Continue reading »]]> Don’t look now, Carlos Gonzalez es caliente!

Carlos Gonzalez es en fuego!

The Rockies’ star left fielder has caught fire as of late, helping his team to three victories in six games and get back to .500 at 12-12 overall.

Wednesday afternoon, with the Rockies down 1-0 in the fourth, CarGo went deep to tie the game up at one. Later in the game, his team needing him to come through again after the Dodgers scored two runs in the top of the eighth, Gonzalez smashed a two-run homer with his sweet swing to put Colorado ahead 5-3.

It looked to be the knockout blow, but the Dodgers hit back, as Dee Gordon’s double off of Rafael Betancourt scored two and tied the game up in the ninth.

In stepped Jason Giambi, who promptly went deep for a walk-off three-run homer to give the Rockies the 8-5 win and the series win over NL West leader Los Angeles.

It was a wonderful win and CarGo accounted for three of the Rockies runs Wednesday.

But that’s far from all Gonzalez has been doing from the plate lately.

The 26-year old Venezuelan has gone 12-23 (.522) over the last six games, including five homeruns, nine runs scored and 14 RBI.

Part of that production goes back to April 27, the Rockies crazy 18-9 win over the Mets a week ago. In that game, one of the most insane innings in Rockies history took place, when a total of 16 runs were scored by both teams, 11 by Colorado with the Mets committing four errors.

Gonzalez made it to the plate twice that inning, hitting a three-run homer his first time and a two-run double the second time up, tying a franchise-record of five RBIs in a single inning.

Two night’s later, a bit more Mile High Magic unfolded at Coors Field as Gonzalez belted the game-tying homerun in the 10th to keep the Rockies alive, though they eventually lost the next inning.

The next night, CarGo made an impact all over the yard, going 2-3 with two runs and RBIs each.

No doubt about it, Carlos Gonzalez—who has the arguably the sweetest swing in all of baseball—is on fire and it’s benefiting his team.

The Rockies now sit at 12-12 overall, a decent beginning of the season for the usual slow-starting team, but still 4.5 games behind LA in first.

CarGo’s carried the team the last week, but others must also chip in—like the Great Giambino Wednesday—for Colorado to play consistent winning baseball and move up the standings.

Rich Kurtzman is a freelance journalist. Follow him on twitter and/or facebook for breaking news, links to articles and need-to-know info on everything Colorado sports related.

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Big Time Timmy Jim wasn't looking so happy after only pitching 2 1/3 inning Wednesday, giving up 6 runs.

What a whacky Wednesday night in the Mile High City, where you watching?

The Rockies faced division foe San Francisco, who’s ageless Barry Zito blanked Colorado 7-0 Monday night at the Coors Field opener, and with ace Tim Lincecum on the mound, the Rox chances looked bleak.

But the men in purple pinstripes came out on fire; Carlos Gonzalez’s first triple of the night sent Marco Scutaro home and Troy Tulowitzki’s grounder pushed CarGo across the plate.

2-0 Rockies after one.

In the second, Michael Cuddyer knocked a double to left field and eventually scored to make it 3-0 Colorado after two.

The third inning brought only more fireworks; with Dexter Fowler doubling deep to right, CarGo hitting another triple to send Dex home and a wild pitch from Lincecum allowed an alert Gonzalez’s to scamper home after Timmy was slow to cover the plate.

It was too good to be true—the Rockies, who couldn’t muster more than five runs this season—were up 6-0 over the Giants.

Better yet, Lincecum was the one Colorado was battering and he was pulled in aver 2 1/3 innings—his shortest outing as a professional pitcher—giving up eight hits and six earned runs for a 12.91 ERA.

Colorado was riding a Rocky Mountain High, but that all came crashing down in the fourth.

Rockies “ace” Jeremy Guthrie cruised through the first three innings, giving up only four hits. But in the fourth, the wheels inexplicably fell off as he started the inning giving up back-to-back homeruns to Nate Schierholtz and Brandon Crawford.

With runners on the corners, Guthrie gave up a single to Melky Cabrera that scored one and Pablo Sandoval’s double scored another.

6-4 Rockies with runners on first and second, one out in the fourth.

And that was it for Guthrie, 3 1/3 innings giving up nine hits and eventually six earned runs as both Cabrera and Sandoval scored.

The Rox lost the lead with as Shierholtz, who led off the inning with a homer, scored Gregor Blanco on a sac fly.

Somehow, some way, the Rockies found themselves down 7-6 after a furiously fought fourth by the Giants.

That was all the fight San Fran had in them though, and the Rox rallied, taking the lead back in the bottom of the fourth at 9-7 and pouring on a demoralizing seven more runs in the fifth to put the Giants away.

In the end, Colorado won the game 17-8, lighting up Lincecum and the rival Giants along the way.

But troubling was Guthrie, who will be vastly important to the Rockies rotation going forward. In his first start he gave up only four hits, three earned runs and three walks, leading the team to victory and doing his job well. Wednesday night he crumbled after playing great through three innings.

Colorado needs him to be an inning-eater and an efficient veteran pitcher going forward and it will be interesting to see how Guthrie performs as the season unfolds.

Silly-good stats from Wednesday’s win

The Rockies as a team hit 22-45 Wednesday night, a combined .488 average.

Their 17 runs on the night were more than they scored in the four previous games totaled together (10). In fact, their runs per game average was a mere 2.5 before the blowout win against San Francisco.

The Minnesota Twins have scored 12 runs all season (six in Wednesday’s game) and the Rockies scored more than 12 runs by the end of the fifth inning.

Carlos Gonzalez was out of his mind in the game, going 3-5 with two triples, four RBI and four runs scored.

Rich Kurtzman is a freelance journalist actively seeking a career in journalism. Along with being a contributor to Blake Street Bulletin, Kurtzman is the Denver Nuggets Featured Columnist for Bleacherreport.com, the Denver Broncos and CSU Rams Examiner and Kurtzman also writes for Stadium Journey, and Mile High Hoops.

Follow Rich on twitter for breaking news, need-to-know retweets and interesting insight on the Rams and everything Colorado sports related.

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Continue reading »]]> 2011 has been one of the most frustrating seasons to watch if you’re a Rockies fan. They started off looking unbeatable, but fell off a cliff and into an abyss through the dog days of summer.

Team-wide hitting slumps, boneheaded baserunning errors, quirky lineup choices and injuries are to blame for their current sad state of affairs, sitting in third place in the NL West at seven games under .500 (61-68).

And despite all their troubles, Colorado is still “only” 8.5 games back of first in the division with 33 games left to play.

Could Colorado make a last-minute playoff push?

Well, the additions of Wandy Rodriguez and Kevin Kouzmanoff should help their case.

Rodriguez, a starting pitcher for the Houston Astros, was claimed off waivers by the Rockies this afternoon and he should be a huge help in the hurting rotation.

Rodriguez, in his seventh year as a professional, sports a 4.07 lifetime ERA with a record of 71-73. The lefty has been even better this season, going 9-9 in 23 starts, with a 3.31 ERA and 125 Ks compared to only 49 BB.

Possibly the most interesting stat about Rodriguez, as pointed out by my colleague Travis Lay via twitter, is that the pitcher’s home ERA (3.43) is much better than it is on the road (4.78) and Minute Maid Park is a hitter-friendly ballpark, just like Colorado’s home.

Additionally, his FIP has averaged 3.64 over the last four seasons, truly legit numbers.

But Rodriguez isn’t necessarily all wrapped up for the Rockies according to Denver Post beat writer Troy Renck.

Renck explained via twitter that Rodriguez’s high $36 million salary means Colorado will likely have to send away prospects for the Astros to eat some of his contract. The bigger the prospects, the more money Houston will eat. And if the Rockies’ prospects aren’t good enough in the Astros’ eyes, Houston can keep Rodriguez and opt to trade him in the offseason.

There’s no guarantee at this point that Rodriguez will be a Rockie, and what makes it even more convoluted is the fact that he could pitch against Colorado Wednesday night if he isn’t dealt by then. (The deadline is 11 a.m. Thursday.)

If Colorado does indeed land Rodriguez, he’d be a help now and in the future, giving the Rockies two left-handed starters when Jorge De La Rosa returns, helping form what could be a formidable front line of pitchers. ( A mix of Jhoulys Chacin, Aaron Cook, Jason Hammel, Esmil Rogers, Alex White, Drew Pomeranz and Juan Nicasio would fill the other three spots.)

In Kevin Kouzmanoff, the Rockies picked up a capable third baseman that will provide depth and may even be able to start for Colorado next season, giving them the ability to move Ty Wigginton to his natural utility role.

Rockies fans may remember him from his three-year stint with San Diego (2007-2009) when Kouzmanoff was the everyday starter for the Padres, just as he was last year with the Oakland Athletics.

While Kouzmanoff’s .255 batting average leaves something to be desired, he did average 19 HR, 79 RBI and 59 runs during the four years he’s started every day. His bat has some pop for a third baseman, more even than Wigginton’s, while Kouzmanoff’s .963 fielding percentage is 8th best among active 3B and includes an NL-best .990 in 2009.

For now, Kouzmanoff will report to Colorado Springs and AAA, but he could be called up before this season is over and will almost certainly get some playing time at third in 2012.

In all, these are quality moves by the Rockies, who seldom search out and get players late in the season. As long as Colorado doesn’t have to sell the farm to acquire Rodriguez, he’ll be a big boost as a starter, while Kouzmanoff will at least provide much-needed depth at third base, while his upside could be as high as being a cornerstone of the Rockies’ infield.

Nice work, Dan. Good to see you doing all you can to help the team with what little you have to work with.

Follow Rich Kurtzman on twitter for breaking news, interesting analysis and need-to-know Rockies’ retweets and on everything Colorado sports related.

Continue reading »]]> Ubaldo Jimenez was traded on July 30, 2011, and the unthinkable became reality for Rockies fans.

Rockies’ management must have rocks in their heads.

In Ubaldo, you found your man.

He was one of the most loyal players in Colorado Rockies history, taking a low salary compared to other pitchers at his level, yet he was happy to be with the team that gave him his first chance.

In Ubaldo Jimenez, the Rockies found their ace, the guy with insanely nasty overpowering stuff that could buckle the knees of the most accomplished of hitters.

For their first decade and a half of existence, the Rockies searched for their ace; someone, anyone that could not only survive in the rareified air of Coors Field, but thrive at a mile high.

Colorado found that ace in Ubaldo, and he finally emerged as one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2010, when he won a franchise record 19 games, even though he stumbled down the stretch. Make no doubt about it, Jimenez’s 2010 campaign was the best single season pitching performance in Colorado Rockies history.

Ubaldo’s wins (19), Strikeouts (214), WAR (7.2), Walks and Hits per IP (1.155), Hits per 9 IP (6.659), Shutouts (2), and Hrs per 9 IP (.406) were all franchise records, while his 2010 season ranked him 2nd in ERA (2.88), 5th in Strikeouts per 9 IP (8.69), and 6th in winning percentage (.704) in Rockies history.

There’s a reason why Ubaldo Jimenez was the starting pitcher of the 2010 All Star Game, at 15-1 at that point, and he was the first Rockies’ starter in an All Star Game in the franchise’s history.

But all that is in the past now.

Ubaldo Jimenez has pitched his last game in the Rockies purple pinstripes.

And what a game it was. Colorado threw him out onto the mound expecting him to throw strikes even though everyone in the Rockies’ dugout knew he had already been traded.

Ubaldo said himself, “I was very surprised because before the game, everybody knew it (the trade already happened), even me.”

He was lit up and it was a dastardly disheartening way to send off the greatest pitcher in franchise history, but that’s just the business of baseball I suppose.

Ubaldo went on to say, “It’s really hard to get traded,” traded from the team he saw himself retiring with one day.

The adopted hometown hero is gone forever, we can only remember his perplexing pitching prowess, his simple style but above all, his humility and warm, broad smile.

Yes, the Rockies got a whole heap of prospects (three pitchers and a first baseman/outfielder as explained by my colleague Travis Lay), but will any of them make the Rockies roar?

The best player in the deal, Drew Pomeranz, relies on an above-average curveball, but will it break in the mile high thin air?

This deal stinks.

Not just in the eyes of Rockies fans as they lose their beloved Ubaldo, but on a deeper level.

It stinks because in the last two years, the team has taken a step backwards. The Rockies have fallen off a precipice and into a deep abyss, from the face of a new generation to a team that has turned an about face.

Jim Tracy was the feel-good story of 2009.

He stepped in and admirably befriended his team as brethren, winning over their trust (as evidenced by many a late game embrace with a player), and he won over fans by just winning at all costs.

Dominant, disciplined defense, amazingly aggressive base running and hitting in the clutch were on the ’09 Rockies’ resume. Colorado ran off 74 wins (compared to 42 losses) under Tracy that year, and they made the wildcard with another wild finish out West.

Since then, Tracy’s Rockies are a mere mediocre 133-135 and the manager has seemingly lost his team; those two team meetings called earlier in the year were a red flag that the captain had been walked off the plank.

Let’s face it, Tracy wasn’t the greatest replacement manager after Clint Hurdle (who wasn’t that great in his own respect), but Dan O’ Dowd and the Monforts stuck with him after his historic run to the postseason in 2009.

Now O’ Dowd has to save his own skin once again.

Dan O’ Dowd’s fake facade of a strong farm team is falling in front of him (as seen this year) and this move was made in desperation.

In O’ Dowd’s nearly 13 years as the Rockies’ General Manager the team is a less than mediocre 902-987 with two playoff appearances birthed by breathtaking runs.

A look at O’ Dowd’s first round draft picks is a small window into what’s wrong with the Rockies.

Matt Harrington, Jeff Francis, Ian Stewart, Chris Nelson, Troy Tulowitzki, Gregory Reynolds, Casey Weathers, Christian Friedrich, Tyler Matzek, Tim Wheeler, Peter Tago, Kyle Parker and Tyler Anderson are the names on that list, only three of which have truly made an impact on the organization.

Is getting great talent from the first round less than 25 percent of the time a good goal?

Of course not.

But O’ Dowd knew that if he could turn Ubaldo into four prospects, immediately bolstering his failing farm system that he would buy himself some more time, even if that means sacrificing another manager in Tracy.

The bottom line?

The Rockies are destined for the bottom of the division for years to come with O’ Dowd running the show, and Colorado’s fans deserve better.

Follow Rich Kurtzman on twitter for breaking news, need-to-know retweets, and interesting insight into the Rockies and everything Colorado sports related.

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Karl Gehring/ The Denver Post

Much like the weather in Colorado this summer; when it rains, it pours.

Last night, the Colorado offense rocked the Braves, raining 14 hits for a tremendous 12 runs.

It was one of those “nothing can go wrong” type of games that seem to come around only once a week for the Rockies this season—even Dexter Fowler’s complete ineptitude couldn’t keep him from going 3-4 while Ubaldo Jimenez dominated in Denver with nine strikeouts and only two solo homeruns given up in 6 2/3 innings.

It was Colorado’s first win over Atlanta in six games this season. The difference on Tuesday night? The Rockies scored a boat-load of runs (12). In their other five contests against the Braves this year Colorado could only create 2.4 runs per game (to Atlanta’s 6.2 per).

It seems simple to say, but when the Rockies can put up big numbers on the scoreboard, they win a vast majority of the time.

Colorado is a whopping 31-8 (79 percent) when scoring five or more runs in 2011. And the more they score, the better they are; the Rockies are a perfect 12-0 when they score nine or more runs this season.

When the Rockies are on top of their game, they’re nearly unbeatable, showing they are on the cusp of contending with the best teams in baseball.

Of course, the flip side of the coin is that the Rockies are a pathetic 3-23 (12 percent) when scoring two or less runs this year; it’s been feast or famine with not much room in between.

Blame the Rockies’ roller coaster year on injuries, bad managing and/or prospects that haven’t panned out.

No matter what the reason, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize the Rox haven’t played consistently enough to contend for the NL West or even the wild card as their playoff hopes are fading quicker than a summer sunset behind the majestic mountains.

At 46-51 currently, the Rockies are 10.5 games back of the Giants in the West, 11 GB of Atlanta for the wild card.

Remember that historic run of 21 wins in 22 games in 2007?

It’s going to take a similar run (or even two) of monumental proportions for the Rockies to reach to postseason this year, and maybe Tuesday’s blowout of the Braves will get Colorado’s momentum going in the right direction.

Or, was last night’s win just another tease, another aberration during the course of a demoralizing disappointing season of Colorado baseball?

Only time will tell and with an infinitesimal amount of sand left in the hourglass, the Rockies must go on a run now before time runs out and they find themselves sitting on the couch come October.

Ubaldo Jimenez is back

Much of the news surrounding the Rockies as of late has focused on the trade rumors swirling around Ubaldo Jimenez.

It’s a bit sad and telling of Colorado’s season that this trade rumor is the biggest story of their year, but that’s what happens when a supposedly superior team finds themselves barely breathing in late July.

Jimenez, the unquestioned Ace of the rotation in 2010, was hampered by injuries and started this season 0-5.

But Ubaldo has battled back, his fastball is again hitting the upper 90s on the radar gun and his stuff is so nasty he’s making even the most accomplished hitters look silly at the plate.

In his last 10 starts, Ubaldo has been unconscious—The Chief is 6-3 with a 2.58 ERA and 63 Ks.

Ubaldo’s consistency has certainly returned, he’s only given up 19 earned runs over that span, including two, two and three earned in his three losses while Jimenez averages 6 2/3 innings pitched and seven strikeouts per game.

And Ubaldo is 3-0 in his last three starts with tiny 2.18 ERA and 21 Ks.

Basically, this is the Ubaldo Jimenez Rockies fans hoped to have when the season started and it’s good to see him return to a mile high level, even if the team is likely too far behind to catch up at this point.

It also means that there’s no way the Rockies can trade Ubaldo Jimenez—a pitcher in the prime of his career, with an explosive arm and nasty stuff, a guy that’s loyal to the club and isn’t concerned about his lower than average contract.

If they do, the backlash by baseball fans in Denver could be monumental as the season is all but over and Ubaldo—along with Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez—is a star of the Colorado Rockies in the present and (should be) for years to come.

Continue reading »]]> 2011 has been a year of more ups and downs for the Rockies than driving up Berthoud Pass.

In April, they seemed unbeatable, starting 11-2 and finishing the first month at 17-8. Colorado was a mile higher than any other club in baseball.

In May though, the wheels fell off and nearly nothing went right for the Rockies as they plummeted back to earth at 8-21. It was one of their worst months in the team’s history.

Once June rolled around, Colorado got back on track, they won four series and split another one to end the month one game over .500 (14-13).

And July has been a microcosm of the entire year; the Rockies blew out the Royals (9-0) only to have Kansas City embarrass them two days later (16-8) which sent Colorado on a five-game losing streak as the Braves beat the Rox in a variety of ways, only to have Colorado squeak out two victories in Washington before the break.

Now, at the mid-way point in the season, the Rockies sit at five games under .500 (43-48), 8.5 games back of the first place Giants of the NL West that reside in San Francisco. It’s a far cry from where fans and the players themselves thought they would be in mid-July as the team faces an uphill climb that makes Mount Evans look like a mole hill.

In a season that’s been marred with more injuries than anyone associated with the Rockies wants to count, a season in which nearly 20 different infielders (and 10 starting pitchers) have taken the diamond at Coors Field, one player has been rock-solid for the Rox—Todd Helton.

Last year, Helton seemed broken; his back simply wouldn’t allow him to play the game he loves and the Toddfather looked more like a grandfather.

2010 was Helton’s worst season as a professional baseball player; his .256 batting average and .362 OBP were his lowest marks ever, while his eight home runs and 18 doubles were second-worst in his 15-year career in Colorado.

It seemed all over for the greatest Rockies player to ever wear the purple pinstripes, he was fading faster than the sun falling behind massive mountains.

But Helton was far from finished being the cornerstone of the Rox infield and his 2011 season has been vintage Toddfather playing at his best.

Helton’s back is better and he’s back to hitting the ball consistently and with some power. His .321 batting average and .400 OBP are close to career averages (and both are team-leading) while his 41 RBI and 10 HR are already higher marks than he could compile all of last season. And Helton is on pace to pass 30 doubles, 70 runs, and 150 hits this season—simply stated, Todd Helton is enjoying a vintage season.

But are you watching?

Sure, it can be difficult to watch a team as inconsistent as these Rockies, a team that finds ways to lose instead of ways to win, but if nothing else, you need to be watching these Rockies because this could be Helton’s last hurrah.

Why does it matter?

Todd Helton has given everything he’s ever had to the Rockies, he’s stuck with the team through good times too few and bad times too numerous, opting to stay true to Colorado rather than heading to a legitimate contender and a chance at a World Series win.

Helton has been arguably the best defensive first baseman in the game for the last decade and a half, picking more baseballs out of the dirt than one could care to count, saving runs and even winning games with his glove many times.

Todd Helton is a quiet leader, a statuesque man that leads by example, a unique throwback type baseball player that does everything his team needs from him on the field while not needing all the attention and accolades off it.

Put it this way; if the Rockies were lucky enough to have eight Todd Heltons take the field for them every game, they’d have the most humble, most hard-working, most patient team in the majors, filled with good guys that parents would be happy to have their sons and daughters look up to.

Think of it this way; in sports, when a guy suits up and plays for your team every day for 15 years he becomes an afterthought, we all expect him to be there and we end up taking him for granted.

Only after he’s retired do we realize how much we miss his play, his leadership, his being the rock of the team that is a steadying and calming force.

Well Rockies fans, before the Toddfather retires (soon), we have the chance to take in all that is great about the player, an opportunity to absorb his amazing ability to play baseball at a back-breakingly high level—we can consciously take in Todd Helton, the greatest Rockie to ever live, in the present rather than only admiring him as a past legend.

Follow Rich Kurtzman on twitter (@richkurt) for breaking news, need-to-know retweets and interesting insight on the Rockies and everything Colorado sports related.

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Karl Gehring/The Denver Post

Trivia time: Do  you know why the most majestic mountain range in North America is called the Rocky Mountains?

It’s because the very granite and other rocks that make up the mountains are eroding, crumbling to the ground, bit by bit, boulder by boulder.

The very same can be said about the Rockies of the MLB.

The once proud and seemingly rock-solid team has crumbled under the pressure of playoff expectations, literally and figuratively.

The injury bug is biting harder than mosquito’s in the Colorado summer, and the Rockies are falling like flies.

Arguably Colorado’s four best players—Jorge De La Rosa, Ubaldo Jimenez, Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez—have all missed time on the field with teammates, which has resulted in the Rox plummeting faster than a boulder breaking off of Pikes Peak.

Add to their injuries, the next tier of players—Aaron Cook, Esmil Rogers, Dexter Fowler and, newest to the DL, Charlie Blackmon—have all been hurt this year as well.

In case you missed Thursday’s day game loss to the Braves, Blackmon, the one bright spot among Colorado’s AAA call-ups, fractured his left foot while sliding into third base.

The Rockies lost the game, were swept in four contests in Atlanta and Blackmon went down.

Talk about adding injury to insult.

And injuries are truly telling of a team in Major League Baseball.

Simply stated, the grueling 162-game schedule claims many victims with the relentless repetitive stress put on the bodies of mere human beings. Every team in baseball goes through injuries—the great teams sustain while bad teams’ backs are broken.

The injury list shows more than the current health of the team too though, it also hints at the health of the entire franchise, farm teams included.

At the start of the season, the Rockies looked to be one of the deeper teams in the majors, at the mid-way point in the season, they look shallower than the kiddy pool at Water World.

Sure, Blackmon filled the void well in left by the floundering Fowler, but other call-ups Eric Young Jr., Chris Nelson, Clayton Mortensen and Ian Stewart (as of late) have shown no more than flashes of brilliance while proving they aren’t MLB-caliber, at least as of yet. (Some may never be.)

The Rockies’ farm system has been celebrated by fans and media alike for years, but is it really that fantastic?

Has GM Dan O’Dowd scouted, signed and put in place the young players that will propel Colorado to new heights?

Or, has he been given a free pass by the benefit of over-hyped and undervalued young talent?

Yes, O’Dowd did well to trade for Mark Ellis, and Ty Wigginton has worked well in Denver, but besides small trades for aging middle of the road players, what has O’Dowd done that has wowed fans, let alone ownership?

But beyond O’Dowd, the Rockies players have been working with a lack of confidence in themselves—it can be seen at the plate and even on the basepaths all year—which stems from a lack of confidence from their skipper Jim Tracy.

As my colleague Travis Lay said yesterday, “…the Rockies have had seven different players at second base, seven play third, eight different outfielders, 10 different starting pitchers and even three different starting first basemen.”

How can players gain confidence when their playing time is so inconsistent?

Tracy was at his best when he was considered a player’s coach in 2009. He put confidence in players like Clint Barmes, Ian Stewart and Ryan Spilborghs and they showed him love, literally, when embracing him with huge hugs after wild wins.

Yes, the Rockies went an amazing 74-42 after Tracy took over in 2009, but since the beginning of the 2010 season, Colorado is a less than mediocre 124-126 under Tracy’s tutelage.

So where does the onus lie?

Part of the blame has to go to O’Dowd, who fills the roster with talent, but more of the blame has to fall on Tracy’s shoulders.

Tracy has contact with the team every day, he decides the lineup and he can boost up their confidence by picking his best eight position players and putting them on Coors Field on a consistent basis. Tracy decides the strategy and he picks the coaches that teach hitting, fielding, baserunning and so on.

And when Tracy had to call not one, but two closed team meetings earlier this season, it was a sign that he’s lost the attention, lost the respect of the team.

Can he win them back?

Do these Rockies have another ridiculous run in them, like in 2007 and 2009?

Only time will tell, but at six under .500 and 8.5 games back of first in the NL West, it isn’t looking good for Tracy, or the crumbling Rockies.

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Mark is angry with Rich.

The Colorado Rockies made a move Thursday afternoon, trading RHP Bruce Billings to the Oakland Athletics for 2nd baseman Mark Ellis.

While it was exciting to see the Rockies—a team falling in the standings—make a move, this trade seems straight-up silly.

Colorado was already rock-solid at second, with Jonathan Herrera, Chris Nelson and Eric Young Jr. all able to play the position. While none of the three are power players, each brings a youthful exuberance, speed on the basepaths and decent or better defense.

So why would Rockies’ GM Dan O’Dowd trade for another second baseman?

And on top of not needing a player at second, Ellis has struggled in this, his ninth season. Ellis’ .217 BA, .253 OBP and .290 SLG percentages are all actually lower than those of Herrera (.237, .311, .303) and Nelson (.255, .250, .388).

To be fair, Ellis’ career averages (.265, .331, .397) are much better than this season, with 24 doubles, 121 hits and 52 RBI on average per year.

Still, this season, Ellis has been a shadow of his usual self (47 H, 11 2B, 16 RBI).

Let’s get this straight, the O’Dowd traded for an older player that isn’t producing as well as his two farm-grown talents?

O’Dowd has been celebrated for building one of the best farm systems in baseball, but this move doesn’t show the most confidence in said farm talent.

And beyond getting a player at arguably the deepest position on the diamond, there are many other holes that the Rockies GM could have filled.

The Rockies rotation could be improved with an additional starter, the bullpen bolstered with a solid reliever or he could have tried to trade for a stud third baseman.

Losing De La Rosa and the injuries/disappointing play of Ubaldo and Cookie has put a strain on things, adding a starter could remedy that.

But an even more glaring need is in the reliever role. At times, the Rockies’ starters have played well, only to have someone from the bullpen blow their lead and lose the game.

And is Wiggington the starter for the rest of the season at third base? Wouldn’t the Rockies be deeper with him as a utility man, the role he was brought in to play?

Now O’Dowd says he has a “little” budget to play with and one more deal to make this season, what he can do with it will be seen.

Chris Nelson and EY Jr. were just optioned according to Troy Renck’s twitter at 3:47 pm, will one of them possibly be traded?

Only time will tell, but what is certain is that the Rockies need pitching help if they want to make a run, catch up in the NL West and make the playoffs for the third time in five years.

Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two part evaluation of the Mark Ellis trade.  Part Two, my analysis in favor of the trade, will run in the morning along with a poll.  Of course, if you have something to say now, by all means, go for it.

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(AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

When it rains, it pours.

And when the bats are a-rockin’, don’t come a-knockin’.

The Colorado Rockies have been on an absolute tear as of late, lacing the ball as their bats boom and crack with a sound similar to a rocky mountain thunderstorm.

As the Rox played the Indians in Cleveland Monday night, they looked to stay on their hot streak at the plate.

Colorado found their groove in the bottom of the fifth inning, and they went on a two-out rally for the ages.

The Rockies, looking up at a 4-1 deficit, went on a rally in which eight straight players reached base and six runs scored with two outs already gone in the inning.

Chris Iannetta walked while Carlos Gonzalez and Chris Nelson singled to load the bases.

Enter “Mr. Rockie” Todd Helton, who paused and patiently waited as he walked and pushed home a run.

Then the present and future of the Rockies, Troy Tulowitzki, got lucky as a leprechaun as his chopper to third ricocheted off the bag, sending home CarGo and the Toddfather to tie up the game.

(AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

But the Rox were far from done scoring in the inning, Jason Giambi went Giambino and bombed a three-run home run to put Colorado up 7-4 after the fifth.

Cleveland scored two in the bottom of the inning, and the Rockies and Indians both scored a run each in the eighth, but Colorado ended up finishing off the Indians 8-7.

It was the Rockies fifth win in six games—they’re heating up—and it was their eighth victory in 12 contests.

And how the Rockies are winning is simplistic, hits lead to runs, runs lead to wins.

Five must be the Rockies’ lucky number—over the last 12 games, Colorado has scored five or more runs 10 times, they’re 8-2 when they hit the five-run mark.

Leading the way for the Rox has been Troy Tulowitzki and CarGo—both are certainly playing up to their perplexing pay days.

Over the last 10 games, CarGo is batting an amazing .409 (18-44) with 8 RBI, 7 runs and 2 HR and Tulo is hitting .357 (15-42) with 9 RBI and runs each and 2 HR of his own.

Undoubtedly, the Rockies go as their best two players go, and the dynamic duo is destroying the ball in Denver and on the road, which bodes well for Colorado and making the postseason for the third time in five seasons.

Colorado is confident currently, they are riding a mile high wave of adrenaline and momentum and the Rockies are rockin’ it at the plate.

This is the team that showed up in April.

This is the team that the Rockies’ faithful shows up to watch every night at Coors Field.

This is the team that can be one of the best in the entire major leagues.

Over the last four series, the Rockies have won three and split the other, they have to stay this hot through the All Star break and hope to lead the division when Tulo represents them in the All Star Game.

The Rockies are 11-7 in the month of June with nine games to go, and they’re only three games back now.

Colorado can close the gap and gain momentum at the same time.

The time is now, the Rockies are rockin’, the fun has returned to the ballpark and on televisions all across Colorado.

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(John Leyba, The Denver Post)

At the beginning of the 2011 season, who in their right mind would have guessed the Colorado Rockies would sport an All-Star starting pitcher and his name not be Ubaldo or Jorge?

It’s been anything but smooth sailing for Colorado’s starters this season.

Ubaldo Jimenez, the ace of the squad when the year began, suffered a cut cuticle, missed nearly all of April and proceeded to lose six of his first seven starts when he became “healthy”. Jimenez currently sits at a sad 1-7 with an ugly 4.63 ERA. And while he’s shown glimpses of greatness, it seems doubtful that Ubaldo can return to his ace-worthy status.

With Ubaldo out, in stepped Jorge De La Rosa as the team’s replacement ace. De La Rosa went on a tear—he was 5-2 with a 3.51 ERA—but then he tore his Ulnar Collateral Ligament in his left elbow and was sat down for the season.

Despair, devastation and desperation grew in Denver.

Let’s not forget, despite Coors’ devilishly deep walls in the outfield, it’s always been (and likely always will be) a hitter’s ballpark.

Have no fear, Jhoulys Chacin is here!

Chacin, who’s name befuddles even the most seasoned on-air commentators, is a young gun that throws bullets and possesses a solid set of stones.

At only 23 years old, in merely his third year as an MLB pitcher, Chacin has quietly stepped into the role of ace in Colorado and has shouldered the burden with ease.

Chacin is fresh off winning his eighth game of the 2011 season, a 6-3 Rockies victory over the Padres, and he was domineering throwing 6.0 innings, giving up only three hits and one run while striking out seven San Diego batters.

Chacin was like a machine in his third straight win and his ERA dropped to 2.81.

It was an important performance as it cemented Colorado’s second series win since May 17^th.

The Rockies are in danger of falling into an abyss and Chacin is their rock.

But how good is Chacin really?

With his dominant win Wednesday night against the Padres, Chacin owns a 2.34 ERA and a .197 opponent batting average over his last 15 starts at Coors Field—both are the lowest for any pitcher over a 15-game span in the Rockies’ 17-year history.

And seven times this season Chacin has pitched six innings or more and only allowed one run. It’s tops in the NL and only two pitchers (Jared Weaver, Alexi Ogando) have more outings (8).

Simply stated, his successes this season are enough to warrant the youngster’s first All-Star appearance.

Here’s a look at how the starting pitcher’s numbers stack up against the rest of the NL:

(John Leyba, The Denver Post)

Chacin’s wins: 8 (2^nd in NL)

NL leader, Halladay, Hamels: 9

Chacin’s ERA: 2.81 (8^th in NL)

NL best, Jurrjens: 2.13

Chacin’s Ks: 81 (13^th in NL)

NL best, Halladay: 114

Chacin’s WAR: 2.8 (3^rd in NL)

NL best, Halladay: 4.1

Chacin’s xFIP: 3.20 (10th in NL)

NL best, Halladay: 2.31

Chacin’s Hits per 9 IP: 6.387 (2^nd in NL)

NL best, Hanson: 6.048

And on top of all those noteworthy numbers, Chacin is No.1 in the NL in pitcher putouts and he’s second in the NL with one complete game and one shutout pitched each.

Sure, Chacin may not be Halladay, Lincecum or another big-name pitcher, but he’s playing at the same sky-high level as them and doing it all at Coors Field a majority of the time.

The national media woke up and worshiped Ubaldo in 2010, now the same should be done for Chacin because the machine is pitching like a dream.

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