NORTHWEST NOTES June 3, 2014

Circling Raven earns another TripAdvisor honor

Circling Raven Golf Club in Worley has garnered the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for a second straight year.

The award honors hospitality entities that consistently receive outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site. Only the top 10 percent of businesses listed achieve the award. Establishments qualifying for the distinction are selected based on overall rating, volume of reviews over the previous year and popularity on the site.

This second TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence is the most recent accolade for Circling Raven Golf Club. The course was also recently named a "Best Course" in Idaho by Golfweek and was included in Golf Digest's biennial "America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses" last year.

Spokane Indians coaching staff finalized

SPOKANE - The Texas Rangers have finalized the Spokane Indians' coaching staff with the hires of former MLB hitting coach Rick Down and long-time minor league player, Salomon Manriquez.

Downs will serve as Spokane's hitting coach and Manriquez will hold the title of assistant coach.

Down, 63, was last in the majors within the San Francisco Giants organization as a scout. Before that, he was a hitting coach with the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets.

Manriquez, a Valencia, Venezuela, native, began his baseball career in 1999 as a free agent catcher for the Montreal Expos, and played within the organization until 2006 after the franchise relocated to become the Washington Nationals. In 2007, Manriquez played for the Rangers' AA affiliate, the Frisco RoughRiders. He later played in the Buffalo Bisons, the Mets' AAA affiliate, baseball's Independent League and for the Spain national team in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

Down and Manriquez will be joining Tim Hulett's staff, as the Indians manager will begin his eighth season in Spokane. Also on staff is former Spokane Indians player Jose Jaimes (pitching coach), Zach Jones (trainer) and the six-time returnee Ed Yong (strength and conditioning Coach).

The Indians, the short-season class-A affiliate of the Rangers, open the season June 13 at home vs. the Eugene Emeralds.