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KRIEGER: These Rocks are running out of time

By Dave Krieger, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published May 17, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Updated May 17, 2008 at 1:03 a.m.

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This is not my assessment of our bedraggled boys of summer through 42 games. This is the assessment of their general manager, Dan O'Dowd:

"It's a complete failure in pretty much every aspect of the game."

And that is why this team, just seven months removed from its first World Series, is now playing for the right not to be disassembled by its own management.

"You could probably pick apart almost every aspect of the club from a purely statistical analysis," O'Dowd said Friday, before the Rocks opened a homestand by falling 12 games below .500 with a loss to the Twins.

"But the bottom line is we haven't really executed one phase of the game proficiently. And if you don't do that, you don't win at this level.

"It's starting pitching and the back end of the bullpen and pretty much the core of our club from an everyday lineup standpoint."

You know the basics. The Rocks' starting pitching is the worst in the National League, having entered Friday night's game with an ERA of 5.59.

Their bullpen has actually been pretty good - sixth in the league - but the high-profile failures of demoted closer Manny Corpas tend to disguise that fact. The starters have been so bad that the Rocks' pitching is next to last in the league overall.

Their hitting has been lousy, ranking 13th in the league, especially disappointing considering they led the league a year ago. It's even worse with runners in scoring position, where they match their starting pitching - last in the league.

The Rocks have only four players batting .300 or better with runners in scoring position: Scott Podsednik (.429), Ryan Spilborghs (.370), Jonathan Herrera (.300) and Chris Iannetta (.300). Not one of them is an everyday starter.

In center field, for example, Podsednik is 269 points better than Willy Taveras (.160) with runners in scoring position, but Taveras plays more than twice as much - 129 at-bats to Podsednik's 52.

Behind the plate, Iannetta is 100 points better than Yorvit Torrealba (.200), but Torrealba plays more - 96 at-bats to Iannetta's 65 - although Iannetta has started eight of the past 12 games.

Perhaps the most stunning numbers are those of Garrett Atkins, the Rocks' best hitter so far this season. While Atkins is batting a sparkling .339 overall, he's an anemic .208 with runners in scoring position.

As if to point up this contrast, Atkins had a pair of hits with nobody on Friday night, but struck out with the tying run on third and two out in the sixth.

Though not as dramatic, Todd Helton's performance has also fallen off in the clutch. He's batting .269, but only .216 with runners in scoring position. He came up with two on and two out in the eighth Friday and grounded to the pitcher.

It is only mid-May, of course; still early by baseball standards. But the Rocks are further below .500, and further out of first place, than they were at any point last season. We thought their low point last year, 18-27, was bad. They are now 15-27.

So I asked O'Dowd whether he is inclined to shake up the mix or stay the course.

"If this club hadn't gotten as far as it did last year, you might have a different mentality, but I still think, and maybe I'm wrong here, that the only thing that gets rewarded in this game is patience, and patience is going to tell us," he said.

So, I pressed, you're willing to ride it out no matter how bad it gets?

"I think for the short term we are, yeah. I can't really predict necessarily as we get deep into the season what we're going to do. I think we may be looking at a whole different set of circumstances at that point in time if we continue to play like we are right now."

A whole different set of circumstances. You can imagine what those might be. Ian Stewart had 11 home runs and 38 RBI in 38 games at Triple-A Colorado Springs going into Friday night's game at Fresno, more than any member of the parent club in either category. Outfielders Seth Smith and Cory Sullivan are both hitting over .300.

The cause of the Rocks' precipitous fall is almost beside the point now. At the major league level, the game is about results.

"I'd be a psycho, I mean, an amateur psychologist, to try and explain all the reasons why I don't think we're playing well, and probably all of them would be wrong," O'Dowd said in what will pass for the Freudian slip of the season until a better one comes along.

Maybe they couldn't handle the expectations that came with last season's success. Maybe too many of them are concerned with building stats for arbitration and, ultimately, free agency. In the end, the reason doesn't really matter.

The Rocks have a month, maybe two, to prove they deserve to stick together. If they don't get it together by then, last year's pennant winner may indeed go down in history as a three-week wonder.

kriegerd@RockyMountainNews.com

Comments

  • May 17, 2008

    6:51 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    RockiesWin writes:

    As The Cars once sang....Shake it up!

    Helton is over the hill!!! Move Adkins to first and bring up Ian Stewart to play third.

    The sad thing about this horrible start is that any momentum the Rockies had with fans is gone. They, and I, were hoping that last year's success would translate into much greater attendance this year. More attendance means more money to keep both Holliday and Adkins. Unfortunately, I don't think that will be an option.

    And why are Willie Taveras and Brad Hawpe off limits. Neither have produces for some time now. Why not give Spilborghs a chance to start regularly and see what he can do with it. Let Pods play center.

    If the benched players don't like it, tough! Prove yourself on the field! Quit riding your reputation and potential. PRODUCE!!!

    Obviously let Iannetta continue to start most games.

    Rocks are going, going, gone and they ain't comin' back this year! (How sad and it isn't even June)

    Now the trick is to make good trades for quality pitching....don't screw this one up Danny Boy!

  • May 17, 2008

    8:16 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    DG writes:

    How really unbelievable and dissapointing this teams' performance has been this year after the run to the series. What happened to the "we'll be back"! They're already done. National league "chumpeons" would be more appropriate. We've listened to and watched the hype all spring long and get this kind of baseball!
    Pathetic!

    Either these guys have no talent, no heart...or they don't have coaching! How long does Hurdle get a free ride? He may be a nice guy, a feel good manager, but he's not managing winning baseball. That's very clear. These guys never have the same line-up two nights in a row. They only lost ONE guy, even if it was Tulowitzki...who was hitting nothing before he got hurt. Didn't they find anything out in spring training?

    And Fuentes pitched the night before last in Arizona for the first time in a week! Apadaca is a pitching coach? Closers need to get an inning 4-5 times a week to maintain their rhythm and their confidence...not an inning once a week. You don't have to be a major league coach to know that.

    It's long past time for Hurdle to go. He had his day in the sun. But they stunk in the series. In fact, they forgot to show up. They were just thrilled to be there. When the cameras panned on Tulo in the dug-out, he looked a million miles away. They might as well all have been. Clearly the critics were correct. This team was a three week wonder.

    Everything that was gained at the end of the last season has already been lost the first quarter of this season. This team is terrible...across the board. What a shame. So much expectation and the WORST team in baseball!

  • May 17, 2008

    8:45 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    TruthHurts writes:

    Last year I loved having games in September that mattered. Anyone know the Major League Soccer schedule for the rest of the summer?

  • May 17, 2008

    10:04 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Broncosfan75 writes:

    The fact that O'Dud says he doesn't have the ability to figure out what is wrong is proof that he should not have his job. He gave a contract extension to Hawpe who had two good months last year but otherwise was a platoon player. He refused to use the wealth of young talent the Rockies have in the minor leagues to get the team a legitimate ace like Haren, when the last time I checked you only can have 25 major league players. He needed to make tough decisions in the off season of who was going to make it in the future and who could be used for trade and he didn't do it.

    The future for corner infielders in this organization involves Atkins, Stewart, and Koshansky(sp?) whenever Helton is finally done. That means one of those three could be used for trade.

    The rotation only needs five starters and probably needs one or two more in case of injuries. With Francis and Cook inked to long term contracts that leaves three spots for future players like Hirsch, Jimenez, Morales, Reynolds, and Hynick. Trading one of the first three in a package for a front line starter for a couple of years until the other two were ready would have been a good plan. Instead, the Rockies have two number two starters vying for staff ace, several free agent cast offs trying to be the fourth starter, and young guns that should have been a fifth starter trying to fill the third and fifth roles.

    Finally, second base and center field. Second base was an explosive offensive position last year and has been a black hole this year. Nix was not ready and the organization knew it otherwise it would not have become the competition it became in spring training. Matsui or Iguchi should have been pursued in free agency to give the farm system a year or two to develop a major leaguer out of the group of Nix, EY jr., Wimberely, Barmes, and Quintenilla. Center field should be a rotation between Sullivan and Spillborghs at least until Taveras can remember how to hit and run successfully.

    This would have saved the organization the money it spent on Posednik, Redman, Wells, Towers, and the extension to Hawpe that could have been used to pay Haren's $4 million contract and about the same for Iguchi or Matsui. So with the same priced club you have a rotation of: Haren, Francis, Cook, Jimenez, and Hirsch when he is healthy while Morales ends up traded. In the line up you get center and right filled with Taveras and Spilly against leftys and Sullivan and Hawpe against righties. Second base becomes a strength instead of a black hole and the organization gets of to a strong start instead of a weak one. This may not be the right answer but this is a strategic plan similar to what O'Dud should have been doing during the off season instead of trying to figure out how to take the fans' money for the next year due to an improbable month long run.

  • May 17, 2008

    12:09 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    GeeTee writes:

    Willie Taveras is a FAILED experiment. He has reverted to form -- his OBP sucks for a lead-off hitter. Can't steal a base if he can't get to first!! Start Podsednick or Spilborghs. I've also seen way too many balls go over his head in center field -- maybe he's not as fast as he thinks he is.

    Bench the guys who aren't hitting. Trade Baker -- the guy just isn't a major-league player.

    Trouble this year -- maybe we can celebrate last year some more!!

  • May 17, 2008

    12:27 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    FreeToChoose writes:

    First of all they should bench Willy Taveras and his lousy .305 OBP in the top spot... for good. Trade him, bench him, option him to Triple A, I don't care. This management team fell too in love with his base running ability. OBP is far more important, see: Boston Red Sox.
    In his place they should simply platoon Spilborghs (.412 OBP vs lefties) and Posednik (.364 OBP vs righties). Then just move Helton to the two spot permanently. If he's gonna clog the base paths in front of Holiday and Atkins, he might as well do it in a spot where his .390 OBP can do some good.
    But if they're still under .500 and 10-15 games back in July, they might have to trade Holiday and Atkins. Those two guys' stock will never be higher. Atkins is putting up better stats than every other third baseman not named Chipper and Holliday is probably the most accomplished outfielder under 30 years old in the majors. AND neither are a mid-season rental.

  • May 18, 2008

    9:32 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    sll writes:

    There is no excuse for the Rockies to have been gun-shy in pulling the trigger for a top-flight starter during the off season - the ghosts of Darryl Kile (sorry DK), Mike Hampton, and Denny Neagle were exorcised with the humidor, no??! Cook is a serviceable 3, as is Francis. We have no 2 (much less a 1!).
    That being said, the offense will eventually come around and slug us into 3rd place in the NL West. Neat...