Omaha's Poldberg retires after influential run

KANSAS CITY -- The best part about Brian Poldberg’s job managing the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate for the past eight seasons -- including running the alternate training site last year -- is getting to tell players they’re being promoted to make their MLB debut.

Poldberg can recall countless stunned looks and emotional conversations. Daniel Lynch was the first in 2021, when the lefty found out from Poldberg that he was making his debut in May. Nicky Lopez’s callup story will always especially stick out to Poldberg because he got Lopez to call his mom and have her on the phone when Poldberg shared the news.

It’s what he’ll miss most about managing.

“Just to see that smile on their face and the emotion that they’re going through, knowing they just made their dream come true, it’s the most special and most important part of the job,” Poldberg said.

Poldberg announced his retirement after 41 years in baseball earlier this month, and this weekend will be his last managing Omaha as its season wraps up in Iowa. On Friday, Poldberg was honored by the Royals at Kauffman Stadium, in a presentation -- even though he insisted he didn’t want to miss the Storm Chasers’ game -- and receiving a gift from the front office.

“It’s time,” Poldberg said. “I’m 64 and never have spent a summer with my family. I’m going to miss the people, the camaraderie. I’ll miss baseball some, but just the relationships that you build over the years.”

Poldberg ranks second in Omaha franchise history in both wins (478) and seasons (seven), trailing only Mike Jirschele (995 wins in 14 seasons). Since beginning his managerial career in 1988, Poldberg has amassed 1,350 wins across 21 seasons, sixth-most all-time among active Minor League managers.

“Poley means the world to me,” Lopez said. “Triple-A is a big step. You’re one call away. When I got called up there, he made that transition for me so much smoother. He’s just another piece to the puzzle of getting to the big leagues, and I know a lot of people love playing for him.”

After spending parts of six seasons as a player -- including two years with his hometown Omaha Royals -- Poldberg began his 33-year coaching career in 1987 in the Royals’ system. He spent the 2004-07 seasons on the Major League staff, serving as the bullpen coach, first base coach and third base coach. Then he managed Double-A Northwest Arkansas for six seasons and went to the postseason four times.

In 2014, Poldberg took over as the Triple-A Omaha manager and led the Storm Chasers to the national championship that same year.

“It’s hard to put into words what Brian Poldberg has meant to the Kansas City Royals and baseball,” president of baseball operations Dayton Moore said. “He’s been a part of and influenced every player that’s come through our system. He’s there day in and day out to oversee the development of all the players, to uphold the organizational philosophy. Minor League managers are so instrumental in the success of a player and the organization.”

The Triple-A manager role might go overlooked externally, but not within the organization. Poldberg has the unique ability to manage with the big league club in mind. And the Royals trust Poldberg to set up the big league club for success, whether that’s day-to-day availabilities of players or making sure young players are ready to take the next step organizationally.

“It’s an impactful job because it’s the last stop before the Major Leagues,” general manager J.J. Picollo said. “When things aren’t handled a certain way, guys don’t develop a certain way, aren’t able to execute basic fundamentals, that’s where we’ve got to make sure everything is right.

“It’s a huge job. It’s going to be a big void.”

A few weeks ago, Kansas City had to plan to make a roster move the following day when a pitcher became unavailable. Poldberg received a call in the dugout that night to not use right-hander Scott Blewett -- who was on his fourth warmup pitch in the bullpen.

“Now [Poldberg] has to manage the rest of the game without a pitcher he was counting on,” Picollo said. “That doesn’t get talked about a whole lot, but that’s a really tough thing. But he knows the urgency of getting a player here. He’s a pretty special person with the right temperament to be able to do it at that level and manage our players.”

Royals officials trust Poldberg, and players do, too. Many credit Poldberg’s personality style and managerial style for why they were mentally ready for the big leagues.

“He showed what being a grown-up baseball player is like,” Lynch said. “He’s been around for so long, so I learned a lot about what it’s like to just be at the yard every day, how to keep things light but to do the right work. And it was all about doing everything we could to get me back to Kansas City.”