Tuesday Rockpile: Franklin Morales is back to stop the streak, but more needs to be done to stop the slide
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 21, 2009 9:32 AM MDT
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PrintIn a 162 game season, there will be streaks for every team. This one is just hard for everyone to swallow, especially after the strong start. GM Dan O'Dowd is not panicking yet, citing his trust in Clint Hurdle.
O'Dowd: "We can tinker with the bullpen, which we will. But the 11th reliever is not going to make or break the club. We need our guys to step up, and they know that."
It might seem that we need eleven relief pitchers after the poor starting pitching this last week, but the day our four starters are legitimately considered relievers, we're in a lot more trouble. O'Dowd went on to say that this year was "the best spring that one of my teams has ever had." Troy Renck postulates that those spring lessons seem to be left in Tucson.
The staff "Ace," its most talented pitcher, and its most successful pitcher this year all failed convincingly to stop the precipitous slide the Rockies are in. Now the man who can stop it wasn't even with the club when it started.
Franklin Morales will try to prove he can stick in the rotation today. Either Ryan Speier will be placed on the DL or Matt Belisle will be outrighted to make room. He will be facing a team he pitched well against two weeks ago, but the recent book on him might prove a hurdle. Jason Hammel has posted two identical impressive outings (2IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB) since his shaky debut. Should Morales falter, Hammel has let it be known he wants to start.
Troy Renck reports that Alan Embree and Jason Grilli will be co-setup men for Manny Corpas, when the opportunity comes. Yes, it will come. Huston Street will pitch in low leverage situations until his mechanics are fixed. Street is neither worried nor anxious, believing a "slight change in foot positioning" is what needs addressed most.
In other news, former Rockie Desi Relaford talks about what it was like to get released by Colorado.
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Ha ha
The ‘vote of confidence’ always gets labeled as such, it seems – you’ll know it’s the ‘vote of confidence’ when the Post story’s lead is “Colorado Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd gave manager Clint Hurdle his vote of confidence after Friday’s 11-3 loss to San Francisco, saying…”
On a serious note, though, I’m setting the over/under date for a press conference introducting interim manager Jim Tracy at May 5.
(Which really bums me out, because, folks, whatever you may think of Clint Hurdle, the Rockies installing Jim Tracy as manager at any point would be a complete, unmitigated DISASTER. If you think the Rox clubhouse is too ‘loose’ now, then you really don’t want Tracy holding the reins. And if you don’t want Troy Tulowitzki to be told to play more like Cesar Izturis, or Dexter Fowler to be instructed to play exactly like Dave Roberts… well, then you REALLY ought to be rooting for Hurdle to turn this ship around.)
Staying on the sunny side of Blake Street since 1993.
The Shawn Chacon Experience - Life as a Rockies fan, one day at a time: Because we're all still recovering from those nine blown saves.
by Franchise26 on Apr 21, 2009 10:25 AM MDT up reply actions
Kills me to write all that, by the way
Because I’ve been one of Hurdle’s last, most strident defenders, and from a personal standpoint I don’t think we’ll ever find a finer man to represent the ball club in the dugout. And also because making Jim Tracy the manager for any period of time would be a horrific mistake. But I just see a team with no confidence in their ability to win a baseball game right now, and generally the blame for that sort of thing falls at the doorstep of the skipper’s office.
Staying on the sunny side of Blake Street since 1993.
The Shawn Chacon Experience - Life as a Rockies fan, one day at a time: Because we're all still recovering from those nine blown saves.
by Franchise26 on Apr 21, 2009 10:29 AM MDT up reply actions
Hurdles refusal to let go of the bunt in any and all situations is what bugs me the most.
"Better move your rental cars, I am about to take BP."
-Glendon Rusch
Hurdle has actually backed off the sacrifice bunt significantly in the last two seasons.
He still does it more than other NL managers, but not nearly by the amount it used to be – these aren’t the Cory Sullivan years anymore, after all.
Staying on the sunny side of Blake Street since 1993.
The Shawn Chacon Experience - Life as a Rockies fan, one day at a time: Because we're all still recovering from those nine blown saves.
by Franchise26 on Apr 21, 2009 10:32 AM MDT up reply actions
Yea I would agree with that
I just remember seeing a DP headline a few days ago about him being irked by a botched bunt attempt and I couldn’t help but think that he brought it on himself by asking a good hitter to bunt in the first place.
"Better move your rental cars, I am about to take BP."
-Glendon Rusch
I couldn't agree more w/ this
I really like Hurdle and I’m not sure he’s a bad manager, it just seems this organization can not get going. I think you have to blame someone and obviously that will be Hurdle, but I am really disappointed in our players right now. The offense is bordering on embarrassing for a team w/ talent, at least as I see it. Why they get so tight I don’t know, and maybe that is on Hurdle, but you would think the players could man up. I am hoping for a turn around and I would like to see Hurdle stay.
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.
Who was it that said, "It's easier to fire one manager than 25 players"?
Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?
Author: Jim Bouton
Who do we hire, then?
Follow me on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/rockiesmagicnum - But be warned I only actually "tweet" every....well, not often.
by Andrew Martin on Apr 21, 2009 10:29 AM MDT up reply actions
I'd be OK with Baylor in an interim role
Long term, I have no idea – I haven’t spent much time considering it because I figured we’d be 12-0 right now and on our way to signing Hurdle to a 10-year extenstion.
Staying on the sunny side of Blake Street since 1993.
The Shawn Chacon Experience - Life as a Rockies fan, one day at a time: Because we're all still recovering from those nine blown saves.
by Franchise26 on Apr 21, 2009 10:31 AM MDT up reply actions
Or maybe
Brian Bannister. He’s a sociable guy with a progressive mindset – and the opportunities for glory are sparse in KC.
you lost me here
Follow me on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/rockiesmagicnum - But be warned I only actually "tweet" every....well, not often.
by Andrew Martin on Apr 21, 2009 1:36 PM MDT up reply actions
I think
he was implying that he was more new school – sabermetrically inclined.
"Better move your rental cars, I am about to take BP."
-Glendon Rusch
nono
I thought Brian Bannister was a 25 year old pitcher.
Follow me on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/rockiesmagicnum - But be warned I only actually "tweet" every....well, not often.
by Andrew Martin on Apr 21, 2009 2:11 PM MDT up reply actions
Bobby Valentine
watched a documentary about the job he has done over in Japan. There was a quote about how he was offer the Dodgers and the Rays job and he preferred the Rays job because it was more of a challenge. Well, the Rockies job is certainly difficult!
No way
As much as I’d like Bobby V., the M&M brothers couldn’t handle him. Too bad, he’d bring some instant respect and credibility to the position.
TGFPR!!
Respect?
Bobby Valentine? I mean, sure he’d be better than Hurdle, I’m just not sure “respect” is the right word…
"Hilarity"
Follow me on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/rockiesmagicnum - But be warned I only actually "tweet" every....well, not often.
by Andrew Martin on Apr 21, 2009 8:29 PM MDT up reply actions
Never
been a Hurdle fan but I agree Tracy is a disaster. I was dumfounded they hired him in the first place. Tracy was always on my list of managers worse than Hurdle. I always thought the Rockies should have gone for a young rising star in the minors as a manager considering their budget constraints and still do.
by DieHardRox on Apr 21, 2009 1:56 PM MDT up reply actions
I'm glad the Relaford article wasn't
“THIS ORGANIZATION TREATED ME LIKE GARBAGE AND I HATE THEM AND THEY REALLY SCREWED ME AND STABBED ME IN THE BACK SCREW THOSE GUYS”
Follow me on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/rockiesmagicnum - But be warned I only actually "tweet" every....well, not often.
I always liked Desi
And I still did after reading the article – I’m not sure I’d have handled being DFA’d any differently than he did.
Staying on the sunny side of Blake Street since 1993.
The Shawn Chacon Experience - Life as a Rockies fan, one day at a time: Because we're all still recovering from those nine blown saves.
by Franchise26 on Apr 21, 2009 10:33 AM MDT up reply actions
A new article just dropped
FREE MATT MURTON by Dave Cameron at FanGraphs
Comparison to Nelson Cruz, who has more HR this year than anyone not named Carlos
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 21, 2009 10:38 AM MDT reply actions
Okay, you beat me by a couple minutes. I'll FP it.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 21, 2009 10:43 AM MDT up reply actions
The REAL cleaning
can’t really be done IN season. But with both O’Dowd and Hurdle’s contract up at the end of the season, I hope it will begin then.
The problem isn’t JUST Clint Hurdle…its system wide. The team has to be better evaluators of talent from initial signing, up through the system. It also has to to a better job of developing that talent. It also has to do a better job at assessing the areas of weakness, and the areas of strength, and making the right moves to fill in gaps at all levels.
This team right now is too married to marginal talent. It’s had too much Hamburger Helper, it thinks that it’s gourmet
"Suck it monkeys, the Rockies will win this year", Rox Girl 1-11-2009
So basically won't that be what happens with a new GM?
Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?
Author: Jim Bouton
I agree
that it’s probably doubtful that things really improve much under the current regime. In I/O Psychology, when we speak of organizational change it’s almost always done via replacing current execs with new members. If you look at the Rays and how they turned things around or even better examples would be the Orioles and most recently the Mariners after they hired a slick newcomer, the organization has taken major strides quickly.
Not to start off a whole sabermetric debate or anything, but what exactly is O’Dowd’s approach and how much does he value the recent statistical advances?
Question
What happened to the Current Series widget? I know it was there recently, but now it’s gone. Can that come back?
Our blog layout page shows it as being right under the standings,
But for some reason it’s not showing up right now. I’m not sure exactly why not. I’ll send a note to our bug report people.
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