Topes Tuesday Notebook: La Cueva High and UNM Lobo star Jordan Pacheco named Rockies hitting coach

Jordan Pacheco and Warren Schaeffer’s lives have been intertwined since 2007.

The Colorado Rockies drafted both that year — Pacheco, the La Cueva High School graduate, former UNM Lobo and former big leaguer in the ninth round and Schaeffer, the Virginia Tech graduate, career minor league infielder and recent Albuquerque Isotopes manager in the 38th round.

And while the friends grew up together, in a sense, in the minor leagues, they never made it to the big leagues together.

Until now.

Early Sunday, the struggling Rockies, who were 7-33 at the time, fired manager Bud Black, promoting 40-year-old Schaeffer, the team’s third base coach, to interim manager — the first former Isotopes manager to hold that position in the major leagues.

On Monday, the 39-year-old Pacheco, in his third year as the hitting coach of the Isotopes, the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate, was named one of two hitting coaches for the Rockies, along with Nic Wilson, the club’s minor league hitting coordinator.

“(Pacheco) is an amazing guy, amazing hitting coach,” Isotopes outfielder and 300-plus game MLB player Sam Hilliard told the Journal two weeks ago. “He’s not too far removed from playing so he still has great perspective from that side. …

“Everyone here respects him a lot and utilizes his wisdom. He teaches a lot. He belongs in the big leagues, but we’re lucky to have him here.”

That’s a similar sentiment that came three years ago when Chris Forbes, the Rockies director of player development, told the Journal about why he placed Pacheco in the Triple-A position when he was hired

“There’s a lot of trust in Jordan’s ability,” Forbes told the Journal. “... He was the right guy, and not because he’s from Albuquerque. He’s the right guy to be able to do what we need. I don’t need the loudest voice in the room. I don’t need that Knute Rockne. I need a guy locked in with these kids who knows what they’re going through.”

Pacheco hit .384 with 25 home runs, 145 RBIs, 59 doubles and eight triples with the Lobos over three seasons from 2005-07. He was the 2007 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year.

He played his final professional season in 2021 with the Lexington Legends of the independent Atlantic League. He hit .370 in 39 games.

In his six MLB seasons with the Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds, Pacheco hit .272 over 377 games while playing primarily first base (119 games), third base (97) and catcher (59).

In 2022, when the Isotopes set a record for most grand slams by a minor league team (14), and tied the 2000 Oakland Athletics and 2006 Cleveland Indians for the most ever by a pro team at any level, Schaeffer was quick to point to Pacheco’s role.

“You can’t just rule out the fact that Jordan Pacheco is leading them,” Schaeffer told the Journal. “... It’s impressive to me how calm and positive he is. Just the right guy for the job, there’s no two ways about it. That rubs off on the players in their approach.”

Schaeffer was hired to manage the Isotopes in 2020 but COVID canceled that season. He was 120-158 over the 2021 and 2022 seasons before getting the call to be the Rockies’ third-base coach.

About that one time

The two friends can now carpool to work together in Denver. Just don’t expect Pacheco to lend his car to Schaeffer anytime soon.

“We were playing Triple-A together (in Colorado Springs in either 2010 or 2011) and he went somewhere during the all-star break and he lent me his brand new blue (Ford) Explorer,” Schaeffer told the Journal in 2021. “I said, ‘I’ll take care of this, man. I promise.’ It was for like, two or three days to let me get around Colorado Springs.

“I went to the mall and parked it away from every other car. I came out and there were five cop cars around and somebody crashed right into the side of it and totaled it. I couldn’t believe it.”

Know the foe

The Albuquerque Isotopes (16-22, 8th in PCL, Colorado Rockies affiliate) host the Tacoma Rainiers (15-24, 10th in PCL, Seattle Mariners affiliate) for a six-game series Tuesday through Sunday.

Three up, three down

Three up

1. P Carson Palmquist leads the PCL in strikeouts (45).

2. Five of the Isotopes’ 16 wins have come when trailing in the seventh inning or later.

3. OF Sam Hilliard is tied for first in the PCL with four triples and the Isotopes lead the league with 14.

Three down

1. P Anthony Molina leads the PCL in hits surrendered (54 through 30.1 innings).

2. 3B Warming Bernabel hit .362 from April 10-30. Since then, he’s 4-for-31 (.129).

3. The Isotopes are 4-5 in May and haven’t had a winning calendar month since September 2023 (11-10).

Welp, this is back

With Thursday being Asian American Pacific Islander Night at the ballpark, there will be specialty food options.

And one item back by popular(?) demand is the sushi hot dog.

Yes. A hot dog wrapped in a sushi roll.

Other specialty items include a Hawaiian burger, an orange chicken bowl, teriyaki chicken skewers and vegetable fried rice.

Fast food

Isotopes Park Chile Race standings entering May 13 homestand (17 races):

7 wins — Salsa Jar

5 wins — Green Chile

4 wins — Taco

1 win — Red Chile

Homestand highlights

Tuesday through Saturday games are at 6:35 p.m.; Sunday at 1:35 p.m.

THURSDAY: Asian American Pacific Islander Night — Special food options, dance and music throughout the game.

FRIDAY: Gates open at 5 p.m.; Little League Night (first of two) featuring pregame parade of teams; pregame autograph session (inside third base gate, 5:30-5:50 p.m.); postgame fireworks.

SATURDAY: Gates open at 5 p.m.; City Roots Game; Duke City flag giveaway (first 1,500 fans); Little League Night (second of two) featuring pregame parade of teams; postgame fireworks.

SUNDAY: Military Appreciation Day (military personnel with an ID can get discounted ticket); model submarines on display outside the gates of Isotopes Park.

Geoff Grammer covers college basketball and other sports for the Journal.You can reach him at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) @GeoffGrammer.