Every year at this time, we hear about how Player X went through a revamped offseason routine and is in the best shape of his life. There is at least one of these players on every team in baseball. Most of the time, it means absolutely nothing, just an opportunity for the beat writers to milk an interesting story out of what is actually a fairly boring time of the year. But that’s just part of it. Spring Training is the time for optimism.
This year, Dexter Fowler has reportedly arrived at camp with a new physique. The string bean like Fowler has gained seven pounds of muscle and reports of his impressive batting cage sessions are already surfacing. This is obviously a good thing. Out of all the players on the Rockies’ roster, Fowler is probably the one that I most want to hear this stuff about. His growth as a player is imperative to the Rox chances this year, probably more so than any other player on the roster. We have a pretty good idea what to expect from CarGo, Tulo, and Helton, but Fowler remains somewhat of an enigma – at least in management’s eyes. If Fowler finally has a breakout season, the Rockies will almost certainly be better than they were last year.
Player development has been an issue for the Rox. Recently, Jonah Keri wrote of the Astros woes in the draft. In the years 2005, 2006, and 2007, the ‘Stros drafted four players that made it to the bigs, the lowest amount in all of baseball. During that same period, the Rox were one better, drafting five players that eventually made it to the show. Just for context, the World Champs drafted 24 MLB players during that period. Now before we get too carried away, it must be pointed out that Tulo was one of those picks and that makes up for a lot. Still, it’s been a problem, particularly in the pitcher department. The Rox haven’t drafted a big league starter since Jeff Francis ten years ago. For an organization that has been preaching player development and building from within, they must do a better job.
That’s another reason why Dexter is so important. He’s almost symbolic at this point. Other guys that came up through the minors with him have been shipped out of town and the current lineup definitely leans towards the old side of things. If yet another young player fails to evolve under the Rockies’ tutelage, it will have to be considered an organizational failure. They desperately need another drafted homegrown player to emerge.
To be fair to Dexter, he deserved better than what the Rockies gave him last year. Despite being sent down to The Springs for a month and half, he was still a three win outfielder. Truthfully, he never should have been sent down to begin with. After a solid April, he slumped a bit in May and the Rox were unwilling to remain patient with the young outfielder. That can’t happen this year. The reality is that he will probably slump at some point this season. In the words of Ron Washington, “that’s how baseball go.” If/when a slump does happen, Tracy and O’Dowd must ride it out. Even when Dexter is at his worst, he’s by far their best centerfielder and he provides them with a type of athleticism that the rest of the roster sorely lacks.
Like most Rockies fans, I’m very much rooting for Dexter this year. Watching the rangy, gazelle like outfielder run down balls in center is one of the prettiest sights at Coors Field. It would be a shame if the Rox decided that he doesn’t “get it” and he’s sent packing. Dexter makes this team better, but in an organization that makes decisions based mostly on unquantifiable intangibles, a player like Dex has to be careful. One wrong step and DOD will sign Mike Cameron out of retirement and then dump Dex for another fly ball pitcher. So, please forgive my bias when it comes to Fowler. It’s just that I’d really like to see him play in person for a few years. You could even say that I’m his biggest cheerleader.
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9 comments
Eric Garcia
February 24, 2012 at 10:05 AM (UTC -6)
I agree with everything except for your use of ‘jingoism.’
Shouldn’t Dex’s second half last year be enough to prevent a trip to the Springs? His major league ability shouldn’t even be at issue. Hopefully a lot of the worry about such things that shows up here isn’t also in the Rockies’ clubhouse.
Logan Burdine
February 24, 2012 at 10:10 AM (UTC -6)
Yeah, that needed to be changed. You’ll have to forgive me. I was a little annoyed with a comment on the previous article.
I hope so, but he had a pretty good second half in 2010 too and still got sent down.
Eric Garcia
February 25, 2012 at 8:09 AM (UTC -6)
I missed that. For the record, I disagree with the other guy’s use of it, too.
Michael
February 24, 2012 at 10:07 PM (UTC -6)
I think one of Tracys biggest problems in regards to Dex last year was his unwillingness to let him hit lefties, thus batting from his “natural” side. During his troubles at the beginning of the year and even some after he came back Tracy would yank Dex from the lineup to insert Wiggy for the extra right handed bat, it is almost as if he can’t remember he is a switch hitter. I believe this truly enlarged his slump as he was having some struggles with his lefty swing and he wasn’t allowed to use the swing he still had confidence in. Hopefully our indefinite manager will be instructed by the front office to let Fowler become the player he is going to be, and I am with you Logan I think he can be perfect for what the Rox need.
David Martin
February 25, 2012 at 10:34 AM (UTC -6)
I agree with Michael. How do we get better at things? We keep doing it…over and over. With time, confidence comes. Jim Tracy seems to insist on building confidence without getting at-bats. Its the chicken before the egg argument. If you tell a guy he can’t hit lefties, and never give him a chance to prove you wrong, can he actually hit lefties? You never find out. I’m sure Seth Smith will let us know in Oakland this year.
PintDiaries
February 25, 2012 at 11:47 AM (UTC -6)
I remember when James Watt–the evilest SOB ever to head up the Department of Interior, once responded to critics of Ronald Wilson Reagan (6 letters in each part of his name–just sayin’) by telling them to “let Reagan…be Reagan.” To a certain extent, I think Tracy needs to do just that with Fowler, especially in allowing him to hit lefties. At his best last year, Fowler would almost seem to enter the flow of the game like a Daoist monk. I hope that management’s tinkering with Fowler won’t be so excessive that it squashes this characteristic in Fowler…
Aw, look at me, I’m ramblin’ again…
Kevin Kroh
February 26, 2012 at 9:44 AM (UTC -6)
Sounds like Watt might’ve been responsible for that whole “Manny being Manny” stupidity. And you’re right: Fowler knows the Ways of the Force. While our coaching staff continues to misunderstand his speed as that of a base-stealer, we can clearly see he has the long-stride type of speed of a Devon White or DiMaggio. He seems to play in silence, gliding to far away flyballs, legging out doubles that should only be singles, leading the majors in triples every year…
It’s like Lao-Tze said:
Those who know, do not speak.
Those who speak, do not know.
I am the Walrus.
Logan Burdine
February 26, 2012 at 9:58 AM (UTC -6)
You have to ride out slumps like you do the stock market. Trying to speculate on what a player is doing short term is asking for it. But, like everyone on here is saying, that’s pretty much exactly Tracy’s approach with young players. I don’t know if Fowler will ever become a star. I’d like to see it happen, but as David Schoenfield pointed out on his link to this article, Fowler has a lot of big league at-bats and he may be what he’s been. Still, that’s good enough for me. As I said in the article, he’s a three win outfielder. Leave him in, let him play D and get on base.
V.I. Lenin. Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov!
Logan Burdine
February 26, 2012 at 10:02 AM (UTC -6)
By the way, Dex only played in 120 something games last year. If he had played in 155+, he would’ve been in the running for the league lead in doubles. Wish I had written about that above.