Colorado Rockies Hire Walt Weiss as Their New Manager

In the end, the Colorado Rockies chose the high school baseball coach over the guy who felt he was best qualified to be a bouncer at a strip club.

According to Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post, the Rockies chose Walt Weiss to be their new manager over other candidates including current Rockie first baseman and pinch hitter Jason Giambi.

Weiss has experience leading a team prior to this up-coming season. Just last year he was the head coach at Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, Colorado.

The leap from high school baseball to managing in the majors is a startling one.

But then again, nothing has been normal with the hiring process by the Rockies this off season. They seriously considered Giambi for the job. Remember in 2009, according to Susan Slusser of SFGate.com, Jason Giambi joked about what he would do when his playing days were over.

“What else am I going to do? Seriously. Maybe bouncer at a strip joint? That’s about all I’m qualified to do.” 

Three years later, he evidently became qualified to manage a team.

But this is Weiss' job now. He will deal with pitchers in Coors, playing in a division with the World Champion Giants, and deal with front office interference from both General Manager Dan O'Dowd and vice president of major league operations, Bill Geivett.

He has worked in the front office of the Rockies, and has the playing experience and respect of former players.

His former teammate Dante Bichette said, according to Renck, ""I would put Walt up there with (Joe) Girardi as the two guys I played with that had the most respect on the field because of how they carried themselves and how they played the game."

Maybe the Rockies got the right man. If he was good enough for the Jesuits, why not the majors?