By BARRY LEWIS Sports Writer on Feb 4, 2013, at 4:39 PM Updated on 2/04 at 4:55 PM
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There has never been anything in the minor leagues similar to what the Colorado Rockies are doing in their organization.
Duane Espy will be returning for his third season with the Tulsa Drillers, but it won’t be in his previous role as manager.
The Drillers announced on Monday that Espy has been named as the Colorado Rockies’ Double-A Development Supervisor while Kevin Riggs moves up to manager from hitting coach.
It’s a new position in the Rockies’ organization, which will have a different supervisor for each of their minor league teams.
In a press release, the Rockies define Espy’s new position as “a leadership role that is highly responsible for the oversight and implementation of the Colorado Rockies development philosophies and practices. The Development Supervisor will be a team-builder who will create synergy among staff members so that they may generate and evaluate best practices on a daily, weekly, monthly and season-long basis.
“The Development Supervisors will serve as leaders in communication, so that consistency and continuity of organizational philosophies, execution, standards and expectations exist from level to level. In addition, the Development Supervisors will creatively seek out solutions to issues and challenges, so that we establish a foundation of winning with a focus on the professional and personal development of our players. The Development Supervisor will travel with their respective club.”
The Rockies should be applauded for trying something different. They don't have much to lose. The last three years have been very disappointing at the major league level. Tulsa hasn't reached the Texas League finals in its 10 years with Colorado.
Drillers general manager Mike Melega said, "The Rockies have always been an organization that has thought outside the box and I’m kind of excited about this. Time will tell if this is effective. I'm sure there will be a leaning curve in the first month.”
The Rockies' approach in the minors is somewhat similar to what they started last August at the major league level with senior vice president Bill Geivett having an office next to the clubhouse and being with the team for every game while general manager Dan O'Dowd became more involved with scouting.
Espy and Riggs helped lead the Drillers to a 75-64 record last year and their first playoff appearance since 2007. Espy, 60, was 143-136 as Drillers manager. He has been in the Rockies’ organization since 2003 and was their major league hitting coach the first four of those years.
“We’re certainly very excited to have Duane and Kevin back with us in leadership roles,” Melega said. “They have been incredible to work with. The addition of having another qualified full-time developmental guy with our club should give us a leg up on the other teams in the Texas League.
Riggs, 43, will be in his sixth season in the Rockies organization and second with Tulsa. He was 1-1 as acting manager for Tulsa in 2012 when Espy coached in the Futures Game.
Riggs was hitting coach at high Single-A Modesto in 2011 and at low Single-A Asheville in 2009-10.
Tulsa’s new pitching coach is Darryl Scott, who replaces Dave Schuler, who moved up to Triple-A Colorado Springs in that role.
Scott was Single-A Modesto’s pitching coach the past four seasons and has worked with Espy and Riggs in Modesto.
Scott, 44, pitched in pro baseball from 1990-2000 and appeared in 16 major league games for the California Angels in 1993.
Tulsa also will have a new hitting coach, Darin Everson, who is the owner and director of the Elite Baseball Academy in La Crosse, Wis. He wss a minor league manager from 2007-11. The first three of those years was in the Florida Marlins organization with short-season Jamestown and Single-A Greensboro. In 2010-11, he was the manager and director of operations for the independent Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League.
Everson was a catcher-first baseman during seven minor league seasons from 1993-99, primarily in the Montreal and Boston organizations, reaching as high as Double-A.
Warren Schaeffer. an infielder for the Drillers the past three seasons, has retired as a player and was named a coach at the Rockies’ short-season Tri-City affiliate.
-- Barry Lewis
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