Managerial/Coaching Career
Entering his sixth season as Indians Bench Coach and his seventh season in the Indians organization after spending the 2013 season as the Tribe's Third Base and Outfield Coach (continues to instruct the Tribe outfielders)... This marks his 41st season in professional baseball and 21st season as a Major League coach or manager...In 2013 rejoined Terry Francona on the bench for the first time since the 2009 season...Went to college, roomed and played professionally in Montreal with Francona in addition to coaching with him for 11 seasons...Was Tito's First Base Coach in Philadelphia from 1997-2000 and Bench Coach in Boston from 2004-09 before spending three years guiding the Houston Astros from 2010-2012...During his first season in Houston (2010), the Astros finished 59-52 over their final 111 games and finished 1.0 game out of 3rd place in the N.L. Central...After the season, Brad placed 6th in the BBWAA N.L. Manager of the Year voting...RED SOX: During his tenure with Boston and Francona, the Red Sox went to the postseason in five of six seasons and won two World Series titles...Mills was a part of 45 postseason games in that span...Upon retiring as a player in 1986, Mills immediately became a manager in the Cubs farm system, making his debut in 1987 at 30 years of age for Rookie level Wytheville in the Appalachian League...After six seasons with the Cubs, Mills joined the Rockies organization, managing their Triple-A Colorado Springs club from 1993-96...In 1995, Mills received the Rockies Player Development Man of the Year Award after guiding his SkySox to the Pacific Coast League Championship...Mills earned his first Major League coaching position in 1997 as First Base Coach for the Philadelphia Phillies, reuniting him with Francona... Served as an advance scout for the Cubs in 2001 before returning to the role of Minor League manager for the Dodgers' Triple-A Las Vegas club in 2002, leading them to an 85-59 (.590) record and a first-place finish in the PCL's South Division...Mills returned to the Majors in 2003 as a Bench Coach for the Montreal Expos and manager Frank Robinson before joining the Red Sox in 2004.
PLAYING CAREER
Mills' professional playing career began in 1979 as a 17th-round draft pick of the Expos out of the University of Arizona...Made his Major League debut for the Expos the next season on June 8, 1980 and went on to play parts of four seasons in the Major Leagues for the Expos from 1980-83, compiling a .256 career average in 106 big league games...Holds the distinction of being Nolan Ryan's historic 3,509th career strikeout victim on April 27, 1983, which lifted Ryan past Walter Johnson as baseball's all-time strikeout leader...Went on to play three seasons in the Minor Leagues, including a two-year stint in the Astros system at Triple-A Tucson in 1984-85.
PERSONAL/MISCELLANEOUS
Full name JAMES BRADLEY MILLS... Wife, Ronda...Three children: Taylor Candice, Rochelle Cathleen and Beau Bradley and nine grandchildren...Son, Beau, was a first-round draft pick (13th overall) of the Cleveland Indians in 2007 and currently operates, raises and co-owns a group of bucking bulls with his father...In November of 2010, Mills had his #7 baseball jersey retired by Exeter Union (CA) High School, where he graduated from in 1975... College teammate of Terry Francona at the University of Arizona, playing for the Wildcats from 1976-79 (advanced to the College World Series in 1979).