While We Wait for the Rockies to Play in the World Series, Part Two

My brother-in-law, who we'll call "Greg", has lived here in the Denver area for about four years or so. He's a transplant from Texas, where he was a transplant from Louisiana. He's a fan of all sports, but his passion is New Orleans Saints football. While in Texas he adopted the Rangers has his baseball team. During the time I've known Greg we've usually gone to one or two Rockies games together each season. He would root for the Rockies when we went, mainly because what else was he going to do, except for the time he went and the Rockies were playing the Rangers. During that game he rooted for his adopted team and the Rockies won the game (the only game the Rockies had won when he attended until very late this year). He would talk about the Rockies, but in a "at-least-it's-Major-League-Baseball" sort of way, not with much conviction one way or the other.

A few weeks ago, Greg and my fellow member(s) of the Designation Committee had decided that if the Rockies somehow managed to get in the playoffs, we would do our best to get to a playoff game. Right after the Rockies won and the Padres lost to force a one-game tie-breaker for the NL wild card, I bought three tickets to the play-in game, but didn't invite Greg. He seemed somewhat disappointed by this when I told him I'd been at the game. My bad. I assumed it was an event that "Rockies fans" would primarily want to be at. That should have been my first clue. The day of the play-in game, I went to Coors Field and bought tickets for Game 3 of the NLDS against the Phillies (working four blocks from CF has its advantages).

Witnessing the Rockies win the game to sweep the Phillies in the NLDS and celebrate their advancing to the NLCS was a wonderful experience. I was beginning to sense a change in the way Greg cheered for the Rockies. As the Rockies played Arizona for the NL pennant I could tell that he was becoming a little more involved than a mere by-stander. We each had tickets to the NLCS, I for Game 3 and he for Game 4. Fortunately, he was prepared and recorded the final out and ensuing celebration as the Rockies won to earn the right to play in the World Series. He showed me that video last night. While the celebration began on the field and in the stands, I could hear Greg screaming and hollering on the recording. I thought to myself, if I didn't know better, I'd say that was a Rockies fan. Shortly after the video was over he declared, "I'm a Rockies fan". Scenes like this are happening everyday, all over this city. As a dedicated fan, it's fun to see, and tried-and-true, die-hard fans are saying "welcome".

Greg, let this be my official welcome to the not-so-little anymore and growing group that call themselves "Rockies fans".

Until next time, Go Rockies!

While We Wait for the Rockies to Play in the World Series, Part One

I've never really had a problem with Manny Ramirez. A great hitter, especially in the clutch, makes him fun to watch unless you're rooting for the opposing team.

Until this year. His almost annual demands to leave Boston and then eventually say that he wanted to stay have grown old, but that drama was usually over by the time the season started. This post season he seems to have taken the "Manny Show" to an entirely new level, standing at home plate with arms held high, watching each of his home runs with self-admiration before beginning his SLOW jog around the bases. His home run Tuesday offered support what some people have believed all along: Manny is all about Manny. With his team trailing by five runs, he connected on a solo home run to decrease the deficit to four runs. Most players would run around the bases, high-five their teammates and get back in the dugout. Not Manny, he stood there admiring his work, raising his arms as if he'd just won the game, or at least given his team the lead, and then celebrated on his return to home plate. Even a friend of mine who is a life-long Red Sox fan told me he's tired of it, his comment being: "you've been there before, act like it." As if this wasn't enough, when Manny was asked about Game 5 of the ALCS and the fact that Boston is on the brink of elimination, his response was:

It doesn't happen, so who cares? There's always next year. It's not like it's the end of the world.

He's right, it wouldn't be the end of the world, but that's not the attitude you want from one of your key players on the eve of what could be your last game of the season. The bottom line: I don't really care for Manny Ramirez right now. He seems to be more about himself than the Boston Red Sox.

The Colorado Rockies? Now they're a different story. It's difficult for me to recall a more humble group of guys as part of a professional sports team. Now, I don't know any of the Rockies players personally, so all I have to go by is what I see and hear on TV, but what I see is an authentic attitude of humility along with as much care and respect for a teammate as one's self, from 1 to 25. It's true there is no "I" in "team", and this team takes that saying from the bulletin board and puts it on the field. An example of this is Matt Holliday. While being presented the NLCS MVP award on Monday night, he almost seemed embarrassed. Some might say it was because he didn't think he deserved it. They're partially right, he didn't deserve it. No one did, because the Rockies' sweep of the Diamondbacks for the NL pennant wasn't due to one, or two, players making the largest impact and determining the outcome. It was the ultimate definition of a team effort. With Holliday, he didn't act that way because he didn't think he deserved it. He acted that way because, even if he had been the impact player and dominated the series, he knows it's about the team and not himself. Holliday doesn't appear to be comfortable with all the attention, taking some away from his teammates whom he believes deserve it just as much as he does. I liked what Bernie Lincicome wrote on Wednesday about this team:

You like hard work? Never giving up? Faith and conviction? Friendship? Loyalty? Pulling together? Second chances? Third chances? Even dumb luck? They're all there.

The whole "club religion" thing keeps coming up and getting blown even more out of proportion, causing some folks to not like them. But honestly, this team gives you so many reasons to like them and cheer them on, the least of which is that they play some pretty decent baseball.

Jayson Stark believes that a Colorado/Cleveland World Series would be good for baseball, regardless of the TV ratings.

Sports Illustrated has an article about Matsui's time in NY. He certainly encountered some difficult times there and is now enjoying the rewards of his perseverance. Torrealba thinks the layoff will be good for the team and give him some needed rest.

Even Major League Baseball has joined the "Team of Destiny" discussion.

Until next time, Go Rockies!

We Earned a Banner for the Outfield Wall

The Rockies are going to the World Series.

Say that ten times.

It's just as sweet the tenth time as it was the first, isn't it?

Sign that Pennant Fever has, in fact, reached epidemic proportions: my wife logging onto mlb.com to check out stats.

It was only fitting that Tulowitski and Helton were the bookends for the play that clinched the series for us, sending 50,213 into a collective celebration this town hasn't seen since, well, maybe never. Tulo and Helton are the heart and soul of this team, each gladly alternating between heart or soul when necessary. One, young and naive enough to not realize that rookies aren't supposed to do what he does. The other, a classic veteran, for years content with simply playing hard in order to show the youngsters how it's done. Now they both get to play for baseball's ultimate prize, together.

Sign that Pennant Fever has, in fact, reached epidemic proportions: thousands of people in Denver who didn't know what a pennant was a week ago, do now.

Jayson Stark's column gives me goose bumps every time I read it. The reality of this whole thing is just too difficult to comprehend. What they did is incredible. How they did it is already legendary. Seldom does something achieve legendary status so soon afterwards, but, without a doubt, this is the stuff that legends are made of.

One of the most impressive tidbits during the celebration last night was that, to a man, the Rockies' players claimed that they have "unfinished business". Getting to the World Series is certainly worth celebrating, but it wasn't their goal. Their goal is, and always has been, to win it.

Sign that Pennant Fever has, in fact, reached epidemic proportions: Seth Smith is a household name.

One of the best things about this amazing run is witnessing the release of all Helton's frustrations that have piled up over the years. While being interviewed last night, Helton said,

I'm experiencing emotions I didn't even know I had.

This is a man we rarely see get emotional. We've experienced more emotion from him in the last month than probably the rest of his career put together. It's wonderful to see.

Mr. Byrnes, paging Mr. Byrnes. His mouth made it onto the flight from Phoenix, but apparently nothing else did.

Sign that Pennant Fever has, in fact, reached epidemic proportions: Brandon Marshall announced he will buy as many World Series tickets he can get and distribute them to Broncos' season ticket holders.

Four to go.

Until next time, Go Rockies!

Streak Extended in Grey Unis

It's completely mind boggling to actually stop and think about the fact that the Rockies are on the verge of making history with this "nice little streak', as Brian Fuentes termed it. It's even more mind boggling to contemplate the reality that the Rox are merely two wins away from representing the National League in the World Series. Just stop for a moment and let that sink in. Remarkable, isn't it? Jayson Stark provides the details of just how unusual and unprecedented this run is.

While the pitching in Game 2 maintained the slim lead until the ninth and was really solid, it was the defense that provided the majority of the highlights and truly won the game for us. I can't recall the defense being quite the focal point of any other game during this streak as it was last night. Willy Taveras' catch may be the biggest in this town since Mark Jackson.

Signs that Pennant Fever is approaching an epidemic: during Game 1, my wife and mother-in-law were discussing Francis' pitch count.

While enjoying the rewards of having so many very young players during the regular season, the Diamondbacks are experiencing some of the risks in this series. Justin Upton, Stephen Drew and Chris Young have all made mistakes that they most likely won't make in a year or two.

The more I see Eric Byrnes, the more I'm glad he's no longer a member of the Colorado Rockies. His constant hustle is admirable, but his cartwheel throws and over-dramatizations are things I can do without.

Signs that Pennant Fever is approaching an epidemic: the Rocktober section of the daily paper is larger than the REST of the paper.

The Diamondbacks wearing their black shirts last night in order to keep the Rockies from wearing theirs has become one of the most unusual subplots of the 2007 playoffs (or any other for that matter). The TBS crew made a few comments regarding it, seemingly being careful not to make much of it one way or the other. The FSN gang ,during the post game coverage, didn't have to be careful, calling it an apparent act of desperation. Bernie Lincicome said it best:

When you play well enough to affect the other team's wardrobe, you have reached a special place.

Baseball players are notorious for being a superstitious bunch, but does anyone think that when the Rockies found out they couldn't wear the black shirts they panicked and said "Oh no, we can't wear our black shirts! What are we going to do?" Please. When asked about it after the game, Ryan Spilborghs responded :

Aw, gray, black. It doesn't really matter to us anymore. Right now, we'd wear pink if we had to.

Signs that Pennant Fever is approaching an epidemic: the sunsets are a brilliant shade of purple.

Six to go!!!

Until next time, Go Rockies!

Breaking News

The Rockies have pitching. It must be true. I read it on the internet.


I know, for those of you who have followed the Rockies and/or paid any attention at all, this is like breaking into the middle of CSI to announce that we've put a man on the moon. However, for the majority of the national media and baseball "experts", this is about as earth-shattering an idea as Sal Fasano possessing speed. Also news, but not headline material, is that the Rockies hit a little and play a decent defense. You kind of expect so-called "experts" to actually cover the entire league during the course of a season, not just a few select teams, but unfortunately that isn't the case. You also expect analysts that proclaim a non-bias to spend at least five minutes doing some research and performing some analysis rather than making blanket statements that have no merit or evidence to support them. The fact of the matter is that the Rox had the best team ERA in the NL since the All-Star break and better than six of the other seven playoff teams. This fact has been well-documented over the last couple of weeks, so if the "experts" don't know that it's their own blasted fault. Now they suddenly are forced to realize we have a team in Denver and they do actually play a 162-game schedule (except this season, 163) like every other MLB team. Dave Krieger's column in the Saturday RMN was amazingly right on the money. This just proves that even a blind squirrel gets a nut every now and then, as much of the local media has only recently discovered the truth themselves.

As with any late-September push resulting in a playoff berth, there are tough decisions to make in regards to forming your roster for a series such as was just completed. Invariably, there will be individuals who contributed to the team getting into the playoffs that won't be part of the roster for the playoffs. The Rockies may be faced with an even tougher decision heading into the NLCS. For a few weeks now, pitchers Aaron Cook and Jason Hirsch have proclaimed they would be healthy and ready to play in the event the Rox should make the playoffs and then advance to the NLCS. Well, here we are and both are indicating they could very well be healthy and in adequate game shape to be added to the roster for the series. It's one thing to make roster choices amongst players who have been a part of the stretch run. It's another to swap a player for someone who was injured and unable to contribute down the stretch. That said, a healthy Cook would be an improvement on the pitching staff, assuming the #4 spot in the rotation and allowing Fogg to pitch exclusively out of the bullpen, which he did effectively, earning the win, in Game 2 but was a possibility to start in a Game 4 if necessary. Cook's roster spot would be at the expense of Mark Redman, who, for the most part, pitched well when called upon, but is not an adequate replacement for Cook if Aaron is able to pitch effectively. Hirsch, on the other hand, is a different story. Hirsch's roster spot would come at the expense of another member of the bullpen, which, argued by many and agreed by many, has truly been the rock amidst this streak of the ages. Whom, of the bullpen, would Hurdle remove and replace with Hirsch? Julio is "hurt" and already off the roster. The rest of the members of the pen have been steady and reliable when called upon. My opinion is to replace Redman's roster spot with Cook and leave Hirsch off the roster. Why tinker too much with something that has worked brilliantly 17 of the last 18 times?

Until next time, Go Rockies!

Calling All Rockies Fans

Calling all Rockies fans, far and wide. The Rockies need you. Here's how you can help: buy tickets for the NLCS games at Coors Field. You may be wondering why we need to buy tickets for that series when the Division Series hasn't even started. We've got to think ahead. When we get to the Championship Series (this team has given me every reason to believe and not a single one not to), there's the possiblity we'd be playing the Cubs. Have you been to a Rockies/Cubs game at CF, where the fanbase is close to equally split between the home and visiting teams? Do we want that in a playoff game? It's an obvious answer, so BUY TICKETS! If we buy all the tickets now, if the Cubs win their series with Arizona and their fans try and get tickets for here, they'll be gone. The worst case: you have to wait 4-6 weeks for a refund. If you're content watching the game on TV, then you could make a nifty profit selling your tickets to someone dying to get to the game. However, make sure you don't sell them to a Cubs fan. Please.

Keep in mind, we're believing and thinking ahead here.

Until next time, Go Rockies!

UN-BE-LIEVABLE

Unbelievable! Unbelievable!! How many more times do you want me to say it? Fifty? A thousand? It doesn't matter, because it still wouldn't adequately describe what I had the fortune and pleasure of witnessing last night. Coors Field was high-voltage from the start. I felt the right field stands shake. You know how the east stands at Mile High would shake? The right field stands at CF shook. I've never experienced that before. I didn't know they could. There has to be about 48,000 people waking up this morning that don't have a voice. Mine is gone.

Last night was, without question, the most incredible game I have ever seen. Every possible ounce of drama was squeezed out of 13 innings of playoff-caliber baseball from two teams that did not want to go home for the season. The thirteenth inning alone captured the entire experience of being a fan. The lingering hope of playing another day, those hopes being dashed in a moment and the ensuing agony of potential defeat, only to have your team restore your hope and carry you to the thrill of victory.

Whatever the outcome for the Rockies from here on out, they certainly have given us memories that will have a lasting effect. This team is gaining fans by the truckload, not just in Denver or the Rocky Mountain region, but throughout the country.

I apologize if this all seems fragmented and disjointed. I have so many thoughts in my head right now it's difficult to formulate them all and put them into words. For now, let's just enjoy this. This team has given us their all. Let's return the favor.

Until next time, go Rockies!!

Looking Ahead

Yesterday I began contemplating the possibility of the Rockies finishing in a tie with the Padres and/or Phillies for the wild card. First off, let's not entirely rule out the Rockies in the hunt for the division. I agree, it's a long shot and a few (not a lot though) things have to fall into place. The Rockies were considered a long shot just to be in the position they are in right now, so anything can happen. The Mets seemed determined to play themselves into the conversation too. The good news is, with two wins against Arizona in the series to end the season, the Rox would hold the head-to-head tie-breaker with every team that is currently ahead of them in the divisional and wild card standings. The RMN this morning ran down the scenarios of a tie and what would happen to determine the winner of the WC. The bottom line is this: IF the Rox can stay on their current path of playing baseball worthy of a postseason berth, they are in a decent position to earn that berth. Keep this in mind also: if the Rox can win one more game of the next three than the Diamondbacks (and the Padres continue their free fall), the final series at home with Arizona could be for the division title. Would there be anything more exciting than if the Rox could take the first two from the Snakes and the last game of the season would have the division title on the line for the two teams involved? Granted, the Rox have to beat the Dodgers AGAIN and the Pirates have to beat the Diamondbacks at least once, but if we have learned anything in the last seven days it's that anything can happen. It was just one week ago tonight that the Rox accomplished the improbable with late home runs off of Broxton and Saito to beat the Dodgers. Helton's bomb and subsequent run around the bases still gives me chills when I think about it.

The ongoing conversation regarding the NL Rookie of the Year, particularly the defensive short-comings of Milwaukee thirdbaseman Ryan Braun got me thinking. I've been wondering how bad, historically speaking, Braun's defense really is. This table lists the bottom ten thirdbasemen in fielding percentage since 1920 with a minimum of 200 chances.

Braun currently has a fielding percentage of .900, so that would make him the sixth worst thirdbaseman by fielding percentage since 1920.

Until next time, Go Rockies!