Rockies add some Bam to their offense, make surprise hitting coach hire
Nov 7, 2022, 12:40 PM
The Colorado Rockies are reaching outside of their organization—finally—adding a new hitting coach to their staff for the 2023 season.
The Rockies announced on Monday that Hensley (Bam Bam) Meulens is the team’s new hitting coach, and Warren Schaeffer is being promoted to third base and infield coach.
Meulens, 55, has had an extensive playing and coaching career. He spent the 2022 season as an assistant hitting coach for the New York Yankees, who led baseball with 254 home runs and a 10.1% walk rate.
The moves come as Colorado announces their full coaching staff, stating Mike Redmond (bench coach), Darryl Scott (pitching coach), Ron Gideon (first base coach), Reid Cornelius(bullpen coach), Andy González (assistant hitting coach) and P.J. Pilittere (assistant hitting coach) will all return in service of Bud Black.
“I’m excited to have Hensley and Warren join our coaching staff for the 2023 season,” said Black in a news release. “They both bring their own unique set of skills and experiences to our club, and they could not be more respected throughout both our organization and across all of baseball.”
‘Bam Bam,’ Meulens began coaching in the early 200os, getting his first Major League coaching role in 2010 for the San Francisco Giants as a hitting coach. He helped the team to three World Series and was later promoted to bench coach. The Curaçao native took on the same role with the Mets for a season before going across town.
Meulens played professionally for 17 seasons, including parts of seven seasons in the Major Leagues, while also playing in the Nippon Professional Baseball. He represented the Netherlands in the 2000 Summer Olympics and returned to the team as a coach in 2004, going on to also serve as a coach for the country in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and manager in the 2013 tournament.
The Rockies hope Bam Bam can offer a new perspective to their struggling offense, which was near the bottom of baseball in many park-adjusted stats. Dave Magadan last had the gig, where he was the Rockies hitting coach from 2019 until his dismissal earlier this offseason. Duane Espy was the team’s hitting coach for the two years prior, both seeing Colorado go to the postseason.
Meanwhile, Schaeffer, 37, jumps another level in the Rockies system finally to the majors. He’s spent 10 seasons in the Rockies minor league system, last as the manager of the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes for the past three years. Before that, he had the same role at Double-A Hartford Yard Goats and Single-A Asheville Tourists. Schaeffer was a career minor-league player for the Rockies and will finally crack through into the show.
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