Charleston RiverDogs name former MLB player Al Pedrique manager for 2013 South Atlantic League season

The Charleston RiverDogs have hired a manager with Major League skipper experience.

Their parent club, the New York Yankees, announced today that Al Pedrique, who served as interim manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2004 and was most recently the bench coach for the Houston Astros, will guide the RiverDogs in 2013.

Pedrique also played three seasons in the Major Leagues with the New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers.

“Al Pedrique is a highly respected professional who has wide and varied experiences in the game,” said Mark Newman, the Yankees’ senior vice president for baseball operations. “He will provide great leadership for our young prospects in Charleston.”

Pedrique replaces Carlos Mendoza, who has been named a roving defensive coach for the Yankees’ minor league teams. Pedrique will be the fifth RiverDogs manager in as many years and follows Mendoza (2012) Aaron Ledesma (2011), Greg Colbrunn (2010) and Torre Tyson (2009).

Born on August 11, 1960, Pedrique (pay-DREE-kay) was a right-handed hitting shortstop who played for the Mets (1987), Pirates (1987-88) and Tigers (1989). He was signed by the Mets in 1978 and made his debut nine years later. He was a career .247 hitter with one home run, 36 RBI, 32 runs 18 doubles and one triple with five stolen bases in 174 games.

After retiring, Pedrique managed in the minors for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros, and Kansas City Royals organizations from 2000-02. He returned to the majors in 2003 as the third base coach for the Diamondbacks. In 2004, he began the season as manager of the Tucson Sidewinders, the Diamondbacks Triple A affiliate, but he was hired as manager of the Diamondbacks on an interim basis when Bob Brenly was fired in July. Pedrique compiled a 22–61 record, and was replaced by Wally Backman and then Bob Melvin at the end of the season.