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Rockies Fire Scott Van Lenten

By Steve Adams | March 9, 2022 at 11:36am CDT

The Rockies have fired director of research and development Scott Van Lenten just six months after hiring him away from the Nationals, reports Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Saunders cites “major disagreements” between Van Lenten and the club regarding what his role would be moving forward. Thomas Harding of MLB.com adds that assistant GM Zack Rosenthal will currently oversee the Rockies’ R&D department while the club looks for a replacement. Remarkably, Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette reports that the Rockies’ R&D department now has only five employees — most of whom were hired by Van Lenten.

The Rockies championed Van Lenten as a pivotal hire who would be tasked with building out an analytics department that was sorely lacking and miles behind most teams throughout the league. His hiring, which came only a few months after owner Dick Monfort dismissed GM Jeff Bridich and promoted longtime scouting director Bill Schmidt to the post, was one of many steps that was framed as progress for the front office. Specifics on what prompted the relationship to go south so quickly haven’t yet come to light, but it’s worth pointing out that Van Lenten was sold on a very specific vision for his role at the time of his hiring.

“When the Rockies reached out and were interested in talking to me, I was excited but I wanted to make sure what I was getting into,” Van Lenten told Harding back in September. “I wanted to make sure they were going to provide the resources, make sure they were going to be supportive and have a real vision and are going to have the resources to do it the right way. They were very supportive.”

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View Comments (62)

Comments

  1. DarkSide830

    11 months ago

    Plot twist: they’re doing this so he can talk to free agents

    Reply
    • Curly Was The Smart Stooge

      11 months ago

      How much does it suck to be fired when there has been no activity for months & probably won’t be any action in the near future? Kinda like being in the middle of a desert, dying of thirst, & someone hands you a jar of peanut butter

      Reply
      • Jonathan G

        11 months ago

        Not really sure who all needs to hear this or who cares, but as person, Van Lenten really sucks. He also was untruthful on multiple occasions in such a short time period and there were multiple complaints about it him. Thats what got him fired.

        Reply
  2. RunDMC

    11 months ago

    Differing opinions of what the R&D stood for.
    My guess: Repair & Destroy

    Reply
    • prov356

      11 months ago

      I was thinking Refuse and Detritus.

      Reply
    • SCarton12

      11 months ago

      Rusty and dented.

      Reply
    • positively_broad_st

      11 months ago

      Renege & Delete

      Reply
    • Hello, Newman

      11 months ago

      Ruffles and Doritos

      Reply
    • wkkortas

      11 months ago

      Rockies & DUHHHH!

      Reply
    • FormerlyCubsWin108

      11 months ago

      Re*ards and Dummies

      Reply
    • Jonathan G

      11 months ago

      He was a trash human being. Not questioning his ability as a analyst, but the way he treated people is what got him fired.

      Reply
    • Arnold Ziffel

      11 months ago

      This means he needed a decent budget and cheap owners said no, arguments ensued and then adios.

      Reply
  3. bruno202

    11 months ago

    When he was hired by the Rockies, he said one big challenge was teaching his 4 and 6 year old kids that they were no longer Nats fans, that they would now be rooting for the Rockies. Won’t anyone think of the kids?

    Reply
    • For Love of the Game

      11 months ago

      Does being forced to root for the Rockies constitute child abuse?

      Reply
  4. dan_plays_drums

    11 months ago

    Woops!

    Reply
  5. For Love of the Game

    11 months ago

    Dick Monfort before he dicks you.

    Reply
    • NationalNightmare

      11 months ago

      Overlooked gem right here

      Reply
  6. Dorothy_Mantooth

    11 months ago

    They probably refused to pay the add on costs from Microsoft to add MS Access to their annual Office subscription.

    Reply
    • comish4lif

      11 months ago

      No licenses for MS Power BI. 6 month free trial about to expire.

      Reply
      • 5TUNT1N

        11 months ago

        I use it and I hate it, like what an extra authentication layer? Is there more sensitive information within? Or is it just a way for them to compartmentalize access better with the diverse workforces we have nowadays. Frustrating at times probably should’ve finished up that…. IT degree.

        Reply
    • elmedius

      11 months ago

      I’m guessing they wouldn’t pay for a fangraphs membership. “Let him look at his mumbo jumbo words like woba and fwar with ads or not at all!”

      Reply
      • nmendoza7

        11 months ago

        AVG and ERA worshiper found

        Reply
    • Jonathan G

      11 months ago

      He is a trash human being. Not questioning his ability as a analyst, but the way he treated people is what got him fired.

      Reply
  7. bucketbrew35

    11 months ago

    This organization continues to show that the wrong plans have been laid out and that the wrong people are in place.

    Reply
    • 5TUNT1N

      11 months ago

      At least they are consistent!

      Reply
    • rondon

      11 months ago

      Did they just drink coffee in the interview?? How could these “major disagreements” just pop up after only 6 months?

      Reply
    • Jonathan G

      11 months ago

      Not really sure who all needs to hear this or who cares, but as person, Van Lenten really sucks. He also was untruthful on multiple occasions in such a short time period and there were multiple complaints about it him. Thats what got him fired.

      Reply
  8. Josh5890

    11 months ago

    There must me some juicy backstory behind all of this.

    Reply
    • rememberthecoop

      11 months ago

      Yep, it goes like this: the Rox are a backward organization and aren’t truly interested in real change.

      Reply
    • The Natural

      11 months ago

      It’s probably similar to the reasons behind why Jeter left it the Marlins.

      Reply
      • Bright Side

        11 months ago

        Ding!

        Reply
  9. FrankDrebin

    11 months ago

    Another confirmation of the inept leadership. Hopefully Colton Welker will play this year.

    Reply
    • Jonathan G

      11 months ago

      Not really sure who all needs to hear this or who cares, but as person, Van Lenten really sucks. He also was untruthful on multiple occasions in such a short time period and there were multiple complaints about it him. Thats what got him fired.

      Reply
  10. larry48

    11 months ago

    The Rockies will suck in 2022 they will be fighting another organization that sucks the Arizona Diamondback to see who finishes last in NL West, two poorly run teams on 2020-2222

    Reply
    • kellin

      11 months ago

      Hey, at least the Diamondbacks have won a WS!

      Reply
    • bostonbob

      11 months ago

      Larry, also both teams taking their revenue sharing dollars and saying thank you.

      Reply
  11. Pete'sView

    11 months ago

    I don’t think the D-Backs are anyway close to the Rockies’ dysfunction.

    Reply
    • Yankee Clipper

      11 months ago

      Team #1 to erase: Buh bye Rox! Bring in a real owner…. Next team up, claim your city.

      “Yeah, Dick, sorry, but we’ve moved your office to the basement….”

      Reply
  12. Yankee Clipper

    11 months ago

    Owners doing what owners do this year. “You want to do what? Spend money?! Yerrrr fired!”

    Notable quotes: “Whats wrong with Windows ‘95?” – D. Monfort, 2022.

    Reply
  13. Monkey’s Uncle

    11 months ago

    *insert dumpster fire gif*

    Reply
  14. solaris602

    11 months ago

    Knowing the Rockies FO they probably felt it was time to jump on the analytics band wagon without understanding it or committing to it. Lentin probably went in and started doing exactly what he’d been doing for WAS. Monfort and Schmidt see this doesn’t mesh well with groupthink, so they toss him overboard before anyone in the organization begins to think clearly.

    Reply
  15. positively_broad_st

    11 months ago

    Monfort or Angelos? Who you taking?

    Reply
  16. positively_broad_st

    11 months ago

    Harkens back to Marge Schott’s view on scouts: “We PAY people to watch baseball games?!?!”

    Reply
    • Monkey’s Uncle

      11 months ago

      I already picture Schottzie poop all over the baseball offices. Wasn’t that the name of her giant dog she took everywhere?

      Reply
      • positively_broad_st

        11 months ago

        Yes, Schottzie was her dog’s name, and he did drop a pyramid on the astroturf…

        Reply
  17. Monkey’s Uncle

    11 months ago

    “The Rockies R&D department now has only 5 employees”

    So, 2 research, 2 develop, and the last one makes the coffee?

    Reply
  18. YankeesBleacherCreature

    11 months ago

    Rockies gonna Rockies. I kind of feel bad for Van Lenten and it’s not shocking to believe that owner Monfort reneged on his words.

    Reply
    • Nagger

      11 months ago

      You calling him a “reneggar”?

      Reply
  19. PitcherMeRolling

    11 months ago

    Rockies don’t get enough recognition for the dumpster fire that organization is.

    Reply
    • bhambrave

      11 months ago

      It’s a load of dumpsters on a flatcar that wrecked and caught on fire. Dumpster fire and trainwreck all rolled into one.

      Reply
  20. mookiesboy

    11 months ago

    Truely the worst organization in baseball

    Reply
  21. dlw0906

    11 months ago

    At this point maybe the MLB should look to re-locate this franchise to another state with better owners. I am not sure if having a team at such a high elevation with low-rent owners is good for the game on and off the field.

    Reply
    • positively_broad_st

      11 months ago

      Owners should be evaluated and advised every 10 years, with the evaluations happening more frequently if they fall into poor ratings in certain metrics, including competitiveness. If they do not improve, they should be forced to sell, even if MLB has to buy it.

      Reply
  22. golfernut

    11 months ago

    Yet, fans continue to buy high priced tickets, Rockies are so sad, move them now.

    Reply
  23. norcalblue

    11 months ago

    This organization is a joke: top to bottom. After the manager and players rolled over and quit in 6 games against the Giants this past September, I lost all respect for Bud Black. They will finish dead last in the division this coming season. Hi

    Reply
    • Nagger

      11 months ago

      Hi

      Reply
  24. jdgoat

    11 months ago

    Considering this is the Rockies I’m going to assume he was too good at his job and wasn’t a good fit for the dysfunction that they usually like to feature.

    Reply
    • solaris602

      11 months ago

      Rockies are very comfortable in their mediocrity. Van Lenten threatened improvement, and so he was shown the door. What he didn’t realize is what Monfort expected was him to come in and say, “You guys are totally on track here. Nothing I do could improve upon the model in place.” Then all he needed to do was make sure he and his staff looked busy, and everyone would have been happy.

      Reply
  25. Nagger

    11 months ago

    How does this have nearly 50 comments? Wtf

    Reply
    • gbs42

      11 months ago

      Well, at least three of them are yours…

      Reply
    • solaris602

      11 months ago

      The lockout effect

      Reply
  26. aragon

    11 months ago

    good!

    Reply

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