Charlie Montoyo will return as the Bulls manager for the 2008 season.

The Durham Bulls recently announced Charlie Montoyo will return to manage Durham a year after leading the Bulls to within a game of their third Governors' Cup Championship. Montoyo returns with his coaching staff in tact, including pitching coach Xavier Hernandez, hitting coach Gary Gaetti and trainer Mark Vinson.

"We're very happy to have Charlie and his staff back for another season," Durham Bulls General Manager Mike Birling said, "He is a gentleman to work with and a wonderful representative for this franchise."

Montoyo returns for his 12th year as a manager in the Rays organization and second with the Durham Bulls. In 2007, his team made up a 10-game deficit to win the South Division and came within a game of winning the Governors' Cup Championship. In 2006, he led the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits to the Southern League Championship. He has a career winning percentage of .503 (706-697) with four postseason appearances (also 1998-Hudson Valley and 2001-Bakersfield). Montoyo spent 10 years as an infielder in the Milwaukee Brewers, Montreal Expos and Philadelphia Phillies organizations, reaching the major leagues for 27 games in 1993 with the Expos.

Xavier Hernandez will return as pitching coach for the Bulls in '08.

Xavier Hernandez will mark his seventh season as a pitching coach in the Rays organization in his second season in Durham. In his first year, the Bulls were tops in the IL in ERA at 3.59, the first time that happened in their Triple-A history. He played 10 seasons in the major leagues for the Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers compiling a career 40-35 record with a 3.90 ERA.

Gary Gaetti will return as hitting coach for the Bulls '08 season.

Gary Gaetti joined the Rays organization as Durham's hitting coach in 2007, and the team led the International League in homers with 146. He spent the previous four seasons with the Astros organization including a two-year stint as the major league hitting coach (July 2004-July 2006). A veteran of 20 major league seasons, Gaetti is one of 37 players all-time to record at least 2,250 hits and 350 home runs. He was a two-time All-Star infielder (1988-89), won four Gold Glove Awards (1986-89) and earned a spot on The Sporting News' Silver Slugger Team (1995). A former first round pick by the Twins in 1979, he ranks sixth all-time among third basemen with 360 homers.

Trainer Mark Vinson rounds out the staff in his second season in Durham and third with the Rays organization. Mark spent three years in the Texas Rangers organization before taking over as head trainer at Bluefield College in Virginia in 2004.

Ticket packages for the 2008 season are available now by calling (919) 956-BULL or online at www.durhambulls.com.

Thanks to DBBC’s Matt DeMargel for this capcom story & these capcom photos.