Sweet, LaRocque win Coolbaugh, Bender Awards
SAN DIEGO -- Minor League Baseball announced the selection of Milwaukee Brewers Minor League manager Rick Sweet as the recipient of the 14th annual Mike Coolbaugh Award, and St. Louis Cardinals assistant general manager and director of player development Gary LaRocque as the 14th winner of the Sheldon “Chief” Bender
SAN DIEGO -- Minor League Baseball announced the selection of Milwaukee Brewers Minor League manager Rick Sweet as the recipient of the 14th annual Mike Coolbaugh Award, and St. Louis Cardinals assistant general manager and director of player development Gary LaRocque as the 14th winner of the Sheldon “Chief” Bender Award.
The Mike Coolbaugh Award is presented annually to an individual who has shown outstanding baseball work ethic, knowledge of the game and skill in mentoring young players on the field. The award was created by Minor League Baseball in 2008 to honor the late Coolbaugh, a 17-year Minor League player who was in his first year as a coach at the time of his passing. Coolbaugh appeared in 44 Major League games with the Milwaukee Brewers (39 games in 2001) and St. Louis Cardinals (five games in 2002).
The Sheldon “Chief” Bender Award is presented to an individual with distinguished service who has been instrumental in player development. The award honors Bender as a longtime front office executive and consultant who spent 39 years with the Cincinnati Reds.
Rick Sweet -- Mike Coolbaugh Award
Rick Sweet, a veteran of 30 Minor League seasons as a manager and the fifth-winningest manager in Minor League Baseball history with 2,192 victories, has been in professional baseball since 1975, when he was drafted as a catcher by the San Diego Padres.
Following a nine-year playing career, Sweet embarked on a storied career as a manager and is a four-time Manager of the Year Award winner (1994 Pacific Coast League, 2008, 2009 and 2022 International League). He was also named Baseball America’s Triple-A Manager of the Year in 2010 with Louisville. Sweet has managed in the Triple-A All-Star Game three times (PCL in 1993 and 2003, and for the IL in 2009).
Sweet managed in the Minor Leagues with the Seattle Mariners (1987-88), Houston Astros (1989-95), New York Mets (1997), Montreal Expos (1998, 2000), San Diego Padres (2001-03), Detroit Tigers (2004) and Cincinnati Reds (2005-11). With the Brewers, Sweet has managed Triple-A Colorado Springs (2015-18), Double-A San Antonio (2019) and Triple-A Nashville (2021-22).
His 2,192 wins are the second-most among active minor league managers, behind only Myrtle Beach’s Buddy Bailey (2,282).
Sweet's playing career (1975-83) included time in the big leagues with San Diego (1978), New York-NL (1982) and Seattle (1982-83). He was first drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 31st round of the 1974 amateur Draft but did not sign. He was selected again the following year by the San Diego Padres in the third round out of Gonzaga University.
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to win the Mike Coolbaugh Award,” said Sweet. “It is a true blessing to be amongst such a distinguished group of baseball professionals and I can’t thank Minor League Baseball enough. There is no higher honor to receive an award based on work ethic, knowledge of the game and mentoring young players. I owe a great debt of gratitude to my family and the hundreds of players and staff that have worked tirelessly beside me throughout my career.”
Sweet and his wife, Kimberly, have a daughter, Mary, and a son, Seth.
Mike Coolbaugh Award Winners
| Year | Name | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Bobby Jones | Texas Rangers |
| 2009 | Charlie Montoyo | Tampa Bay Rays |
| 2010 | Woody Huyke | GCL Pirates |
| 2011 | Mike Jirschele | Omaha Storm Chasers |
| 2012 | Johnny Goryl | Cleveland Indians |
| 2013 | Mike Guerrero | Nashville Sounds |
| 2014 | Tom Wiedenbauer | Cleveland Indians |
| 2015 | John Shoemaker | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2016 | Donald “Spin” Williams | Washington Nationals |
| 2017 | Dennis Holmberg | Toronto Blue Jays |
| 2018 | Steve Turco | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2019 | Glenn “Goose” Gregson | Boston Red Sox |
| 2021 | Roly de Armas | Philadelphia Phillies |
| 2022 | Rick Sweet | Milwaukee Brewers |
| 2023 | Bobby Cuellar | Los Angeles Dodgers |
Gary LaRocque -- Sheldon “Chief” Bender Award
Gary LaRocque has 43 years of experience in professional baseball with an emphasis in player development and scouting. He just completed his 15th year in the Cardinals organization, where he started as a senior special assistant to the general manager in 2008 before ascending to his current position prior to the 2014 season.
LaRocque’s career in professional baseball began in 1975 as a Minor League infielder in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He entered the field of player development in 1979 as a Minor League coach and began a 19-year career in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He began managing in 1981 and worked at the Rookie, Single-A and Double-A levels before moving into the scouting department in 1989. LaRocque served as an area scout and then was a regional scouting supervisor for the Dodgers from 1992-1997.
LaRocque then joined the New York Mets in 1998 as scouting director and assistant general manager before being appointed vice president of professional scouting in 2006.
LaRocque acquired his degree in Secondary Education (Mathematics) in 1975 from the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut, and was elected to the Athletic Hall of Fame at the University of Hartford in 1993.
“Admiring all the accomplishments of Chief Bender, with his early years spent in the Cardinals organization before his remarkable time in Cincinnati, it is humbling to join the list of previous recipients of the award,” said LaRocque. “Chief Bender was respected for setting the highest standards for player development systems and I’m honored to have been selected, and it’s a privilege to share with our player development staff and the Cardinals organization."
LaRocque and his wife, Lynn, have a son, Chris, and a daughter, Ashley.
“Both of these men are highly respected in the game and on behalf of Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball, it is my pleasure to present them with these awards,” said Peter Woodfork, Major League Baseball’s senior vice president of Minor League operations and development.
Sheldon "Chief" Bender Award Winners
| Year | Name | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Jim Rantz | Minnesota Twins |
| 2009 | Keith Lieppman | Oakland Athletics |
| 2010 | Mark Newman | New York Yankees |
| 2011 | Bob Gebhard | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 2012 | Mitch Lukevics | Tampa Bay Rays |
| 2013 | Brian Graham | Baltimore Orioles |
| 2014 | Lois Hudson | Cincinnati Reds |
| 2015 | Buddy Bell | Chicago White Sox |
| 2016 | Dan Lunetta | Detroit Tigers |
| 2017 | Grady Fuson | Oakland Athletics |
| 2018 | Steve Cobb | Arizona Fall League |
| 2019 | Junior Noboa | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 2021 | Mike Bell | Minnesota Twins |
| 2022 | Gary LaRocque | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2023 | Lee McDaniel | Philadelphia Phillies |
Phillies' Moore, Fausnaught join MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Red Sox prospect rips double THROUGH Fenway-esque scoreboard
Red Sox No. 4 prospect Franklin Arias, an infielder for High-A Greenville, REALLY didn’t want to let visiting Asheville score any runs in the top of the eighth inning on Friday night. With runners on first and second base in the bottom of the fourth, Arias showed he apparently held
April's hottest hitting prospects -- one for each organization
The Minor League season is a month old and several of the game's best hitting prospects are off to fast starts. Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is tearing up Triple-A (just like he did at the end of last year), Padres shortstop Leo De Vries is leading the High-A Midwest
Check out the best -- and wackiest -- Minor League promos happening in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Orioles' Honeycutt joins The Show Before the Show
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
MiLB podcast coming LIVE to a Somerset this June
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
New ballparks highlight 2025 MiLB road trip stops
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Minor League Baseball partners with TruGreen
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- TruGreen, the nation's leading lawn care treatment provider, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Minor League Baseball that includes activations across all 120 clubs, a makeover of the home dugout in each market, sponsorship of select MiLB team grounds crews, and a new initiative called
Podcast explains why the Syracuse Mets are looking for Jim Morrison
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Dash im-prom-tu promo and Mets' Suero joins the podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minor League Baseball partners with Circle K
Minor League Baseball announced a new national partnership with Circle K, which will see the convenience store giant become the “Official Convenience Store of Minor League Baseball.” During the 2025 season, the Circle K brand will be integrated into the MiLB in-stadium experience through in-game video board assets at most
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Everything you need to know for Triple-A Opening Day
First, there was big league Opening Day. Now it's Triple-A's turn to take the spotlight. The Minor League season opens Friday when the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League seasons get underway for the first of MiLB’s two Opening Days. And right out of the gates, several of baseball's
Top prospects to watch at Triple-A -- one for each organization
It’s Triple-A’s turn up to bat on Friday. The regular season begins for the Minor Leagues’ highest level one day after the action starts on the Major League side. Fun fact: it’ll be the earliest start to a Minor League season since 1951 (March 27). Double-A, High-A and Single-A will
Here's where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
The 2025 Opening Day prospect roster announcements began last week when the Cubs informed Matt Shaw (MLB No. 19) he was making the trip overseas to compete in the Tokyo Series. Roki Sasaki (No. 1) also received the good news, but his assignment was much less of a surprise. Now
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”