RINGOLSBY: Slow post-marathon strides

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Rockies manager Clint Hurdle is looking for reasons - not excuses - for the team's recent slide.

He admits there are moments, however, when he has to wonder if the problems the Rockies and Padres have faced the past three weeks have been in some way a residual effect of the Rockies' 2-1, 22-inning victory that began April 17 and ended April 18.

The Rockies won later that night in Houston and the next night but then lost 13 of 16. They make their return to Petco Park tonight, having gone 7-13 since winning the longest game in franchise history. The Padres have gone 4-15 since the loss to the Rockies.

"I've had the thought a couple of times," Hurdle said when asked if he thought the struggles of both teams since that game was a consequence or coincidence. "But for me, that's an excuse. I know that the next day we had our one blowout first inning of the season."

Since 1901, there have been 45 games that have lasted at least 20 innings, including 12 since 1980, and there is no trend regarding the impact of the lengthy nights at the ballpark.

Some teams have struggled, like Florida, which went 6-14 in its first 20 games after a 7-6, 20-inning loss to St. Louis on April 27, 2003, but other teams have had success. Pittsburgh, after its 20-inning game with the Cubs on July 6, 1980, and Houston, after a 20-inning game against the Padres on Aug. 15, 1980, each won 14 of their next 20.

Of the 24 teams involved in the 12 20-inning-or-longer games since 1980, eight have had a winning record in their next 20 games, 10 had a losing record and six were .500.

Infield chatter

* Dodgers right-handed pitcher Jason Schmidt had a simulated game scratched Tuesday because he is slow recovering from a simulated game Friday.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre, however, said it is still possible Schmidt, recovering from shoulder surgery, could begin a medical rehabilitation assignment with High Single-A Inland Empire on Sunday.

* Center fielder Jim Edmonds' struggles defensively and at the plate have created speculation that the Padres could release him. They have inquired about a number of center fielders, including Jeremy Reed of Seattle, Felix Pie of the Cubs, Cory Sullivan of the Rockies and Coco Crisp of the Red Sox.

* With Philadelphia general manager Pat Gillick having said he plans to retire at the end of the year, and the ongoing uncertainties of life with the Yankees, there is speculation among Philadelphia media that Yankees GM Brian Cashman could emerge as Gillick's replacement.

Out in left field

Bronson Sardinha, signed to a minor league deal by Cleveland, has the longest middle name in baseball history: Kiheimahanaomauiakeo. He has two older brothers in the minors who also have Hawaiian middle names, but they aren't as long, according to info guru Bill Arnold: first baseman Duke Kalikeleipulamai'a Sardinha, who is with the Rockies' Double-A Tulsa affiliate, and catcher Dane Kealoha Sardinha, with Detroit's Triple-A Toledo affiliate.

Closing statement

Alex Rodriguez may be billed by his marketing folks as a franchise player and may have the richest contract in history and may have finished among the top 10 in Most Valuable Player voting in eight of his 12 full seasons, but he never has appeared in a World Series game. He is third among active players, behind leader Ken Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas, in terms of World Series futility.

Among Hall of Fame-eligible players, four of the five players who played more games without playing in a World Series than any in history are enshrined in Cooperstown. Andre Dawson, at 2,627 games, ranks No. 1 among Hall of Fame eligibles on the outside looking in, but Ernie Banks (2,528), Billy Williams (2,488), Rod Carew (2,469) and Luke Appling (2,422) have been inducted.

NUMBERS GAME

10 errors of the 20 committed by Boston have been charged to shortstop Julio Lugo, who is in the second year of a four-year, $36 million contract.

PERFECT PAIRS

Left-handed pitcher Joe Saunders and right-hander Ervin Santana, both 6-0 with the Angels, are the eighth pair of teammates to start a season at least 6-0 since 1920. The other seven were Stan Coveleski (7-0) and Jim Bagby (6-0), Cleveland, 1920; Boo Ferriss (7-0) and Mickey Harris (7-0), Red Sox, 1946; Whitey Ford (7-0) and Ed Lopat (7-0), Yankees, 1953; Fernando Valenzuela (8-0) and Burt Hooton (6-0), Dodgers, 1981; Bob Knepper (6-0) and Mike Scott (6-0), Astros, 1988; Aaron Sele (8-0) and Freddy Garcia (6-0), Mariners, 2001; and Pedro Martinez (7-0) and John Burkett (7-0), Red Sox, 2002.

HE SAID IT

"We can't hit for them. It's up to them. We put their names in the lineup and it's up to them to hit. If that doesn't work, we'll look at other options."

John McLaren, Seattle manager, on the struggling Mariners, who are 0-13 in games in which they trail by two runs at some point.

Seeking 30

Arizona right-hander Brandon Webb, above, has started 8-0, prompting talk about the possibility of him becoming the first 30-game winner since Denny McLain went 31-6 in 1968. Don't bet on it. Webb never has made more than 35 starts or pitched more than 2361/3 innings. There hasn't been a 30-game winner since 1901 appear in fewer than 41 games or pitched fewer than 2882/3 innings. The five 30-game winners who appeared in the fewest games:

Player, team Year W-L G GS IP

Lefty Grove, Athletics 1931 31-4 41 30 2882/3

Denny McLain, Tigers 1968 31-6 41 41 336

Cy Young, Red Sox 1901 33-10 43 41 3711/3

Christy Mathewson, Giants 1905 31-9 43 37 3382/3

Joe Wood, Red Sox 1912 34-5 43 38 344

MILE HIGH WATCH

With the success of last season, the Rockies find themselves in a challenging situation for next month's draft.

The Rockies had the sixth-best regular-season record en route to the 2007 National League pennant. As a result, they will have the 25th pick in the draft - the latest Rockies selection since the second year they took part in the draft (discounting 2001, when they lost their pick as compensation for signing free agent Mike Hampton).

Given the low spot, the Rockies can't target a particular player, but there is talk among scouts that they have their eye on shortstop Anthony Hewitt, a native of New York who is attending a private school in Salisbury, Conn.

Hewitt has committed to Vanderbilt and is considered one of the top five athletes in the draft.

The Rockies had the 27th pick in 1992 - the year before their first game - and the 28th pick in 1993. They would have had the 18th pick in 2001, but it went to the Mets instead, and they selected right-handed pitcher Aaron Heilman from Notre Dame.

Every other year of this decade, the Rockies have been among the first 10 selections.

The last time they slipped out of the top 10 was in 1999, when they signed right-handed pitcher Jason Jennings as the 16th pick.

Two years ago, the Rockies had the second selection, and they took right-handed pitcher Greg Reynolds.

Reynolds is expected to make his major league debut for them Sunday in San Diego.

* Right-handed pitcher Brandon Hynick has bounced back from his early-season struggles - even if Double-A Tulsa is in a funk.

Hynick is 0-1 in his past four starts, but he has allowed two earned runs in each of those starts and pitched at least six innings in each, walking one in the past 252/3 innings.

The Drillers, meanwhile, just finished a 1-7 trip in which all seven losses were by one or two runs.