Northwest Notes Jan. 14, 2023
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 3 years, 8 months AGO
Former major league catcher named Spokane Indians manager
Former big league catcher Robinson Cancel is taking over as manager for the Spokane Indians for the 2023 season, the parent Colorado Rockies announced.
Pitching coach Ryan Kibler and hitting coach Zach Osborne each return for a third season in Spokane, and longtime minor league manager Joe Mikulik rounds out the staff as bench coach.
Cancel, in his seventh year with the Rockies organization, managed the Low-A Fresno Grizzlies the past two seasons, posting a 157-90 record (.635 winning percentage) and guiding the Grizzlies to a pair of postseason appearances.
Before taking over in Fresno, Cancel led the former Low-A affiliate Asheville Tourists, for two seasons. During the offseason in 2018, he led the Tomateros de Culiacan in the Mexicana del Pacifico Winter League. Prior to that, Cancel was a coach for short-season Boise in 2017, his first year with the Rockies.
In 2015-16, Cancel coached in the Atlanta Braves system.
Cancel played professionally from 1994 to 2011 after being selected by Milwaukee in the 16th round of the 1994 First-Year Player Draft. Cancel went on to play parts of four major league seasons with Milwaukee (1999), the New York Mets (2008-09) and Houston (2011).
The Indians are the High-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.