Major League Baseball and the Williamsport Crosscutters have announced that former San Francisco Giants minor league manager Billy Horton has been tabbed to manage the Cutters in the inaugural season of the MLB Draft League.
Horton, 47, held several Minor League coaching positions in the Giants’ system from 2012-19, working exclusively with the organization’s Arizona Rookie League affiliates. Horton led the AZL Giants Orange squad to a winning record in his first year as manager in 2018, following a six-year stint on the AZL Giants’ coaching staff (2012-17) that included an AZL championship in 2013. In 2019, Horton served as the AZL Giants Orange squad fundamentals coach. He has also worked in different capacities for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers.
“I’m really excited to get to Williamsport and start working with the coaches, players and front office staff,” Horton said. “We have an opportunity to make a great impact on these players’ lives both on and off the field, and helping prepare them for the next step in their baseball careers is something I look forward to.”
Prior to coaching, Horton, a former catcher, played collegiately at Spring Hill College (Mobile, Ala.) and then played for six different Independent league teams in his four-year professional career, finishing with Cook County of the Frontier League in 1999. His wife, Taleen, was the athletic trainer for the Williamsport Cubs in 1998.
Joining Horton on the field staff will be pitching coach Jim Gott who had a 14-year Major League career with 4 teams and hitting coach Anthony Manuel, the son of former Major League player and manager Jerry Manuel.
Williamsport is one of six founding members of the MLB Draft League, joining the Frederick Keys, Mahoning Valley Scrappers, State College Spikes, Trenton Thunder, and West Virginia Black Bears. Other managers in the league’s inaugural year include; Coco Crisp (Mahoning Valley), Jedd Gyorko (West Virginia), Derrick May (Frederick), Jeff Manto (Trenton) and Delwyn Young (State College).
The 2021 Williamsport Crosscutters home opener is scheduled for Tuesday, May 25 at Historic Bowman Field as the Cutters begin play in the new league. MVP Club Season Ticket Plans and Bonus Book Mini-Plans are now available online at crosscutters.com or by calling (570) 326-3389. Tickets for Opening Night and other select games go on sale to the general public May 10 at 10am and can be ordered online, by phone or in-person at the Cutters Box Office.
