Tony Tijerina

Anthony Tijerina

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 185 lb.
• School Texas Tech University

• Born December 19, 1969

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Catcher Tony Tijerina was selected by the New York Mets in the 13th round of the 1991 amateur draft. He began his professional career with the 1992 St. Lucie Mets, hitting .222/~.267/.247 in 32 games. He had an impressive season the next year with the Capital City Bombers, posting a line of .309/~.406/.394 in 53 contests. With the 1994 Binghamton Mets, Tony batted .261/.278/.375 in 27 games at AA, though he struck out in over a quarter of his at-bats. Returning for another season as Binghamton's backup backstop, he slumped to .178/~.195/.220 in 32 games. He also appeared in one contest for the Norfolk Tides. Returning to St. Lucie in 1996, Tony was just 3 for 42 with 5 walks and a triple as the third-string catcher. He finished his playing career with the Albany Diamond Dogs in 1997, batting .346 in limited time.

Tijerina was a coach for the Pittsfield Mets in 1997-1998. In 1999 Tijerina was named as the manager of the Pittsfield Mets and the 29-year-old guided them to a 41-35 season. Pittsfield went 38-37 the next season. Promoted to St. Lucie in 2001, Tony's team was just 63-76, next-to-last in the 14-team Florida State League. Dropped from high class A to mid-level A in 2002, Tony led the Bombers to a 75-64 finish. Capital City went 73-65 in 2003. Managing the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2004, Tijerina led his club to a 43-31 finish, first in the McNamara Division of the New York-Penn League, though they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Tri-City ValleyCats. He was the New York Mets' Minor League Field Coordinator in 2005-2006. Tijerina spent part of 2006 as the interim skipper of the Norfolk Tides, due to manager Ken Oberkfell's health issues.

Tijerina managed the Wichita Wranglers in the Kansas City Royals system in 2007. He was named manager of the Burlington Royals for 2008. His duties have also included Assistant Field Coordinator in 2008-2011 and Catching Coordinator in 2009.

Year-By-Year Minor League Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs
1999	Pittsfield Mets	New York-Penn League	41-35	6th	New York Mets
2000	Pittsfield Mets	New York-Penn League	38-37	7th	New York Mets
2001	St. Lucie Mets	Florida State League	63-76	11th	New York Mets
2002	Capital City Bombers	South Atlantic League	75-64	6th	New York Mets	Lost in 1st round
2003	Capital City Bombers	South Atlantic League	73-65	7th	New York Mets
2004	Brooklyn Cyclones	New York-Penn League	43-31	3rd	New York Mets	Lost in 1st round
2007	Wichita Wranglers	Texas League	56-84	8th	Kansas City Royals
2008	Burlington Royals	Appalachian League	24-41	10th	Kansas City Royals