Hurdle has winning on his agenda

Manager to preach unity in search of rare victory by NL

By Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Chris Schneider / The Rocky

Clint Hurdle wants his squad to focus on being a "special team" for two days in New York.

When he gathers his National League All-Star squad in one week at Yankee Stadium, Rockies manager Clint Hurdle will stress one point.

"I do want to get their attention early that this is an opportunity for us to be a very special team for two days and to keep that in mind that we need to be a team for two days," Hurdle said.

The reason is the winning league gets home-field advantage in the World Series. To that end, Hurdle, who will be trying to manage the NL to its first win since 1996, helped round out a team that includes seven of his selections with an eighth to come when fans add the 32nd player through an Internet vote.

Hurdle's selections included four pitchers - Colorado's Aaron Cook, Arizona's Dan Haren, Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs, all starters, and New York Mets closer Billy Wagner.

In addition to giving the Mets their requisite All-Star, Wagner gives Hurdle a fourth closer to go with Philadelphia's Brad Lidge, Chicago's Kerry Wood and San Francisco's Brian Wilson. Wagner is the lone left-hander on the staff.

"I thought that would be a good chip to have out in the bullpen and he's got a pretty good pedigree," Hurdle said of Wagner, named an All-Star for the sixth time and is 0-1 with 19 saves and a 1.85 ERA.

Hurdle gave Washington its All- Star by selecting shortstop Cristian Guzman and added St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols, even though Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick was chosen by the NL players. Pujols is hitting .350, which is second in the league, with 18 homers and 48 RBI.

"I picked Pujols because I don't see how you can play an All-Star Game and him not being on the National League team," Hurdle said.

Hurdle also added Atlanta catcher Brian McCann to a team that already had two catchers - Los Angeles' Russell Martin and rookie starter Geovany Soto of the Cubs. Because of a rule allowing a catcher to go back in the game to replace one who is injured, Hurdle could have limited the roster to two but said he didn't want to confront the possibility of both catchers getting hurt and having to pick an All-Star as an emergency catcher.

Hurdle might face a roster adjustment with his outfielders. Left fielder Alfonso Soriano, one of a franchise-record seven Cubs on the team, was selected a starter by the fans but has been sidelined since June 11, when he was hit by a pitch and suffered a broken bone in his left hand.

After taking batting practice for the first time Saturday, Soriano told reporters his hand felt a little weak. Hurdle said he spoke Saturday with Cubs manager Lou Piniella, one of Hurdle's All-Star coaches, and by Wednesday said they'll have a good idea whether Soriano will be able to play.

"He's got to go out on a rehab (assignment) and Lou would like to get him in a position where he plays over the weekend," Hurdle said. "If not, then we get to go reshuffle the deck and get another outfielder."

If Soriano can play, Hurdle said Cubs right fielder Kosuke Fuko- dome would start in center field, a position he played extensively in Japan. Hurdle said he will ask Brewers manager Ned Yost and left fielder Ryan Braun, elected a starter by the fans, if Braun can take flyballs in right field during batting practice.

Hurdle will have center fielders on his bench, including Pittsburgh's Nate McLouth and Ludwick, who has played the position for St. Louis. And Giants center fielder Aaron Rowand and Corey Hart, who has played the position for Milwaukee, are among the five players Hurdle selected for the Internet voting by fans that will determine the final roster spot.

The others are outfielders Pat Burrell and Carlos Lee of Houston and New York third baseman David Wright.

"The Internet thing was something I had as much fun with as anything," Hurdle said. "I'm good with any of them. . . . So throw this one out to the fans and go pick us a good player."

Hurdle will have a host of options in picking a starting pitcher. They won't include Arizona's Brandon Webb, San Francisco's Tim Lincecum and Chicago's Ryan Dempster, who are scheduled to start Sunday, but Cook, Zambrano, Haren, Cincinnati's Edinson Volquez and Milwaukee's Ben Sheets will have ample rest.

Hurdle said the opportunity to manage the NL team in the final All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium "is truly going to be a celebration of baseball for me."

Not to mention his father, Clint, who is a Yankees fan and whom Hurdle joked probably would be getting to Yankee Stadium a couple of days early.

"This is a nice little Kodak moment for him," Hurdle said. "This one was drawn up pretty well. (I'm) pretty fortunate to be a part of this whole thing when it comes together."

• July 7, 2008

  7:33 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  milloy36 writes:

  This might be the only chance he has to a win a game. I'm surprised they are still leting him manage the team. He can't manage our's.

• July 7, 2008

  5:01 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  SDcat writes:

  Never mind Hurdle's managing. It's utterly ludicrous that an All-Star game determines home field in the world series. What incentive do the players who have been voted in to even play hard, potentially injure oneself, for a team that might not even make the playoffs. How about earning the home field by winning the division or attaining this best record. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

• July 7, 2008

  5:29 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Darwin writes:

  Gee, I thought losing would be on his agenda, duh!