Thursday Morning Rockpile: Where have you gone, Larry Walker?

by Rox Girl on May 22, 2008 9:37 AM MDT in News

I didn't even light a candle to commemorate the twelfth anniversary of Walker's six straight extra base hits in 1996. The Rockies current team managed just six extra base hits altogether in the three game series with the Giants we just wrapped up.

Thus far, the Rockies have 136 extra base hits in 2008, which leaves them on a pace for 469 for the entire season. The last Rockies team to have less than 500 was the 2005 team that finished with 464. The 2002 team finished with 476 and the only other Rockies squad to finish with fewer than 500 over a 162 game schedule was the expansion 1993 team with 479. That said, I really don't think we'll wind up with fewer than 500 this season. In 2007, the Rox had just 122 extra base hits through 47 games, and obviously, the pace picked up during the summer. This team is better than it appears right now, these players are late boomers, but it's going to take a plague of locusts in Arizona to help the Rox all the way out of the hole they've dug this time around. That would be nice, actually, a swarm of locusts descending on Chase Field would perk up my week next time the Snakes are at home.

At any rate, at this point Dan O'Dowd isn't ruling out a major roster shakeup in the form of trades around the All-Star break if the team hasn't approached .500. Matt Holliday seems more likely to be moved at this point were that to occur than Garrett Atkins -probably because there's more demand- in order to make room for Ian Stewart and/or Seth Smith.

Meanwhile, while Troy Tulowitzki's recovery seems to be going ahead of schedule, you'll note from that link that Jason Hirsh's timetable has been pushed back to at least late June.

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If O Dowd is going to trade Holliday

he had better do a good job explaining why a huge contract would end up burdening the team a la Helton. The first comment below the article probably sums up what the casual fan thinks about a Holliday trade.

by moomacher on May 22, 2008 9:53 AM MDT 0 recs

And in that case he'd be wise to ignore the casual fan's initial backlash.

Would a Holliday trade really “loose” that fan’s faith FOREVER? Or just until the next Rockies World Series run? I’m going to guess the latter. Right now, the talent on this team needs to rise considerably in order for the Rockies to be in the same tier as the Cubs and D-backs in the NL. It probably needs to rise quite a bit just to catch up with the Dodgers. If that fan would rather follow a team whose most likely result year to year is a third place division finish over one which has a legit shot at contending, than he has some self-esteem issues and would probably be better served being an Orioles fan.

That this fan doesn’t know that this is the reality of the situation because he reads a newspaper that panders to very good, but not quite great, players (great people, though, don’t get me wrong) and is afraid to offend them by pointing this out isn’t O’Dowd’s fault, and DO’D probably shouldn’t let it concern him if he’s going to be acting in the best interest of the team.

by Rox Girl on May 22, 2008 10:42 AM MDT up 0 recs

So I can put my friends that are "casual fans" at ease...

What sort of package of players could we expect in return for Holliday?

Every day is a Holliday!

by free7694 on May 22, 2008 10:59 AM MDT up 0 recs

If he were to be available

Holliday would be the most attractive bat on the market this season, and the next in line, Adam Dunn isn’t that close because Holliday would have at least a season and a half under the acquiring team’s control.

This is why the Rockies should be able to get a Teixeira type of deal for him, even if he’s an inferior hitter to Teixeira. There are some parameters that I would figure would have to be met, the Rockies would have to get a young player that they could insert onto the 25 man roster immediately that could be destined for stardom to headline the package (Jarrod Saltalamacchia played this role) so O’Dowd can sell it to Rockies fans. After that, it would involve a handful of other quality prospects, which in the Tex trade, seem to be more promising than Salty at this point.

I would think it would have to be a four for one deal at least, and probably a five for one with a throw in that our scouts like to get a trade done. I’d think the Rockies would look for pitchers and catchers primarily, and I’d expect a potential #1 starter to be included.

by Rox Girl on May 22, 2008 11:24 AM MDT up 0 recs

I agree completely

it kills me that the media following the team, even after 15 years, is incapable of looking past Coors-aided batting averages when deciding players are superstar caliber.

by moomacher on May 22, 2008 11:17 AM MDT up 0 recs

Agreed...the Denver media does treat Rockies' players with kid gloves.

But numbers don’t lie. Based on their current pace, here are 162-game projections if nothing changes: Holliday 21 homers-79 RBIs, Helton 13-52, Hawpe 10-57, Atkins 24-97. YIKES!

by moose14 on May 22, 2008 11:18 AM MDT up 0 recs

ugh

that’s a stat line I was wondering about. Our middle of the line-up just disappeared. I still like Atkins the best of the group long term though.

I wouldn’t cry if we moved 3 or 4 of these. Helton D is still valuable, but not for his contract numbers. Hawpe is playing at replacement level. Holliday (my boy!) home/road splits are just scary and tell me he’s a Coors Field inflated hitter. He should be begging to stay here in Denver.

Colorado Rockies: Playing meaningless games in June for more years than I care to remember.

by Redhawk on May 22, 2008 11:29 AM MDT up 0 recs

From the Horse's Mouth (DO'D Speaks!)

We are a club that doesn’t have a lot of confidence.

And who’s fault is that pray tell? HUMMM??? could it be THIS GUY’S?:

Or This Guy’s?:

Colorado Rockies: Playing meaningless games in June for more years than I care to remember.

by Redhawk on May 22, 2008 10:57 AM MDT 0 recs

History Lesson

That every Rockies player seeking the big bucks and is FA eleigible leaves town under O’Dowd (except the PR favorite Yorvit!!!!!!! had to say it!). This Holliday scenario was cast in stone the day he hired Boras. The Rockes extended a token olive branch last spring but Boras is going to put him on the market. Better off dealing him now that settling for compensation picks later.

by PinchHitLancePainter on May 22, 2008 12:22 PM MDT 0 recs

^----this

by roxintober on May 22, 2008 7:44 PM MDT up 0 recs

In fact...

I’m already waving….

by roxintober on May 22, 2008 7:45 PM MDT up 0 recs

What I wish someone in our town was saying....

Got this from an article on Sportsline…

“We’re bad, no question about it. There comes a point in time where we can’t just say it’s early,” GM Kevin Towers said late Monday following another debacle, this one an 8-2 loss to St. Louis featuring left fielder Scott Hairston misplaying Ryan Ludwick’s first-inning drive to the wall into a two-run homer. “I haven’t seen any signs the last couple of weeks that leads me to believe, or our fans to believe, that we’re going to turn this thing around.

“It’s up to the guys in the clubhouse. I’m certainly not going to watch this for another four months.”

And before the quote, it was said that he is “completely livid”.

by roxintober on May 22, 2008 7:58 PM MDT 0 recs

Pardon, "downright livid"

by roxintober on May 22, 2008 7:59 PM MDT up 0 recs

Yep

Problem is, the Rox front office and players have never bought into the notion that last lear marked a turning point for this club. They’re still operating as if it’s 2005 and the occasional little step forward is what we’re looking for.

It’s not. These are the National League Champions. Where the hell’s the pride? Where’s the urgency? Where’s the indication that anyone around the team really expects to do better?

I salute Kevin Towers. I hope we start hearing similar things here.

by BroJB on May 22, 2008 9:48 PM MDT up 0 recs

I mentioned pride

in a post somewhere earlier this month. My point then, and now, is that the defending NL Champions should be wearing the colors with a little more strut than our Rox have shown this season. I get no sense from this team that last year’s spectacular run ever happened.

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings. ~ Earl Wilson

by rockhead on May 22, 2008 10:02 PM MDT up 0 recs