Saturday Morning Rockpile:

Yeah, Corpas has been horrible. But he’s not the guy who keeps hitting weak ground balls right at someone with a runner on third and less than 2 outs.

that would be…. well, that would be pretty much everyone with a bat in his hand.

the big problems are too much traffic on defense, failure to locate pitches, and too many BBs. On offense it seems nobody is able to produce the big blow and just cannot square up a ball.

I think the NL teams used the Red Sox video on how to pitch these guys from last fall and it works. Red Sox have some of the best advance guys in the business and saw the holes.

I just came up with this, so it may be complete BS. But here it is:

Much has been made of the vaunted team chemistry on the Rox. These guys are all tight. That’s a good thing when you’re going well, but it clearly has a different effect when you’re not.

Rather than each guy going about his business, they all seem to suffer collectively. It’s as if they feed off one another’s struggles. Think about teams with big personalities who aren’t especially buddy-buddy (like the Yanks or the BoSox). When one guy slumps, the other guys take on a “that’s his problem” attitude and continue their quest for gaudy numbers and big money. You never seem to see teams like that go into team-wide funks.

But the Rox, who have always made a big deal about chemistry, seem to do it all the time.

Oddly, it may be the very characterisitic that allowed this team to go 21 of 22 last September that is responsible for their current (and fairly regular over the years) woes.

and it seems like the guys who are doing decently feel like they have to do it because one of their “brothers” in the clubhouse can’t. They have to pick up their fallen brethren from the ground and thus get shot themselves, or in other words, falter as well. Last year it was a different hero, every night because they all seemed to believe in each other. I have also noticed that the new guys like podsednik, seem to be doing better and not getting as caught up in it. I can’t help but thinking pods must feel like he got involved with a different team than what he planned on. Same guys for the most part, but bummed attitude.

I also think the way that Hurdle manages the pitchers isn’t working too well. I don’t hate Hurdle, I am sure he is a good person. However, he can’t keep putting for example Manny Corpas into these close games because he thinks there is a chance Manny is magically going to rise up and be in good form again instantly. You have to think of the whole team, not just one guy. And obviously, Manny’s confidence was lowered even more last night from the runs he allowed. So it didn’t help anyone.Just because Fuentes did well in the 8th inning after he came back from injury last year, doesn’t mean Manny is going to be exactly the same. Maybe it’s just me, but it also came to my mind that the Dodgers are a hot team right now and their hitting, especially Furcal, Kemp, Loney etc. has been doing well. So why are you putting your most inexperienced relievers in to face the wolves? Speier, I guess makes some sense, but Josh Newman to face Furcal the way he has been hitting with people on base?! Left handed or not, it still seemed like the at bat had trouble written all over it before it even happened.

I was at last nights game and will be at the other 2 ones this series. I still hold out hope that the rockies will start clicking as a whole. The idea of De La Rosa pitching tonite makes me suprisingly optimistic…I guess I feel like he at least won’t have a chip on his shoulder or be jaded from these last few weeks. I see bright spots on this team, but really want them to get it together as a whole. The losing doesn’t even bother me as much as seeing the players be so lethargic for the most part. Teams struggle, but it is pretty clear when people just throw in the towel. I also don’t understand how a manager who was a hitting coach can’t help a team with their hitting. People could say what they wanted about Baylor during his time here, but he did help the hitters. I still miss the Rockies attitude of feeling they could come back from any deficit, I want that team back. Here’s hoping they turn it around tonite! We really need to build some momentum. And again…here’s another small pitch for Iannetta to catch tonite. We know it probably won’t happen, but I had to throw it out there.

asking too much from this team?