Chad Epperson
From BR Bullpen
Chad Epperson
- Bats Both, Throws Right
- Height 6' 2" or 6' 3", Weight 215-221 lb.
- School Seminole Community College
- Born March 26, 1972 in Elizabethtown, KY USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Catcher Chad Epperson was drafted by the New York Mets in the 40th round of the 1992 amateur draft. After a weak .165/~.257/.216 with the GCL Mets that year, he hit .342/~.430/.556 for the 1993 Kingsport Mets. He declined significantly with the 1994 St. Lucie Mets (.216/.289/.304) and did even worse the next year - .190/~.290/.289 for St. Lucie and 1 for 17 with 8 strikeouts for the Binghamton Mets. After the Mets gave up on Epperson, he went to play independent ball with the Lafayette Leopards and batted .336 and slugged .590. He made the Heartland League All-Star team at catcher and his 10 homers and 49 RBI both appear to have been second in the league.
That earned Epperson another glance from the mainstream minors. The 25-year-old was with the Boston Red Sox system in 1997, as a C/1B/DH for the Sarasota Red Sox and hitting .272/~.331/.411. He also played briefly with the Trenton Thunder that season. In 1998 Epperson spent all season with Trenton and posted a line of .253/~.321/.452 with 15 homers and 129 strikeouts. He was Trenton's primary DH that campaign.
Chad struggled in 1999, hitting .242/~.265/.364 with Sarasota and .197/~.311/.293 for the Thunder. After a .214/.267/.357 line for the Bowie Baysox (a Baltimore Orioles farm team) and a .247/?/.380 year for the Nashua Pride in 2000, he retired as a player.
Epperson was the hitting coach for the Sarasota Red Sox in 2002-2003, then managed the Augusta Green Jackets in 2004, Greenville Bombers in 2005, and Wilmington Blue Rocks in 2006. After the 2006 campaign, he became skipper of the Lancaster JetHawks.
[edit] Year-By-Year Minor League Managerial Record
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Augusta GreenJackets | South Atlantic League | 66-73 | 12th | Boston Red Sox | |
| 2005 | Greenville Bombers | South Atlantic League | 72-66 | 6th (t) | Boston Red Sox | |
| 2006 | Wilmington Blue Rocks | Carolina League | 67-71 | 4th | Boston Red Sox | Lost in 1st round |
| 2007 | Lancaster JetHawks | California League | 83-57 | 1st | Boston Red Sox | Lost in 1st round |
| 2008 | Lancaster JetHawks | California League | 76-64 | 2nd (t) | Boston Red Sox | Lost League Finals |
| 2009 | Salem Red Sox | Carolina League | Boston Red Sox |
