Mike Rojas To Manage The Hens For The Remainder Of The 2007 Season
Larry Parrish will rest up and return to Toledo in 2008…

The Toledo Mud Hens are pleased to announce that Mike Rojas will continue to manage the Toledo Mud Hens for the remainder of the 2007 season.

Rojas has been the “interim” manager all season and has guided the defending champions of the International League to a 53-39 record through the first 92 games of the year.

Toledo manager Larry Parrish underwent ankle surgery on Wednesday, April 4 in Detroit due to a degenerative condition. Parrish will rest the ankle for the rest of the year and will return to his role as manager at the start of the 2008 season.

Toledo Skipper Mike Rojas said, “I am excited and pleased that the organization has given me this opportunity, and we look forward to finishing the season in a positive manner. If LP would have comeback, things still would have been fine. But with the relationship I have with this coaching staff I’m very appreciative of the Tigers to be able to finish what we started with this group of players.”

Detroit Tigers Director of Minor League Operations Dan Lunetta said, “Mike has done an outstanding job filling in for Larry this year and at this point because we are entering the last two months of the season, we felt it would be best for both LP and the team to let Mike finish out the season.”

Lunetta added, “Larry needs a little more time to completely recover from his surgery and we don't want to do anything that could put him at risk to re-injure his ankle. We expect L.P. to make a full recovery from the surgery and look forward to his return as the Toledo manager in 2008.”

Mike Rojas has been with the Detroit Tigers organization for 11 years. Most recently, he served as the Manager of Single-A Lakeland in the Florida State League in 2005 & 2006. In 2005, Rojas was named the Florida State League Manager of the Year when he guided the team to an 85-48 record. He was also named the Best Managerial Prospect in the league by Baseball America. Rojas has also managed in the Chicago White Sox organization and has 11 seasons under his belt as a minor league manager. Following the 2006 season, Mike was promoted to roving catching coordinator, a position he will resume once Larry is back at full strength. Mike was to assume to the role previously held by former Tiger great Bill Freehan, who retired following the 2005 season.

Rojas is the son of former major leaguer and coach Cookie Rojas.

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