SAN FRANCISCO — Despite a disappointing season, Rockies manager Jim Tracy has elected to bring back his entire coaching staff.
“To fire people would be a knee-jerk reaction,” Tracy said here Tuesday before the Rockies’ game against the Giants. “We’ve had success, this group, and I believe we will again.”
The announcement was a bit of surprise considering how poorly the Rockies played this season, but Tracy said, “I believe in this group.”
He added: “I watched how the staff reacted when things were down. All they did was work hard.”
The Rockies’ manager said he believes the players relate well to the coaches.
“In my own way, I feel responsibility for how we performed,” said pitching coach Bob Apodaca, who will enter his 10th season in Colorado next year. “It’s unheard of to be somewhere for 10 years. I feel a great sense of responsibility that I feel for the loyalty and patience they’ve shown me.”
Tracy said the team’s coaching staff, starting with him, must do a much better job teaching baserunning.
“This has been the most disappapointing season I’ve ever been a part of. And I’ve been on some bad teams,” Rockies hitting instructor Carney Lansford said. “I’m driven to bring Rockies nation a world championship. I want to do that for the owner, Dick Monfort, and general manager Dan O’Dowd, both who work extremely hard for us.”
The Rockies, after a 3-1 loss to the Giants on Monday night, were 72-88 on the season, just two games ahead of last-place San Diego in the NL West.
Colorado was set to face San Francisco on Tuesday night.
