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Rockies' Hirsh needs to be himself

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published February 19, 2008 at 8:48 a.m.

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Photo by Barry Gutierrez © The Rocky

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Jason Hirsh has to win a spot in the Rockies rotation.

He understands that.

His biggest competition is himself.

He knows that, too.

"They want me to pitch like Jason Hirsh, like I did at the end of last season," Hirsh said Monday at the Rockies' spring training camp. "I'd like to see myself be myself as well. I need to be the way I used to be, when I was an effective pitcher."

Jeff Francis, Aaron Cook and Ubaldo Jimenez are set in the Rockies' first three rotation spots.

Then there is Hirsh. He has a distinct edge for the fourth spot but no guarantees. And the Rockies have alternatives, including Kip Wells, Franklin Morales and Josh Towers, who will get the opportunity during spring training to win one of the rotation spots.

"It's why we traded for Jason," manager Clint Hurdle said. "We felt he was major league-ready to step into the rotation and give us a boost."

He had proved that at the minor league level. But something was lost in the major league translation.

Hirsh came to the Rockies from Houston before the 2007 season as part of the package for Jason Jennings. Hirsch had been a power pitcher in the minor leagues, where he was ranked the No. 1 prospect in the Astros system.

He opened the 2007 season in the Rockies rotation, and even he couldn't recognize Jason Hirsh.

He was throwing curveballs and changeups, turning to his fastball as a last resort. He was not challenging hitters with the four-seam fastball up and the two-seam fastball away, slipping in a slider and occasionally changing speeds.

Hirsh would have moments, but they were limited. He was 4-7 with a 4.90 ERA in his first 17 starts, and more concerning to the Rockies was he worked five innings or fewer six times.

"Sometimes, we outsmart ourselves," pitching coach Bob Apodaca said. "All Jason has to do is trust his stuff. He has the type of fastball you work off, but he was using his fastball the way you'd use an off-speed pitch - to try and trick hitters."

It wasn't until a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Colorado Springs in early August that the message finally hit home with Hirsh.

Jim Wright, the Rockies' minor league pitching coordinator, was on hand to watch Hirsh, noticed what Apodaca and Hurdle had been concerned about and finally got the right-hander to grasp what they had been saying.

"Jim talked to be about my priority in pitching," Hirsh said. "You have priorities in life and you have priorities in baseball. My (baseball) priorities weren't where they were supposed to be. I was a curveball first, changeup second, fastball third.

"Jim told me when I was (in the minor leagues with Houston), I was effective against (Rockies farm teams) because I always had that good, hard fastball. I realized I was confused."

Hirsh had compiled a 41-20 record and 2.95 ERA in 91 career minor league appearances, and he was chosen the Triple-A Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year when he was 13-2 with a 2.10 ERA for Round Rock (Texas) in 2006.

But when he got to the majors, he lost confidence in his way of pitching.

"I thought I had to trick hitters," he said. "I gave them too much credit and didn't give myself enough credit. I had to be different instead of trusting the stuff that got me to the big leagues. I realized talking to Jim and (Apodaca) that my fastball was good enough and I had to use it."

Hirsh gave the Rockies a quick glimpse in two successive August starts and thought he was on his way. But then he took a line drive off his right leg from Milwaukee's J.J. Hardy, the second batter he faced Aug. 7, only to find out after six innings he had a fractured fibula and wouldn't pitch again in 2007.

"There was an adjustment period where I had to realize that my stuff is good enough to get people out," Hirsh said. "It was mental and physical. It was a matter of executing a game plan but also of having the confidence to carry out the game plan, based off what I am capable of doing. I think I showed that at the end of last season and carried it over in my offseason workout."

Now it's up to Hirsh to just be himself this spring.

ringolsbyt@RockyMountainNews.com

SURF'S UP

Right-handed pitcher Josh Towers was born and raised in Port Hueneme, Calif., one of the surfing capitals of North America, and his father made surfboards.

"I was caught up in playing baseball and my buddies would get all over me," he said. "They couldn't believe I wasn't out surfing. I surfed but not as often as they did."

Towers now lives in Las Vegas and his father recently retired and moved there, too, though Towers said it has been an adjustment for his dad.

"His whole life was to build surfboards, go the beach and go home," Towers said. "There's no beach in Vegas."

HE SAID IT

"'Tulo' is like a lot of guys here, always looking for ways to better himself. They know better than anybody what they should be able to do. This shows he is forward-thinking."

Clint Hurdle, Rockies manager, on shortstop Troy Tulowitzki saying he lost 10 to 12 pounds during the offseason because he felt there were groundballs he failed to get to during his rookie season and he wanted better range.

QUICKLY

Rockies officials have let right-hander Josh Fogg know he doesn't fit in their spring training plans. At the end of last season, Fogg's agents told the Rockies they expected to get him a multiyear deal and the one-year, $5 million deal the Rockies had in mind wouldn't be enough. Fogg remains at home in Florida without a job.

Right-hander Zach McClellan threw off a mound Monday, testing his achy knee. McClellan missed most of last season with right shoulder surgery.

Rockies assistant general manager Bill Geivett has a residence in Vail, but it is Vail, Ariz., not Vail, Colo., so he was surprised when he saw snow outside the residence near Tucson last weekend. "Didn't think I'd need a snowblower down here," he said.

Tracy Ringolsby

Comments

  • February 19, 2008

    2:09 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    warrengfunk7 writes:

    Hirsh is going to open some eyes, I think - this season.

  • February 21, 2008

    2:30 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    FSUBulldog0 writes:

    Wouldn't it be great to see Hirsch and Morales develop into good Major League starters? The Rockies would have one of the league's best starting staffs from 1 to 5.