Manager Butch Hobson has been in uniform almost continuously since beginning his professional baseball career in 1973.

The game has taken him to lofty heights as a Major League player and a Major League manager. Signed by the Boston Red Sox out of the University of Alabama in 1973, Hobson debuted in the American League in September, 1975 and was an everyday third baseman for the Sox by the 1976 All-Star break.

In 1977, Hobson put together his best season, clubbing 30 homers and driving in 112 runs. Two years later, he added 28 more long balls and 93 RBI for the Sox. Eventually, over seven big league seasons, he cranked 98 homers and knocked home 397 while batting .248.

His playing career ended as a Triple-A third baseman with the Yankees in 1985. By 1987, he began the managerial phase of his career, heading up the New York Mets’ Class A team in Columbia, SC. Two years later, he found his way back to the Red Sox, taking over their Class AA Eastern League affiliate in New Britain, CT.

Three years later, he was in Boston and ended up running his old club from 1992 through the strike-shortened 1994 season, winning 207 games as a big league skipper.

His managerial career took him to the Philadelphia Phillies organization and eventually back to the Boston minor league system.

Then, he became involved with a young, independent league, joining the Atlantic League’s Nashua Pride in 2000. He won a pennant his first season, and, in eight other seasons, five with Nashua and three in Southern Maryland, he has taken six teams to the playoffs, three more to the finals and has amassed three Manager of the Year honors (2001, 2005, 2008).

Between Hobson’s two stints in this league, he stayed in Nashua for two more years, winning the 2007 Cam-Am title and another Manager of the Year award.

Now, Hobson makes his third Atlantic League managerial stop as the new Barnstormers skipper. But, in addition to his on-field responsibilities, the 59-year old plans to learn other areas in the business in hopes to eventually transition to an executive role.

Rejoining Hobson in Lancaster is pitching coach Marty Janzen, who served as the pitching coach under Hobson with the 2009 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.

Janzen, 37, had a long playing career which began in 1992 after singing as an undrafted player with the New York Yankees and ended pitching for Hobson with Nashua in 2005.

Following a 16-6 season in the minors in 1995, Janzen advanced to the big leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays, making his debut on May 12, 1996. He pitched three scoreless innings and picked up the win in an 8-7 Jays triumph over Boston. The right-hander went on to pick up the “W” in his next two appearances, one in relief and one as a starter but would end the season with a 4-6 record and 7.33 ERA.

Working strictly in relief with the Jays in 1997, the Homestead, FL native went 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA.

While never working in the big leagues for the Yankees, Janzen certainly has a role in their storied history. He was one of three players dealt to Toronto for David Cone in the 1995 season. Later in his career, he returned to the Yankees in exchange for infielder Andy Fox.

He also pitched in the Reds and Angels organizations in his career, last working in affiliated ball in 2002. The three-game stretch with Nashua in 2005 was his fourth with the Pride over a six-year span. Janzen also appeared with Camden and Atlantic City in the Atlantic League and has an overall 11-7 record with a 3.28 ERA in 162 ALPB innings.

Lance Burkhart was a fixture behind the plate during the Barnstormers' first four seasons. Now he is back as the team's hitting coach.

Burkhart joined the Barnstormers in 2005 after spending time in the Montreal, Milwaukee, Texas and Baltimore minor league systems. The Lancaster catcher in the club's first four season openers, Burkhart made a huge impact at the plate in Lancaster and still stands as the club's all-time career regular season home run leader with 61. He also connected in the clinching game of the 2006 Atlantic League Championship series against Bridgeport, helping to lift Lancaster to the title.

In addition, the right-handed hitting receiver remains among the Barnstormers career top five in most offensive categories, having appeared in 358 games over the four seasons. Injuries cut short his seasons in 2007 and 2008.

The 13-year pro signed with the Expos in 1997.

Burkhart, 35, had his best season in 2001 when he belted a combined 32 home runs between Class A High Desert (Cal) and Class AA Huntsville (SL) in the Milwaukee organization. He reached double figures in home runs in seven other professional seasons, amassing 155 total long balls. He reached Class AAA with the Expos, the Brewers and the Rangers.

The St. Louis-area native shifted to Southern Maryland last year, batting .242 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI for the Liberty Division Champion Blue Crabs.

Miacarla "Mia" Del Hierro joins the Barnstormers as the athletic trainer for the 2011 season. She is certainly no stranger to the Atlantic League, however, having spent the 2007 season with the Road Warriors and the last three with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.

Del Hierro, a native of Denver, Colorado, played college softball for one year at the University of Southern Colorado before transferring to Metropolitan State University in Denver, where she majored in athletic training. She has worked as a staff trainer for the WNBA's Charlotte Sting for two years and spent one-half season with the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL before taking a position at Livingstone College in Salisbury, NC where she stayed until coming to the Atlantic League.

She has continued to work in basketball as well, having served as the trainer for NBA D-League teams in both Des Moines, Iowa and Denver.