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The Rockies introduced that hitting coach Hensley Meulens has been relieved of his duties. Particular assistant to the final supervisor Clint Hurdle has been named hitting coach for the rest of the season.
It’s an uncommon transfer, as teaching adjustments don’t normally occur so early in a season. There’s no denying that the outcomes haven’t been fairly for the membership within the early going. They’re presently 3-15, the worst document within the majors. Their team-wide batting line of .220/.285/.344 interprets to a 65 wRC+, additionally worst within the majors.
However that’s not precisely a shocking improvement. The membership completed the previous two seasons with greater than 100 losses and did little or no to enhance the group within the winter. They’re one of many few golf equipment that got here into the 2025 season with no actual hopes of contending. It could be onerous to put all the blame on the hitting coach when the roster principally options unestablished younger gamers and veteran journeymen.
Presumably, the Rockies as soon as felt that Meulens was the proper man to assist their younger hitters develop. If not, then they most likely ought to have made this transfer within the winter versus 18 video games into the marketing campaign. Maybe extra data will come to mild and assist put this into context, however for now, it’s a little bit of a head-scratcher.
Meulens, 57, performed within the majors from 1989 to 1998. After his enjoying days ended, he pivoted to a training profession, beginning within the minor leagues. He received his first main league teaching gig in 2010 when he turned the hitting coach of the Giants. That membership received the World Sequence thrice whereas he was within the dugout. He then had stints because the bench coach for the Mets and assistant hitting coach for the Yankees earlier than becoming a member of the Rockies as hitting coach forward of the 2023 season.
Hurdle, 67, additionally has a prolonged baseball observe document. He performed within the majors from 1977 to 1987. He rapidly pivoted to a managerial profession, getting began with some minor league work after his enjoying days ended. He joined the Rockies group in 1994, working as a minor league teacher, and finally received the large league skipper job in 2002. He held that function for a few years and was on the helm for the membership’s run to the World Sequence in 2007, although he was fired partway by means of the 2009 season.
He served because the Rangers’ hitting coach in 2010 after which received one other managerial job a 12 months later, becoming a member of the Pirates for the 2011 marketing campaign. He skippered the Pirates by means of 2019, steering the membership to their solely three postseason appearances this millenium, which have been from 2013-2015. He returned to the Rockies as a particular assistant to the final supervisor in November of 2021 however is now set to return to the dugout.
Photograph courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Photographs
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