Walt Weiss

Walter William Weiss

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 175 lb.
• School University of North Carolina
• High School Suffern High School
• Debut July 12, 1987
• Final Game October 1, 2000
• Born November 28, 1963 in Tuxedo, NY USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Shortstop Walt Weiss was signed as a 1st round pick in the 1985 amateur draft by the Oakland Athletics and scout Mark Conkin.

In 1988 amidst one of the most unremarkable crops of American League Rookie of the Year contenders in recent memory, Weiss managed to win the award in spite of an OPS+ of only 81, a complete inability to drive in runs, and an even more unremarkable 6 for 31 postseason performance culminating in a .063 batting average in the 1988 World Series. What appealed to voters was his ability to play a key defensive position everyday for the pennant-winning Oakland Athletics.

After his 14-year playing career, Weiss was a special assistant to Colorado Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd from 2002 to 2008. He then turned to coaching at the high school level, at Regis Jesuit High School in the Denver, CO suburbs. Weiss was a Raiders assistant coach in 2010-2011and head coach in 2012. On November 7, 2012, he was plucked from the high school ranks to be named the manager of the Rockies for 2013.

He underwent an emergency appendectomy on May 13, 2015, after complaining of stomach pains for a couple of days. Bench coach Tom Runnells took over for him on an interim basis while he was recovering. After four years of managing the Rockies without a winning record, he was not offered a new contract when his deal expired after the 2016 season. In 2018, he was named bench coach of the Atlanta Braves where he remained through the 2023 season.

His son Bo Weiss was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 29th round of the 2016 Amateur Draft, but continued on to the University of North Carolina before transferring to the University of Tampa.

Walt was mentioned in a song by the band The Lonely Island in their song called "Let's Bash," in which two band members dressed up as Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco and sing a satire song, referencing McGwire and Canseco's use of steroids during their careers. In the song they say "Sorry about your arm, Walt Weiss".

Notable Achievements

• 1988 AL Rookie of the Year Award
• 1988 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
• NL All-Star (1998)
• Won a World Series with the Oakland Athletics in 1989

AL Rookie of the Year
1987	1988	1989
Mark McGwire	Walt Weiss	Gregg Olson

Preceded by Jim Tracy

Colorado Rockies Manager 2013-2016

Succeeded by Bud Black

Year-By-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs
2013	Colorado Rockies	National League	74-88	5th	Colorado Rockies
2014	Colorado Rockies	National League	66-96	4th	Colorado Rockies
2015	Colorado Rockies	National League	68-94	5th	Colorado Rockies
2016	Colorado Rockies	National League	75-87	3rd	Colorado Rockies

Related Sites

• Walt Weiss at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Manager page