This is entirely unexpected news on multiple levels, and it involves a pair of former Vancouver Canadians fan-favourites:

GENEVA,
IL – The Oakland Athletics have announced that former Cougars player and
Oakland farmhand Haas Pratt [seen right] has been named as Kane County hitting coach for the
2008 season. Pratt replaces Benny Winslow, who has resigned from the Athletics.

At
age 26, Pratt becomes the youngest member of a Cougars coaching staff in
franchise history. Pratt joins manager Aaron Nieckula who will embark on his
third season as Cougars skipper, and Don Schulze who will handle the pitching
corps for a second season at Kane
County.

Pratt
ends his playing career and transitions into a coaching role after spending the
last four seasons as a prospect in the A’s system. Last season, Pratt
spent time in the Cougars lineup as a designated hitter while also playing
catcher, first basemen and even pitcher in emergency duty.

Pratt’s
ten home runs tied for second-best among Cougars players in 2007. A 2004 draft
selection by the A’s, Pratt ends his professional career with 19 home
runs and 85 RBI.

"Stepping
into a coaching role is what I’ve always wanted to do," Pratt said
from Oakland’s spring training facility in
Phoenix, Arizona.
"To work in a leadership position with these players and help them
achieve success is something that I’m really looking forward to."

Winslow
[seen left] resigns as hitting coach of the Cougars after serving the team in the same
capacity last season. Winslow spent three seasons in the Oakland
organization as a player (2003-05) before making his coaching debut as hitting
coach with short-season Oakland affiliate Vancouver in 2006.

Cougars
players and coaching staff continue to work out in Phoenix
during the remainder of Spring Training, and will arrive in Geneva
days before their season opener on April 3 against the Beloit Snappers in Wisconsin.

Benny resigns? Wow. Haas moves from playing to coaching? Wow. Those former Vancouver Canadians just can’t keep out of the news, eh?

I have no information as to why Benny suddenly jumped ship, but he does check the blog occasionally, so maybe he’ll drop us a note. Either way, hope you’re falling upwards, Jetster. 

Thanks to Ryan from A Minor Consideration for the scoop.

UPDATE: According to Scout.com, Winslow has left the Oakland A’s organization - something he told me he’d never do, if he had any say in the matter. Of course, time (and job offers, and wives) have a tendency to make a guy rethink such vows…