The Colorado Rockies announced this afternoon that they have finalized their 2023 coaching staff, including two new hires to replace the vacancies left by former hitting coach Dave Magadan and former third base coach Stu Cole.
Bud Black will return as the manager for the Rockies, alongside his bench coach Mike Redmond, pitching coach Darryl Scott, first base coach Ron Gideon, bullpen coach Reid Cornelius, as well as assistant hitting coaches Andy Gonzalez and P.J. Pilittere. Hensley Meulens joins the team as the new hitting coach and Warren Schaeffer has been promoted to be the new third base coach.
Hitting Coach: Hensley Meulens
The Rockies have named 55-year-old Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens as their new hitting coach. He replaces Dave Magadan after spending the 2022 season as an assistant hitting coach for the New York Yankees. The Curaçao native has spent nearly two decades as a coach, getting his start in the Baltimore Orioles minor league system in 2003. By 2010 he would crack the big leagues as the hitting coach for the San Francisco Giants where he would help the team win three World Series titles in his first five years.
Meulens played 17 years professionally, including parts of seven seasons in the big leagues, and has also played for the Netherlands in the 2000 Olympics and has also served as a coach and manager for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic.
Meulens will be tasked with helping the Rockies improve all aspects of their offensive strategy, particularly in the power department after the Rockies posted one of the worst offensive seasons in team history in 2022.
Third Base/ Infield Coach: Warren Schaeffer
Warren Schaeffer has been promoted to replace Stu Cole as the third base coach for the Rockies while also taking over duties as the infield coach. Schaeffer has spent the last ten seasons in the Rockies minor league system, mostly as a manager. Most recently he served as the manager of the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes from 2020-2022. Currently, Schaeffer is also serving as the manager for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League.
Originally drafted by the Rockies in 2007, Schaeffer played six seasons in the minor leagues before transitioning to coaching, starting as the hitting coach for the Single-A Asheville Tourists in 2013. He has since served as the manager for the Asheville Tourists and Hartford Yard Goats, before his time in Albuquerque where he also served as the third base coach and infield instructor in conjunction with his managerial duties. He replaces Stu Cole who spent 10 years as the third base coach, highlighted by the 11 Gold Gloves earned by former Rockies Nolan Arenado and D.J. LeMahieu.
Loading comments...