Chris Denorfia

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Christopher Anthony Denorfia

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Biographical Information[edit]

Chris Denorfia was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 19th round of the 2002 amateur draft. He was signed by scout John Brickley and made his pro debut that summer.

Denorfia was the starting centerfielder for the Italian national baseball team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He had a tremendous game against Canada on March 9, going 4 for 4 with 2 doubles, a walk, 2 RBI and a diving catch to rob Joey Votto of a double, to lead Italy to a 6-2 upset over the higher-ranked Canadian team.

On September 28, 2015, playing for the Chicago Cubs, he did something that was literally unprecedented when he hit a pinch-hit walk-off home run in extra innings in a 1-0 game. His blast off Miguel Almonte of the Kansas City Royals made a winner of Fernando Rodney, the man for whom he had pinch-hit. It was his last week as a major leaguer, as he made his final appearance on October 4th.

The Cubs hired Denorfia in 2018 as a Special Assistant to the President/General Manager. He returned to the playing field in 2019 when he was added to the Cubs' coaching staff as a quality assurance coach. This gig only lasted one season.

In 2020 Denorfia joined the Colorado Rockies organization as manager for their AA affiliate the Hartford Yard Goats before the season was cancelled due to COVID-19. He went on to manage Hartford in 2021-2023. Denorfia also had a chance to expand his coaching horizons in 2023 when he served as the hitting and third base coach for the Italy national baseball team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Ted Power is his father-in-law.

Year-By-Year Managerial Record[edit]

Year Team League Record Finish Organization Playoffs
2021 Hartford Yard Goats Double-A Northeast 39-79 12th Colorado Rockies
2022 Hartford Yard Goats Eastern League 77-60 4th Colorado Rockies
2023 Hartford Yard Goats Eastern League 57-76 12th Colorado Rockies

Related Sites[edit]