GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS – The Texas AirHogs are proud to announce that former Major League player and coach Chris Bando will serve as the team’s manager for the 2019 season.
“I am very excited for the opportunity that the AirHogs organization has given me and will take great pride in leading this team to their greatest potential,” said Bando.
Bando spent a majority of his MLB career with the Cleveland Indians (1981-1988) and then a short stint for the Detroit Tigers (1988) and the Oakland Athletics (1989).
The Ohio native was a second round pick for the Cleveland Indians in the 1978 MLB June Amateur draft out of Arizona State University. After winning a National Championship in college, his professional baseball career began that year with the Indians AA affiliate-- the Chattanooga Lookouts.
In 1981, he spent time with their Triple-A team, the Charleston Charlies batting .306, 11 home runs and driving in 45 runners over 96 games. That fall, the catcher made it to the big show, playing 21 games for Cleveland and served as the team’s starting catcher eight times. Bando's best season of his career came in 1984. where he hit .291 with 12 home runs and 41 RBIs. After a nine year MLB career, he transitioned into player development, managing and coaching.
Chris brings over 30 years of professional baseball experience, having spent 10 years as a Minor League manager for the Milwaukee Brewers and Cleveland Indians organizations. He earned Best Minor League Managing Prospect by Baseball America in 1994 and in 1995 was voted the #2 Manager Prospect by Major League General Managers. At the Major League level, Bando spent three years as the third base coach and bench coach for the Brewers. He also served as a Major League pro scout for the Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks.
In 2019, the Texas AirHogs will continue the partnership with the Chines Baseball Association. The Chinese National Team will practice at AirHogs Stadium and members of the team will play alongside the Texas AirHogs for the 2019 season. The Texas AirHogs begin their 2019 season on Thursday, May 16 at AirHogs Stadium at 7:05 PM.
Visit AirHogsBaseball.com for all updates and information on the season. For the latest news, follow the AirHogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @TXAirHogs.