’Topes skipper has more than baseball on his mind

The Albuquerque Isotopes have been in existence since 2003, except for the pandemic season of 2020 when no games were played, and the team has had eight managers: Dean Treanor (2003, 2005-08), Tracy Woodson (2004), Tim Wallach (2009-10), Lorenzo Bundy (2011-13), Damon Berryhill (2014), Glenallen Hill (2015-2019), Warren Schaeffer (2021-22) and Pedro Lopez (2023-now).

Basically removed from the dugout and the field by being in the pressbox, I haven’t had much contact with any of them — but that changed the morning of Feb. 17.

Something Lopez said at a breakfast meeting with the media in the team’s clubhouse scaught my ear — something I’ve never heard a professional coach or manager say: “I just want to make better people.”

Minor league coaches and managers often talk about making their ballplayers better, so they can make that adjustment to playing in the majors. Some do, some don’t.

But making them better people? They’ll always be people; they won’t always be ballplayers. And most of us can be better people.

Refreshing, eh?

Lopez has been around the block from his childhood days in Puerto Rico and being a Mets fan, and a fan of Mets catcher Gary Carter, because that’s the position Lopez played.

He was drafted in the 21st round by San Diego in 1988 and played 13 minor league seasons in the Padres’, Brewers’ and Astros’ farm systems. (In 1988, Andy Benes was the first pick; selected after Lopez were such notables as Todd Marinovich, Deion Sanders, current Valley High baseball coach Chad Kuhn, Alex Kuhn out of Eldorado High School, future Isotopes infielder Jason Wood and a future hall of famer, Mike Piazza, in the 62nd round.)

He had the journey through the minors, never getting beyond triple-A, and now he’s in his 20th season as a minor league manager. He spent the 2021 and ’22 seasons as the Isotopes’ hitting coach and then bench coach, respectively.

His mindset hasn’t changed much: He hated to lose when he played as a youngster, even to the extent of reusing to talk to his father on the ride home after a loss, “still thinking of my at-bats.”

Nowadays, after an Isotopes loss, he’s not going home to watch an MLB game on TV.

“If we lose, it’s a pain in the butt,” he said.

Once he got married, he said she told him to “leave better footprints,” and he “realized there was a life outside baseball.”

With Albuquerque’s high altitude, he’s challenged by pitchers who worry about giving up home runs — “Home runs will always be part of the game” — and he is more concerned about the big innings.

“It’s all about the mindset,” he tells his players. “Don’t worry about the elements; do what you do” and “Minimize the big inning.

“We get hurt by walks and throwing to the wrong base,” he said, adding that team defense improved last season and the team’s “dynamics of the clubhouse” improved when the season was split into halves, so teams could get a fresh start in June and compete for a playoff berth.

“I’m really excited to be back,” Lopez told the media members enjoying breakfast that day in the Isotopes’ clubhouse, chatting with Lopez.

Maybe this will be the season the Isotopes make the playoffs. It’s been a long time — since they had a winning record, excluding the 41-34 record over the second half of 2023 — and Albuquerque, which used to win Pacific Coast League championships on what seemed to be a regular basis, hasn’t won the PCL championship since 1994.

Lately, the lack of quality pitching has doomed not only the ‘Topes but the parent club in Denver. Last season, the Albuquerque pitching staff’s earned run average was 6.51, which means you need a lot of offense when your staff gives up seven or more runs per game.

The season started March 29, with the start of a three-game home series with El Paso.

You can see the season schedule, ticket prices and promotions at abqisotopes.com.