Cole Promoted; Gideon Named New Drillers Manager

Manager Stu Cole is leaving the Tulsa Drillers to become the manager of Triple A Colorado Springs. Cole was promoted Friday evening to the Sky Sox by the parent Colorado Rockies. His final game as manager of the Drillers will be Friday night as Tulsa hosts Frisco.

The Rockies and Drillers have announced that Ron Gideon will replace Cole as the Tulsa manager for the remainder of the 2009 season. Since 2006, Gideon has served as the Roving Field Coordinator for Colorado and has frequently spent time working with the Drillers players.

The 44-year-old Gideon is in his 14th season with Rockies. He has spent 10 previous seasons as a manager in the minor leagues, compiling a 610-673 career record. Gideon spent time in the Texas League as a player and a coach for the old Jackson, Mississippi franchise.

The promotion for Cole occurred after the Rockies fired manager Clint Hurdle Friday afternoon and named bench coach Jim Tracy their new manager. Cole replaces Sky Sox manager and former Drillers manager Tom Runnells, who was promoted to the majors to fill the open coaching vacancy.

Cole has been manager of the Drillers since the 2006 season. Entering Friday's game, he had compiled a 225-237 regular season record as Tulsa's skipper. He led the Drillers to the Texas League playoffs in two of his three full seasons. Cole finishes second behind only Bobby Jones for the most career wins for a Drillers manager. He is the 10th winningest manager in the history of Tulsa baseball.