November 17, 2008 9:59 PM

Mathews' new role

Rick Mathews will be a special assistant to player development director Marc Gustafson. The plan is for Mathews, the Rockies bullpen coach the past six seasons, to advise and aid Gustafson in decisions relating to the minor league system the way Marcel Lachemann does general manager Dan O'Dowd at the big league level.

The Rockies announced after the season Mathews, 61, would be reassigned as part of a coaching shake-up that resulted in the firing of three other coaches from manager Clint Hurdle's staff. Mathews has been in the Rockies organization all 17 years it has existed, beginning as a pitching coach with their Arizona Rookie League affiliate in 1992.

He has also served as the field coordinator and roving pitching coordinator, holding both jobs simultaneously at one point under frugal former general manager Bob Gebhard. Mathews also spent a portion of the Rockies inaugural 1993 season as their bullpen coach, a role he also filled in 1995.

Posted by Jack Etkin at 9:59 PM | Comments (0)