Sky Sox Announce 2012 Coaching Staff
Cole begins his 17th season with the Rockies organization, his 12th as a manager, and his third full season as skipper of the Sky Sox after being promoted to the post mid-way through the 2009 season. Last year, the Sox went 64-80 under Cole and in his two and a half years at the helm the team is 171-209. Prior to the 2010 season, Cole managed the Tulsa Drillers, the Rockies Double-A affiliate, for three and a half seasons compiling a 226-238 (.487) record. Before Tulsa, Cole steadily moved his way up the Rockies' minor league system with stops in Tri-City (Short-A, 2001), Salem (High-A, 2002), Visalia (High-A, 2003-04) and Modesto (High-A, 2005). In his managerial career, Cole has compiled an overall record of 654-681 (.490) and taken teams to the playoffs on three occasions including 2003 with Visalia, 2004 with Modesto and 2005 with Tulsa. During the 2003 season with Visalia, Cole lead the club to a league and organizational best record of 79-61 en route to being named the California League's Manager of the Year. Prior to his managerial jobs, Stu spent six years as a minor league coach, all with Colorado.
As a player, the former infielder played nine seasons of pro baseball, his last three with the Sky Sox (1993-95) where he was a member of Colorado Springs' last PCL Championship team in '95. With the Sox, Cole hit .286 (234-for-817) with 13 home runs, 59 doubles, 121 runs scored and 97 RBIs in 277 games. Cole began his pro career in 1987 after being selected in the third round of that June's draft by Kansas City out of UNC-Charlotte. He made his Major League debut on September 9, 1991 at Chicago and played nine games for the Royals that season.
A native of Los Angeles, CA, Lachemann's professional baseball career spans 47 years and includes managerial stints with the Mariners (1981-83), Brewers (1984) and Marlins (1993-96). Before joining the Sky Sox in 2008, the 66 year-old served three years as a coach for the Oakland A's. A former catcher, Lachemann was signed by the Kansas City Athletics in 1964 before making his Major League debut in 1965. Over three seasons with Kansas City and 118 games, he hit .210 with nine homers and 33 RBI. Rene's two brothers, Marcel and Bill, also have Major League coaching experience with Marcel currently filling the role of special assistant to the General Manager with the Rockies. By returning for his fifth season in 2012, Lachemann becomes the Sky Sox' longest tenured hitting coach surpassing Alan Cockrell (2003-06) and Tony Torchia (1996-99)
McLaughlin enters his 11th season in the Rockies organization as he begins his first season as the Sky Sox pitching coach after spending the last three seasons as the Rockies Minor League Pitching Coordinator. McLaughlin was the Double-A Tulsa Pitching Coach in his first six seasons with the Rockies. He has tutored several hurlers that have become Major League pitchers for the Rockies, including Jeff Francis, Ubaldo Jimenez, Manuel Corpas and Franklin Morales, among others. Under McLaughlin's guidance in 2004, Jeff Francis was named Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year and Ryan Speier won the Rolaids Relief Man Award. Prior to joining the Rockies, he was a member of the Orioles organization for four years, serving as Minor League Pitching Coordinator from 1999-2001 after spending 1998 as the pitching coach at Double-A Bowie.
Townsend, a resident of McCalla, AL, returns for his seventh season as the Sky Sox athletic trainer. A graduate of the University of West Alabama, this will be Heath's 12th season in the Rockies organization. In 2010, he was named the Pacific Coast League Trainer of the Year marking the second time in his career he has won the designation. He was also named the South Atlantic League Trainer of the Year in 2001 while with the Asheville Tourists. With seven seasons as a member of the Sky Sox staff, Townsend is the longest tenured staff member in franchise history (2006-12).
For more information please contact Mike Hobson at (719) 597-1449 or through e-mail at [email protected].