Hadfield takes Glacier's reins
The Glacier Twins made dramatic strides last year. Now, they look to ride their momentum even further - with a new man at the helm.
Ryan Hadfield, 29, has been hired as Glacier's Class AA American Legion baseball coach, inheriting a club that flirted with the postseason last summer after winning just one conference game the year before. Hadfield takes over for Jarod Grubb, who coached the Twins from the middle of 2006 through last season.
The Twins went 10-14 in Western AA play last year, finishing just behind the 11-13 Medicine Hat Monarchs for fourth place and a spot at the state tournament.
If Hadfield's name sounds familiar, it's probably because he coached the Apple Valley Packers - based in Wenatchee, Wash., - in two of the last three Sapa-Johnsrud Memorial tournaments in Whitefish.
"I always really liked the area," Hadfield said. "This was the highlight of our year, coming over to this tournament."
Hadfield's playing career began as a 4-year-old in the Portland, Ore., area. He moved to East Wenatchee, Wash., 11 years later, playing at Eastmont High School, as well as Senior Babe Ruth, before spending two years as a middle infielder at Wenatchee Valley College.
Hadfield led a team of 8-year-olds while in high school, and then coached Babe Ruth ball in his first year out of Wenatchee Valley. After earning a business degree from Central Washington University, he spent two years away from baseball, working as a project engineer for a large construction company.
Hadfield returned to coaching in 2005, when he took the Packers job. He also spent three years as a varsity assistant and JV head coach at Wenatchee High School.
Hadfield left the Packers last fall when his pursuit of a teaching credential at Eastern Washington University rendered him too busy for the team's offseason program.
"I actually figured I wasn't going to coach," he said. "(Twins vice president/general manager Bob Lockman) called me to ask me back to the tournament again, and when I told him I wasn't coaching, he asked me to come over here for an interview.
"Initially, I just decided, 'Well, I'll come over and hear what they have to say,' and I was really impressed with their organization. When they offered me the job, it was an easy choice to make."
Jim Langley is the Twins' AA assistant coach, while Scott Murray guides the A squad, along with Doug Schuch and former Twin Doug Cuffe. Murray led the Class A team from 2003-06.
"We're one program - two teams but one program - and our philosophies are going to be very, very similar from the A team to the AA team, just to ensure a smooth transition for when those A kids are ready to become AA kids," Hadfield said.
"For both teams, our main emphasis is going to be league baseball games. Obviously, we'll do our best to win every game, but when it comes to managing arms … we will be looking to win as many conference games as possible. Our major goal will be to make the state playoffs."
Hadfield hopes to find a teaching job in the Flathead Valley after finishing his credential next year, bringing him closer to the Twins on a regular basis. He will be at Glacier's 7 p.m. preseason meeting for players and parents today at Whitefish's Mountain West Bank.
The Twins had 16 players on last year's AA roster and 16 more on their A squad. Hadfield said he initially will rely on Glacier's assistant coaches for personnel input, and he believes the club's turnout should continue to increase.
"It seems like this organization is fairly rich in tradition and has a very strong community support base behind it, which is incredibly important," Hadfield said. "The money is very important, and the volunteers that serve on the board and put on the tournaments and such … seem to be very committed."
The Twins' 2008 campaign figures to be highlighted by their trip to a week-long wood bat tournament in Seattle, beginning in late June. Hadfield hopes such trips will help the Twins gain exposure to college coaches throughout the Pacific Northwest.
According to Hadfield, instinctive reaction based on pre-pitch anticipation will be stressed both defensively and offensively.
"I'll be expecting anybody that plays in the Twins organization to work incredibly hard," he said. "The guys that we're looking for are good ball players, but also good people.
"It's a long season - almost 60 games for the AA - and it only takes one guy to kind of ruin things. Overall, I think that the kids are going to get to do a lot of things on and off the field that are going to make it a really good summer."