Walt Weiss Steps Down, Next Steps Outlined by Jeff Bridich

Colorado Rockies manager Walt Weiss didn’t have a very good poker face at the end of his press conference on Sunday following his team’s extra-inning loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Weiss’s eyes started to glisten as he wrapped up his conference and thanked the media.

“You guys have always been courteous and fair to me. I thank each and every one of you for that,” Weiss said just before exiting the media room for what would be the last time as Rockies manager.

It was a sign that the end of his time in the Colorado dugout was near. On Monday morning, it was made official.

Less than 24 hours after the Rockies wrapped up their 2016 campaign, it was announced that Weiss had decided to step down as Colorado’s manager. With the announcement, his four-season reign in Colorado ended with a 283-365 record, including a 75-87 mark in 2016.

Rockies Senior Vice President and General Manager Jeff Bridich said on Monday morning there was no timetable to replace Weiss.

“There is no specific timeline right now. All of this just happened over the past 24 or 48 hours,” Bridich said. “I imagine we’ll look at both avenues. There will be both internal and external interviews we will want to have.”

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Bridich said he agreed with his former manager’s views that were shared with Patrick Saunders in Monday morning’s Denver Post.

In the interview, Weiss said, ““I told them that I was not going to pursue another contract. It was time to move on….I just thought the working relationship with the front office wasn’t healthy or productive. That was ultimately my thought when I made this decision.”

“I agree with Walt. I think it was time to move on,” Bridich said. “I think we both put in a lot of work to make the relationship work. In our working together and conversations over those 24 months, we decided we were going to create a shared vision. In the end, that just didn’t take place. I agree with Walt and his assessment.”

While things might have been strained, Weiss said on Sunday that the uncertainty about his future didn’t change his approach at the park.

“That’s never weighed on me, as a player or as a manager,” Weiss said. “I’m always going to show up the same way, no matter what my contract situation is. I demanded that from our players. I’ve had this talk with our players. No matter what your circumstances are and no matter what your contract situation is, you show up and you play the right way. You’re obligated to do that. You’re obligated to this organization and your teammates.”

He also believed the future was exciting for the Rockies.

“The future’s bright. There’s a lot of good talent,” Weiss said. “I’ve mentioned before that I think the starting rotation has taken the biggest leap forward in a long time that I’ve seen with this organization. I think that’s foundational for success. It’s a common denominator of all successful clubs. There’s a lot to be excited about. All of the young positional players, we got to see a bunch of them this year. The guys who were young a few years ago, the LeMahieus and the Blackmons and the Arenados are now in what you consider to be the primes of their careers. There are a lot of things lining up.”

Bridich said that discussions on the rest of the Rockies staff will come soon enough, but haven’t started yet. He does, however, believe this team is positioned well for the future.

“I do think we have a very talented team. There’s a really talented core at the Major League level,” Bridich said. “We were able to graduate a number of young, very talented players and start their Major League careers. There are ways that this team and this group needs to improve and that’s what we’ll start to work on immediately.

“We have a lot of talented people and a lot of talented players. That next step is having a very, very talented and successful team.”

Next: 3 Things to Know From Colorado's Last Loss of 2016

Weiss was asked to grade himself on Sunday during his press conference. A smile came over his face.

“I’m not into grading myself. I have plenty of other people who will do that for me,” Weiss said on Sunday.

That’s what happened on Monday morning when the Rockies decided to head in a different direction.

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