Last night I went to the Rockies game with my family for my cousins birthday. We met at Sports Column, as usual, to have drinks and dinner before the game. In year’s past I made it a point to be in my seat for the first pitch, but after the way 2011 ended and the frustrating 2012 team that isn’t always the case.
By the time we paid our bill, got my two kids in order and walked the half block to the park, entered and found our way to the pavilion area in left field I saw Dexter Fowler batting. I didn’t realize what time it was and thought we just missed the top half of the inning but arrived in time to watch the Rockies bat. Since Fowler was at the plate I didn’t miss any of the Rockies at-bats.
Wrong!
I looked up at the big scoreboard as we walked to our seats (nine of us went and the only seats we could find with nine together without paying too much was the Rockpile, more on this in a bit) I almost fell over when I saw that Fowler was batting third.
I. Was. Shocked!
Jim Tracy must be eating Lucky Charms in the morning with bananas instead of plain Cheerios or something. Something has gotten into him this year and he is actually trying different things. I believe the 75 pitch count idea was solely Dan O’Dowd and I won’t give Tracy credit for that, but batting Jordan Pacheco third on Monday (I am not a Pacheco fan and think that move is dumb) and Fowler third last night…that just isn’t Tracy-like. I could see him putting Michael Cuddyer third long before giving such a coveted spot in the order to a guy like Dex. But it makes so much sense.
Dex is second on the team in batting average and on-base average behind Carlos Gonzalez and is fourth in slugging. Putting Dex in that spot where pitchers might be more likely to give him fastballs because CarGo is due up next is a great idea. Now Tracy needs to wise up and move Cuddyer down in the order and put slugger Tyler Colvin behind CarGo to attempt to give him some protection, too.
Did you know that Dex is hitting better with runners in scoring position than with the bases empty? In 2012 when no one is on base his OPS is .892 and if runners are on and in scoring position his OPS rises to .951. One of our loyal readers, TroyF, has been calling for this move for months and it finally happened!
The real test will be if Tracy continues with this lineup. Fowler did knock in the winning run on Monday night and was 2-for-3 with two walks last night so he has been hot. Keep it up, Tracy, and maybe the fans like myself will start to cut you some slack. Maybe.
My view las night - packed park
The other shock last night that I experienced was the crowd. On a Tuesday night, when rain was in the forecast, for a team 20 games under .500 who was playing the Pittsburgh Pirates over 42,000 fans were at the game. FORTY-TWO THOUSAND!! The three or four sections in the third deck in right field are rarely open but so many turned out to watch the game that all of them were open – and full!
I know Pittsburgh travels well in football but I don’t recall Coors being packed with Pirates fans when the two teams played in recent years. Then again, the Pirates have been dreadful for like the past 25 years. I did see a few Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell jerseys last night but it wasn’t like when the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees or even Philadelphia Phillies are in town and the stadium is nearly half full of fans of the team opposing the Rockies. Last night was just a big crowd and for the life of me I cannot figure out why. On a Friday night? Sure, the bars are hopping after the game, but Tuesday night? And the Rockpile was jam packed, too.
It was an amazing crowd last night and as business men the Monforts really do not have any motivation to put much money back into the team. With their current expenditures and horrid team they can draw 40,000 to the park? If I was them I would probably do the same thing; they didn’t get to where they are by being stupid with their money.
Follow Travis on Twitter for babble
Loading ...
Loading tweets...
14 comments
Travis Lay
July 18, 2012 at 11:04 AM (UTC -6)
It lasted one day. ANDREW BROWN is batting fourth today. FOURTH. A rook is batting fourth…shouldn’t he bat 7th or 8th?
R17
July 18, 2012 at 9:59 PM (UTC -6)
That was a nonsensical move by Tracy.. Why don’t we literally literally give Cargo no protection in the lineup…
Ben
July 18, 2012 at 11:11 AM (UTC -6)
The larger crowd had more to do with the fact it was the first in a series of value-pack games… but nonetheless, it was nice to see the huge crowd.
Travis Lay
July 18, 2012 at 11:13 AM (UTC -6)
Ill take any sort of reason for the crowd. I didn’t realize the value packs had that sort of affect on ticket sales.
Seth
July 18, 2012 at 2:58 PM (UTC -6)
Tracy is a flat out idiot! A nutless monkey can put together a better lineup and do better than him. Remember when Hurdle was out manager in ’09, one of the things that dogged him the most that players hated was his inconsistent lineup every day and then Jim Tracy came in and pretty much put the same lineup out there every day with very little change where everyone bats and plays defense. Tracy got all the credit for being consistent, well he is FAR from that now. Every day there is a different lineup with guys playing different positions for some reason. Why the hell is Hernandez batting 4th and has played more games than Rosario since the all star break? Didnt Tracy announce and isnt it clear that Rosario is our number 1 catcher and should be in there 5 games a week? Why is Cuddyer playing 1st base one day with Colvin in right and then the next day Colvin is at first and Cuddyer is right, what is the point of that switch. Things like this do not help players, they destroy them because not only do they have to worry about playing but they have the worry about where. How can you slot Pacheco in the three hole and then put him back at 7th? Its ridiculous. I believe that it doesnt necessarily matter what slot a player hits in but who is in front of and behind him. Jim Tracy doesnt want to put Cuddyer in the 4 slot because he says it is too much pressure with Gonzalez in front of him and Colvin behind him, then what is the difference between hitting him 5th with Gonzalez in front hitting 4th and Colvin hitting 6th? Its still the same players in front and behind him just one slot lower. Tracy baffles me.
CodenameDuchess
July 18, 2012 at 6:03 PM (UTC -6)
Couldn’t agree more. I’ll give Tracy credit for finally realizing that Dexter Fowler can swing the bat but we all no that Dex is an 0-12 slump away from getting a couple days off and a trip to the 8th spot.
Pete
July 18, 2012 at 3:50 PM (UTC -6)
Hernandez batted fourth on Sunday. Pacheco, Brown,…..maybe Scutero and Rutledge are gonna get their shot soon.
Simone
July 18, 2012 at 6:46 PM (UTC -6)
Bingo! I refuse to go to a game until Tracy and O’Dowd are gone.
Travis…you should lead by example. Call all all out boycott of Coors Field until either Tracy or O’Dowd are gone…hopefully both. I know it hurts the vendors at Coors Field but…you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.
Like you said…if 40.000 plus people keep showing up at games nothing will change. Things might actually get a little worse.
Anonymous
July 18, 2012 at 7:33 PM (UTC -6)
I am with you. No Rockies games at Coors for me yet this year, and I am not going back until those two clowns are gone. I don’t even watch the games on TV any more, and I never use to miss a game. It is very frustrating, but boycott is te only vote I have.
Jed
Travis Lay
July 19, 2012 at 7:42 AM (UTC -6)
I am a poor leader…I can’t avoid the ballpark. I remember going to Rockies games at the beginning of 2007 when I would have nearly an entire row to myself in the lower level. The sun, crack of the bat and spending time at the yard is great, no matter how crappy the team (I am a Cubs fan, too, you know…I like the pain…)
Dan
July 19, 2012 at 9:04 AM (UTC -6)
I went to one game on my birthday. I usually attend 15-20 but I’m not going back until O’Dowd is gone. I won’t give one more cent to Monfort until he shows that he wants to win.
Rico Rodriquez
July 23, 2012 at 5:07 PM (UTC -6)
Boycotts like the one you suggest are meaningless, stupid and counter-productive. I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you wear a bag on your head! That’ll show ‘em. Maybe you’ll even meet Woody Paige!
TroyF
July 19, 2012 at 11:16 AM (UTC -6)
Am traveling and have missed the Rockies for a couple of weeks, but I saw it and the move stunned me.
I knowtjis years splits, but one of the reasons I have advicated a move like this is because of his history.
2012 None on (910) runners on (969) scoring position (960)
2011 None on (767) runners on (847) scoring position (918)
2010 None on (671) runners on (934) scoring position (1044)
This is not some ne stunning trend. Even before the power surge, Dexter was a far better hitter with runners on base. This is not a small sample size thing. I comyinue to assert that if Dexter were built like Cuddyer, people would view him 100 percent differently.
The mistake the Rockies (and even some people on this very board) made about Dex is acting like he had to earn the starting job this year. His second half of last year should have given him 200 a bats near the top of the order without anyone blinking an eye.
Instead there were stories about how he might not even start the year with the big league club and people saying he woud never hit his potential because he had 75 flippin bad April at bats. Seriously? Hell, even when he got hot you heard Ringolsby talk about how it was a problem he struck out so much. Forget that the kid has been getting on base over 40 percent of he time sinse March, lets focus on the one thng he struggles with.
FWIW, I can already see the next guy ths will happen to. Wilin Rosario is showing the potential to be a midle of the order bat for a decade. Instead of focusing on how we finally have a young player who can hit for power away from coors and givinh him time to hit big league curve balls, the focus of some people s all o the other thngs he does wrong, even if it cannot be verified with advanced stats.
Next time you get upset at a 23 or 24 year old player, remember three things
1. Young players develop, they do not come up as the finished product (guys like Mike Trout are the exception, nt the rule) for young hitters, think 1000 a bats, not 200. That also holds true for someone who startsof hot by the way.
2. There are 8 positions on yhe field and in te batting order. Young players can and should be tested in a few spots before you make a judgement on them. Giving up on ayoung player because his defense is poor at one spot is a recipe for disaster.
3. Young pitchers get crushed. Look at the under 25 starters in the bigs each year. You have some big stars, a couple of devent guys and then a whole bunch of guys getting their brains beat in. Do not be shocked when your favorite young prospect has an era over 5 his first 100 big league innilngs.
Tom
July 19, 2012 at 9:35 PM (UTC -6)
Remember the time when the Colorado Rockies won 2 games in a row?
Me neither!