Rockies announce Minor League staff for 2015 season

DENVER - The Colorado Rockies announced their Minor League staff for the 2015 season today. The Rockies will have new Managers at four different levels in 2015. The organization has also added a new position of Hitting Coordinator, to be filled by longtime Rockies staff member Duane Espy.

Espy will be entering his 13^th season as a member of the Rockies organization. In his new role, Espy will lead the continued implementation of the organization's hitting philosophy and offensive development of players across all affiliates. Espy spent the 2014 season as the Supervisor at Short Season-A Tri-City, which he filled a year after being the Supervisor at Double-A Tulsa. Prior to his work as Supervisor, Espy was the Manager at Double-A Tulsa in 2011 and 2012. The longtime coach has also served the organization as the High-A Hitting Coach (2008-2010) and Rookie-Level Hitting Coach (2007). Espy originally joined the organization as the Major League Hitting Coach in 2003 under Clint Hurdle, a position he held for four seasons (2003-06). 

In addition to the new role that Espy will take over, the Rockies have given new responsibilities to several staff members that were with the organization in 2014. Those members are: Triple-A Pitching Coach Daryl Scott (Double-A Pitching Coach in 2014), Double-A Manager Darin Everson (Double-A Hitting Coach), High-A Supervisor Jerry Weinstein (Offensive Coordinator), High-A Manager Fred Ocasio (Single-A Manager), High-A Hitting Coach Drew Saylor (Short Season-A Manager), Single-A Manager Warren Schaeffer (Short Season-A Hitting Coach), Short Season-A Supervisor Fred Nelson (High-A Supervisor) and Short Season-A Manager Frank Gonzales (Short Season-A Pitching Coach).

Additionally, the Rockies have brought in four new members to the organization for the 2015 season. The new members are: Double-A Pitching Coach Steve Merriman, Double-A Hitting Coach Jeff Salazar, Short Season-A Pitching Coach Brandon Emanuel and Short Season-A Hitting Coach Andy Gonzalez.

Merriman joins the Rockies organization after spending the past two seasons as a Pitching Coach in the Kansas City Royals organization. Merriman has also served as a Pitching Coach in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization (2007-09) and the New York Mets organization (2004-06). Merriman was the Pitching Coach at the University of Michigan in 2012 after spending three years as an area scout with the Major League Scouting Bureau (2009-11).

Salazar is making a transition to professional coaching after a professional playing career that began following being selected by Colorado in the eighth round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft out of Oklahoma State University. Salazar played a total of 168 games in parts of four Major League seasons with Colorado (2006), Arizona (2007-08) and Pittsburgh (2009). The outfielder's last Minor League season was in 2012 with Triple-A Durham (Tampa Bay).

Emanuel joins the Rockies organization after spending six years as a pitching coach in the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim organization (2008-2013). Emanuel also spent nine seasons as a Minor League player after being selected in the second round of the 1998 First-Year Player Draft out of Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Emanuel finished his Minor League playing career at Triple-A Iowa in the Chicago Cubs organization.

Gonzalez is also transitioning into professional coaching after a professional playing career that spanned 13 seasons. Gonzalez was originally selected by the Chicago White Sox in the fifth round of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft out of Florida Air Academy High School. The Puerto Rico-native played in parts of three Major League seasons with the White Sox (2007), Indians (2008) and Marlins (2009). The former infielder last played in affiliated ball with Double-A Reading (Philadelphia) in 2013.