From Whitecap to Ranger to...

Matt Walbeck was the manager of the West Michigan Whitecaps from 2004 to 2006 and won two MWL Championships. Then, he went to Erie, the Double-A affiliate of the Tigers in 2007. He signed up to be third base coach for the Texas Rangers in 2008, but his contract was not renewed.

He's landed on his feet. He just doesn't know where yet.

Walbeck, who managed the SeaWolves in 2007, signed with the Pirates last week. He said Pirates officials have told him he will manage next season at either Class A Lynchburg, Class AA Altoona or Class AAA Indianapolis.

"This was the first time in 22 years that I had to look for a job,'' Walbeck said Thursday in a telephone interview from his home in Sacramento, Calif. "I called everybody I knew in the game. It's quite a humbling experience going from being Baseball America's manager of the year to looking for a job.''

Baseball America selected Walbeck its 2007 minor league manager of the year after he guided the SeaWolves to an 81-59 record, a Southern Division regular-season championship and the team's first appearance in the Eastern League playoffs since 2004.

Just a note: Brad Holman, Wisconsin's pitching coach from 2002-2005, was Altoona's pitching coach in 2008.