Tulowitzki on DL after freak accident

Associated Press

Saturday, July 5, 2008

DENVER — This trip for the 15-day disabled list cuts a little deeper for Troy Tulowitzki and the Colorado Rockies.

Just three weeks after returning from a torn thigh tendon that cost him 46 games, the Rockies shortstop sliced his right palm when he pounded a bat into the ground in frustration after he was replaced by Omar Quintanilla in the seventh inning Friday night.

"Yeah, it's tougher to take," Tulowitzki said Saturday of his return to the DL. "The other injury was baseball-related. You're out there on the field, going all out. And this one's kind of a stupid injury that I could have prevented."

Maple bats are notorious for shattering, and this one did just that.

"I looked at the cut and it looked pretty bad," said Tulowitzki, who expects to be out two weeks. "It was a scary moment."

Tulowitzki required 16 stitches, but doctors told him the shards of wood that sliced into his right hand didn't damage any tendons or nerves, he said.

Maple bats are the subject of a major league investigation because of their tendency to shatter when they break, unlike the softer ash bats, which usually just crack.

"I don't think that matters," Tulowitzki said. "I think ash would have done the same thing."

Tulowitzki is hitting just .166 with three home runs and 16 RBIs a year after he led the Rockies to their first World Series with a spectacular rookie season. And he was upset when manager Clint Hurdle yanked him during a double switch with the Rockies trailing Florida 15-12 in a game they'd win 18-17.

"I was a little bit frustrated, not at the move. If anything, I thought it was the right move," Tulowitzki said. "I came in the hallway, grabbed a bat, hit it on the ground and the bat exploded in my hand and cut open my palm running up to my index finger."

He called the injury "one of those freak, freak things. And I'm obviously sorry to my teammates because I feel like I'm letting them down more than anything, the organization. Hopefully, it's not too long before I'm out there. But it's tough to take."

Tulowitzki's teammates said they understood his competitive fire just got the best of him.

"It looks kind of stupid, but I understand why he did it. He's a competitor," catcher Yorvit Torrealba said. "He's disappointed, especially when he knows he's better at what he's been showing."

"Things happen in the heat of battle," agreed Mark Redman.

Although Tulowitzki kept insisting Hurdle made the right move in taking him out, Tulowitzki also admitted that's precisely what sent him over the edge.

"I think it was just built-up frustration. And then the last thing you want to do in that situation is come out of the game. You feel like your team has a chance. You want to be out there on the field to make a play for them or come up with that big hit," he said.

"I wanted to do that and to not have that opportunity, to be pulled, was frustrating. You want to be out there with your teammates. It wasn't necessarily Clint's move that got me angry. It was more so my performance on the field."

Hurdle vented his own frustration in a meeting with Tulowitzki on Saturday.

"He understands my feelings completely," Hurdle said. "I said what I needed to say to Troy. I don't need to speak about it any other way, other than he's put himself in a challenging position. And now he's got a lesson available to be learned."

Check.

"It's definitely a lesson learned," Tulowitzki said. "I need to control myself better. To pound a bat into the ground, it was the wrong thing to do. Next time I'll handle the situation differently. I messed up. I'm willing to take blame for it."

Hurdle said he wasn't going to harp on Tulowitzki's absence: "We'll move on. We're going to focus on what we do have and not on what we don't have."

Hurdle's conversation with Tulowitzki on Saturday apparently centered on getting the most out of his enormous talents. Hurdle was a promising prospect in his own playing days but never lived up to the hype.

"We had a good conversation," Tulowitzki said. "I've talked to him a lot more probably that I had wanted this year. But every time I've talked to him, he's been very supportive. I appreciate that. We definitely (have gone) through some similar things, I guess, to when he played. So, he can kind of relate to me, which is huge.

"He's been nothing but great to me, and I appreciate his support."

The Rockies also optioned rookie right-hander Greg Reynolds to Triple-A Colorado Springs and recalled outfielder Seth Smith and left-handed pitcher Glendon Rusch.

• July 5, 2008

  5:25 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  platoro79 writes:

  C'mon Tulo, put on the big boy pants. You're a leader----start acting like it!

• July 6, 2008

  10:09 a.m.

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  TruthHurts writes:

  This is not the action of a team leader or captain. So far Tulo is a one season wonder. Anyone remember Neifi Perez? I was one who expected a sophomore slump from Tulo so not worried yet. But actions speak louder than words and I suggest Tulo concentrate his energies for on the field not act like one of the many spoiled egos in the Major Leagues.

• July 6, 2008

  11:17 a.m.

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  mrfxx writes:

  For heaven's sake - cut the kid a break! He's 24 years old, he knows he isn't doing as well as last year (a big part of that is the thigh injury and being out for 46 games), and he over-reacted. The Rockies needed a slugger when he was taken out (and his batting apparently needs work) - but another interview said that he understood that. He smacked a bat into the ground - made of a wood MLB is investigating for its ability to shatter (wonder why they don't simply ban the darned wood) - he didn't punch a wall and break his hand, knock the coach to the ground or anything else truly stupid.

  As far as being a leader - how much more leadership do you want: he took full responsibility for what he did, made no excuses and said it won't happen again! Don't you wish EVERY person (not just athletes) would do the same when they mess up?

• July 6, 2008

  11:23 a.m.

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  fastnloose writes:

  mrfxx,it is so sad 24yr olds are not nearly as mature as they seemed to be a few years back.

• July 6, 2008

  9:54 p.m.

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  EastVail writes:

  What an idiot.

• July 7, 2008

  12:24 p.m.

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  patagonia writes:

  Mr.Fxx is right, Tulo took responsibility for his actions and admits that he acted like an idiot. I think his ability to admit his childish behavior is a telling sign of his maturity. He knows that the team counts on him to be a leader, and he's got what it takes to step up and deliver. There is no doubt in my mind that he will bounce back from a crummy sophomore season and flourish into an excellent player.