The first Colombian “coach” in the MLB postseason

Luis Felipe Oreta It continues to define the historical milestones of Colombian baseball. He is 42 years old, and he is the first coach in our country to reach Postseason in the major leagues.

He did so with a novena that is immortalized in the country’s memory. On October 26, 1997, a hit from Barranquelero like him, “Ninho” Edgar Renteria, gave the Marlins their first World Series title in their history, after a five-hour-plus marathon against what were then called the Cleveland Indians.

Urueta is part of the technical staff that he heads, since October of last year, Skip Shoemaker. The Colombian is the bench coach. In their first year, they were able to get the Marlins back to the postseason, after a three-year absence.

Additionally, this is the first time they have accomplished this in a 162-game season, since winning their second World Series in 2003. When they did so in 2020, the session was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Luis Urueta’s first achievement: He has already officiated a match as a coach

Urueta has already made history: on July 26, 2020, he was the first Colombian to coach an MLB team, at least for one game. He did it with the Arizona Diamondbacks, when the head coach, Tony Lovullo, ended up being fired for protesting the referees’ decisions.

Urueta homered for four and two-thirds innings and Arizona won the game, 4-3, over the San Diego Padres. Test passed.

But that’s not the only accomplishment in a coaching career that began in 2008, when he retired as a player after trying, unsuccessfully, to reach the major leagues: He was a rookie and first base prospect with the Diamondbacks between 2000 and 2008. 2003, then he was for one year with the St. Louis Cardinals and played two years in Italy, with Italeri Fortitudo Bologna.

The D-Backs gave him the opportunity to coach as a manager. During the winter break, he started managing other teams: he was champion of Colombia with León de Montería and Caymanes de Barranquilla, won the Dominican Republic League with Gigantes del Cibao and finished second in the Caribbean Series with the same team in 2022… specifically losing the final. In front of Caimanis.

He was also in charge of the Colombian national team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, in which they achieved a 4-1 victory over Canada, allowing them to secure qualification for the next edition of the tournament, which was held this year. year . .

Urueta was set to lead the national team for this new international experience, but had to give in when he was called up to be part of the Marlins’ squad. Today he is reaping those fruits. In addition, a new season in the Dominican Republic will follow, in which case the future of the Miami team will be decided: it will try to lead the Giants to a new title.

The Marlins fell in the National League’s Wild Card Series. They lost both games to the Minnesota Twins. But for Urueta, the road continues. In the middle of the two matches, Urueta took some time to answer El Tiempo’s questions.

What does it mean to you to be the first Colombian coach to reach the postseason in the major leagues?

Getting to the postseason in Major League Baseball is no easy feat. For me, it will be an unforgettable experience, as it is the first time I have achieved this. I hope more Colombian coaches will have the opportunity to reach these levels in the future.

For those who don’t know baseball in depth, what is the role of a bench coach?

The bench coach is the assistant manager. It is the coach who supervises how the team is prepared, who helps the leader in decision making and many other important responsibilities in the daily life of the team.

What do you remember about the first game you had to coach with the Diamondbacks in 2020?

I knew that at that moment it was something that could happen, because these are the conditions of the game. It was a nice memory, because as a coach you always dream of being able to coach in the big leagues. Even though it was a moment, taking control of the game and being able to win it was very rewarding.

The Marlins are a team that is very close to the Colombians, since they won the title with Edgar Renteria in 1997. How was the reception towards you on this team?

They received me very well. In Miami, although the stadium was not completely full, this year the fans returned to the stands and supported us in a very good way. Not just me, but the whole team, they treated us very well and that helps us a lot. I’m very happy in Miami.

The Marlins haven’t reached the postseason with a full schedule in 20 years, because the 2020 season was shortened due to the pandemic. What does it mean for you to get there now?

The most important thing for us was to have a successful season and be able to change the culture of the organization a little bit. There are many things to improve, but this first year for us in the Marlins has been very positive.

How far away are you from being the head coach of a major league team and how have you prepared for it?

It’s actually not something I think about much because I’m having fun and focusing on what I’m doing right now. I think preparing to be a manager is specifically trying to be the best at what I do now. If one day I have the opportunity to be a team leader, I will be ready.

How did you view the two Colombian players playing in the postseason this year, Donovan Solano, with the Minnesota Twins, and Harold Ramirez, with the Tampa Bay Rays?

They both had excellent seasons. They are players who knew how to apply their role to their teams and contribute in the way their teams needed. I hope they both move forward to the end.

You’ve already been champion in Colombia, in the Dominican Republic, and finished second in the Caribbean Series, how can you apply all that experience?

Winter leagues are the time of year that I use to apply what I have learned during the year in the United States. This will be my eighth season in the Dominican Republic and I hope to continue doing so until I have the opportunity to do so. I’m also learning a lot about the game and the competitiveness of the league.

How do you see the Colombian baseball forecast?

I get asked this question all the time and sometimes it’s hard to give an answer, because it can be seen in different ways. As far as I can see, Colombia has very good material, and Colombian players in the minor leagues continue to get people talking. Now, how do we run baseball in Colombia? I do not know that!

Jose Orlando Asensio

Deputy Sports Editor

@josasc

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