When pitching coach Ryan Kibler holds court with the Grand Junction Rockies pitching staff, his message comes from personal experience.
Seventeen years ago, Kibler was an 18-year-old prospect in his first season of professional baseball. After being drafted by the Rockies in the third round of the 1999 June draft, Kibler joined the Rockies’ farm team in the Arizona Rookie League and posted a 6-2 record and 2.55 ERA.
He advanced to Double-A, where a serious injury to his right shoulder ended a promising playing career. He rejoined the Rockies organization in 2012 to coach the farm system’s first-year pitchers, the same year the team moved from Casper to Grand Junction.