It's even harder when winning isn't even a goal of the Monforts. (and as the saying goes, it all starts at the top)  Not loosing money is the goal.

Which brings me to a relatazation: why do the Monforts not sale? Isn't the only way to MAKE money is sale and cash in? ('cause they don't appear to be making money or a good return on investment in operation cash profit)

Too long, the Rockies have allowed themselves to be happy with mediocrity. I don't know how it will change, or when. But maybe (hopefully), like Krieger said, getting the shit kicked out of you a few times might be the motivating factor.

In past years, the Rockies were supposed to be mediocre - it was a rebuilding period, a phase that's clearly still in place. That's fine. Every team has to rebuild at one time or another. I can be patient for a year or three while waiting for young stars to blossom (worked for the Tigers and is currently working for the Brewers, after all). But this year we were supposed to see steps in a higher direction, and we haven't. And it does send a message to the players on this team when the bench is carrying three guys with averages below the Mendoza Line, and the team shows no urgency to improve those spots.

I don't think our talent is as insufficient as you make it out to be - we're not going to win a World Series this year, but we're a sight better than those 73-win clubs that all ran together in the early part of this decade. But even sufficient talent has to be motivated by the knowledge that their jobs aren't safe, and that mediocrity isn't acceptable. I don't think the guys in that clubhouse are happy with being 16-22, but on an unconscious level... maybe lethargy has already set in. And that's a damn shame.

Walker: None of the three arms we got from St. Louis for Larry did anything for us, but one of them (Jason Burch) was used to get Rodrigo Lopez and the extra money saved from trading Larry when we did went towards signing Dexter Fowler, one of the top tools prospects in the Rockies system at present.

Kile: Got a couple solid years from Jose Jimenez out of this trade.

Hampton: Got a monster year from Preston Wilson, a couple servicable campaigns from Charles Johnson, and monetary relief.

Neagle: Wasn't traded.

Castilla(?): OK, Aaron Ledesma and Rolando Arrojo weren't much. But outside Coors, neither was Castilla.

Burks: Was traded in 1998, two years before O'Dowd took over.

Wouldn't hurt to straighten out the facts first, I figure.

Secondly... O'Dowd was roundly - and rightly - criticized early this decade for never sticking to a plan. Well, O'Dowd and the Rox have had a plan since 2004 - they're rebuilding through young talent and the draft. Now, it's success shouldn't be immaterial, but it's way too early to judge the success of O'Dowd's youth movement, particularly since this was supposed to be the first year it began to bear serious fruit. In the meantime, maybe the big club has underperformed, but as far as building up an entire organization, O'Dowd's done a great job. Our farm system is absolutely top-notch at this point, and that's not just me saying that - that's common wisdom saying that the Rockies farm system is among the game's best.

I don't think it's fair to judge O'Dowd on the performance of the big club in the past three seasons and 38 games. He was pretty bad at this job when he started but I think he's gotten better and I'm a lot less outraged that he's got two extra years on his deal than I am that Hurdle has the same deal.