Danville Otterbots

GENERAL INFORMATION

Address........................................302 River Park Drive, ...........................................................Danville, VA 24540 Phone ......................................................(434) 554-4487 Website .......................................danvilleotterbots.com TW/IG: .......................................................@GoOtterbots Facebook: ....................................... Danville Otterbots League Championships............................2006, 2009 Stadium...................American Legion Post 325 Field Stadium Built..............................................................1993 Stadium Capacity ...................................................2,588 Stadium Dimensions (LF-CF-RF).......... 330-400-330

FRONT OFFICE STAFF

Operated By ............Knuckleball Entertainment, LLC General Manager ......................................Austin Scher Ticket Sales & Experience Manager ......Hogan May Ballpark Operations & Outside Events Manager: ........................... AJ Harper Head Groundskeeper ...............................Ryan Brown ................................................................ Ross Groenevelt

GAME INFORMATION

PA Announcer ......................Jay Stephens Broadcast Announcer.....................................................Nick Pierce Broadcast Network.................................... Streamguys No. of Games Broadcast ............................Home - 27 Official Scorer..........................................Mark Bowman Standard Game Times ..................... Mon-Sat 7:00pm ........................................................................ Sun 5:00pm Newspaper.............................Danville Register & Bee ...................................................... Chatham Star-Tribune

NOTABLE ALUMNI

Jermaine Dye ............................................................1993 Randall Simon............................................................1993 Esteban Yan...............................................................1993 Andruw Jones ...........................................................1994 Kevin Millwood..........................................................1994 Bruce Chen................................................................1995 Marcus Giles..............................................................1997 Rafael Furcal..............................................................1998 Wilson Betemit..........................................................1999 Adam LaRoche........................................................ 2000 Adam Wainwright................................................... 2000 Jeff Francouer......................................................... 2002 Elvis Andrus ............................................................. 2005 Yunel Escobar.......................................................... 2005 Tyler Flowers ........................................................... 2006 Tommy Hanson....................................................... 2006 Jason Heyward........................................................2007 Craig Kimbrel........................................................... 2008 Julio Teheran.....................................................2008-09 Andrelton Simmons................................................ 2010 Evan Gattis................................................................ 2010 Brandon Drury............................................................2011 Ozzie Albies...............................................................2014 Ronald Acuna Jr....................................................... 2015

ABOUT

For the first time in almost three decades, baseball in Danville has its own unique identity, one formed by ideas from fans and community members and which represents Danville and the Southside to the fullest extent.

Derived from two overwhelming themes the team heard in conversations with fans and saw in a name submission contest - the playfulness and symbolism of otters and the future of STEM education and new industry across the southside of Virginia - the organization will now be known as the Danville Otterbots.

The Otterbots’ primary blue is designed to honor the Dan River and highlight the role it played in building the tobacco and textile industries that defined Danville for generations. The team’s secondary orange, featured in the otter’s eyes, is closely aligned with the color of the HOME sign, formerly above Dan River Fabrics, currently adorned in the River District on Main Street. The tobacco industry, the mills and the HOME sign were three more recurring themes seen in name submissions.

The neon typeface, which will be proudly displayed on the team’s jerseys, is a tribute to two additional themes: the blur of the cars racing by at nearby speedways and race tracks and the bright lights of the casino that will soon call Danville home.

Having been an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves organization from 1993-2020, Danville has seen its fair share of talented players suit up for the home team. Among them are former Major League stars Andruw Jones and Kevin Millwood, as well as current big leaguers Adam Wainwright, Elvis Andrus, Jason Heyward, Craig Kimbrel, Ozzie Albies, and

Ronald Acuña, Jr.

Another former MLB standout is set to lead the Otterbots into their first season in the new Appalachian League as Desi Relaford will serve as the team’s manager. An 11-year MLB veteran, he began his coaching career in 2018 with the Cincinnati Reds’ Advanced-A affiliate. Helping him guide the club will be pitching coach Clyde Keller, hitting coach and Danville native Ed Fulton, and player development coach Xavier Paul.

COACHING STAFF

DESI RELAFORD

MANAGER

Desi Relaford brings a plethora of baseball experience and knowledge from nearly every spot on the diamond to the Otterbots. In 2018, Relaford began his coaching career as the bench coach for the Daytona Tortugas, Advanced-A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, where he helped guide the team to a 69-66 overall record and a Florida State League Championship Series berth. Prior to the start of his coaching career, Relaford was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the fourth round of the 1991 MLB June Amateur Draft. He spent 11 seasons with seven different teams in Major League Baseball, including five years with the Philadelphia Phillies. Throughout his career, Relaford hit .243 with 308 RBIs and finished the 2001 season with a career-best .302 average, as well as eight home runs and 36 RBIs for the Mets. Though he excelled at the plate, Relaford was also known for his versatility in the field. He played every position on defense except first base and catcher throughout his career, and accumulated a .960 career fielding percentage. After retiring in 2008, Relaford started his own record label, 6 Hole Records, in Jacksonville before getting back into the game as a coach in 2018. CLYDE KELLER

PITCHING COACH

With a background of success in both amateur and professional baseball, Clyde Keller arrives to Danville to take on the role of pitching coach for the Otterbots. Most recently he served as the pitching coach at Florida State in 2019 after three seasons as the volunteer assistant for the Seminoles. He also coached in the collegiate ranks form 1997-2000 as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Western Kentucky. Keller then moved to the professional level as the pitching coach for the Single-A Auburn Doubledays in the Toronto Blue Jays organization for the 2001 campaign. His coaching career began in 1994 when he became the head coach at Berkeley Prep in Tampa. In four years at the helm he made three trips to the regionals and one appearance in the state championship. He later returned to the school as its pitching coach from 2011-14. The Fair Oaks, Calif., native was a two-way player for FSU from 198889, earning All-Metro Conference first team honors both seasons. He was also a participant in the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis as a member of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Selected in the 32nd round of the 1989 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, Keller spent five years in the minor leagues and was twice named the runner-up for the Rolaids Minor League Reliever of the Year Award (1991, 1992). ED FULTON

HITTING COACH

The Otterbots didn’t have to look far to find their hitting coach as Danville native and longtime head coach at nearby Averett University Ed Fulton will take over those responsibilities this summer. In 21 seasons at the helm of the Averett program, Fulton won 404 games, claimed the 2003 USA South Conference championship, and had three players chosen in the Major League Baseball Draft. Before joining the Cougars coaching staff in 1997, he played nine seasons of Minor League baseball, including one year in the Appalachian League with Johnson City and six at the Triple-A level. Fulton was chosen by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 16th round of the 1987 draft out of Florida State where he helped the Seminoles win 230 games and advance to the College World Series twice during his collegiate career. As a member of the 1986 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, Fulton hit .351 with six home runs and 35 RBIs in 39 games. XAVIER PAUL

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

Making his coaching debut in Danville this summer is former Major League outfielder Xavier Paul who will be the player development coach for the Otterbots. The Slidell, La., native spent six seasons at baseball’s highest level with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2009-11), Pittsburgh Pirates (2011), Cincinnati Reds (2012-13) and Arizona Diamondbacks (2014). Paul was a .250 hitter in 349 career MLB games, driving in 71 runners and stealing 23 bases. After being named the 2003 Mr. Baseball for the state of Louisiana out of Slidell High School, he was chosen in the fourth round of the 2003 MLB Draft by the Dodgers. Paul is also a two-time USA Baseball alum, having suited up for the 16U National Team twice. He helped lead the team to gold medals in both the 2000 COPABE Pan American Youth Championships in Monterrey, Mexico, and the 2001 IBAF World Youth Championships in Veracruz, Mexico.