Luis Felipe Urueta continues to mark historical milestones for Colombian baseball. At 42 years old, he is the first coach in our country to reach the postseason in the Major Leagues.
He did it with a novena that is marked in the memory of the country. On October 26, 1997, a hit by a Barranquillero like him, ‘Niño’ Édgar Rentería, gave the Marlins the first World Series title in their history, after a marathon of more than five hours against the then-called Cleveland Indians.
Urueta is part of a coaching staff that has been headed, since October of last year, Skip Schumaker. The Colombian is the bench coach. And in their first year, they managed to get the Marlins back into the postseason, after three years of absence.
In addition, it is the first time they have achieved it in a 162-game season, since they won their second World Series in 2003. When they did it in 2020, the session was shortened due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Luis Urueta’s first milestone: he has already directed a game as manager
Urueta had already gone down in history: on July 26, 2020, he was the first Colombian to be manager of an MLB team, at least for one game. He did it with the Arizona Diamondbacks, when the head coach, Tony Lovullo, ended up expelled for protesting the judges’ decisions.
Urueta managed the team for four and two-thirds innings and Arizona won the game, 4-3, over the San Diego Padres. Test passed.
But it is not the only achievement of a career as a coach that began in 2008, when he retired as a player after having tried to reach the Major Leagues, without success: he was as a rookie and class A with the Diamondbacks between 2000 and 2003, then he was one year in the St. Louis Cardinals and played two years in Italy, with Italeri Fortitudo Bologna.
The D-Backs gave him the opportunity to train as a manager. And during the winter break he began managing other teams: he was champion in Colombia with Leones de Montería and Caimanes de Barranquilla, he won the Dominican Republic League with Gigantes del Cibao and was runner-up in the Caribbean Series with this same team in 2022. losing the final, precisely, against Caimanes.
He was also in charge of the Colombian National Team in 2017 in the World Baseball Classic, in which they achieved a resounding victory against Canada, 4-1, which allowed them to secure qualification for the next edition of the tournament, which was played this year. .
Urueta was designated to lead the National Team to this new international experience, but he had to give up when he was called to be part of the Marlins. And today he reaps those fruits. In addition, a new season will follow in the Dominican Republic, when the future of the Miami team is defined in this instance: it will try to lead the Gigantes to a new title.
The Marlins fell in the National League wild card series. They lost both games against the Minnesota Twins. But for Urueta, the path continues. And in the middle of the two games, Urueta took time to answer EL TIEMPO’s questions.
What does it mean to you to be the first Colombian coach to reach a postseason in the Major Leagues?
Reaching a postseason in Major League Baseball is not easy. For me it will be an unforgettable experience, as it is the first time I have achieved it. I hope that more Colombian coaches 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 manager’s assistant. He is the coach who supervises how the team prepares, who assists the leader in decision making and many other important responsibilities within the day-to-day life of a team.
What do you remember about that 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 game circumstances. It was a nice memory, because as a coach you always dream of being able to manage in the Major Leagues. Although it was momentary, having control of a game and being able to win it was very rewarding.
The Marlins are a very close team to the Colombians, since the title they won with Édgar Rentería in 1997. How has the reception been towards you on that team?
They have received me extremely well. In Miami, although the stadium is not completely filled, this year the public has returned to the stands and they have supported us in a very good way. Not only me, but the entire team, they have treated us very well and that helps a lot. I am very happy in Miami.
The Marlins had not reached the postseason with a full schedule for 20 years, because the 2020 season was shortened by the pandemic. What does it mean for you to get there now?
The most important thing for us was to have a winning season and be able to change the culture of the organization a little. There are many things to improve, but this first year for us in the Marlins has been very positive.
How far are you from being the main manager in a Major League team and how have you prepared for that?
It’s actually not something I think about much because I’m enjoying and focusing on what I’m doing right now. I think that preparing to be a manager is precisely trying to be the best at what I do right now. If one day I get the opportunity to be the head of a team, I will be ready.
How have you seen the two Colombian players who are playing in the postseason this year, Donovan Solano, with the Minnesota Twins, and Harold Ramírez, with the Tampa Bay Rays?
They both had excellent seasons. They are players who have known how to apply their role on their teams and contribute in the way their teams need them. I hope they both progress to the end.
You were already champion in Colombia, in the Dominican Republic, you were runner-up in a Caribbean Series, how do you apply all those experiences?
Winter leagues are the time of year that I use to put into practice 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 it until I have the opportunity to do so. I also learn a lot about the game and the competitiveness of the league.
How do you see the projection of Colombian baseball?
I am always asked this question and the answer is sometimes difficult to give, because it can be seen in different ways. As far as I can see, in Colombia there is very good material and Colombian players in the minor leagues continue to make people talk. Now, how are we managing baseball in Colombia? I don’t know that!
Jose Orlando Ascencio
Sports Deputy Editor
@josasc
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