Robby Hammock was announced as the 15th manager for the Altoona Curve Monday in a press release by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“I’m looking forward to working with our coaching staff on the field and in the Altoona Community in 2024,” Curve general manager Nate Bowen said. “The announcement of the staff each season is one of the landmarks leading up to opening day in 78 days on Tuesday, April 9.”

Hammock spent the 2023 season as the head coach for High-A Greensboro. Other new faces joining Hammock in Altoona this season include hitting coach Brady Conlan, pitching coach Fernando Nieve, integrated baseball performance coach Justin Orton and catching coach Taylor Davis. Hammock will be joined by three holdovers from the Altoona 2023 staff, bench coach Gary Green, athletic trainer Victor Silva, and strength and conditioning coach Glenn Nutting.

Hammock, a former Major League catcher and infielder with the Arizona Diamondbacks, led Greensboro to a 68-61 overall record in his first year with the Pirates organization in 2023. Throughout the campaign, Hammock aided numerous Pirates prospects whose successful seasons earned them a promotion to Altoona, including Tsung-Che Cheng, Jase Bowen, Mike Jarvis, Bubba Chandler, Anthony Solometo, and Abrahan Gutierrez.

A Macon, Georgia native who starred at South Cobb High School, Hammock played 14 seasons of professional baseball.

Hammock played in a total of 182 Major League games with the Diamondbacks across six seasons from 2003-04, 2006-08 and 2011. He made his Major League debut on April 11, 2003, where he recorded his first hit on the first pitch of his first at-bat, a single off Milwaukee’s Wayne Franklin. Hammock’s most notable moment as a player came in 2004, when he caught Randy Johnson’s perfect game in just his 56th Major League game behind the plate. In his career, Hammock batted .254 with 122 hits, 30 doubles, 12 home runs and 48 RBIs.