The Hurdle conundrum is one I’ve had for a while. Who do we get instead that would be so much better? Finally it came to me. Here we have one of the worst win percentages in professional baseball, we just want a manager who’s capable of bringing out the most in his players, a guy who consistently will have a winning team out on that field even in retooling years. I realized that the answer might already be on the Rockies payroll. Down at our low A level, we have a team with the best record in professional baseball, one that’s been winning year in, year out regardless of the quality of players we put there with a manager who’s broken the storied team’s all-time win record.

I think it’s time we start a “Mik for Manager” campaign here on the Row. The one big negative is that he’s Ian Stewart’s father in law, so that might create a conflict of interest situation, but other than that, I can’t see any reason why not.

As for Holliday, I’ve said before that he’d be the most coveted bat on the market, so the Rockies would be able to get top tier prospects for him. Don’t expect to get much in the way of proven big-league help as contending teams wanting to add Holliday won’t be looking to do it at the cost of guys already helping them to contend, but in lieu of that I think we can expect to clean out the farm from said teams. I think this is the only way you get the maximum return in a trade for him.

Firing Hurdle NOW doesn’t mean the temporary replacement will be the permanent manager. It does several things. One, tells the players that losing like this is not acceptable, and no player is secure, cause the next manager, may not like your crappy play. Two it tells the fans, that management feels your pain, and wants to make a simbolic move. AND lastly, and most importantly: It hangs a big “Job Opening: Help Wanted” sign for the off season, for every bench coach, and minor league manager in baseball. There are only 30 Big League Manager jobs, some one would die for even the Rockies job.

Who to move? I don’t think Holliday will bring much of a haul cause the Rockies need major league players…not AA “prospects”. Texiera didn’t exactly turn the Rangers around. One year later they have one part time player in Saltimatachi in the bigs from that trade. I’m not sure this is the right move for the Roxs at the moment. We don’t have big league talent….we have minor league talent (see Ashville’s record). Now Atkins might bring a little more, as he has another year before free agency, and his agent isn’t Boras (and easier for the Rockies cause we have Stewart to replace him). Oddly enough I think Tavares could get us a nice prospect or two, as would very easily replaced Brad Hawpe. I think we could dump Jeff Francis and get as big a haul as Holliday AND dump a pitcher that really looks like he’s going done the Mark Redman road. As for Torrealba…..we could get a 12 pack of Natty Light….and we’d be happy with that.