pedrique&#8217;s second season managing the team after leading the Double-A Trenton Thunder in 2015, Advanced-A Tampa Yankees in 2014 and Low-A Charleston RiverDogs in 2013.</p><p>Olerud noted Pedrique&#8217;s rise through the Yankees&#8217; farm system, as a manager, as a plus for his players.</p><p>&#8220;With as many young guys we have in the system I think a guy with this much experience and who went through the same path and has built that repertoire with those guys is a huge benefit,&#8221; Olerud said. &#8220;To get him back is awesome for the front office as well. It&#8217;s nice because he had such a big impact with the community last year, and both him and Tommy are good professionals and they&#8217;re great to work with.&#8221;</p><p>Phelps coached one of the most successful pitching staff&#8217;s in RailRiders history. Ranking first in ERA, hits per nine innings, strikeout to walk ratio and in a tie for saves, the RailRiders became the first International League team to finish with an ERA under 3.00 since the 1980 Columbus Clippers. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre finished with a 2.98 ERA, led by starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery, who set a new club record with 29.2 straight scoreless innings.</p><p>&#8220;Being a part of this organization so long, it&#8217;s only going to make his staffs better,&#8221;Olerud said. &#8220;We had a young staff last year. We had a couple veterans that I think helped, with Phil Coke and some of those guys, just being a part of the whole thing.&#8221;</p><p>Pilittere joins the RailRiders after spending 2015 as Trenton&#8217;s hitting coach. A 2004 13th-round selection by the New York Yankees, the Cal State Fullerton grad finished with a .264 batting average, 16 home runs and 183 RBIs in 470 minor league games all in the a New York&#8217;s system. Pilittere played for the then-Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees from 2009 to 2011.</p><p>The former catcher&#8217;s could see some familiar faces this season after coaching with the Thunder two years ago.</p><p>&#8220;I think it&#8217;s going to be fun for him to come back to somewhere that he played,&#8221; Olerud said. &#8220;It&#8217;s always cool experiences for coaches to do that and obviously he is someone the Yankees look at as an important piece to the puzzle with the hitters. I&#8217;m looking forward to working with him.</p><p>&#8220;I think with a lot of guys from Trenton coming on up, you&#8217;re talking about continuity, they&#8217;ve probably worked with them the past couple years. That&#8217;s going to benefit these guys being comfortable when they get to Scranton for the first time next year.&#8221;</p><p>London returns for his ninth season with the RailRiders, while Macciocco is back for his third-consecutive season as clubhouse manager. This is Hyde&#8217;s second straight season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was the Cincinnati Reds&#8217; assistant strength and conditioning coach in 2013.</p><p>Davis comes to the RailRiders with plenty of experience. He has an eight-year minor league managing career under his belt, securing a 515-484 record, including a two-year stop as the Syracuse Chiefs. This is Davis&#8217; first year with the Yankees.</p><p>Scranton/Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s season begins April 7 with a four-game series in Buffalo, before the RailRiders return to Moosic for their home opener on April 10 against Lehigh Valley.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Manager Al Pedrique is back to help the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defend their Governor&#8217;s Cup in 2017. The franchise announced the return of Pedrique and other members of the coaching staff Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0></photo0><caption0>Manager Al Pedrique is back to help the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defend their Governor&#8217;s Cup in 2017. The franchise announced the return of Pedrique and other members of the coaching staff Thursday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams file photo | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Phelps back as pitching coach</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By DJ Eberle</p><p>djeberle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach DJ Eberle at 570-991-6398 or on Twitter @ByDJEberle</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Al Pedrique returns to manage SWB RailRiders