Southington's Denorfia Back As Yard Goats Manager

HARTFORD, CT — The Hartford Yard Goats announced Tuesday that Chris Denorfia will be returning as manager for the 2021 season. Denorfia was hired in January of 2020, but was unable to coach following the cancellation of the baseball season due to Covid.

The yard Goats are the Double-A Affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.

Denorfia, who grew up in Southington, came to the Rockies organization after spending the 2019 season with the Chicago Cubs as quality assurance coach.

Denorfia played 10 years in the Major Leagues with Cincinnati (2005-06), Oakland (2008-09), San Diego (2010-14), Seattle (2014) and the Cubs (2015). The former outfielder finished his playing career in the Rockies system at Triple-A Albuquerque in 2017.

Denorfia graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall prep school in Wallingford before playing at Wheaton College, where he was a NCAA Division III All-American, and drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 19th round in 2002.

After his playing career, Denorfia joined the Cubs front office as a special assistant to the president/general manager in 2018.

Pitching Coach Frank Gonzales and Hitting Coach Tom Sutaris will once again join Denorfia. Hoshito Mizutani returns as the Yard Goats trainer and Mason Rook will join the club for his first season as physical performance coach.

Gonzales spent two seasons as supervisor of development with High-A-level Lancaster in the California League. He previously served as manager at Rookie-level Grand Junction in 2016 and 2017, and managed Short-Season Boise in 2015. He spent his first two seasons in the Rockies organization as the pitching coach for Short-Season Tri-City. Gonzales was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 16th round in 1989 out of Colorado State University and pitched nine seasons in the Tigers, Pirates and Red Sox chains while reaching the Triple-A level.

Sutaris was the hitting coach at High-A-level Lancaster in the California League for two seasons. Sutaris was the assistant coach at the University of Incarnate Word in 2017 after serving as the special assistant for the University of Texas baseball team from 2014-2017. He played professionally in the Frontier League from 1993 through 1996 for the Ohio Valley Redcoats. The Toms River, NJ native graduated from Lynn University in 1993.

The Yard Goats are slated open the 2021 season on May 11 at 7:05 p.m. against the Red Sox affiliate, the Portland Sea Dogs.

Information on tickets, hospitality and events at Dunkin' Donuts Park will be made available at a later date team officials said.