Hand up, I knew nothing about Jerry Weinstein before Monday night, when he announced that he’s joining the Cubs, but holy shit is his bio impressive. The hall of fame coach has been part of the Colorado Rockies organization for nearly the past two decades and his time as a coach goes all the way back to 1966, as a freshman coach at UCLA.
Weinstein, who will turn 81-years-old in November, is now ready for a new journey with the Cubs.
The baseball lifer has pretty much done every job in the sport short of managing in the big leagues. Seriously, Weinstein has done it all, coaching in college, the minor leagues, college players in summer ball, while also working in player development and he’s also coached internationally for Team USA in several competitions and managed Team Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
That’s not all as Weinstein also authored co-authored Baseball Coach’s Survival Guide: Practical Techniques and Materials for Building an Effective Program and a Winning Team with Tom Alston. You might sarcastically think, oh an 80-year-old coach, must be pretty active, and well Weinstein actually is.
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Weinstein has been inducted into four different hall of fames throughout his life.
- Sacramento City College Athletic Hall of Fame
- California Community College Hall of Fame
- American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame
- Sacramento Baseball Hall of Fame
And just a few more accolades of note.
In 2018, he received Baseball America’s Tony Gwynn Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2020 he was named recipient of the American Baseball Coaches Association/Wilson Lefty Gomez Award for contributions to the game locally, nationally, and internationally.
What a career and it appears as though he’s still going strong.
Weinstein has been known for his work with developing catchers and while there hasn’t been any official word on what his role will be with the Cubs, it shouldn’t surprise us if he immediately goes to work with 20-year-old catching prospect Moises Ballesteros.
The top-100 Cubs prospect is currently playing the Arizona Fall League and despite his age Ballesteros already reached Triple-A this year. His development behind the plate could be vital in the Cubs success during the next decade and maybe Weinstein’s guidance can be the key to unlock Ballesteros’ full potential as a catcher at the big league level.
One last thing, pretty cool that Weinstein is also active on social media, constantly posting his insights online.
Whatever his role ends up being, looks like a home run hire from the Cubs.
