Rockies announce 2014 Major League Field Staff
Blake Doyle Named Hitting Coach, Eric Young Sr. Named Baserunning/Outfield and First Base Coach
The Colorado Rockies announced today that the club has finalized its 2014 Field Staff under Manager Walt Weiss. Below is the breakdown by role for the Rockies 2014 field staff. A * indicates the individual is new to the staff, or will be in a new role in 2014.
Manager: Walt Weiss
Bench Coach: Tom Runnells
Pitching Coach: Jim Wright
Hitting Coach: *Blake Doyle
Third Base Coach: Stu Cole
Baserunning/Outfield and First Base Coach: *Eric Young Sr.
Bullpen Coach: Bo McLaughlin
Catching Coach/Defensive Positioning: *Rene Lachemann
"I am very excited to announce the hiring of two coaches to our staff in Blake Doyle and Eric Young," said Rockies Manager Walt Weiss. "These two were selected from a very strong list of candidates. Aside from their knowledge of the game, Doyle and Young provide our club with passion and positive energy that is quite unique. They both are familiar with our team, having spent considerable time with our club last season. I am confident that we are adding two dynamic teachers to the outstanding coaching staff we already have."
Doyle, 59, comes to the Rockies organization with 35 years of coaching and baseball instruction experience as a founding member and CEO of Doyle Baseball Academy in Florida. Doyle began the academy with his two brothers, Denny and Brian, in 1978, while Blake was still playing professionally. Doyle played parts of nine Minor League seasons in the Baltimore and Cincinnati organizations from 1972-1980 after being selected by Baltimore in the fourth round of the 1972 June Draft. He spent his last four seasons of professional baseball at the Triple-A level. Over his career, Doyle hit .269 (856-for-3186) in 906 games. The 2014 season will be Doyle's first as a Major League coach.
Young, 46, returns to the Rockies organization in which he played a total five Major League seasons from 1993-97. Overall, Young was a veteran of parts of 15 Major League seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1992, 1997-99), Colorado, Chicago Cubs (2000-01), Milwaukee (2002-03), San Francisco Giants (2003), Texas (2004, 2006) and San Diego (2005-06). In 1,730 career games, Young hit .283 (1731-for-6119) with 327 doubles, 46 triples, 79 home runs, 543 RBI, 996 runs and 465 stolen bases. Young's 465 career steals are the 27th-most in the Major Leagues since 1900. Young previously was a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks Major League staff as their First Base Coach from 2010-12.
Lachemann, 68, joined the Rockies Major League field staff in 2013 as the club's First Base Coach. Lachemann has been a coach or manager in professional baseball for over 45 years, including as a manager for all or parts of nine Major League seasons. Lachemann has managed Seattle (1981-83), Milwaukee (1984), Florida (1993-96) and the Chicago Cubs (2002). He joined the Rockies organization in 2008 as the hitting coach at Triple-A Colorado Springs, where he spent five seasons (2008-12). The native of Los Angeles attended the University of Southern California and was a catcher for parts of three Major League seasons with Kansas City (1965-66) and Oakland (1968).