Rockies 9, Braves 0
by Rox Girl on May 21, 2009 9:19 PM MDT
in Rockies Game Wraps
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Print[Hurdle] has repeated the phrase recently, "that it's not about feelings, it's about facts.'' That shows he's committed to change.
When I wrote that the writing was on the wall for Clint Hurdle's dismissal this morning, it wasn't just a knee-jerk reaction to the two blowouts in the prior two games, to the three out of four this week, but to the sum of what's transpired over the last four seasons (I feel the expectations for the team were too low when he began to use the first couple of seasons) and the fact that most of his moves lately seem to reflect the realization that he hasn't done enough to this point to keep his job. If I have an employee behaving like that with cuts looming, it draws my scrutiny more than anything. In Hurdle's case, he's not my employee, but if he was, I would see the 9-0 victory tonight as a big question mark urging me to ask why this hasn't been happening with greater frequency. I don't think I would be satisfied with the answer to that.
Before I get into that, though, I should point out the big positives. One, Aaron Cook pitched a complete game shutout. Two, Todd Helton hit a grand slam and finished with five RBI. Three, the starting outfield of Brad Hawpe, Ryan Spilborghs and Dexter Fowler rapped out two hits each.
Number four, and where I start to ask, "Wait a second, why is this the first time?" would be Garrett Atkins and Clint Barmes each drawing two walks off of a wild Kris Medlen and scoring four of the Rockies nine runs.
The problem is that this isn't the first wild rookie the Rockies have faced this season, but it is the first time we've seen both Atkins and Barmes displaying patience at the same time. In one of those stats that I don't know if it actually means anything, but suspect that it does, the Rockies average 6.31 runs this season when Atkins draws a walk, but only 4.45 runs in games that he plays without a BB. In the five games in which Barmes has drawn a walk, the Rockies have scored 39 runs.
That either means that it requires particularly bad pitchers to miss against these two, or that the Rockies are missing out on a significant chunk of offense this season because of their free swinging ways. Either way, it's not promising for the future unless we see some sort of sign that there's a sustainable pattern here and it wasn't just a one off against a jittery rookie.
Chris Iannetta and Troy Tulowitzki combined to go zero for nine on the night and drew just walk in comparison to the four gathered at the bottom of the lineup.
The final bad thing is that as far as the season goes, the Rockies are in such a hole already that any single win is entirely meaningless. only the longer winning streaks matter right now, a nine to nothing win tonight is only effective if it's followed by a couple more in Detroit, followed by a couple more at home in Los Angeles.
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The Rockies are in such a hole already that any single win is entirely meaningless.
This times 20, at least. I’m thrilled with the win, and couldn’t be happier about Toddfather’s night. It’s just that it’s one game. If the Rox could actually string a few wins together more than once every two months or so, I might actually start to get worked up again.
But the “it’s about facts” quote just curls my toenails. I can’t even go there. Go Rockies!
The great thing about baseball is that there's a crisis every day. ~Gabe Paul
I guess.
Yeah, it’s meaningless, in the seasonal picture. But I’d rather win than not. And I’d rather whip ‘em 9-0 than not. And since the alternative has been ’not’, I like 9-0 as much as anything else.
"Don't tell me about the world. Not today. It's springtime and they're knocking baseballs around fields where the grass is damp and green in the morning and the kids are trying to hit the curve ball." -Pete Hamill
RG, you're right on the mark.
I certainly hope we don’t get giddy about tonight’s win. The win was fun and Cook looked outstanding but there are fundamental problems with this team and changes need to be made. And waiting isn’t going to solve anything.
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 kinda have a problem being told I can't enjoy a win.
Wins are good, last I checked. Unless you’re an NBA team tanking for the top lottery slot, there’s never a time to not be happy your team wins.
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 May 21, 2009 10:32 PM MDT up reply actions
Enjoy the win. I did while I was watching it. No one said not to enjoy the win. My post meant not to take to much from it.
Don’t get giddy about it. Don’t take it for more than it was. Changes need to be made. The last I checked, this team is in deep trouble. And one good win will not change that fact.
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
by pedalpusher on May 21, 2009 10:44 PM MDT up reply actions
Fair enough. Olive branch extended.
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 May 21, 2009 10:52 PM MDT up reply actions
Olive branch accepted.
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
by pedalpusher on May 21, 2009 10:56 PM MDT up reply actions
Certainly be happy about the win,
but be even happier about one tonight and then much happier about two more Saturday and Sunday.
+1
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 enjoyed the win.
I was grateful that I was home to watch.
Good stuff.
"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
Jackie Robinson
That's an interesting stat about Garrett Atkins and the walk.
I’m pretty inclined to think that that’s due to the fact that he was batting cleanup for so long, and it’s better than the automatic out that he’s sort of declining into
Brad Hawpe's walks have declined over the past week as well..
At least since he was moved into the cleanup role. Maybe feeling pressure to swing, and swing big?
Check out my Rockies comic strip at:
Rock Drive 1.4
Another thing mentioned
during the game yesterday was that Atkins (or was it Barmes?) has only walked twice in a game 4 times in his major league career, spanning more than 400 games. I don’t know where to find this information but that is kind of sad.
"We made too many wrong mistakes." ~Yogi Berra
"The ballplayer who loses his head, who can't keep his cool, is worse than no ballplayer at all." ~Lou Gehrig
JFK
That comment was about Barmes.
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
by pedalpusher on May 22, 2009 12:09 PM MDT up reply actions
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