The Rockies announced a few coaching decisions this week. Third base coach Andy Gonzalez and assistant hitting coach Jordan Pacheco will return in their prior roles. Ron Gideon, who previously served as first base and outfield coach, transitions to a newly-created role of assistant bench coach.
The decisions provide a small amount of continuity for a club that has otherwise overhauled quite a bit. The Rockies have been losing a lot in recent years, which prompted them to fire manager Bud Black in May. He was replaced by third base coach Warren Schaeffer on an interim basis. Gonzalez then moved from his assistant hitting coach role to Schaeffer’s previous gig as third base coach. Pacheco began the season as hitting coach for Triple-A Albuquerque but was brought up to the big league squad as an assistant hitting coach at that time.
Once the season was over, the club parted ways with general manager Bill Schmidt. With the vacuum of the top of the front office, everything else was on hold. The new front office leader would eventually have some say in whether or not Schaeffer would be back. The coaching decisions would also have to wait until there was clarity on the front office and managerial situations.
In early November, Paul DePodesta was hired as Colorado’s new front office leader, with the title of president of baseball operations. Later that month, the club announced that Schaeffer would indeed continue as skipper.
In the past two-plus weeks, Schaeffer has been filling out his staff with new faces. Alon Leichman will be the pitching coach, Gabe Ribas assistant pitching coach, Matt Buschmann bullpen coach, Brett Pill hitting coach and Jeff Pickler bench coach.
This week’s hirings mean that at least a few familiar faces are returning. However, as mentioned, Gonzalez and Pacheco both got their current titles in May as part of the shake-up when Black was fired. With Gideon now changing roles, it means each job has been rolled over in some way in the past eight months.
Gonzalez has been with the Rockies for 11 seasons, spending much of that time in the minors. He became assistant hitting coach with the big league club in the 2022 season. As mentioned, he changed roles before completing his fourth campaign with that title. He played in the majors from 2007 to 2009, with the White Sox, Cleveland and the Marlins.
Pacheco played in the majors from 2011 to 2016, spending a lot of that time with the Rockies, plus stints with the Diamondbacks and Reds. Colorado brought him aboard as a minor league hitting coach in 2022.
Gideon has been with the Rockies for 30 years, mostly in the minors, spending the last nine seasons on the big league staff. He had been the first base coach since the 2019 campaign. His role change means that the Rockies still have one vacancy. They will have to find a first base coach at some point before the season ramps up.
Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images
Hang this article in the Louvre under “Slow News Day.”
I had it in my file “Re-arrange deck chairs/Titanic”.
Rockies actually making interesting changes in their baseball their baseball ops probably deserves more than a cliche.
The real question is whether changing one generation of Montfort for another will make a difference.
The Montfort family (mostly Charlie and Dick Monfort) bought in for around 27 percent of $100 million in 1991 and bought out a partner McMorris’ share in 2005 for another $20 million or so. This is now a $1.5 billion value franchise. Which reminds us that you do not need net revenue to make money owning a MLB due to demand to join the monopoly, the appreciation is your asset is windfall enough.
Is not only appreciation. It’s the revenue streams. Tv and Radio. Local and National. I’m sure owners are chomping at the bit to add 2 more teams so they can get a piece of the exorbitant entry fee they’re going to charge them.
Revenue streams pay for operating costs. While the clubs do appreciate in value, you can easily spend more than you bring in. Business are in business to make money and won’t stay open long if they operate in the red.
If they were chomping at the bit theyd have forced Fisher to sell in Oakland and not forfeited the Vegas expansion fee. But, perhaps, they saw Vegas wasnt really all that great of an expansion site.
Coaches did a great job last year. Give ’em all a promotion.
And an extension.
Let’s be real here, these coaches don’t have much to work with
Institutional change comes first.
I’m available for:
Assistant to the Assistant Bench Coach
OR
Associate Assistant Bench Coach
Check this qualification:
OK, BENCH, Don’t Move. Just let the players sit on you !!
Except you’d be consigned to a year on Blake st
Maybe convince CarGo or Tulo to come aboard the coaching staff
It’s my understanding that Tulo will never have anything to do with the Rockies. He already had a history with injuries and the trade to Toronto ruined him by playing on that infield surface.
Tulo is wiping his tears with $100 bills.
And property titles.
Shouldn’t Pickler be the rundown coach?
How can a ball club become so hopeless. It would take a decade of making the right moves to get this club in a position to play post season baseball.
The Rockies owner Dick Monfort finally accepted the fact that the operations of the team was a total failure starting with himself. The weakest analytic team in baseball which should have been the strongest, is being developed. Revamped Front Office and several new faces on the coaching staff. We all agree a 43 win season was absolutely horrible, hey try being a lifetime fan it really hurt.
Change is happening and contention is several years off. Give it some time and let’s see if a new concept works. 65-70 wins is still bad, but if they can improve that much in 1 season will then something must be working. I’ve been a tough critic myself, but feeling hopeful as change is headed in the right direction.
‘Several years off’ – I’m thinking maybe 2035. Maybe.
Why?
As they say, ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it’.
In this case I think they should be fixing it though.
The Rockies are most successful when their focus is on hitting. Bud Black is more a manager of pitchers…. Pitching in Colorado is just pure luck.
Great moves. Who could ask for anything more!
What does the Assistant Bench Coach do besides re-stocking the bubble gum tub?
lol, That’s what I was thinking. Baseball did well before the invention of the bench coach. Most coaches have/had multiple duties in the past like baserunning/outfield coach, firstbase coach/hitting coach, etc., I have heard all kinds of new coaching positions created like assistant bullpen analytics coach or assistant anything, not necessary. Maybe they pay these coaches like $15,000 a year for their input.
Does their mascot get an extension? What is it, dinger the dino?
The Coors Man! A refreshing taste of ice cold Coors beer to watch a ballgame!