The Fort Worth Cats have hired former Texas Ranger Curtis Wilkerson to be the team's new manager, it was announced on Monday.
Wilkerson succeeds Stan Hough, who led the Cats to a 48-52 record and second place finish in the American Association South division last season.
The new manager takes the reins as Fort Worth prepares to embark on its first season in the North American League.
A fourth round draft pick by Texas in 1980, Wilkerson made his big league debut three years later and remained with the Rangers for six seasons, earning the team's Rookie of the Year award in 1984.
The switch-hitting infielder was traded, along with Mitch Williams and four minor leaguers, to the Chicago Cubs for Rafael Palmeiro and Jamie Moyer prior to the 1989 season. He would go on to play for the Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals before calling it a career in 1995.
Wilkerson played eleven big league seasons in all and appeared in the postseason with both the Cubs in 1989 and Pirates in 1991.
After his playing days, Wilkerson worked for seven seasons as a hitting instructor and rookie league manager in both the Royals and Pirates organizations.
In 2008 he managed the Tarrant County Thunder of the now-defunct Continental League.
The Arlington resident described himself as an "old school guy" at a LaGrave Field press conference to announce his hiring, promising Cats fans that his teams would "respect the game and play hard."
Wilkerson and new pitching coach / director of baseball operations Steve Maddock can now turn their attention to assembling a roster for the upcoming season.
The North American League is expected to announce its 2012 schedule sometime this week.
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