Joe Kuras, General Manager & Bench Coach
Joe Kuras joined the inaugural team in ’97 as an Assistant Coach. He assumed control of the team in 2000 as Owner/General Manager, and remains as an assistant coach as well. A native of Grafton, Joe played Junior High and JV baseball at Grafton Junior and Senior High School. He played in the Grafton Men's Softball League for 20 years, and was a league officer for 10 years. Joe also served the Grafton Little League for 10 seasons as a coach, vice president and president.
Joe and his wife, the former Maryellen Jarzobski, have 3 grown children - Jonathan, Jillian and Justin; and two grandsons, Noel & Bradley. He is a Quality Assurance Manager for Booz Allen Hamilton of McLean, Virginia and serves as the Treasurer of the Polish National Home Association in South Grafton. Joe was a contributing writer for the 2005 edition of "The Red Sox Fan Handbook - Everything You Need To Know To Be A Red Sox Fan ...Or To Marry One". He also co-authored "A History of the Polish American Community of South Grafton, Massachusetts" in 1999. For 10 years, he was the minor league correspondent for "A Red Sox Journal", a publication of the Buffalo Head Society.
Rick Allain, Field Manager & Head Coach
Rick Allain joined the club in 2000 as the Third Base Coach. In 2008, Allain was promoted to Field Manager and Head Coach.
The Grafton native first cut his teeth on a baseball in the Grafton Little League. As a teen, he participated in Babe Ruth baseball in town. In high school, Allain pitched, played the outfield, first base and third base for Blackstone Valley Tech. He played in the Grafton Men's Softball League for 15 years.
As Field Manager and Head Coach, Allain is also known as one of the best third base coaches in the area with his knowledge the game and its intricate strategies. He is a master at fundamentals, mechanics and strategy.
Rick is the Facility Manager at Saltus Press of Worcester. He is a Captain on the Grafton Fire Department and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He is married to the former Celeste Berube. They have two grown children - Matt and Tiffany, and one granddaughter, Sadie Renee.
Steve Barker, Pitching Coach
Steve Barker returns to the Lake Sox in 2008 as Pitching Coach. Barker pitched for the L’Sox from 2000 – 2001 and served as Co-Captain of the team in 2001. He was a league All Star both years. Barker ranks 4th on the team’s all-time list with an opponents’ batting average of .199. He is the team’s single-season strikeout king with 49 K’s and hurled a no-hitter vs. Hudson in 2001.
After a standout career at Grafton High, Barker cracked the starting rotation at Worcester State College and posted a perfect 4-0 record in 2005. Barker was a starting pitcher for Clinton in the Stan Musial League and hurled a playoff no-hitter.
Craig Dauphinais, Coach
Craig Dauphinais joins the Lake Sox coaching staff in 2008. He pitched and played first base on the 1984 Assumption College baseball team and played in the Grafton Men’s Softball League for many years. The Grafton native is the Regional Operations Manager for Aggregate Industries in North Grafton and is a member of the Grafton Board of Selectmen.
Bob Danna, Assistant General Manager & Pitching Consultant
Worcester native and Grafton resident Bob "Rico" Danna joined the Lake as pitching coach in 1998. He was appointed field manager and head coach in 2000. In 2008, Danna moved in to the front office as Assistant General Manager and remains on the field as a pitching consultant.
Danna played for the East Side Babe Ruth team as a youth and enjoyed a most successful amateur career as a pitcher for North. Bob also pitched semi-pro ball for Team Fugi of Framingham. In 1978 the right-handed hurler had a professional tryout with the Cincinnati Reds.
One of the more popular coaches with the Lake players, Danna invokes his own brand of hustle, aggressiveness and team spirit in his teams. Bob is married to the former Joanne Pascarelli of Worcester. They have 2 children - Matt and Maria. Bob is a Computer Analyst at Fidelity Investments in North Smithfield, RI and also serves on the force of the Grafton Police Department. He is a member of the Grafton Lions Club and has been a referee for the Grafton Soccer Club.
