From the Aberdeen IronBirds:
Former Major League catcher, Luis Pujols, 59, has been named manager of the Aberdeen IronBirds. Luis will be the 8th manager in IronBirds history. He takes over for Matt Merullo, who will be the manager of the Gulf Coast League Orioles.
“Luis is a great addition to the list of on-field teachers and mentors that have been in Aberdeen since its inception. We are excited to have Luis join the family and are looking forward to a successful 2015 season,” commented Aberdeen IronBirds General Manager Joe Harrington.
Luis signed with the Houston Astros in 1973 as a free agent from the Dominican Republic. He was called up to the Major Leagues in 1977 and went on to nine years in the Major Leagues through 1985 as a catcher with Houston, Kansas City and Texas. Luis was known for his defensive abilities, for example catching 4 of 8 base stealers in his initial 1977 call-up.
Luis joined the Orioles organization in 2013 as manager of the Class-A Delmarva Shorebirds. Last season he was the manager of the Class-A Frederick Keys, leading the Keys to a 65-72 record. The Keys were a tight race for the second-half wildcard position, tied with the Lynchburg Hillcats going into the final two days of the season with the Hillcats finishing the season on top.
His knowledge for defense and hitting made Luis a natural selection for coaching. Luis joined the staff of the Montreal Expos in 1993 and has worked on staffs in Montreal, Detroit and San Francisco at the big league level. He served as manager of the Detroit Tigers for most of the 2002 season.
Pujols is the cousin of Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim first baseman Albert Pujols.
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