Rockies hitting coach Dante Bichette announces he will not return for the 2014 season

DENVER - Colorado Rockies Hitting Coach Dante Bichette announced today that he will not return for the 2014 season after one season as the club's Major League Hitting Coach.

Bichette, 49, returned to the Rockies organization for the 2013 season, where he was a four-time All-Star (1994-96, 1998) and the runner-up for the 1995 National League Most Valuable Player Award. The Rockies currently lead the National League in batting average (.271), hits (1470), slugging percentage (.420) and OPS (on-base + slugging, .744), are tied for second in runs (690) and RBI (657), second in triples (37) and fourth in home runs (155).

Bichette played seven of his 14 Major League seasons with the Rockies (1993-99) and was a member of the Rockies Inaugural roster in 1993. The West Palm Beach, Florida native batted .299 (1906-for-6381) with 401 doubles, 27 triples, 274 home runs, 1,141 RBI and 152 stolen bases in 1,704 career Major League games with California (1988-1990), Milwaukee (1991-92), Colorado, Cincinnati (2000) and Boston (2000-01). Bichette retired from baseball following the 2001 season. This was Bichette's first career Major League coaching position.