Friday Morning Rockpile:

by Russ on Jun 27, 2008 9:01 AM MDT in Rockpile

Interleague play comes to an end after Sunday's game with Detroit, and, outside of Kansas City, it hasn't been all that bad for the Rockies. Two of three from Minnesota, two of three from the White Sox, and a three-game sweep of the Indians isn't bad at all. But that huge zero in the win column against the Royals is, to put it kindly, bad. After Detroit, the Rockies take on the Padres in a contest to determine the worst team in the NL West. Woo. . .

With game #81 coming this Saturday, Tracy Ringolsby looks at the fail of the Rockies this season, who is on the trade desk, and where help from the minors may come.

Do we want Jason Grilli to pitch in his old park?

As he attempts to put it all together, look at how Ubaldo Jimenez grips his pitches. Jimenez starts tonight against Eddie Bonine.

0 recs | Comment 12 comments

Read Related

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Here's all you need to know about Clint Hurdle and the 2008 Rockies:

The Rockies lead the NL in sacrifice bunts with 47.

-From the Trace Ringolsby article.

by denver_sc on Jun 27, 2008 9:31 AM MDT 0 recs

notable also

is the fact that we’re 4th in steals. Demonstrating that the small ball effort doesn’t work worth a damn if nobody ever gets real hits (and underscoring the lack of power). Sometimes I really, really miss the Blake Street Bombers.

by Teekalong on Jun 27, 2008 11:16 AM MDT up 0 recs

Bunting....

The Rockies have led the league in Sacrifice Hits every year since 2006 and were third in 2005 and 2004. Hurdle loves the small ball.

by DenverBears on Jun 27, 2008 11:55 AM MDT up 0 recs

Is it all about Hurdle?

I’m not saying Hurdle’s a great manager. But is it really entirely his fault that the offense was anemic early on, and is still questionable at best any given night? The power’s not there, and that has nothing to do with the sacrifices. Tulo’s sophomore slump has been a serious set back. Injuries have been rampant (fire the trainer?). Helton is rapidly turning into Mark Grace (who by the way I consider a very good player even if he did lack power at 1B and is one of my least favorite announcers). Hawpe slumped mightily early on, but has been turning it around. And that’s not even mentioning the pitching!!!
It’s been a bad year, and I’m not going to shed a tear if Hurdle is replaced. Ianetta’s lack of playing time was a sticking point with me, and I think there is some merit to the whole “shake things up” philosophy, with the manager being in the unenviable position of easiest target. I’m afraid it’s not that easy though. Fact is, this TEAM has under-performed. But hey…. That’s baseball. There was some bad luck, some injuries and some just purely inexplicably poor personal performance, but that’s why they don’t just computer simulate the whole year based on last years stats.
Besides, it probably should be the Cubbies year this year anyway. I say retool with and eye for next year and let those poor fans (and they most certainly have something to complain about) enjoy their moment.

by IowaRockie on Jun 27, 2008 1:58 PM MDT up 0 recs

Not the Cubs!

I can’t imagine their fans getting any more obnoxious than they already are.

Anyways… Hurdle’s affinity for the sacrifice bunt is compounded a ton by the fact that this is Coors Field, which, even if it’s not the greatest hitters’ park ever any more, is still a pretty good hitters’ park, with a spacious outfield that allows more balls than usual to fall in for base hits and the altitude still causes balls to carry farther, even if they are weighed down a bit by the humidor. So there’s virtually no reason to be giving away outs with sacrifice bunts.

Even better still, with the way our guys hit with runners in scoring position, why move runners into scoring position?

by Tom (RFTN) on Jun 27, 2008 2:15 PM MDT up 0 recs

Yeah but

When it comes to “Cubs fans” at Coors Field, you are exactly right. They (and Braves “fans”) are generally horrible, horrible, people as I recall. But I don’t think they’re real fans at all, but rather a bunch of rabble-rousers. I live in the Midwest now and every time I’ve gone to Wrigley Field wearing my Rockies hat (and being very respectful of the Cubs of course), the true Cubs fans shocked me at just how friendly and knowledgeable they are. Maybe a little good-natured ribbing (which is easily countered by asking when Mordecai Brown’s next scheduled start is), but more than anything they just want to talk about the Rockies players since they don’t get to see them every day.

by IowaRockie on Jun 27, 2008 2:33 PM MDT up 0 recs

Ok, so my point is

that while not EVERYTHING is Hurdles fault, I’m getting plenty fed up with him. It’s a nothing really glaring, imho, but a lot of little things. The affinity for sacrifices is symbolic of that. Coors Field (while not the Coors Canaveral of the past) is still certainly a damned good hitters park, and to give away at bats with sacrifices more than any other club in the NL is just terrible, as is hitting pitchers the half inning before you take them out, the obsession with marginal veterans (Torrealba, Sullivan a couple years back, Taveras), etc. Keeping Apodaca as the pitching coach and forcing good coaching talent to go elsewhere is also a poor decision.

I think that he could be a good manager… on a team like the Yankees, where there is a lot of veteran talent, and a laid back, even keeled manager could keep a club in a high-pressure situation from panicking. HOWEVER, Hurdle was a terrible fit for this club 2-3 years ago when they were a very young team that needed someone to push them to the next level. He’s also a terrible fit now, because he doesn’t demand any urgency that’s going to pressure the players to demand more out of themselves. This laissez-fair attitude perpetuates an environment within the club not only of no accountability, but also a club-wide stunting of growth, imo.

To sum up, I’d be floored if someone could produce a manager who’s hung on this long with a club with a record like Hurdles’. Anybody?

by denver_sc on Jun 27, 2008 3:24 PM MDT up 0 recs

I won't cry

if Hurdle is replaced, but I have a hard time laying this season at his feet, just like I’m not inclined to credit him unduly for Sept/Oct last year.

While I usually find myself hating the coach/manager of any of my favorite teams (G. Karl in particular) I don’t feel quite the same about hurdle. Maybe its just the nature of baseball, but in my opinion 90% of the games are won (as far as the manager goes) by filling out a lineup card, and I doubt that many other managers would do things much differently. Think Iannetta would play more or Todd would bat in a different spot if Torre was the manager? Ask a Dodger fan. Unlikely. Managers play (and give deference to) vets everywhere. That doesn’t make it right, but it does mean that firing Hurdle will not likely change basic philosophy.

Hurdle has not been the cure this year, but I’m not sure he’s been the disease. As detailed above, just far too many disappointing performances on the field. Really, everyone involved with this team should look in the mirror before pointing any fingers…

by Teekalong on Jun 27, 2008 3:50 PM MDT up 0 recs

Nobody

with a winning percentage as low as Hurdle’s has stayed with a club for 7 years. There was an article about that in the paper last year. If I remember the longest was 5 years. Even with 90 wins last year he’s still almost 100 games under 500 for his career. Remember Hurdle was a Monfort pick after he stabbed Bell in the back. O’Dowd didn’t want him as manager. The Mets converted him from manager in their minor league system to hitting instructor because they didn’t think he was a good manager. That’s where he met Apodaca.

by DieHardRox on Jun 27, 2008 10:44 PM MDT up 0 recs