It’s been just over one week since the Rockies fired Bud Black as manager and installed Warren Schaeffer as the interim manager.

The 40-year-old Schaeffer has served on Colorado’s coaching staff for the past three seasons, focusing on third base coaching and working with the team’s infielders. He managed at three levels in the organization from 2015-2022, compiling a 464-505 record.

Before the Rockies open a seven-game homestand Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees, The Denver Gazette sat down with Schaeffer for an exclusive Q&A on the direction of the franchise.

The Denver Gazette: What has this last week-plus been like for you personally?

Schaeffer: “Initially, it was a shock. But little by little, I’m getting more comfortable every day in terms of the day-to-day activities and responsibilities of the manager at the big league level.”

DG: How did managing in the minor leagues prep you for what you’re doing now?

Schaeffer: “Those years were invaluable to what I’m doing right now. Eight years of managing the minor leagues, that’s a lot of games managing. That’s a lot of relationships being built with players, things being tried in terms of how to get the most out of your players that have worked and that haven’t worked. You don’t forget those things, because that’s important for you moving forward.”

DG: During your time managing in the minors, you had current Rockies on those rosters. How does that familiarity help you now?

Schaeffer: “It’s a huge advantage for me to step into this job and moment and already have relationships with all these guys, not only through managing in the minors but also being here for the last three years. That’s good for me and I think it’s good for them because it’s a two-way street in terms of getting the most out of each other. When you have a relationship, you can have hard conversations, which is what spurs people forward.”

DG: You have said the Rockies need to play “free” and loosen up to turn the season around. Are you seeing signs of that yet?

Schaeffer: “I think it’s going to be an ongoing process. This isn’t going to be something that is a drastic change overnight. This is something that needs to be committed to moving forward, and something that progressively will get better as we go.

“You like to see incremental improvements in a process. That’s why I love a plan and I love a process and I love to stick to it, because I believe that that’s where results are. The general atmosphere that I want to create is one of freedom, learning, unity and coming together, because nothing is more powerful than that.”

DG: How important are veterans like Ryan McMahon and Kyle Freeland in achieving that plan?

Schaeffer: “These veteran guys are incredibly important to this process. We have so many young guys, and it is invaluable for them to bring these young guys along and to make them feel like part of the team immediately so that they can impact the club and play free. You need to have older guys saying, ‘Hey, you guys can do this. You belong here.’ When they feel like they belong, then they can play free. But it relies solely on the veterans to make that happen.”

DG: When you’re going through tough times, how do you make sure everybody sticks with the process?

Schaeffer: “Me and my staff, we need to be the same people every day, all with the same good, positive vibes and energy. It’s just like anything else in life. If you believe it, you will walk it every day. That’s what I believe in. Even in my previous job, I always want, every single day, to provide a good example for the boys and give them something to believe in as well.

“I know these are hard times. I understand that, but I know there are a lot of guys in that clubhouse who believe in the process and believe that we are going to march forward, get through this thing and come out the other end and start winning games by putting a good culture together.”

DG: How important was it to get Ezequiel Tovar back from his hip injury last week?

Schaeffer: “‘Tovie’ is the rock of the infield. He’s a Gold Glove shortstop and, in my opinion, the best in the game defensively. I don’t want to make excuses at all for injuries. I never want to make that excuse, because I don’t think that is a valid excuse. For me, it’s about the next guy up. If Tovie were to go down again, I expect Schunky (Aaron Schunk) to step right in there and then whoever’s next after that.”

DG: The Rockies have a tough homestand coming up. Is there any kind of a measuring stick to show you the team is making progress?

Schaeffer: “I think you will see it in the way that we play defense. I think you will see it in the way that, you know, that we compete in the box. It’s about a cleaner, more fundamental game every night and stacking those on top of each other consistently. Those are the measuring sticks because, when that happens, when you start to stack good, clean, solid baseball games on top of each other, wins will come.

“There’s no doubt we have some tough teams coming up. They are all going to be tough, but this is the big leagues. These boys expect games to be tough, and they expect to be able to compete and win these games as well.

“We will not back down. That’s another thing I hope you’ll see is a relentless fight to the end. It’s part of an overall atmosphere and culture of improvement that I’m looking for every day.”