Five MLB managers on the hot seat in 2016
By John Buhler
3. Walt Weiss, Colorado Rockies
Walt Weiss had a very successful career as a big league shortstop from the late 1980s to 2000, playing well for the Oakland Athletics, the Colorado Rockies, and the Atlanta Braves. However the Rockies will have to win more than 74 games (Weiss’ career high as a manager) to stay with Colorado beyond 2016.
The Rockies have not had great history as a Major League franchise, having to deal with the issues of mile high altitude since the organization’s 1993 inception. However, the Rockies have won the NL Wild Card three times and played in the 2007 World Series before, so making the postseason in Denver isn’t an impossibility.
Weiss doesn’t have to turn the 2016 Rockies into the 1995 Blake Street Bombers or into a Clint Hurdle or Jim Tracy managed club. They just can’t lose close to 100 games again under Weiss’ leadership.
Colorado has been in or near the cellar of the AL West since the end of the Jim Tracy era in Denver. Not that the Rockies need to usurp the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Los Angeles Dodgers or the San Francisco Giants in the AL West, but progress needs to be made in terms of victories for Weiss to keep his job.
Finishing within a few games of .500, whether it is reasonable for the Rockies in 2016, should stand as a have-to-hit benchmark for Weiss in Denver. Essentially Weiss needs to eclipse his 2013 win total of 74 by a few games to feel comfortable about staying the Rockies manager beyond this season.
Next: 1. Fredi Gonzalez