Phoenix – The Rockies’ bullpen ranks last in baseball. The offense remains a puzzling disappointment. So it comes as no surprise that pitching coach Bob Apodaca and hitting instructor Alan Cockrell have become targets for fans wanting change.
Cockrell, returning to a job he previously held in 2002, isn’t panicking with his players and Apodaca said he’s not threatened that Mark Wiley and Marcel Lachemann, former major-league pitching coaches and current assistants to general manager Dan O’Dowd, have been monitoring the team as part of their regular duties.
“I welcome anything they have to say, whether it’s something I am not doing well or not,” Apodaca said. “If egos start getting in the way then we are in this for the wrong reasons.”
Wiley rejoined the Rockies’ organization last year after serving as a pitching coach in Baltimore and Florida. He was in Denver last week to iron out a mechanical glitch for former pupil Jorge Julio, not replace Apodaca.
“I am definitely not trying to take anybody’s job. I have had other offers since I came back to Colorado and I like what I am doing now,” Wiley said. “This organization is above and beyond as far as communication is concerned. Anytime Latch and I are around with the team struggling, I am sure there will be speculation. But the difference is that we are around all the time. It’s our job.”
Cockrell regained his old job because of the players’ admiration for his positive personality and coaching techniques. Multiple hitters scoffed at the idea that Cockrell was responsible for their struggles, a point echoed by O’Dowd.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with Ace. It’s a matter of the players slowing themselves down,” O’Dowd said. “I think they are all trying to do way too much.”
Asked how he was dealing with this start, Cockrell addressed the question directly.
“I feel frustrated for them. At times you see it going like it is, you see guys begin to press, it’s frustrating to watch them go through that,” Cockrell said. “As far as being the coach, I just try to stay even keel.”
With the return of LaTroy Hawkins, Apodaca is finally working with a full bullpen. Establishing a bridge to closer Brian Fuentes with Hawkins, Manny Corpas and Ramon Ramirez could go a long way in executing a U-turn.
“We have played as inconsistent as you could and we are only seven games out of first place,” Apodaca said. “I still believe in this team. It’s whether they believe it, whether they can make the big pitch. You can have the Don Shulas and Joe Paternos, the greatest coaches that sports has ever seen, but when the game starts, it’s the players’ game.”
