January 31, 2014 at 11:10 AM
Joe Oliver to manage Lowell Spinners
Former major league catcher Joe Oliver will rejoin the Red Sox organization as the manager of the Short-Season A Lowell Spinners, the team has confirmed. It will be Oliver's first managerial stint in professional baseball. Oliver spent the bulk of his 13-year major league career with the Cincinnati Reds, winning a World Series ring in 1990, and he finished his career with the Red Sox.
Oliver has been out of professional baseball since his retirement as a player following the 2001 season. In his short stint with Boston at the end of the 2001 campaign, Oliver went 3 for 12 in five September appearances. The career .247 hitter is best remembered as the starting catcher on the 1990 World Champion Reds. Oliver started all four games of the sweep of Oakland, driving in the winning run in the 10th inning of Game 2 off of Dennis Eckersley.
An official announcement is expected today from the organization. Oliver will replace Bruce Crabbe, who was named a coach with Triple-A Pawtucket after guiding the Spinners to a 39-34 record in 2013.
The news was first reported by Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com