BSN Exclusive: Promising upstart Schaeffer highlights Rockies MiLB coaching staff

DENVER – The biggest coaching question this offseason for the Colorado Rockies was centered on Duane Espy’s replacement after his three-year stint as hitting coach.

Once Dave Magadan, a veteran of sixteen seasons as a player and seventeen more as a hitting coach, was selected in mid-December, the remaining interest dealt with coaches of the organizations younger players.

Since then, the coaching staffs at all six levels of the minors have been announced, assuring the identity of all coaches who will report to Salt River Field in mid-February.

For the first time in Hartford Yard Goats history, the man at the helm will no longer need directions to Dunkin’ Donuts Park on Opening Day.

Manager Warren Schaeffer will reprise his role as field commander of the Rockies’ Double-A Affiliate following the tenures of Darin Everson in 2016 and Jerry Weinstein in 2017.

Schaeffer, drafted by Colorado in 2007 as a shortstop out of Virginia Tech, spent six seasons in the minors, reaching as high as Triple-A in parts of two seasons.

Eventually, a transition to coaching seemed to be the best way for Schaeffer to reach the big leagues.

“I just told them that I didn’t like playing anymore. My heart wasn’t in it. My dad always told me to do something where you’re going to affect people’s lives in the next step of your life. (Coaching) felt like a great fit. I called them to see if they had an interview and they had a job opening and I got it.”

Originally serving Low-A Tri-City Dust Devils as hitting coach, working with Pat Valaika and Mike Tauchman, Schaeffer was given a managerial position with Asheville after just two years as a coach.

With success in Asheville that included an appearance in the South Atlantic League Championship Series came a jump to Double-A Hartford in 2018, where Schaeffer would be the youngest coach in the Eastern League by nearly three years at the age of thirty-three.

The difference in levels has already proven beneficial to Schaeffer’s growth, in his opinion.

“It’s a lot more fun. The games are more fast-paced. More my style. We’ve got National League games that I get to manage in now, which is fantastic. I love it. I love the strategy of it with the pitcher hitting. You don’t do that in Low-A.”

The Western Pennsylvania native also loves working the more advanced players and helping them make the final adjustments before the leap to the majors.

“They know what they’re doing more. You have more specific work and there’s more urgency behind the work because the big league is right around the corner. So you’ve got to get them ready for that. I love it. I love every little bit of it.”

To coaches of all levels of sports, Schaeffer’s coaching advice is simple:

“Go about it with all that you’ve got. Try to give as much as you can. It should never be about yourself. Always make it about the other guy and everybody else other than yourself and you’ll be alright.”

Returning for the Yard Goats alongside Schaeffer are hitting coach Lee Stevens, head athletic trainer Hoshito Mizutani and physical performance coach Phil Bailey.

The only change in Hartford is at pitching coach where Steve Merriman, a professional and collegiate coach since 1995, takes over in his first year with the franchise.

In Triple-A, Glenallen Hill returns as the manager of the Albuquerque Isotopes for his fifth consecutive season. The former outfielder has been the manager of Rockies’ highest affiliate for seven straight campaigns, previously serving as the Colorado’s first base coach from 2007-2012.

Returning for their second consecutive season are pitching coach Brandon Emanuel and hitting coach Tim Doherty; this will be Emanuel’s fifth year in the Rockies organization while Doherty enters his fourth.

Heath Townsend is back as the Topes’ Athletic Trainer, celebrating his 20th season in the organization, and Marcus Lefton returns for his fourth season as the Physical Performance Coach.

At High-A Lancaster, Scott Little takes over as manager after previously holding this role with  Boise for the past two seasons.

Dave Burba returns as pitching coach for his ninth season with Colorado and Tom Sutaris is back in his second year as hitting coach. Josh Guterman, head athletic trainer, and Frank Gonzalez, Supervisor of Development, will again be part of Lancaster’s staff.

On the lowest level of full-season affiliates for the Rockies are the Asheville Tourists of the South Atlantic League who’ll return much of their staff in 2019.

Manager Robinson Cancel, along with hitting coach Norberto “Paco” Martin, is in his third season with the organization. Athletic Trainer Kelsey Branstetter returns for her second consecutive season.

Asheville’s pitching coach from 2014-2016, Mark Brewer, rejoins the team in 2019 after stints with Albuquerque and Hartford the past two seasons.

South Atlantic League Hall of Famer Randy Ingle joins the Tourists’ staff as the Development Supervisor. Previously a coach with the Atlanta Braves for the past thirty-one seasons, Ingles 801 wins ranks second all-time in the SAL.

Short-season Boise Hawks have a mostly new staff for 2019, with only Cesar Galvez returning as hitting coach and Mickey Clarizio back as Athletic Trainer.

After fifteen years with the Angels coaching staff, Steve Soliz is in as manager of the Rockies Northwest League affiliate. Ryan Kibler has been installed as pitching coach after a year in Asheville and Fred Ocasio’s twenty-third season with the organization is as Boise’s new Supervisor of Development

At Rookie League Grand Junction, Heritage High School graduate Jake Opitz will return for his second season as manager. Pitching coach Blaine Beatty joins Colorado after twelve years with Baltimore’s organization.

Development Supervisor Andy Gonzalez and hitting coach Zach Osborne both return for their second year on the western slope. In his seventh season with the club, John Duff is also back as team trainer.

Finally, the Rockies also featured two teams in the Dominican Republic League, a short season team for young players from Latin America. Team One and Two will return their manager, Mauricio Gonzalez and Julio Campos, respectively. Gonzalez will start his twentieth season in the role while Campos begins his second.

Dominican Republic One will also feature hiitting coach Eugenio Jose in his fourteenth season and coach Florentino Nuñez in his twelfth with the DSL. DSL Two welcomes back pitching coach Helmis Rodrigues and coach Michael Ramirez.