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On September 18, 2010, the Rockies, led by two Troy Tulowitzki home runs and eight shut-out innings by Jhoulys Chacin, beat the Dodgers 12-2 to move within a game of the first place San Diego Padres and a half game back of the Giants. Colorado was sitting on 82 wins with fourteen games left to play. The Rockies had won thirteen of their previous fifteen contests. Tulo was in the middle of a Ruthian September. CarGo was making a run at the MVP award. Another Rocktober and 90 wins seemed all but certain.

The next day, the Rockies dropped a close one to the Dodgers, followed by a three game sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks in Arizona. They returned home, where they had a 51-24 record at the time, to play six games against the Giants and Dodgers. They were so dominant at Coors that year, it seemed they would easily get back on track. They lost five of the six games. By the time they went to St. Louis for a four game set to end the season, they were mentally checked out. The Rockies managed to score two runs the entire series. All told, they lost thirteen of their last fourteen. After sitting on a 82-66 record, they only won one more game, finishing the season 83-79. Needless to say, it was an extremely disappointing finish. Yet, just two years later, fans would kill for this team to win 83 games again.

For the last year or so, I’ve thought about that high water date in 2010 often. Obviously, nobody had any idea at the time, but it turned out to be a hugely significant date in the history of professional baseball in Colorado. The Rockies epic collapse in 2010 was preceded by the best four year stretch in the history of the franchise and probably the only time frame in which they were actually a contender. They came close to winning the West on three occasions, made two playoff appearances, and went to the World Series. In a way, the collapse of 2010 had perfect symmetry with the insane run the Rockies went on at the end of 2007. The original Rocktober vaulted the Rockies to new heights as an organization, and just as quickly, the 2010 meltdown sent them spiraling into the depths of despair. Hyperbole? Perhaps, but just remember that last year a large contingent of fans were actually rooting for the team to lose 100 games. That’s about as low as it gets for a baseball team.

It’s not hard to see how things got so bad so quick. It seems likely that it was in September 2010 when the team quit responding to Jim Tracy. In one year, he went from Manager of the Year to a guy who was incapable of pushing the necessary buttons to make his team go. Also, the front office didn’t help things by making a series of horrible transactions over the next two off seasons — the acquisitions of Ty Wigginton and Jeremy Guthrie quickly come to mind. And certainly, the unfortunate situation with Ubaldo was especially damaging. Mix in some injuries and various other excuses and you have a recipe for a 98 loss disaster.

Are the Rockies ready to become a respectable organization again? Early results have been encouraging, but it’s just way too early to start making assumptions about the 2013 model of the Rockies. Quite honestly, as long as the current front office remains intact, it is hard to fully believe in the organization’s ability to ever get back on track. One thing is for certain though, a priority needs to be placed on studying what they did right in 2007, 2009, and for most of 2010. The quality of defense they played during those seasons is one thing that stands out. Talented and effective bullpens are also part of the equation. Judging from their early play this year, there were also some unquantifiable intangibles that they’ve been lacking under Tracy. Hopefully, it will get better soon though because things are a lot of fun around here when the Rockies are pushing for the playoffs in September. That said, I think a push towards .500 baseball is all we can ask for right now. That’s a little sad, but it’s the unfortunate reality.

It’s interesting to think that an epic collapse or run can alter the future that much for an organization, but that’s exactly what happened with the Rockies in 2007 and 2010. Contemplating it now, it seems a little surreal. Just five seasons ago, the Rockies went to the World Series. This offseason, a respected national baseball writer honestly predicted the Rockies would only win 52 games. Part of the reason that was so upsetting is because we can actually see that happening if everything goes wrong this year like it did last. After the first week, it seems like the Rockies will easily blow by that mark, but it’s just frustrating when you head into the baseball season with expectations that low.

The Rockies problems go far beyond the reasons I’ve listed out here, for certain, and I’m sure many will let me know that in the comments section. But, any reflection on how the Rockies fell this far, this quickly needs to begin on September 19, 2010. That’s the day it all started to go wrong.

Continue reading »]]> As of this morning, the Colorado Rockies are in first place. Just let that sink in for a minute. Feels nice, right? Things have gone exceedingly well so far in this young season.

Naysayers, before you get fired up, let me just stop you here. I’m not declaring this team to be great by any means. All I’m saying is that the first five games have given us reason to be cautiously optimistic. We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves, but there have been some encouraging signs. I will say though, I’m pretty certain that the Rockies will win more than 52 games, as a certain well respected analyst predicted. Either way, the first week was a lot of fun to watch.

A few Sunday morning talking points:

Playing Hard

Often when a new manager comes in there is a refreshment of energy. I think that has definitely been the case. The Rockies are clearly playing harder. The defense looks dramatically improved, as does the overall hustle. Guys seem to care about playing baseball and that’s great to see. Safe to say, we’ve seen significant improvement in the ‘give-a-s***’ department.

New Backstop

Interestingly, one of the byproducts of the recent facelift received by Coors Field is that the backstop was moved six feet closer to home plate. Coors now has the second shortest backstop in baseball. Only Wrigley has a shorter distance between the wall and home plate and it was built like a thousand years ago, or something like that.

Clearly, the Monforts are making it a priority to turn a trip to Coors into the most fan friendly experience possible. Apparently, the wall was moved in so that they could create some pretty swanky perks for those fans lucky enough to land some of the best seats in the house. I can’t argue that this is a bad thing. However, it is worth noting that in baseball’s most notorious hitters’ park, the Rockies could use all the foul territory they can get. Outs are at a premium. Maybe they’re trying to create a rebound to help Rosario with his passed ball problem.

Pitching Stalwarts

As of this morning, the Rockies have made one trip through their starting rotation. This horrible ragtag sad excuse for a starting rotation has turned in four quality starts in five games. Chacin, Francis, and Garland were particularly impressive. Does this mean that the Rockies starting pitching woes are over? Absolutely not. However, for the first time in a long time, we have reasons to be encouraged about the Rockies pitching.

It is still way too early to start tossing around pitching metrics like they’re reliable, but it is worth noting that the Rockies’ BABIP is pretty low right now. That’s a product of two things: quality defense, and unfortunately, a little luck. Because of Coors, as a staff, they usually have one of the highest BABIPs in baseball. So, you can expect opponents to post some more runs on the board in the future — especially when they aren’t playing the Padres. However, if the defensive improvement holds, that will be a tremendous help. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out with the rotation, but the early results have been extremely encouraging. I don’t think anyone expected them to pitch this well.

Padres picked over Rockies?

A lot of ‘experts’ picked the Rockies to finish last in the West. After watching the Padres for the last two nights, I’m wondering how that’s possible. San Diego is a bad team with lineup that is only slightly less feeble than the Astros. As a team, they are hitting .190. I found myself wondering if there was any Padres position player I’d take over the Rockies player at the same position. The answer is a ‘hell no’.

I think some people got really carried away with the Rockies hate this offseason. After last year, it was easy to forget how great CarGo and Tulo truly are and many seriously underestimated this lineup. I’m not even convinced yet that they’ll flirt with .500, but I know they are much better than the Padres. The Rockies have at least three players that are better than anyone on San Diego’s entire roster. I’m extremely confident that the Rox will finish with a better record.

Hopefully, this upcoming week goes as well as last.

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20 years ago, 80,000 plus fans showed up to watch Major League Baseball in Colorado. It's been a wild ride since.

Today marks the 20^th year of Major League Baseball being played in Colorado.  That’s a remarkable thing.  I still remember visiting Colorado as a kid and getting all excited about the new baseball team with the cool colors and logo.  Twenty years later, I never could have guessed how my relationship with this team would provide so many memorable life moments and incredibly maddening times as well.  Unfortunately, the last two seasons have been mostly loaded with frustration.    To some extent, all the losing has taken a little bit of the anticipation out of this season.  Usually I’m fired up in February, but it took until mid-March before I really dove into baseball this year.  Regardless, for at least one day, none of that matters.  It’s Opening Day and that’s cause for celebration – no matter if your team is great or awful.

It may not seem like it from that intro, but I am cautiously optimistic about the 2013 Rockies.  That’s not to say I think they’re going to the World Series, but I do think they have a good chance to be better than they were last year.  In the end, I suppose improvement is all any of us can ask for.  Beyond just wins and losses there are several things I’m hoping to see happen this year for the Rockies.  In fact, there are ten.  Here is a list in no particular order:

Wilin Rosario learns how to catch

Rosario has to get significantly better behind the dish.  I hate the idea of moving him to another position, but if there isn’t improvement on the defensive end, the Rockies may not have a choice.  When the Rockies win (see 2007, 2009, and 2010), great defense is always part of the equation.  It’s the one real way you can neutralize Coors Field.  Last year, they were atrocious defensively, and their young catcher was a big part of that.  It starts with him.

Nolan Arenado takes the next step

If feels like we’ve been waiting on Arenado forever, so it’s easy to forget that he will turn 22 in a couple of weeks.  Mike Trout and Bryce Harper aside, that’s young.  He is still very green on the diamond and emotionally.  It didn’t make sense to start the season with him in the bigs because of MLB’s Super 2 rules, but we will see him this summer.  The most important thing with him will be patience, both from the organization and the fans.  He has a chance to be a special player.  Hopefully we see some of that this year.

Dexter Fowler makes the All-Star team

For the first time in his career, Dexter’s spot on this team is firmly secured.  He doesn’t have to worry about being sent down to the minors anymore, and after the front office refused to trade him this offseason (something I’m glad about) he should feel confident that won’t happen either.  Last year, was a break out year for the rangy centerfielder, but he still has his detractors.  Coming off the best spring of his career will hopefully vault Dex into a hot start and spot in the All-Star game.  A dynamic centerfielder is important at Coors Field and we’ve been watching one grow up in front of us every night.  I think this is the year he officially arrives as an elite NL outfielder.

The starting rotation finally stabilizes

This one speaks for itself.  The Rockies aren’t going to have a staff full of aces — maybe ever — but they can win without that.  In 2007, their rotation wasn’t anything to get excited over, but they ate up innings and kept the team in games.  That’s all they need.  Hopefully, Jeff Francis can impart this lesson on his fellow starters.

Todd Helton plays over 120 games

Simply put, Todd Helton is the Rockies best option at first base.  He looked great in spring training, but then, we’ve seen that before.  Helton has to produce this year, but it probably isn’t reasonable to expect 140 plus games out of him.  They need to set Helton on a pace that will allow him to stay productive through September.   120 seems like the right balance.

Tulo plays over 150 games

He’s the best shortstop in baseball.  They can’t win without him on the field.  That’s all there is to it.  If Tulo can’t stay healthy this year, the Rockies can’t compete.  Nothing else to say about it.

Josh Rutledge slams the second base revolving door shut

Remember Jose Lopez?  I wish I didn’t.  Second base has been a problem spot pretty much since EY Sr. left.  We saw plenty to get excited over from Rutledge last season.  It would be a great thing if he finally stabilized that spot.  This could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

The Rockies finish in the top ten in attendance

Don’t laugh.  It’s possible.  If this team is sniffing around .500 in June and July, people are going to be interested.  And if they can do as well at the gates as they did last year, it’s perfectly reasonable to think they could finish in the top ten.

Jhoulys Chacin and Jorge De La Rosa make 30 starts a piece

If this happens, the Rockies will have a stable starting rotation.  The organization was banking on this happening last year, and the fact that neither pitcher even came close was a huge part of the problem.  If they don’t get much out of DLR and Chacin we could be in for another long season.  Arguably, their health is more important than anybody except for Tulo.

Coors Field becomes a home field advantage again

Obviously, the Rockies home park is a tough place to play baseball.  Nobody is arguing that fact.  However, their home ballpark has been used as an excuse by the front office for losing these past two seasons.  That needs to stop immediately.  The truth about Coors is that it should be an enormous home field advantage.  That’s been the case in years past.  As hard as Coors is for the Rockies to deal with, it should be way worse for teams that don’t play there all the time.  If they get back to dominating in Denver, this will be a much better season.

Admittedly, there is a lot of wishful thinking in this list, but hey, it’s Opening Day, Jack.  What we all want, ultimately, is for this team to be competitive again.  If they’re still playing meaningful games in July and August, I’ll be one happy man.  I’m sure that everyone can agree on that.

Enjoy this national holiday.  It truly is a special day.

@Logan_Burdine

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Torito!

For those that aren’t completely wrapped up in Peyton Manning and the Broncos, there was some noteworthy baseball news today.  The awards for AL and NL Rookie of the Year were announced.  The Rockies had a horse in the race – Wilin Rosario – but there was never really any doubt about this one.  This was super hyped Bryce Harper’s award from the day he was called up.  Now, that’s not to say it should’ve gone to Rosario, who finished fourth, but there is an argument to be made that Wilin should’ve been at least in the top three.

Before let’s go any further on Rosario, I would’ve voted for Arizona’s Wade Miley.  Miley was quietly excellent this year, but, like I said, this was never going to anyone besides Harper.  That’s a shame, too, because Miley certainly deserved it more.  He was easily the Diamondback’s best pitcher, finishing the year with a 3.33 ERA and 3.15 FIP over 194.2 innings.  (What we wouldn’t give to get that in Colorado out of someone next year.)  He was tied for fourth overall in NL pitcher fWAR and ranked in the top five in walks per nine.  Those are fantastic numbers.  I think he was robbed.

As far as Rosario goes, I think you can make a pretty strong argument for third.  While I think Harper was over-hyped this year, I can’t vote for Rosario over him strictly because Wilin had such a poor year defensively.  However, I will say, I think there is a chance – though be it small – that Rosario winds up the more valuable of the two players.  Harper’s youth makes him so promising, obviously, but Rosario is just 23.  Sometimes we lose perspective on that.  Yes, his D was far less than satisfactory last year, but he has so much room to grow and he’s very green.  Still, he had a helluva offensive season this year — .356 wOBA, 111 wRC+, and 28 HRs in just 115 games.  As far as power from a rookie catcher goes, Rosario’s only real peer is Mike Piazza.  In other words, legit potential. 

Beyond his defense, the thing critics like to point out about Rosario is his low OBP.  However, as Tracy Ringolsby pointed out today, Wilin made some big strides in that department over the second half.  Interestingly enough, he walked more in August and September than he did the rest of the season combined.  Progress is all you can ask for from a 23 year-old catcher, and the fact that he finished the year strong despite playing such a rigorous position and dealing with such an awful pitching staff is even more encouraging.  As he develops, I’m confident he’ll improve his plate discipline.

One idea being tossed around by many is to move Rosario to first base because of his defensive issues.  It’s a terrible idea.  Even if you don’t believe offense is more valuable at catcher than at first base – it definitely is by the way – you can’t give up on the kid after 115 big league games.  It would be foolish to move him at this point.  If, in a couple of years, he hasn’t progressed then you can talk about moving him.  But for now, he’s right where he needs to be.

One final note on the ROY voting, and all of the baseball awards this year – for the first time the BBWAA is making their ballots public.  Patrick Saunders voted Miley, Rosario, Harper.  Another local writer, Jack Etkin, gave a third place vote to Jordan Pacheco.  I have a lot of respect for Jack Etkin, but I can’t get behind that.  Pacheco did a fine job learning a new position on the fly and was pretty serviceable at the plate, but there were a lot of rookies who had better seasons, including his teammate Rosario.

Another player I felt like deserved a little more recognition is Norichika Aoki for the Brewers.  He had very solid rookie season as well.

There will be some other awards announced soon.  Don’t worry though, no Rockies will be slighted on any of those.  That much we know for sure.  Unless of course they decide to give an award for biggest turnaround after being traded by the team that you quit on.  Guthrie would win that one in a landslide.

@Logan_Burdine

Continue reading »]]> A common train of thought these days is that managers, by-in-large, do more harm than good, and furthermore, even the good ones are generally overrated.  I don’t agree with that.  Just because leadership isn’t quantifiable doesn’t mean it isn’t extremely valuable.  To see an illustration of this, you need to look no further than the 2011-2012 Colorado Rockies.  Jim Tracy, while being a hell of a guy, was an ineffective leader.  Lost in the frustration of the last two years is the fact that this team, as it is currently constructed, does not have 100 loss talent.  Certainly, injuries have been part of the problem, but clearly, Tracy was not getting the most out of his team.  They are better than they performed last year.  His decision to walk away was a blessing.

However, with the way things have gone in Colorado lately, there was legitimate concern that whoever the Rockies brought in as Jim’s replacement would be a bad choice and probably a puppet for O’Dowd and Geivett.   The Rockies need a manager that can relate to players – at which Tracy apparently excelled – but also demand accountability – at which Tracy was a failure.  In addition to that, this team also needs someone that can stand up to DOD and Geivett.  In fact, they need a leader that will make DOD feel like Geivett’s presence in the clubhouse is no longer necessary.  That can’t be an ideal situation; after all, it’s difficult to follow if you are being pointed in two different directions.

I think they found their man.  Over the last few days, I’ve come around more and more on Walt Weiss to the point where I now think this was a terrific hire.  I would even go so far as to say that this is the most positive thing to happen in this organization in a couple of years.

When last we spoke, I mentioned my concerns about Walt’s close relationship with O’Dowd, but I also said that he might be the best candidate out of the four.  But, here’s the thing about Walt Weiss – he has stood up to this organization before and ended up leaving all together, but clearly he earned their respect in the process.  By all accounts, he’s not the type of guy that will just lie down and take whatever Geivett and DOD give to him.  That is why I’m encouraged about him running this team.  The Rockies got themselves a man with some backbone.  I could be wrong.  It certainly wouldn’t be the first time, but from talking to some folks in the know that was the impression I was given.

The fact that Weiss hasn’t managed in the bigs before is not a concern.  Weiss played for, and presumably learned from, the following men while he was in the majors: Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox, Don Baylor, and Rene Lachmann.  (Lachmann will probably be hired as the Rockies hitting coach.)  La Russa and Cox, the two he spent the most time with, are Hall of Famers.  For managerial school, he essentially went to Yale for undergrad and got his graduate degree from Harvard.  In other words, I like his pedigree.

Weiss and the Rockies agreed to a one year deal, which at first look seems peculiar since this is the same org that recently agreed to a lifetime handshake agreement with the guy who just walked away.  However, functionally, Weiss’s contract doesn’t play out any different than Tracy’s.  O’Dowd said today that they are all on one year deals anyway.  I don’t feel like that’s true for Dan, but it really is for most people in the baseball industry.  Weiss will have to get results.  He’ll be given a little bit of a leash since they were a disaster this year, but if he does a good job, and both sides want to continue the relationship, he’ll be back.  It’s no different than the situation with at least half the managers in baseball.

It would not surprise me in the least if Weiss winds up in the manager of the year conversation next year.  While I obviously believe in Weiss’s abilities, that’s more a statement on the Rockies’ talent than it is him.  If they get a healthy Chacin, DLR, and Tulo next year, it’s not out of the question to expect a fifteen win improvement.  That would have them flirting with .500, a benchmark that would garner Weiss some attention.

Overall, I say quality hire.  I believe they got a guy that will demand accountability, value defense, appreciate a player that gets on base, stand up to the bosses, and perhaps most importantly, be able to relate to and develop young players.  How’s that?  A little positivity on this site for once.

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Since the Rockies are looking for a puppet, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog seems like a terrific choice.

You’ll have to forgive us for being so quiet lately here at BSB.  It’s taken a bit longer than I expected for me to get over the seven month gut punch that the Rockies just gave us.  I’m sure the same can be said for everyone else.  The home squad lost 98 games, Tulo missed most of the season, their division rival won the World Series for the second time in three years, and it all tasted like crap.

The good news is that you probably didn’t have to see the Giants sweep the Tigers in the World Series.  Based on the ratings, I don’t think any games were shown outside of San Francisco and Detroit.  All in all, I have to say that 2012 was one of the worst baseball seasons ever.  That’s mostly because it was the worst season in Rockies history, but the San Fran championship didn’t help things.  That said, 2012 is over now and I’d like to move on from it as quickly as possible.

Thankfully the Rockies’ managerial search appears to be in its final stages, giving me something worthwhile to discuss for the first time in what feels like a year.  Now, based on how you view this managerial search, you may be even more depressed.  After all, this is a job that the worst tactical manager in baseball decided he couldn’t handle anymore, so it’s tough to get too excited.  Nevertheless, I think we can all agree that any fresh face running the Rockies dugout will be a welcome change.  And to give the Rockies some credit, one of the prospective new managers actually seems like decent choice.  Here is the breakdown:

(Sadly, meltdown specialist and my personal favorite Wally Backman, is not a candidate to manage the Rockies.  Though his entertaining tantrums would increase the quality of the on-field product, Wally would probably end up getting into a fist fight with Geivett or O’Dowd or Dick Monfort or all of the above at the same time.  I dream about him running the Rox on a daily basis, but a dream is all it will ever be.) 

Jason Giambi

On the face of it, Giambi’s inclusion in this search seems to be a move designed to pacify an upset fanbase.  However, he is apparently close with the Monforts and is a very legitimate candidate.  Personally, Giambi is one of my favorite ballplayers.  I met him when I was a visitors’ bat boy for the Rangers and he was one of the nicest guys I ever met in three years at that job.  It also seems like he will make a great manager one day.  But, you have to question whether a guy who is technically still a player on a team that seems to lack accountability, and has zero managerial experience, is the proper hire.

On one hand, I applaud the organization for thinking outside the box on some level, but hiring Giambi doesn’t really seem like the best move for this team as it is currently constructed.  And quite frankly, I’m not even sure it’s the best move for Giambi.  Let’s face it, running the Rockies exactly as Bill Geveitt and Dan O’Dowd instruct is probably not the best way for a young manager to get started.  I like the idea of Jason Giambi running the Rockies a lot more than I would if it actually happened.

Tom Runnells

When Tracy resigned, my first thought was that the Rockies would probably hire someone like Runnells – an established baseball man who would be more than willing to be a puppet if it meant another shot at running a team.  Granted, that may be unfair to Runnells, but it does seem like that is what the Rockies want right now.

However, hiring Runnells would not be a sound PR move.  This team needs to sell some tickets for next year and fans are already upset.  If they hire Runnells it will come off as more of the status quo, which won’t sit well with an angry fanbase.  My theory is that Runnells is the guy O’Dowd and Geivett want the most, but the Monforts are hesitant.  That’s total speculation though.  I have him in last place out of these four, for what it’s worth.

One can only dream....

Walt Weiss

Walt Weiss is obviously close to Dan O’Dowd, which begs the question — anyone noticing a trend here?  I would be more comfortable with the Rockies hiring Walt Weiss if he wasn’t so closely affiliated with the organization already.  He is a sound baseball mind and his lack of big league managerial experience isn’t all that concerning.  The man knows the game.

However, this team needs a substantial shakeup and Weiss doesn’t seem to represent that.  Like Runnels and Giambi, he’s already an insider with the organization.  Personally, I’d like to see someone fresh.  Perhaps that’s not the best reason against Weiss, but it’s hard not to feel that way about the Rockies right now.  Truth is that Weiss might be the best hire out of the four finalists, but you have to wonder if he’s just getting a shot because of his relationship with DOD.  I don’t see being that close to the GM as a good thing.

Matt Williams

If I had my druthers, the Rockies would go get a forward thinker like Dave Martinez and let him have full rein with the team, but that’s not going to happen.  It’s going to be one of these four candidates.  And since that’s the case, I’m pulling for Matt Williams.  Williams would come to the Rockies from the dugout of Kirk Gibson.  He’s no nonsense.  He’s not friends with the players.  Most importantly, I believe out of these four candidates that Williams is the most likely to tell Bill Geivett to shove it.

At some point next season, whoever is running the Rockies will have to fight that battle with Geivett and walk a fine line between crossing the boss and keeping the players’ respect.  It’s quietly one of the most daunting aspects about the job; a meddling, façade of a GM is going to be sitting in the clubhouse every single day, second guessing and undermining the manager on a frequent basis.  Why do you think Jim Tracy turned in his walking papers?  It’s not because he didn’t want to manage a big league baseball team anymore.  Williams is a tough customer and I really don’t see him taking flack from a guy like Geivett.  That’s also why I don’t think he’ll get hired.

Out of these four candidates, Williams offers the organization its best chance for real, substantive change.  He wouldn’t be my first choice, but out of this group, he’s the only choice.  That said, my money is on Weiss with Giambi coming in a close second.

UPDATE:  News came out this morning that the Rockies have met with Steve Buechele about the open position.  Buechele is currently a minor league manager in the Rangers system.  I grew up in Arlington when Bue was the third baseman for the Rangers, so I have fond memories of the man.  However, I have no idea what kind of manager he’ll make.  Interesting turn of events after the Rockies seemed to be close to a decision.  Makes you wonder if they became disenchanted with all of the above.  No need to hurry though.  The puppet will have plenty of time to get ready for 2013.  One caveat on Bue before I wrap this up, teams will often grant interviews to prospective managers as a favor to someone else.  Buechele has some friends out there and I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that he was brought as a favor just so Bue could get on the radar of some other teams.

- @Logan_Burdine

Continue reading »]]> I’ve been pretty quiet for the last couple of months, and for those that care, I apologize for that.  My goal is always to post on Blake Street frequently, but sometimes life takes over and this gets put on the backburner for me.  Thankfully, the rest of the BSB crew has done an excellent job of picking up the slack.  And let’s face it, coming up with different things to say about the 2012 Rockies isn’t exactly an easy thing to do.

Certainly, there are much worse problems in life than being a fan of a putrid baseball team.  It is just a game.  However, if you are reading this blog, chances are that you care – probably quite a bit – and the simple truth about this Rockies’ team is that they have taken much of the enjoyment out of watching baseball for their fans.  Unfortunately, the organization doesn’t seem to realize that.  Or, if it does, it doesn’t care.

Earlier today, on Purple Row, Bryan Kilpatrick released a piece about the Rockies being a public relations disaster.  If you haven’t read it, do so for context before reading the rest of this.  It’s well written, and lays out the conundrum many media members face while covering the Rockies.  As a blog, we have the freedom to say whatever we’d like about the organization.  BSB isn’t credentialed.  Based on the things we write and the Rockies reputation, that won’t change any time soon.  But, it is what it is.  I don’t begrudge the organization that stance.  Nor do I begrudge the members of the media that are hesitant to speak ill of the organization.  After all, we all have to make a living.   I feel like the situation with the Rockies and the media allows us to provide readers with a unique perspective that you can’t find in the Denver Post or on Root.  Not better, just different.

However, I do begrudge the Rockies for things like Bryan wrote about in his post.  Like the Rockies and Kilpatrick, I’m not a fan of Peter Burns’ Road to 100 movement.  It’s silly.  But, I do know that Peter was close to Aurora Theater shooting victim, Jessica Redfield, and his work with the foundation he started in her name is very commendable.  When it comes to something like that, you’d like to think that the Rockies PR department would be able to look past a little negativity regarding their on-field product.  Obviously, there isn’t much to defend in the first place, but just beyond that, by turning down a chance to contribute to something good that sprung out of the evil in Aurora, the Rockies gave the entire Denver community a collective slap to the face.

The refusal to grant Burns a radio interview came across as vindictive.  It’s okay to be annoyed with a local writer or radio host for saying something unfair about the organization, but the Rockies need to realize that people take pride in their work and it’s totally ridiculous to expect the local media to only say positive things about the on field product.  That’s especially true of the 2012 Rockies — currently 33 games below .500 – but even a team that’s in first place shouldn’t be above criticism.  Writers posting columns, radio hosts leading discussions, fans digesting it all – these are things that help drive the business cycle for the Rockies.  Whether it’s good or bad, they should just be happy that someone is discussing this team right now.  And why do they care if a radio host is saying something negative anyway?  It’s very strange how on one hand they don’t seem to care what the public thinks, but then on the other, they get really bent out of shape at the media.

I’m not close to anyone in the Rockies front office.  I don’t know a single person.  I know some people that are close, but that’s as far as it goes.   Everyone that works for the Rockies might be an incredible person.  I have no idea either way.  I also think there are times when a professional sports franchise should be perfectly willing to ignore public perception.  But the Rockies strange approach to public relations makes little sense.  One thing is for certain, fans are beginning to feel like the explanations for the 2012 disaster have been a bit smug, and right now, the public perception of this organization isn’t very good.

The Rockies dubbed 2012 as The Year of the Fan.  That sentence just drips with irony.  It’s been anything but that.  Yet, the Rockies will still finish in the top half of baseball in attendance.  They are about to go over 2.5 million for the year.  Not bad for a team this awful.  Unfortunately, it seems like the organization is taking that support for granted.  Judging from what I’ve seen on Twitter lately and the feeling I get from the fanbase in general, the solid attendance figures may drop next season.  Every time the GM tells the newspaper that we don’t understand what he has to deal with, and that nobody else could do his job, you can almost hear the collective groan coming out of Denver.  People are very tired of all things Rockies right now.  It will be interesting to see how they do in season ticket sales this offseason.

Of course, if they start winning, people will show up, but I’m beginning to think if things stay the same, people won’t be attending as many Rockies’ games.  That’s just a theory, but the Rockies need to pay attention.  Also, it would be a nice gesture after this disastrous season for them to go out of their way a little in an effort to rebuild some goodwill and trust with the fans.  This may seem obvious, but apparently that’s not the case.

Maybe this team just doesn’t deserve these fans.

-@Logan_Burdine

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Can you imagine what would've happened if any team tried to put Nolan on a 75 pitch count?

As of this morning, the Colorado Rockies are tied for the worst record in all of baseball.  When O’Dowd decided to introduce his grand Coors Field pitching experiment, many asked if things could actually get worse.  Well, things are worse.  Being baseball’s most putrid team is in no way a good thing.   The first pick in the draft?  Give me a break.  I don’t even trust O’Dowd with the 25^th pick.  I’m terrified about what he’ll do with the first pick.

A month ago, I didn’t think the Rockies would be in the running for the top pick in 2013, but with the Tulo injury and this ridiculous rotation scheme, it has become a legitimate possibility.   This is a bad, bad baseball team.  However, to hear the GM speak on things, there wasn’t a thing that could’ve been done about it.  The craptastic 2012 Rockies are snake bit by Coors Field and injuries and it has nothing to do with soft fly balls or slow heartbeats.  Don’t blame Danny.  And if you do, well, that means you just don’t get it.

I grew up in Texas watching a team that played in a prodigious hitters’ park and had to deal with a harsh environment that, in the minds of many, wore down pitchers and made it impossible to win there.  I’m speaking of the Rangers, obviously.  As we’ve seen over the past couple of seasons, the theories about the Texas heat and its effects on the Rangers have proven to be completely false.  As it turns out, talent, mindset, leadership, and accountability can trump environment. 

The changes that occurred in Texas were no doubt monumental, but none of it could’ve happened if they hadn’t gotten out from under a terrible owner in Tom Hicks.  Hicks was dumb and overleveraged himself.  Otherwise, he’d probably still be calling the shots in Texas.  Unfortunately, the Rockies ownership situation is stable – not good by any means, but certainly stable.  In other words, the Monforts aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.  That fact alone may make it impossible for the Rockies to follow a similar pattern as the Rangers, but we can still hope, I suppose.

After getting rid of Hicks, the next biggest difference in Texas has been Nolan Ryan.  Ryan, one of baseball’s all-time workhorses on the mound, changed their approach by placing an emphasis on conditioning and actually learning how to pitch.  In the offseason, guys learned how to get into shape and carry that through the season.  The impact was felt immediately.  In 2008, they were one of the worst staffs in baseball.  In 2009, they were above average.  And the last two seasons, they’ve been fantastic.  And all they did was raise expectations about what they expect from pitchers on and off the field.

Now, I can’t speak to the Rockies conditioning, but with everything that has been happening around here, you have to wonder if it is up to par.  This offseason, after two disappointing seasons in AA, Christian Friedrich got his career back on track simply by placing an emphasis on training.  Only, Friedrich didn’t really grasp the importance of being in shape until he spent some time with Cliff Lee.  Maybe this is unfair, but you have to at least question why the Rockies weren’t able to effectively deliver that same message.  Perhaps it is more about their inability to hold their own players accountable.  Before spring training, O’Dowd publically called out Chacin for being out of shape.  At the time, I didn’t like it, but now that Chacin is on the DL, maybe Dan was right.  Whatever the case, it’s an issue that should’ve been dealt with in the offseason.  Once March comes around, it’s too late.

DOD & Co. seem to genuinely believe that it is impossible to keep pitchers healthy in Colorado, but instead of giving up on the Coors Field Rubik’s Cube, maybe they should go all Nolan on the pitching staff.  It’s probably time to stop coddling pitchers and let them loose.  Maybe they’ll get hurt, but one thing is for certain, cutting off young pitchers at 75 pitches will make it impossible for them to ever be the durable workhorses that the Rockies so desperately need.

In a 2010 SI article about Nolan and the Rangers, Bill James was quoted as saying this:

“Backing away from the pitcher’s limits too far doesn’t make a pitcher less vulnerable; it makes him more vulnerable. And pushing the envelope, while it may lead to a catastrophic event, is more likely to enhance the pitcher’s durability than to destroy it.”

Basically, injury risk is inevitable, but the SI article linked above really drives home the point about limiting development.  In fact, it’s a must read for any Rockies’ fan right now.  There are so many parallels with this current organization and the way the Rangers were run before Nolan and Jon Daniels came along.

There are too many variables at play for the blame of the Rockies’ historically poor pitching to fall squarely on Coors Field.  Like in the case of the Rangers, the lack of success probably has more to do with poor direction and a general lack of pitching talent than it does with their environment.   Ultimately, the Rockies can’t turn this around until the excuses stop.  Winning organizations see excuses for what they are – a pathway to losing.  In the Rockies case, the excuses have them on pace to lose 100.

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He's not going anywhere, unless O'Dowd just hates Denver, which might be possible.

Over the weekend, Dan O’Dowd went on a political style campaign tour to make sure everyone listening knows that the state of the Rockies’ pitching is Coors Field’s fault.  That’s the way it seemed anyway.  First, the great Jerry Crasnick of ESPN published a story about how Coors Field is playing like Coors Field pre-humidor days.  At least, that’s what Dan O’Dowd claimed to Crasnick.  (It’s worth noting that I also had a piece on the Rockies for ESPN that was published as a side post to Crasnick’s.  It’s about defense, which I’ve written about on here plenty of times, but it might be worth a read anyway.)  And secondly, DOD gave a rather gas inducing interview to KOA’s Rockies Dugout on Saturday, which was recapped here by Chris.

These two interviews left me with the impression that the Rockies’ beleaguered GM is frustrated, disappointed, a little angry, flippant, and most of all completely without answers as to how to turn this thing around.  They were not confidence inspiring interviews, to put it lightly.

Dan O’Dowd, the Monforts, and Jim Tracy need to stop using Coors Field as an excuse.  Do they have an uphill battle because of the conditions of their home park?  Almost certainly, but it’s pretty foolish to spout off about how Coors is back at pre-humidor offensive levels when you ignored the importance of GB% and defense this past off-season.  We may not know everything there is to know about playing baseball at altitude, but we do know a couple of things for sure – you have to play excellent defense and it really helps to keep the ball out of the air as much as possible.  I don’t know if O’Dowd was out to disprove this or what, but the additions of Guthrie and Cuddyer seem to indicate that he doesn’t believe those two things to be true.  Essentially, he claims that he hasn’t been able to figure anything out about Coors during his decade plus tenure as GM.  Of course, us peons can’t understand that, but DOD assures us that’s because we don’t live Coors baseball like he does. 

Not to mention, even if the home stadium is playing like it is 1995 again – which I don’t believe for the record – you have to stop talking about it.  This is the hand they’ve been dealt.  The stadium is new and beautiful and probably the number one reason why their attendance is so solid despite the team being pure garbage.  They can’t put a dome on it and they aren’t moving from Colorado.  Tailor the team to fit, and instead of bemoaning how tough Coors is on the pitching staff, start talking about how it is a tough place for opposing teams to play.  When the Rockies are at their best, it’s because they murder opponents at Coors.  Their mindset needs to change from “Woe is us.  It’s so hard here” to “Opponents hate coming to Colorado because they can’t win here.”  The kind of defeatist attitude displayed by Tracy and O’Dowd lately is the poorest kind of leadership, which might be the number one problem currently faced by this organization.

Now, let’s move on to CarGo….

Last week, there was some talk out of New York about trading for Carlos Gonzalez.  I dismissed that talk as meaningless chatter from Yankees fans thinking they can just have whatever player they want.  However, on Saturday night, I received an e-mail from Jamey Newberg, the man behind the extremely popular Newberg Report, which is the go to source for all things Rangers – big leagues and minors.  It was about CarGo and if it had come from most blogs, I would’ve laughed it off and sent some sort of ridiculous trade demand, e.g. Harper, Strasburg, and Gio straight up for CarGo.  However, Newberg is different, so it got my attention.

Let’s start off by saying this: CarGo isn’t going to be traded.  So, all of this is just lip service.  It’s meaningless chatter.  If it were coming from the Rockies side, like it was last year with Ubaldo, then there would be something to it.  That’s not the case.  But, what probably has or will happen is that teams will be calling the Rockies.  They might be calling about Scutaro or Belisle and merely gauging their interest in trading Gonzalez, but they will be calling quite a bit over the next month. Inevitably, the Rox will be asked about CarGo.  They are sellers.  That’s how it works in July.

Now, I understand why everyone is so angry about these rumors.  CarGo is pretty awesome, on the field and off.  Not only that, he is locked up to a great deal and is one of the few bright spots on the team this year.  However, whenever the phone rings and an opportunity arises to make your team better, you have to remove emotion from the process and at least listen to what’s being said on the other end.  If a trade proposal were placed on the table and we truly knew that by trading CarGo the Rockies could quickly turn themselves back into contenders, that’s a trade that needs to be made.  The good news – or depending on how you look at it, bad news – is that there is very little chance of a trade like that ever being proposed, like probably actually a 0% chance.  Baseball doesn’t work like that.

I think most Rockies fans are a little spooked after the house cleaning that took place last year and that’s why there is so much fear that this will happen.  But, the truth is that rumors of great players on awful teams being traded are rampant every year around this time.  Most of the time, nothing comes of it, but a blockbuster went down here last year so the rumors are carrying a little more weight with people than usual.

To begin with, there are very few teams that could afford to give up the package of players it would take to get CarGo.  The Rangers might be one of those teams, but even the package Jamey presented on his site Sunday morning wouldn’t be close to enough.  I told him it would take their number one prospect (Jurickson Profar, a SS who could play 2B here), a solid big league starter, another starter that is on the verge, and at least two big time arms in the lower minors.  But here is the deal – no team is going to walk into a trade that lopsided.  Ever.  In addition to that, while I think the Rockies can be awfully foolish, I don’t believe they are foolish enough to trade their best player for a bunch of developing pitchers, especially since they have been complaining about their own inability to develop pitchers lately.

Carlos Gonzalez is here and will be for a very long time, unless he decides he wants to leave.  So, let’s just take it easy.  He’s ours.  Those greedy, rich bullies in the AL will just have to go find their own Little Pony.

@Logan_Burdine

Continue reading »]]> According to ESPN’s standings, the Rockies have a 0.7% chance of making the playoffs.  For a team ranking in the top five in runs scored, it’s pretty remarkable that they’re effectively eliminated from the postseason and it’s only mid-June.  However, there has been a lot of doom and gloom around here lately, so I’m going to attempt to write about something positive today.  Here goes:

• Matt Belisle is really good.
• How about the view from section 317?  That’s something else, right?
• Oh, and the Asheville Tourists won the first-half Southern Division championship in the South Atlantic League this week.  So there is that.

That’s all I can come up with.  Seriously.  Things are bleak, like getting swept at home by the freaking A’s bleak.  My wife and I were discussing Misery recently.  I think reading about Paul Sheldon getting his foot cut off is easier than watching the Rockies right now.  And the worst part is that there really isn’t a light at the end of the tunnel.  The owners seem to genuinely believe that they have the best GM and manager in baseball working for them and are perfectly satisfied with the current status quo. 

The regression since September 2010 has been truly remarkable.  Back then, the Rockies were on the verge of winning their first ever division title.  They pitched and played defense well.  They were completely dominant at Coors Field.  On September 18, 2010 they were 82-66 after making a run to climb within a game of first place in the NL West.  Then the nose dive began.  They lost 13 of their last 14 to finish 83-79.  And honestly, they have yet to pull out of it.  In fact, they’ve just gotten progressively worse, basically by the month.

O’Dowd has been running the show since the late ‘90s and has yet to learn what kind of team wins at Coors.  If he stays, what hope is there?  It’s depressing to say that, but it’s just the truth.  The team keeps asking for patience year in and year out, but let’s be honest, this team’s fans are about as patient as it gets.  They’ll go over 2.5 million in attendance this year and the product on the field is absolute garbage.  This isn’t a rabid group, and any characterization of them being “blood thirsty” is completely unfair.  It’s a good group of fans, great actually, and it’s time for ownership to make a real effort at putting a contender on the field.  All we really ask is that they make an effort and frankly it’s hard to believe the Monforts are really trying to produce winners.  I truly don’t believe there is another organization in baseball that would tolerate what has been going on here over the last few years.

Honestly, I could never stop watching the Rockies or attending games.  I love baseball.  That will never change.  But, this team is making this a brutal year and it may not change anytime soon unless there is a dent in the Monfort’s bank accounts.  It’s not fair, but that’s the reality of professional baseball in Denver.

Every night, we watch a different pitcher get lit up, followed by the same lip service from the manager.  “He just needs to be more consistent.  He’s close though.  This is a tough park to pitch in.  That kid is going to be special one day.” And about a thousand other tired clichés.  It’s a dead horse.

At this point, I honestly don’t know everything that needs to be done to fix this squad, but it seems like a good idea to change the current direction completely.  It is quite obviously not working.

See there.  I tried to write something positive and it just turned into a rant.  No stats, no insight, just me moaning over the truly awful state of the Rockies.   I feel better though.  Feel free to do the same in the comments section, because I know you’re fed up as well.  Blake Street Bulletin B**** Session now convening.

@Logan_Burdine