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Krieger: From Monfort's perspective, it's time for Rockies to shine

By Dave Krieger, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 9, 2006 at midnight

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Charlie Monfort has absorbed a few shots since taking over from Jerry McMorris as principal owner of the Rockies.

He mentions Duane Bobick. I mention the late Jerry Quarry.

"Don't compare me to Quarry," he pleads.

Monfort is the most down-to-earth owner in town and the only one Colorado born and bred.

Nevertheless, he's the least popular because of the widespread perception he's too cheap to finance a winner at Coors Field.

So you will be glad to know that even Charlie is running out of patience with his romper room on Blake Street. As he paid off on our annual bet the other night - that's right, the Rockies didn't win the division again - he offered a few news flashes:

• The Rockies get it done this season or say goodbye to Dan O'Dowd and Clint Hurdle, each entering the last year of his contract. The definition of "it" is unclear, but it's definitely better than last year.

• The reason the Rocks are listening to offers for Jason Jennings is because he won't talk to them and his agent won't tell them what he wants.

• The Rockies' player payroll must rise "rapidly" from here, eventually finding equilibrium somewhere around $70 million.

I don't know what's more shocking, the apparent end of Coors Kindergarten or Monfort's decision to go on the offensive. Let's start with O'Dowd and Hurdle, each of whom got a one-year contract extension a year ago. Neither will get one this year.

"This is Dan and Clint's report card," Monfort said of the coming season. "Their people are coming in. If Clint can't manage them or these guys aren't as good as we think they are, then we have to deal with that situation."

"You'll let both serve out the last year of their contracts?" I asked.

"Absolutely," he said. "I think we've been very patient with them because I believe, we all do, that we're on the right track. If that proves to be wrong, then we have to assess it, but I think we'll be successful."

I asked just how successful they have to be.

"Can't put a number on it, but more successful than last year," he said.

Jennings, of course, represents the homegrown talent the Rockies are now all about. To lose him now, as he enters his prime, suggests the Rocks are merely a farm team for richer major league clubs. So I asked if he's willing to pay up for Jennings to send a message that the Rockies will keep their young players.

"Tell them to counteroffer us," Monfort said. "Then we'll see. Maybe we would, maybe we wouldn't. We can't even get an offer from them. I mean, what are we supposed to do? It's easy to bash us because we haven't done anything with him. We can't!

"The frustrating part is we've got guys that you've seen come up. You think you've achieved a little bit of a loyalty factor. Maybe we're just way too nave.

"We're sensitive to saying things in the newspapers because we want him to know that we want him here. We want him with the Rockies. We want to be fair to him.

"But get out from behind your agents and treat us right. Dan goes to them and says, 'This is where we're at. Let us know. We want you guys.' If we want to sit down, the agent has to be there and doesn't let (Jennings) talk. It's a one-sided business. Quite frankly, it (stinks), but that's the way it is.

"What the media needs to understand is we're trying to get Jason. We're trying to get Garrett Atkins. We're trying to keep this group together. But they're making it very darn difficult.

"I don't want to put all the blame on the agents. These guys are their own people. They're strong enough. You look at Jeff Francis. He did what he wanted to. He said, 'You know what, I've got a couple more contracts (coming). If I'm successful I'll get it.' "

This is a learning process for fans, too. Like the A's, Twins and other teams from midsize markets, the Rockies will not be able to keep good young players who are determined to test free agency. It looks like both Matt Holliday and Jennings fit that description.

In any case, Monfort insisted the Rockies are no longer about on-the-job training.

"We need some guys to step up now," he said. "In the past, we were thinking we'd be successful. Now we expect it. We need Matt Holliday to hit better from the seventh inning on in April, May and June. We need guys to step up when guys are on base. We need guys not to hit it out of the ballpark when we're either up or down 10-1. We need them to do it when it's a tight ballgame.

"We need guys to step up. They talked a good game last year. They talked a heck of a game. They think that we've got a lot of talent within the clubhouse, the players do. And I do, too. We all believe we've got the talent to do it. But they're the ones that go out and play. Now they need to prove it to everybody else.

"We believe it. Everyone in the organization believes it. But I think it's time. I think it's time."