By John McDonald
Herald Writer
EVERETT – The Everett AquaSox will have a new manager for the 2002 season.
Omer Munoz Jr., who has been the manager of the parent Seattle Mariners’ Arizona Rookie League affiliate in Peoria the last two summers, will take over from Terry Pollreisz, who has been the AquaSox skipper each of the last four seasons.
Munoz is currently in Venezuela and is coaching a Mariners’ winter league team.
Pollreisz will be on the coaching staff at AA San Antonio this season.
The move reflects the Mariners’ minor league philosophy of having staff members follow the players they’ve coached through the system. At San Antonio, Pollreisz will be reunited with many former Everett players from his four-year tenure here, while Munoz will be coming north with many of the players he has managed the last two seasons at Peoria.
Munoz guided Peoria to second-place finish and a 34-22 record last season. His 2000 club won the league championship and finished 39-16.
Pollreisz was 148-155 in four years at Everett.
Born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Munoz’s 10-year minor league career as an infielder came to an end in 1995. He began his coaching career in the Pittsburgh organization in 1996 before joining the staff at Wisconsin, the Mariners’ Class A affiliate in the Midwest League, for three seasons beginning in 1997.
Munoz will be joined in Everett by Roger Hansen, another former AquaSox manager (1996), pitching coach Marcos Garcia and trainer Spyder Webb.
Most recently, Hansen has been a roving catching instructor in the M’s organization.
Garcia returns for his third season in Everett. The AquaSox pitching staff has led the Northwest League in strikeouts in each of Garcia’s previous two seasons here.
Webb will be entering his 24th season as trainer for the M’s Northwest League affiliate.
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