The Colorado Rockies named Bill Geivett senior vice president of major league operations, as he continues his rise in the organization.

"With his extensive experience in professional baseball both on the field and in the front office, Bill Geivett is the perfect fit for this new position," Rockies owner and CEO Dick Monfort said at a news conference Aug. 1. "We are constantly looking for ways to improve our organization, and we feel that Bill's influence and leadership on a daily basis is an important addition."

Geivett, a 1981 All-City infielder from Highlands High School and a former Sacramento City College standout, will oversee the Rockies' major league operations but still report to general manager Dan O'Dowd.

"I will be involved on a day-to-day basis with the team in every aspect," Geivett told the Denver Post. "I met with the players and told them I will be with them for every game. … I will be involved in many different ways."

Before the announcement of Geivett's promotion, there were reports O'Dowd had offered his resignation, but Monfort refused it. However, last week O'Dowd was reassigned to oversee the Rockies' minor league teams.

What may have prompted Monfort to make the Geivett move was O'Dowd's much-criticized initiation of Project 5,183, named for Coors Field's altitude.

Begun June 29, Project 5,183 is a 75-pitch limit for starters, 50-pitch limit for long relievers called "piggybacks," and then single innings for everyone else. In theory, that lightens the workload for pitchers, reduces their chance of injury, and lessens their exposure to opposing lineups, which should increase their effectiveness.

The Rockies, who have the worst ERA in the National League and have been ravaged by injuries, could become the first team in major league history without a single pitcher logging at least 100 innings.

Starter Christian Friedrich was on pace to break the century mark but is out for the rest of the season (back injury). Reliever Josh Roenicke (Nevada Union) is the current team leader, 71 1/3 after Saturday.

Geivett has a glowing résumé as a prospective GM and now is essentially receiving on-the-job training for the position. He was hired by the Rockies in November 2000 and spent four years as their player personnel director. He was promoted to assistant GM in 2005, and added senior vice president of scouting and player development to his title in January 2011. This past offseason, he was a finalist for the vacant Houston Astros GM job that was filled by Jeff Luhnow.

Geivett has been in professional baseball for 25 years. Following a four-year playing career in the Angels' minor league system (1985-1988), Geivett worked in the front offices of the New York Yankees, Montreal, Tampa Bay and Los Angeles Dodgers before landing in Colorado.

Long, long game

• Princeton Rays reliever Randy Davis (Sacramento State) pitched a quiet eighth inning against the Pulaski Mariners in an Appalachian League game Aug. 2. Then, he sat in the dugout as a spectator for 15 innings.

The 23-inning game lasted seven hours, 48 minutes and featured 24 players, 19 pitchers, 35 hits, 40 runners left on base, seven errors, 38 strikeouts and 25 walks. It began on a Thursday, was interrupted by a 1 a.m. curfew and finished with five innings the next evening. The game was won by the Rays 12-9, who scored four runs in the top of the 23rd.

• The longest Appalachian League game? Bluefield and Burlington played 27 innings in 8 hours, 15 minutes (June 24-25, 1988).

• The longest minor league game began April 18, 1981, and lasted 33 innings. Rochester and host Pawtucket played 32 innings before the game was suspended at 4:09 a.m. They met again June 23, and needed just 18 minutes before Pawtucket won 3-2.

Et cetera

• Right-handed starter Tyler Waldron (Golden Sierra) won his Double-A debut Wednesday for Altoona in the Eastern League.

• Right-hander Andrew Carpenter (Cosumnes River) was designated for assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays, and then claimed by the New York Mets. He was assigned to Double-A Binghamton.

• The Horizon Air Summer Series All-Star team included Neptune Beach pitcher Matt Evanoff (Ponderosa) on the first team, and Marysville outfielder Tommy Lininger (Bella Vista) and pitcher Ty Nichols (Sac State) on the second team. Honorable mention went to Sacramento Legends infielder Andrew Rubalcava (East Nicolaus), Gold Sox outfielder Brooke Brooks (Elk Grove, Sac City) and pitcher Brandon Creel (Rosemont, Sac State), Humboldt infielders Will Soto (Elk Grove, Sac State) and Riley Drongesen (Granite Bay) and Sacramento Spikes catcher Tyler Glenn (Galt).

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

• Read more articles by Mark McDermott