Wally Backman-Manager

Wally Backman was named the fourth manager in Joliet JackHammers history on December 10, 2007. He played 14 seasons in the major leagues, including nine years with the New York Mets (1980-1988), two years with the Philadelphia Phillies (1990-1991) and one year both with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1990) and Seattle Mariners (1993). He won the 1986 World Championship with the Mets and played in the National Championship Series with the Mets in 1988 and the Pirates in 1990.

Backman started his managerial career in 1997, taking over the Catskill Cougars of the Northeast League. He also managed in the now defunct Western League from 1998-2000 and won his first minor league championship with the Tri-City Posse in 1999.

He worked his way back into affiliated baseball in 2001 in the White Sox system and when he was named managed of their High A affiliate, the Winston-Salem (NC) Warthogs. He earned a promotion to Double A Birmingham in the Southern League in 2002 and managed there for two seasons.

In 2004, Backman joined the Arizona Diamondbacks organization and spent one season as a manager at High A Lancaster in the California league. He led his team to an 86-54 record and was named Sporting News “Minor League Manager of the Year” for guiding his team to the best record in the California League. He was named manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks on November 1, 2004.

Backman has won three minor league championships as a manager 1999 (Tri-City, Western League), 2002 (Birmingham, Southern League) and 2007 (South Georgia, South Coast League). 
Larry Olenberger-Hitting Coach 
    
Veteran minor league coach Larry Olenberger joins manager Wally Backman’s staff as his hitting coach for the 2008 season. He served in the same capacity for Backman in 2007 with the South Georgia Peanuts of the South Coast League. He has also seen time as a coach in a wide variety of independent leagues ranging from the Frontier League to the now defunct Western League. He has also served as a scout for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and been a manager for both college and professional travel teams along the west coast.

Olenberger served in the Viet Nam conflict and has been married to his wife Mary for 31 years. He has two married children, including his son Kasey, who started the 2008 season pitching in the Los Angeles Angels system at AAA Salt Lake. Kasey also pitched for the Italian National Team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Floyd Youmans-Pitching Coach 

Floyd Youmans was a high school teammate of former major leaguer Dwight Gooden in Tampa, FL and he was drafted by the New York Mets in the 2nd round of the 1982 amateur draft. He reached the major leagues on July 1, 1985 at Olympic Stadium in Montreal against the St. Louis Cardinals, where he pitched six and two-thirds innings and got a no-decision in the Expos 3-2 win.

Youmans was part of a four-player trade that brought future Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter from the Montreal Expos to the New York Mets on December 10, 1984. Youmans’ best year in the major leagues came in 1986, when he won 13 games for the Expos and logged 219 innings pitched.

 

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