Marcel Lachemann resigns after 12 seasons with Rockies
Marcel Lachemann has resigned after 12 seasons in the Colorado Rockies organization, including the past 10 as a special assistant to general manager Dan O’Dowd and two before that as the Rockies pitching coach.
Lachemann, 70, said he felt the fit with the Rockies was no longer there and had expressed that over the last year or so to O’Dowd.
“I have different ideas on the development of pitchers,” Lachemann said. “Not that I’m right; there’s all different ways to do it. I just don’t feel comfortable being there and working with some kid and saying, ‘This is the way the Rockies do it,’ if I don’t believe in it.’
“By the same point, I don’t want to be the guy standing in the background saying, ‘I don’t know why they do it that way.’ When that becomes the case, it’s just time to move on.”
The Rockies have not had a lot of success drafting and developing starting pitchers in recent seasons. First-round picks Greg Reynolds (2006), Casey Weathers (2007), Christian Friedrich (2008) and Tyler Matzek (2009) have veered off course, in some cases due to injury. Indeed, the Rockies have not drafted a starting pitcher who has had sustained success in the big leagues since Jeff Francis, the Rockies first-round pick in 2002.
Earlier this month, the Rockies made Doug Linton their roving pitching coordinator, with Bo McLaughlin, who held that role for three seasons, replacing Linton as the Triple-A Colorado Springs pitching coach.
Lachemann, who has spent 44 seasons in professional baseball, was the Rockies pitching coach in 2000 and 2001 under former manager Buddy Bell. When Clint Hurdle replaced Bell as the Rockies manager in April 2002, Hurdle asked Lachemann to be his pitching coach. But Lachemann had left the field for health reasons and opted to stay in the front office where he became one of O’Dowd’s most trusted advisors.
Asked whether he saw himself retiring or taking a job with a different organization, Lachemann said, “Probably a good possibly of another job. I don’t think my wife (Suzi) could put up with me day in and day out. We’ve been married for 46 years and probably a big part of that is I’m gone half the time.”
Lachemann has a close relationship with Hurdle, who will be entering his second season managing the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012. The Pirates recently fired Larry Corrigan, who was a special assistant to general manager Neal Huntington, and Keith Champion, a major league scout. Also, Pete Vuckovich, who was a special assistant to Huntington, left that job late in the season to take a similar position with the Seattle Mariners.
Lachemann has long ties with the Los Angeles Angels, for whom he worked 17 years as the minor league pitching coordinator, major league pitching coach and interim and full-time major league manager. The Angels, however, are in the process of hiring a general manager and have fired several members of the front office with whom Lachemann is close.
Very interesting stuff Jack. Thanks! For me, I think maybe more emphasis is on unsuccessful development than on unsuccessful drafts. Then I argue with myself asking if it is the coaching or nuckleheads not getting what the coaches are saying.
First of all the so called “knuckleheads” do get it. One can tweek a kids delivery and arm action but one can’t make them all clones. Their are some guys that are long armers other short armers,some clean deliveries,some not. What is the Rockies definition of long toss and everyone knows what long toss is. And it sure isnt throwing 30ft-60ft-90ft, that doesn’t build up arm strength. Can you imagine ever hitter hitting the same way. Did anyone hear the Cards hitting coach’s interview the other day. He said you have to teach everyone different, they are not all the same. Coaches cannot not teach pitches to paint by numbers or slow their arms down or make long armers out of them just because it works for other pitcher. There are many examples of this in this organization.
I gotta go with Hollywood on this one, how could the Rockies let a man leave with his experience and let the person or persons with lesser pitching knowledge run the minor league pitchers.
i just re-read this article and I did not know that the only pitcher with any kind of success in 9 years was Francis.
I don’t know who is right or wrong in this, but one thing is for sure. That is it ain’t working. Our drafts have been horrible, thats for darn sure.
When the worst penalty around this organization is being offered a job elsewhere…where is the accountability? The goal of this organization is not really results oriented…its get around with as little adversity and hurt feelings as possible. When they finally decide to move on from Jim Tracy, guaranteed he gets offered a front office job or something. No one wants to fire someone, but some times you have to clean house.
You are right programatinee, they is no accountability when it comes to the men upstairs. How about the 3 mil they gave that Seattle player, who got hung on that one? Nobody and who messed up Chaz Roe and didn’t even get their hands slapped no one. And how about the Weathers draft? Wasn’t he suppose to be a fast climber to the Majors. Those players are pretty good when they step off the plane. Othewise they wouldn’t have been drafted where they were.
In fairness, Weathers was on the fast track then he had the tommy john surgery. He would be in the Rox bullpen right now if it wasn’t for that. He hasn’t been able to get his control back since the injury though. But the others, well that’s a different story.
What a difference Adrian Beltre would’ve made.