Glenallen Hill is Charting The Rockies Future

Glenallen is giving a new attitude to the Rockies at the AAA level.

It’s a Thursday evening at the end of April. The Isotopes have just endured a sloppy 11-3 loss and the reporters are preparing to take the 4 story stairway descent to underneath the field where the team and manager, Glenallen Hill, try to figure out what just happened. As we go down the stairs, I am running my questions through my head. I have to be ready because he is going to want to get headed for home.

We clear the stairwell and take the right hand turn where Lee, the head of Media Relations for the Isotopes, holds the normally locked door, to the clubhouse. We walk into the first hallway and pass by the batting cages. No one one is in there now but they will be full when we leave, even at 10pm.

We turn just before the room that houses the wives, girlfriends and children of the players, patiently waiting for their player to finish up so they can go home. We go down another short hall with the training room to the right and turn one final time. By now, if the team had won, I’d be hearing the music chosen by the player of the game, but not tonight. Tonight, they lost. Tonight, it’s silent in the halls. Normally we stop about midway down this hall and wait for Hill to tell Lee to bring us in. Not tonight. Tonight, he’s ready for us and we walk right in.

I make sure my recorder is going because you only get one shot. Mr. Hill is very soft spoken so I make sure to put it as close to him as I can but not near his food. Every night, we come into his office and he has his dinner sitting there getting cold while he talks with us. He may be obligated to do it but he always seems more than willing on top of the obligation to talk to us. I haven’t covered a loss since opening night and this one was bad.

Some managers, like Ned Yost of the Royals can be outright rude to the media following a loss, especially a bad one like this. “Shoot…Just not in the head.” Hill says with a smile, setting the mood. No one speaks up so I do,

“6 Errors, 3 wild pitches and a balk, Where do you go from here?” I ask. It’s probably not the best way to ask the question but I have been in this office 6 times prior already this season and I feel like I have a feel for how Hill will respond to questions.

“Where do we go from here?” Hill replies, “We show up tomorrow ready to work! That’s where we go.” Hill smiles as he replies and we are underway.

Christopher Jackson of the Examiner asks about shortstop Cristhian Adames, who was injured in the horrific, three error, fourth inning. Hill hasn’t talked to the trainers and never speculates. Christopher asks more about the game and Hill gives an honest answer regarding how uncharacteristic this error filled play is of this team. He could have stopped at no, and shut us out of the question and moved onto the next, but not Hill. He gave a full answer, which you can hear in the audio link.

I come back over the top and ask the oversimplified question of what happened and what needs to change to get out of this seven game losing streak. “We need to play better.” Hill says with a laugh and then he goes on to talk for nearly three minutes about the team and what truly needs to change.

Three minutes may not seem like much but that question could have been blown up in 10 seconds, just like he could have with my first question but he didn’t. Everyone was done with questions. In and out in five minutes, which is pretty normal. Next we’d normally talk to a couple players but not tonight, not after that disaster on the field. (More in the audio)

Why did I take you on this journey? Because I feel it is the only way you can get the insight into the man. The team stumbled to start the season and Hill called a team meeting that lead to a winning streak. Every player we talked to referenced the meeting and how Hill told them what they needed to hear to help get the bats hot. His players believe in him and what he’s saying and he appreciates where he is, in his career. I’ve seen a lot, I’ve done a lot. It’s a blessing to be involved with these kids at this point in their career.”

Hill told me back at media day before the season. “I like helping them understand why they are here and what they have to do to move on.” (More in the audio)

If you didn’t know, Glenallen Hill was a pretty successful baseball player. He was what you would call a journeyman player. He played with several teams, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Anaheim Angels and The Chicago Cubs twice during a thirteen year career. Hill probably understood the error problems more than he let on, as he was the famous “juggler” for his inability to hold onto caught balls. Hill retired as a player in 2001.

In 2003, he came back to baseball as a member of the Colorado Rockies Minor League Season. In 2007, Hill was with the AA Tulsa Drillers where he was one of two coaches to started wearing a helmet while coaching first base. He had seen Drillers coach, Mike Coolbaugh, killed by a batted ball while coaching first base earlier that year. Hill advocated for helmets to be required of all first base coaches and by the beginning of 2008, it was a rule.

In 2013, Hill got his first manager opportunity with the AAA Colorado Sky Sox. When the affiliation was moved from the Springs to Albuquerque, Hill came along. Being at elevation in Colorado Springs before coming to Albuquerque, he is prepping his guys to play anywhere since the Rockies are also at elevation. He teaches his players that no matter where you play, if you are a competitor, you will show up and compete and overcome any obstacles like elevation.

Hill takes being a manager very seriously and using truth in his management.
“I take it very seriously in talking the truth and using it to verify what the truth is, to bring some reality to the situation. Players seem to accept that.” Hill said, “Players can handle the truth. They may not like it but they can handle it.” (More in audio below)

For Hill, being a manager is entirely different than being a player. It’s a whole different person.

“I had to let go of the player a long time ago” Hill said, “When I was a player I focused on myself, I focused on my teammates. Being a manager, so much more goes into taking care of the team.” (More in audio below)

Hill is building the future of the Rockies. He managed Nolan Arenado among others now at the big leagues. If the Rockies succeed or fail, it’s because of what comes through Albuquerque and what Hill has taught them. While success may not be apparent today, Hill is teaching them right and the Rockies future is in good hands.

He has taken care of his team and has the respect his players have for him. The respect has shown in their performance in the first home stand after the team meeting. I can only imagine a similar meeting will happen in the morning. Dick Monfort will be in town and if they admit it or not, no one wants to look bad in front of the owner of the big league club.

Troy Olsen covers the Isotopes every home game from the Press Box at ‘The Lab’ in Albuquerque. You can reach him on twitter or by email.

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