Herges making his pitch to stick

Veteran battling youthful duo for spot in bullpen

Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News

Published March 20, 2007 at midnight

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TUCSON - Ramon Ramirez and Manual Corpas are in the bullpen mix, hardly surprising because both relieved extensively last year for the Rockies. Still competing with them is newcomer Matt Herges, something that is a bit stunning.

Herges was an eleventh-hour addition to spring training, signed to a minor league contract Feb. 12. His offseason had been a series of closed doors, a fruitless period that convinced Herges and his wife, Jane, that like it or not, he likely had thrown his last pitch.

"It got to a point where my wife and I were face to face saying it was done because literally 29 teams (bypassed me) until the Rockies at the last minute said, 'There's a little opportunity here,' " Herges said.

That opportunity arose because assistant general manager Bill Geivett was in the Los Angeles front office when Herges came up in the Dodgers organization. Geivett recommended Herges, a right-hander, to general manager Dan O'Dowd, and the Rockies brought Herges to spring training.

"There were teams that said, 'We don't think he has much left,' " Herges said. "And that hurt me a bit. I'm usually, or at least I think I am, a pretty good self-evaluator, and I think when it is time, I think I definitely will say, 'OK, I'm done. I'll bow out. I can't really do this.' "

Herges, 37 on April 1, is the 99-1 long shot, the older horse staying with the two younger favorites as the stretch run starts.

He's competing with Ramirez and Corpas for two bullpen jobs. Ramirez and Corpas have minor league options. Does either need more seasoning? If so, is Herges the Rockies' best alternative?

Corpas, 24, has allowed one hit in five scoreless spring training innings with four walks and five strikeouts. Ramirez, 26, and Herges were pitching well before Sunday when both were ineffective.

Ramirez had given up one run in four innings but now has an 8.31 ERA in 4 1/3 innings. Herges' scoreless streak came to a crashing halt at 5 1/3 innings, and he has a 7.50 ERA with two walks and three strikeouts in six innings.

"I think you have to look at the pitches they have, what they have to do to be effective and when they're not effective what happens," manager Clint Hurdle said Sunday after Herges and Ramirez turned an 8-4 lead into a 12-8 loss against the Texas Rangers.

"Neither guy had anything but a fastball he could get in the strike zone (Sunday), and they couldn't get the fastball down. Just move on."

Herges has moved plenty. He has made 444 appearances for six teams, including the other four in the National League West. Last season, he appeared in 66 games for Florida and went 2-3 with a 4.31 ERA. Left-handed hitters batted .300 against him, and right-handers hit .340.

"The last two years, there's been something I've been fighting in my delivery," Herges said. "I don't know if it was mechanical or a mental block or whatever."

Pitching coach Bob Apodaca and special assistant Marcel Lachemann, a former pitching coach, watched Herges throw his first bullpen session last month.

They asked if he always threw across his body that much. Herges listened, and the result was freer movement in his shoulder, enabling Herges to "get the most out of what I have" in the shoulder.

His repertoire includes a sinking fastball, curveball and changeup, and he has not been relegated to throwing in the bullpen or serving as a contingency pitcher.

That good fortune hit home again Friday when Herges got a call from reliever Kerry Ligtenberg, who had been sent packing by Cincinnati.

"He said, 'I just got my release, and I had no chance to begin with,' " Herges said. "He was an afterthought. A lot of times, guys sign how I did and become an afterthought because they got to get (other pitchers) ready.

"I guess the word to say is I'm blessed with the opportunity they've given me and the fact that they're letting me pitch. I can't ask for anything more than that. I'm not saying that to try to get brownie points; that's reality."

Today's game

Rockies (Jason Hirsh) vs. Chicago Cubs (Ted Lilly), 2:05 p.m. MDT, Hi Corbett Field (FSN; no radio).

Spring position battles

The Rockies began spring training with seven key roster decisions to make. With 10 exhibition games to play, here's where they stand.

Shortstop

Troy Tulowitzki, the 2005 first-round draft choice out of Long Beach State, has won the battle, unseating incumbent Clint Barmes. Tulowitzki has continued to show impressive defensive skills and a run-producing bat, while Barmes has been unable to shake the offensive inconsistency that haunted him last year. The versatility of Jamey Carroll and Jeff Baker - and the need to get them regular at-bats - means Barmes could be the starting shortstop for Triple-A Colorado Springs or could be traded. The Rangers and Cubs have interest in him as a super sub, but the Rockies want more in return than what a utility player would bring.

Catcher

Chris Iannetta's quick study of the pitching staff, his smoothness behind the plate, strong arm and offensive potential allowed him to make the move to the majors with only 2 1/2 years of pro experience. That was clear last week when the Rockies released Javy Lopez. Yorvit Torrealba will be the backup.

Fourth starter

Jason Hirsh was pitcher of the year in the Double-A Texas League in 2005 and the Triple-A Pacific Coast League in 2006. "There's nothing more for him to prove down there," pitching coach Bob Apodaca said. Hirsh has had some moments to forget this spring training but has rebounded impressively.

Fifth starter

Josh Fogg and Byung-Hyun Kim, the fourth and fifth starters last year, are the candidates, and the decision could come down to whether the Rockies can move one of them. The Pirates, Marlins, Dodgers and Athletics have interest in Kim, who has a $2.5 million guarantee. Oakland is the only one with interest in him as a starter. Baltimore has inquired about Fogg, who has a $3,625,000 base but is guaranteed only $906,250 if released by the end of spring training.

Backup center fielder

Steve Finley was the wild card, signing on the day of the first full-squad workout, but, at 42, he showed he can be a solid backup to Willy Taveras. Cory Sullivan, the starter last year, figures to be with Colorado Springs barring a trade. Florida is the only team that has shown interest, and that has been limited.

Right-handed reliever

Manny Corpas and Ramon Ramirez appear to have the edge for the two open spots - joining Taylor Buchholz and LaTroy Hawkins - but Matt Herges has made a spring training push. Corpas and Ramirez have options, giving the Rockies some flexibility if they decide to keep Herges, who relies more on experience and location than the power stuff of the other two.

25th man

John Mabry was signed because manager Clint Hurdle likes a left-handed bat off the bench, and Mabry has given every indication he has fully recovered from the sports hernia that slowed him last year. Alexis Gomez and Ryan Spilborghs remain in the picture, but Spilborghs is a right-handed hitter and Gomez has a long swing that could be exploited in a limited bench role.

etkinj@RockyMountainNews.com

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