Colorado Rockies hitting coach Hensley Muelens under federal investigation for incident on charter flight

In his capacity as hitting coach for the Rockies, it's Hensley Muelens' job to ensure that his players take control. However, on account of some startling video footage, Muelens appears to have recently taken too much control himself.

On a recent United Airlines charter flight from Denver to Toronto, Muelens appeared to enter the cockpit and sit in the pilot's share. After the 56-year old shared the footage on Instagram, federal authorities have opened a formal investigation into his composure.

"The Colorado Rockies are under federal investigation after hitting coach Hensley Muelens posted this video in the cockpit of the team’s flight. "We are deeply disturbed by what we see in that video.” -United Airlines spokesperson (via @chrisvanderveen)" - Jomboy Media

The Federal Aviation Authority is tasked with ensuring compliance to airline safety regulations in the USA. After Muelens' video began to circulate online, the regulatory body announced that they would be investigating him for a “a clear violation" of United Airlines safety policies.

The violation occured last week, when the Rockies organized a United Airlines charter flight to shuttle them to their series against the Toronto Blue Jays. The investigation appears to have been opened on account of a formal complaint from United Airlines themselves.

A former player, Muelens was hired as the hitting coach for the Colorado Rockies before the start of the 2023 season. Previously, Muelens served as assistant hitting coach for the Yankees during the 2022 season and has worked for the Dutch National Baseball team in a managerial capacity.

A former utility player, Muelens made his MLB for the New York Yankees in 1989. The most impactful season of his career came in 1991, when the six-foot-four Curacaoan hit .222/.276/.319 with six home runs and 29 RBIs.

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Hensley Muelens' affair adds unwanted attention on Rockies' poor record

To exacerbate matters, the Rockies lost the series in Toronto, falling to the Jays two games to one.

On account of their 4-15 record, the Rockies are, once again, at the very bottom of their division, the NL West. Coupled with their sordid record, an incident like this is likely the last thing the Rockies want.

While it's not known what, if any, disciplinary action will be taken against Hensley Muelens, it's safe to expect that MLB players, alongside coaching staff, will think twice before attempting to pull of any sort of similar act in the future.