Essien will be manager for 2023 Sock Puppets

By Bob Sutton

Special to The Alamance News

Anthony Essien will spend his third season with the Burlington Sock Puppets baseball team, this time as the manager from the beginning of the season, the team announced this week.

Essien was pitching coach in 2021 and 2022, finishing last summer as interim manager for the Appalachian League’s runner-up.

Essien is pitching coach for Reedley (Calif.) Community College. The rest of the Burlington coaching staff has yet to be announced.

The Sock Puppets are a collegiate summer team playing at Burlington Athletic Stadium. The Appalachian League has oversight from Major League Baseball.