The Rockies announced that hitting coach Hensley Meulens has been relieved of his duties. Special assistant to the general manager Clint Hurdle has been named hitting coach for the remainder of the season.
It’s an unusual move, as coaching changes don’t usually happen so early in a season. There’s no denying that the results haven’t been pretty for the club in the early going. They are currently 3-15, the worst record in the majors. Their team-wide batting line of .220/.285/.344 translates to a 65 wRC+, also worst in the majors.
But that’s not exactly a surprising development. The club finished the past two seasons with more than 100 losses and did very little to improve the team in the winter. They are one of the few clubs that came into the 2025 season with no real hopes of contending. It would be hard to lay all of the blame on the hitting coach when the roster mostly features unestablished young players and veteran journeymen.
Presumably, the Rockies once felt that Meulens was the right guy to help their young hitters develop. If not, then they probably should have made this move in the winter as opposed to 18 games into the campaign. Perhaps more information will come to light and help put this into context, but for now, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher.
Meulens, 57, played in the majors from 1989 to 1998. After his playing days ended, he pivoted to a coaching career, starting in the minor leagues. He got his first major league coaching gig in 2010 when he became the hitting coach of the Giants. That club won the World Series three times while he was in the dugout. He then had stints as the bench coach for the Mets and assistant hitting coach for the Yankees before joining the Rockies as hitting coach ahead of the 2023 season.
Hurdle, 67, also has a lengthy baseball track record. He played in the majors from 1977 to 1987. He quickly pivoted to a managerial career, getting started with some minor league work after his playing days ended. He joined the Rockies organization in 1994, working as a minor league instructor, and eventually got the big league skipper job in 2002. He held that role for many years and was at the helm for the club’s run to the World Series in 2007, though he was fired partway through the 2009 season.
He served as the Rangers’ hitting coach in 2010 and then got another managerial job a year later, joining the Pirates for the 2011 campaign. He skippered the Pirates through 2019, steering the club to their only three postseason appearances this millenium, which were from 2013-2015. He returned to the Rockies as a special assistant to the general manager in November of 2021 but is now set to return to the dugout.
Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images
Bye bye Bam Bam
I remember when he was such a hot name for a managerial job. poor hensley.
Hensley was simply unable to clear the last Hurdle…
How many former managers of a team later take on a coaching position with the same team?
Red Schoendienst?
Cubs have an assistant hitting coach, John Mallee, who used to be their hitting coach.
Fun fact: Hurdle isn’t even the first former Rockies manager to do this. The late Don Baylor was the first manager of the Rockies from 1993-1998, and came back as hitting coach for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
Fredi Gonzalez was fired as Marlins manager in 2010 and came back as their third base coach in 2017.
Bill Virdon with the Pirates.
For the Yankees? Gene Michael and Clyde King.
Hurdle never played for the Rockies. Bam Bam never played in Colorado either. I remember him as a hot shot kid with alot of power with the Yankees. Pre-Jeter. More Kevin Maas Yankees. I don’t know how far back you go but Hurdle was supposed to be hitting behind Wilson and White and in front of Brett. Genuine hot shot prospect who didn’t do much either. But I know Hurdle never played in Colorado.
I’m just talking about managing the team and coaching on the same team — not playing. Like you quitting your job as Regional Manager and coming back to be Assistant to the Regional Manager.
I’ve got Pete Fatso as the next hitting coach to be fired.
The coaches always go before the manager.
Hasn’t Fatty been around for a bit? Boston used to go through hitting coaches like water.
Let – Yes he has, but if the offense continues to struggle he will be a scapegoat.
pay attention, Mr Nutting
firing worthless managers are permitted this early in the season
Not a manager
Facts are really inconvenient at times.
But the idea that you can fire managers or coaches is still pertinent.
But hey, Shelton is on a two game winning streak. No doubt, the owner thinks the playoffs are within reach
It’s not the point. and if it requires further explanation, honestly your not worth my time and energy
Well, that should immediately correct all of the issues and send the team soaring. Scapegoat much?????
Meulens signed Kris Bryant personally!
Whoa Clint Hurdle is still around
Beanball wars will start anytime now!
Wish he was still the Pirates manager
I bet Clint hurdle would be a better option for the Rockies than bud black
Hurdle took them to the WS! I didn’t even know that was possible!
King of Cards is Blackpink. We are back
Never forget Blackpink referred to black players as “colored”, while gooning over kpop teens.
He’s a sick person. Should be on a registry
No we didn’t. You just made that up weirdo.
Yes, you did. You’re a sick person that shouldn’t be out in civil society.
Hensley Meulens #foreverGiant
Bud black – “its not me guys” and immediately stares at Hensley.
He won’t get fired because the Rockies hate changing
Not liking change is a tendency for autism, yes I will go as far to imply that to the Rockies leaders
Every Boomer must be autistic then. Really poking holes in the “in my day nobody had autism” narrative.
Like that old guy that ate at Shady Maple Smorgasbord everyday for over 40 years for every meal. Yeah… that’s not autism.
Darnell Coles next
Hey, good for Clint! Happy to see him back in the dugout.
I guess it’s bound to happen when 16 of their 27 outs were strikeouts last night…
The Bucs have them beat
They lead the majors in called third strikes with 59
Ouch. Nice unsurprising insight. Where did you get this lovely information?
Meulens the lucky one. Gets paid while escaping a crap organization
Rockies gonna Rockie.
It’s not even about what is best for the Rockies anymore. Meulens had a good philosophy and was cutting edge in his approach. Wake up and see what’s really happening here. I live in Denver so I already know.
This does absolutely nothing good. Until there is new ownership or a good baseball guy running the show, things will continue to decline, yes it can still get worse.
For the love of god, fire Bud Black!
They extended Black for the 2025 season because they weren’t quite ready to fire him yet. I’m thinking that will happen in early June, but brace yourself for his replacement who we all know will be a total head-scratcher. I think they should hire Benji Gil, but that makes too much sense for this organization.
Scapegoats first, then the Manager, then the GM…
Normally yes, but the Rockies ownership is very loyal to its employees, they don’t fire people, not really.
So, THAT was the problem. Now that it’s fixed, World Series, here they come!
Fire the front office people who are using top 10 picks on the likes of Benny Montgomery and Charlie Condon
I’m not saying Montgomery and Condon will pan out, but dude, they’re only 22 years old. Give the prospects a chance before writing them off like this. Condon especially only has 25 games played in AA ball — it’s just way, WAY too early.
Condon wasn’t a bad pick lol he just got hurt
Yeah. How dare they not be able to see into the future with 100% accuracy because no other teams in baseball have even made a bad draft pick.
They’re not drafting Benny Montgomery 8th overall, I can tell you that
Benny Montgomery was projected to go anywhere from 6 to around 15 in that draft. So yeah they would have.
Turn back the clock. Buck Showalter is waiting by the phone.
Yeah, totally his fault the team is pathetic.
This timing suggests to me that he wasn’t fired for baseball reasons. He had to say or do something to the wrong person.
I know an guy in the minors that got fired for hitting in the owner’s wife. Too many beers.
Agree with your first point. But the reason could be anything, like just not getting along with Black, or the pitching coach, or maybe some of the players were tuning him out, or not liking his advice.
The clock on bud black is going to be first manager to be fired.
The Rockies stay pretty much within their inner circle of past players, Front Office failures and coaches. I think a good fit in that dugout would be Matt Holliday. Black will be gone sooner rather than later and Holliday might make a good manager. Maybe he doesn’t agree with owner Dick Monfort, otherwise he might already have been considered for the job?
Good luck, Clint. Always liked your managerial work in Pittsburgh in a thankless organization.
Pirates should of brought hurdle back as manager. Better that THE MORON Shelton
Calling the Rox a dumpster fire would be an insult…to dumpster fires.
Good to have Clint back!!!
Don Baylor wasn’t available. R.I.P.
I have no inside info, but I can see the owner, the GM and Hurdle brainstorming and sending Hurdle in to evaluate the dugout. There isn’t much Hurdle hasn’t done in baseball. I would not be surprised if things don’t improve, Buddy will be gone and Clint will be managing.
Maybe Jim Tracey can now be the hitting coach for the Pirates.
White Sox are last in baseball with team batting average of .197, maybe we should hire Meulens.
Hurdle’s signing hints at a possible attempt to leverage Hurdle’s veteran presence and organizational familiarity to instill confidence in a struggling clubhouse, rather than addressing deeper roster deficiencies.