MLB: An ‘old sea dog’ well known in the Rockies returns to the club, after 12 years

The Colorado Rockies they will bring back the former manager Clint hurdle to the organization as a special assistant to general manager Bill Schmidt. He will begin his new role on January 1, 2022. Hurdle will focus, in particular, on player development.

As is often the case with the Rockies, their latest hiring at the front office is a key figure well known to owner Dick Monfort. Hurdle coached the Rockies from 2002 to 2009, during which time Colorado appeared in their only World Series (2007). Prior to that, he had served as the team’s major league hitting coach and minor league hitting instructor:

Hurdle’s Rockies were unable to regain that form from 2007 to 2008, finishing the season with a 74-88 record as they tried to cope with the injuries of Todd Helton and Troy Tulowitzki.

After an 18-28 start to the 2009 season, Hurdle was fired as the team’s patron and offered a new position elsewhere in the organization. In the end, however, the two parties parted ways.

Just two seasons later, Hurdle was managing the Pirates, where he served as skipper from 2011-19, an even longer career than he enjoyed in Colorado.

Athletic’s Nick Groke spoke with Hurdle in June, assessing the former captain’s interest in returning to a Rockies organization that was now in transition. Hurdle did not directly confirm the team’s interest or willingness to return, though he alluded to both in calling Denver a “special place” and noting that there were “just a couple of places that I would leave my family and my home to embark on. something new “:

Hurdle’s new role will still allow the former captain, now 64, to spend time with his family in addition to his role on the team. He will still bring a seasoned voice – it’s been more than 45 years since the Royals selected Hurdle with the No. 9 overall pick in 1975 – to the Rockies’ front office who has seen a good turnover in recent months.

It may interest you: Pirates fire manager Clint Hurdle

Jeff Bridich was removed as general manager earlier in the season, and assistant managers Zach Wilson and Jon Weil left the organization shortly after. Schmidt, the veteran Colorado scouting director, was promoted to interim general manager and then formally named general manager on the penultimate day of the regular season, before the Rockies had a chance to speak with candidates from other organizations.

Rafael Martinez

I am fond of the King of Sports, especially the Boston Red Sox in MLB and in general all of Mexican baseball. This profession has given me the opportunity to cover major events such as the Caribbean Series, the LMB All Star, LMP (uninterrupted since 2009), signings of important players. I had the chance to attend the 2013 World Classic in Arizona, USA, albeit as a fan. Apart from this beautiful sport, I love basketball, where I have also narrated games and even an NBA friendly 10 years ago, but I carry baseball in my veins. Graduated in Communication Sciences from the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS) , from which I graduated in 2011. I was born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa and started in the world of sports journalism in 2004 in the newspaper El Sol de Mazatlán, where I was a baseball columnist and reporter at the same time. In January 2009 I came to El Debate as a journalist reporter and it was almost six years (in the first stage), until in November 2014 I emigrated to the radio providing my services in Línea Directa-Grupo RSN. My cycle there ended in July 2019 and within days, El Debate gave me another opportunity to work and opened the doors for me again. That is how I came to Al Bat, where I have been since 2019 as a web journalist.

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