Burkhart Replaces Resigned Morales For Lake Elsinore

Francisco Morales has resigned as manager of high Class A Lake Elsinore and been replaced by Lance Burkhart, the Padres’ California League affiliate announced Monday.

Burkhart, 41, was promoted after serving as hitting coach for low Class A Fort Wayne since 2015. His older brother, former major leaguer Morgan Burkhart, is the hitting coach of the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate in El Paso.

This will be Burkhart’s first managing job in affiliated baseball. His only previous managerial experience came in 2014, when he guided the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the independent Atlantic League to 68-72 record.

Burkhart said the Padres contacted him last Friday about taking over in Lake Elsinore, and he quickly accepted. He arrived at Storm Stadium four hours before Monday’s game against Bakersfield.

“Last year I missed managing, I had managed the year before and really enjoyed it and thought I could help these guys,” Burkhart said. “It was almost a no-brainer answer to that question (when the Padres asked about managing the Storm). I’m really excited to have the opportunity.”

The Missouri native was a 15th-round draft pick by the Expos in 1997 and played eight seasons in the minor leagues as a catcher in the Expos, Brewers, Rangers and Orioles organizations. He finished his playing career with five seasons in the Atlantic League before retiring in 2009.

Morales, 43, was in his first season managing the Storm. No reason was given for his resignation. His last game managing the Storm came on Monday, May 16, a 19-0 loss at Lancaster.

Padres outfield and baserunning coordinator Tony Tarasco began serving as interim manager the next day and guided the Storm to a 2-4 record following Morales’ final game.

Morales was previously suspended by the Padres for an undisclosed incident that occurred in February at the Padres academy in the Dominican Republic. He did not manage the Storm’s first seven games this season as part of the suspension.

Tarasco managed the first four games of the season and minor league coordinator of instruction Ryley Westman managed the following three.

Including the interim managers, Burkhart will be the fourth different manager for the Storm this season.

“We met briefly today,” Burkhart said. “There are only a handful of guys I don’t know and those I do know I feel I have a fairly good relationship with from Fort Wayne and two spring trainings. I feel it’s been great to this point. It’s been quick, but I think it will slow down when the game starts tonight hopefully.”

While Burkhart’s prior experience in the Padres organization came as a hitting coach, even Storm pitchers spoke highly of their new manager.

“He’s a great guy, a great personality who is going to give us good vibes in the dugout and in the locker room,” Storm reliever Brad Wieck said. “We got to know him last year at Fort Wayne and he knows the game inside and out. I feel very comfortable having him be the shot-caller here.”

The man Burkhart replaces, Morales, was in his third season in the Padres organization. He was the hitting coach for Double-A San Antonio in 2014 and the manager at Fort Wayne last season, where he led the TinCaps to a 77-61 record and the Midwest League playoffs.

This is the Storm’s second midseason managerial change in the past five years. Carlos Lezcano resigned in June 2011, citing family reasons, and was replaced by Phil Plantier.