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During that time the Minor League teams he coached had a winning percentage of (.612). Four of those teams reached the post-season, including 3 trips to the League Championship Series, and an Arizona League Championship in 2013. More than two dozen Giants players who were drafted or signed as minor league free agents in that time span have made their MLB debut.

Horton has also worked in various capacities for the Arizona Diamondbacks (2001-2003, 2006) and Chicago White Sox (2003). This includes the Diamondbacks 2001 World Series title. More recently, he has served as the Manager of the Williamsport Crosscutters in the MLB Draft League (2021) and the Field Coordinator for the Arizona Collegiate Wood Bat League (2022). In 2023, Horton was the Manager and Director of Player Personnel for the Billings Mustangs in the Pioneer League. The Mustangs went on to win the North Division crown and eventually lost in the Pioneer League Championship. Horton was named the Pioneer League Manager of the Year at the end of the season.

He attended Spring Hill College (AL) from 1992-1995. Horton was a utility player for the Badgers and played 6 different positions during his college career. They won 138 games during his time there which is the most ever in a 4-year span of the school. He signed his first pro contract in 1996 and played for 6 Independent League teams from 1997-2000 as a catcher, first baseman, and outfielder. In 1998 he was on the New Jersey Jackals team that won the Northeast League Championship. Horton also signed free agent contracts with the Chicago White Sox (1999) and Anaheim Angels (2000) and attended spring training with both teams.

In 2006, Horton founded Cactus Athletics, a company dedicated to training young athletes and coaches. Over the past 18 years more than 10,000 players and coaches have participated in their camps, clinics, and baseball leagues that are based in Phoenix, AZ. He is familiar with technology used by MLB teams including Rapsodo, K-Motion, Hit Trax, Trackman, and Blast Motion. He and his wife Taleen have been married 16 years, and they have two sons, Connor (15) and Bryce (13). They live in Scottsdale, AZ with their hound dog Rusty.

His background in professional baseball is extremely impressive and spans over five decades. This year will be his 34th season as a coach and he also played for 9 years.

His professional coaching career began in 1986 when he was asked to step in as the hitting coach for the San Francisco Giants Single-A affiliate in Fresno, CA. This happened in the middle of his professional playing career in Italy, and he went back after the season ended. Gary went into full-time coaching in 1992 with the Nettuno Baseball Club in Italy. He coached with them for two different stints from 1992-1997 and 2002-2004. Sandwiched in-between that was his time coaching Italy’s Olympic Team from 1998-2001.

Gary went back to coach with the Giants in 2004 and was with the organization for 18 years until 2022. He was a Hitting Coach for the Class-A San Jose Giants (2004-2005, 2008-2011) and AA Connecticut Defenders (2006-2007), Manager of the Short Season-A Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in Oregon (2012-2013), Roving Instructor and Infield Coordinator (2014-2016), and Fundamentals Coach at their AA affiliate in Richmond, VA (2017-2022). He has been a part of 4 Minor League Championships (2005, 2009, 2010, 2015) and 3 of the Giants World Series titles (2010, 2012, 2014). Many of the players on those World Series teams were developed in the minor leagues on teams that Davenport coached.

He attended Santa Clara University from 1978-1981. Following his final season there in 1981, he was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 27th Round. From 1981-1984 Gary played for the Giants and spent time at their Class-A and AA affiliates in Great Falls (MT), Fresno (CA), and Shreveport (LA). He went on to play professionally in Cape Town, South Africa (1984) and Nettuno, Italy (1985, 1988-1991). He was an infielder during his career and played shortstop, second base, and third base.

Gary’s father Jim is a San Francisco Giants Hall of Fame third baseman. He played 13 years in the Major Leagues for the Giants and spent more than 40 years with them as a player, manager, coach, and front office executive. Gary and his wife Nancy live in Roseville, CA. They have 6 children and 9 grandchildren.

He made history becoming the first player Hawaiian-born player to appear in the Major Leagues for the San Francisco Giants (2003) and Washington Nationals (2007).

His professional coaching career began in 2019 when the New York Mets hired him to be the Pitching Coach for their Short-Season A team in Kingsport (TN). In 2020 he was slotted to move up to the Single-A team in Columbia (SC) but due to the Minor League season being cancelled, he helped coach the Mets pitchers at their alternate training site in Brooklyn (NY). In 2021 he was with the Single-A Mets in St. Lucie (FL) and that off-season coached in the prestigious Arizona Fall League with the Salt River Rafters. He moved up to the Mets AA affiliate in Binghamton (NY) in 2022. Jerome helped 5 players make their debut in the Major Leagues during his time with the Mets. Most recently he was the Pitching Coach in the MLB Draft League with the State College Spikes in 2023.

Jerome was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 1st round of the 1999 MLB Draft. He was voted their top Minor League prospect in 2001 and 2002. He went on play for 20 seasons professionally which includes 11 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Giants, Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals. He logged 1029.2 innings, made 236 appearances (149 starts), and won 52 games in the big leagues. In addition to his time in the minor leagues, Jerome also played in China, Venezuela, and Mexico. Over his 20 year career he pitched 2532.1 innings, appeared in 582 games (385 starts), and won 137 games.

During his playing career Jerome was known for wearing a puka shell necklace on the field to honor his mother Deborah who passed away from breast cancer in 2001. He was also recognized for his pink glove which was a tradition he started in 2011 to raise awareness for breast cancer. Jerome and his wife Sarah have 4 children and they live in Mission Viejo, CA.