Charlie Blackmon’s 14-year playing career ended when he announced his retirement back in September, but the Rockies franchise icon is sticking around for a new front office job. The Rox announced today that Blackmon has been named as a special assistant to general manager Bill Schmidt, and he “will assist in all areas of baseball operations,” as per the club’s press release.
The open-ended nature of Blackmon’s job description isn’t uncommon, as the special assistant role tends to vary from person to person and from organization to organization. In Colorado’s case, their list of special assistants includes three former players (Todd Helton, Vinny Castilla, and now Blackmon) and former manager Clint Hurdle, all sharing their expertise with Schmidt. While the Rockies are often accused of being an overly insular organization, it is worth noting that most teams routinely hire longtime former players for such special assistant jobs.
“Charlie has been an integral part of the Rockies organization for over a decade, both on and off the field,” Schmidt said in the press release. “His leadership, deep understanding of the game and passion for this franchise make him the perfect fit to step into this new role. We’re thrilled to have him bring his unique insight and experience back to the Rockies players and front office.”
A second-round pick for the Rockies in the 2008 draft, Blackmon spent his entire pro career with Colorado, and he ranks second to only Helton in most of the club’s all-time counting-stat categories. Blackmon finished his standout career with 227 homers and a .293/.353/.479 slash line across 6825 plate appearances, and his resume also includes four All-Star nods, two Silver Slugger Awards, and the 2017 NL batting title. That 2017 campaign was Blackmon’s greatest season, as he finished fifth in NL MVP voting while hitting .331/.399/.601 with 37 home runs, and helping the Rockies reach the playoffs via a wild card berth.