LONGVIEW, WA — The Cowlitz Black Bears are thrilled to announce the addition of long time Southwest Washington resident and World Series champion, Alan Embree as the Manger for the 2022 season. After an illustrious career in Major League Baseball that spanned nearly two decades, and ten different teams, Embree has spent the last decade as a coach at the high school and collegiate level and brings a track record of fielding talented and competitive teams at every level. “The Gas” as he was dubbed during his playing career, based on an electric fastball that would range up to 98 miles per hour, is among the top 35 pitchers all time in MLB history for appearances (882) and earned a World Series championship with the Boston Red Sox in 2004, a season in which he appeared in 11 of Boston’s 14 playoff games.
Black Bears owner, Tony Bonacci, was ecstatic when announcing the big-league addition. “Adding a professional of Alan’s skill and character has been exciting for me, as we continue to grow and improve as a team. But the real joy comes in knowing that every player that wears our uniform has a resource like Alan to help them learn and develop their physical and mental skills in their time with us, as they quest for an opportunity to play Major League Baseball. Having someone that has been there, and sustained success over a long career, will be vital in helping these players achieve their goals, while creating memories that will last a lifetime”.
The Black Bears are coming off one of the most successful seasons in recent years, narrowly missing the playoffs by a single game. “I am really looking forward to the opportunity to lead the Black Bears, a franchise I’ve admired in the West Coast League for some time,” said Embree, who previously managed the Bend Elks during the 2013-2018 seasons. “The vision Tony and his group has for the team is exciting in the fact that whenever we spoke about the team it always revolved around the players on the team, and the community that we play in. Longview and Kelso are baseball towns, anyone who grew up in the region knows that” said Embree, a Prairie High School graduate.
Bonacci added, “The addition of Alan Embree solidifies our commitment to the Cowlitz community, that the Black Bears will field a first-class team that competes for West Coast League titles and plays a brand of blue-collar baseball that we know our community loves. Expectations have never been higher; we look forward to showcasing our 2022 Black Bears this summer”