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Last Updated: Oct 16th, 2008 - 13:33:17 |
How the mighty have fallen. Our beloved Colorado Rockies went from the top of the hill in the 2007 World Series to the bottom of the National League.
So what is going on? We have the same manager, the same players and the same altitude, so what has changed since last season?
One concern is the Rockies are not getting sufficient relief from its bullpen. Out of the last 13 games the Rockies have lost, half of those have been by one or two runs.
On May 21, Ubaldo Jimenez threw a spectacular seven-inning shutout against the San Francisco Giants. The Rockies were one out away from a victory when reliever Brian Fuentes blew the save and sent the game into extra innings. The Giants went on to take the game 3-2.
About a month ago, the Rockies lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 in extra innings, as well. Rockies starting pitcher Jeff Francis started the game and pitched seven solid innings, giving up only five hits and two runs. However, closer Manuel Corpas gave up the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning.
Injuries have gutted the roster, which has contributed to the losing woes of the Rockies.
After a stellar rookie season, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki went down with a torn ligament in his left quadriceps and isn't expected back until around the All-Star break. Tulo's batting ability is being missed, but his defense is what the Rockies lack in the middle.
Tulo's backup, Clint Barmes, also hit the disabled list when he suffered from a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee this past week.
In addition to Tulo and Barmes, right fielder Brad Hawpe suffered a right hamstring strain May 20 against the Giants. Barmes should be back in two to four weeks; Hawpe shouldn't be out for more than a couple weeks.
With all those injuries piling up, it looked as if 2007 MVP candidate Matt Holliday would have to carry the load to steer the ship in the winning direction. But the Rockies' left fielder also will miss some time from the lineup. After tweaking his hamstring against the New York Mets, Holliday was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
Without a familiar face in the shortstop position, or any position for that matter, it's difficult for the Rockies when they are unable to play with the same team every game, which has been a problem for the last couple of years.
Between the injuries and the constant position changes, becoming comfortable enough and developing enough team chemistry to string wins together can be difficult.
Manager Clint Hurdle did a lot of moving in the transaction list to fill those holes. He called up outfielder Seth Smith, who hit a three-run home run Sunday, and Triple-A Colorado Springs third baseman Ian Stewart to put a spark in the team. Hurdle also looked for immediate help, starting Omar Quintanilla at shortstop last weekend.
The team's longest winning streak this season is four games, two of which were against the lowly San Diego Padres, while the other two were against the Houston Astros in April.
Hitting must emerge from players other than third baseman Garrett Atkins. With the injuries to Tulo, Hawpe and Holliday, offensive production needs to come from catcher Yorvit Torrealba, whose salary increased in the off-season, and Todd Helton, who can't play just to play in the twilight of his career.
The Rockies' recent losses have placed them fourth in the division, 11 games under .500. At this point last season, they were 22-27 (.449) and beginning to climb out of the basement.
It's not too late for our hometown heroes, but in order to compete with the rest of the league, they have to raise that team batting average and to see quick recoveries from the main components of that World Series squad.
Next up for the Rockies is a long road trip that could determine the outcome of the season. But don't give up on those summer-time sluggers just yet, because if we've learned anything from last season, it's that anything, and I mean anything, can happen in a baseball season.
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