Juan Gone, but Not Forgotten

After viewing the horrific line drive off the bat of the Washington Nationals' Ian Desmond that struck Juan Nicasio, I was left to marvel at how lucky, and unlucky, Nicasio was in that same instant.  For 15 interminable and hands-wringing minutes, he lay nearly motionless on the dirt mound of Coors Field.  Rockies trainers and medical personnel tended to the aid of the rookie pitcher from the Dominican Republic, as coaches and players watched, along with millions of TV viewers.  When he was carefully strapped to an immobilization board and onto the cart and as the cart moved slowly toward the waiting ambulance in the left field equipment concourse, you could literally feel the palpable concern for the likeable pitcher's welfare.  Though he is out of immediate danger, after surgery to repair a fractured C-1 vertebrae, he has a long road to return to "normal pitching activity".  His youth and fitness are in his favor, and I'd give anything to see him return to Coors Field in the purple pinstripes.  Such a promising future, such a good young man, I wish him well.

That the Rockies lost the game, 5-3 to the Nationals, even though they displayed grit by making it close, I think that the white flag has been waved.  The Rockies brain trust (more on that later), has determined that the development of certain young players is more relevant than the experience of certain veterans.  Plus, the hopeful showcasing of Eric Young, Jr., Chris Nelson, Mark Ellis, Ian Stewart and Chris Iannetta could lead to teams in contention down the stretch reaching out and offering the Rockies young players to stock the depleted farm system.  After yesterday's loss, 3-2 to the Nationals, to cap another losing homestand, I continue to wonder about many decisions that the coaching staff institutes during the course of a series, and in the games themselves.  Chris Iannetta had been hitting .500 on the current homestand, with two home runs, 4 RBI and 5 runs scored in 5 games.  Backup catcher, Eliezer Alfonzo, had caught and played the Wednesday day game after the night game against Philadelphia, when the Rockies lost 8-6 to Roy Halladay, so it's not as though Iannetta "needed rest".  Sure, Alfonzo had three hits yesterday against the Nats, but why do you sit a player who is wielding a hot bat at home, and is listed as your "starting catcher"?  In a game lost, again, by one run, the deciding run was allowed when left-non-fielder Eric Young, Jr. misjudged a line drive off the bat of 2B Danny Espinosa into a lead-off double, who then scored the winning run on Jayson Werth's RBI single with two outs.  Earlier, in the bottom of the 4th inning, Troy Tulowitzki singled to lead off the frame.  Ty Wigginton walked, first and second, no outs.  Chris Nelson, one-for-26-batting since July 31st, Chris Nelson, was NOT ordered to bunt.  He flied out (Tulo should have tagged and gone to third, but misread the fly), then Alfonzo singled to load the bases (Tulo would have easily scored from third with the Rockies' first run).  Mark Ellis weakly flied to left, too shallow for Tulo to tag up and score, which brought up pitcher Aaron Cook, who grounded softly to short, another promising rally dead with a thud.

Pretty typical, opportunities squandered, rallies that happen too late and too little, sloppy play allowing the opposition to score cheap runs, lead-off walks that come around to score for the other side, too many runners left on base in close games.  EY is not a major league caliber outfielder nor infielder, yet.  Isn't that what the minor leagues is for?  Manager Jim Tracy seems to be hell-bent to force the issue that EY deserves to start and lead off, with Dexter Fowler batting behind him, and the returning Carlos Gonzalez batting third.  No matter that the Rockies were clicking fine with CarGo leading off, and playing left, with Ellis at second (or Jonny Herrera), and Nelson or Stewart at third.  Catalyst?  EY as a catalyst?  Maybe, but if there were a plus-minus stat, he's be costing more runs than accounting for.  Stewart is starting to hit a little, let him play!  Keep Iannetta in the eight-hole, lead off with CarGo, keep Helton in the three-hole!  Herrera or Ellis or Nelson at second, Fowler batting second.  CarGo in left, Seth Smith in right.  Wigginton or Stewart at third, depending upon an opposing lefty or righty starter.

Or, just keep shuffling along.  The San Francisco Giants just went through a rough patch, losing 8 games in a row.  If only the Rockies had been within reach, they could have made up some ground.  But while the Giants have gone 2-8 in their last ten games, the Rockies went 4-6, including a 3-4, seven game homestand, so they could only get as close as 9 games to the stumbling Giants.  Except for the two teams behind the Rockies in the NL West, the Dodgers and the Padres, there are only two teams in the National League and three teams in the American League with a worse record that our Rox.  Not quite what expectations were on April 30 this year, when the Rockies were in first, having finished their best April in team history, going 17-8.  The inconsistent Rockies have gone 36-54 since.  There were signs, to me, early on that the Rox were a brick short of a full load.  They finished that astounding April only 6-5 at Coors Field, where they have historically won close to 60% of their games over the last ten seasons.  They are now 28-31 at home thus far.  Here's another astonishing fact:  the last Colorado Sunday victory for the Rockies came on April 17, against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field, 9-5 when the Rockies scored 4 runs in the bottom of the eighth to secure a victory on the first anniversary of Ubaldo Jimenez' no-hitter in Atlanta the year before.  Sixteen consecutive Sundays, sixteen successive losses.  This, from a team and franchise that has been accused of being overly God-squad-ish.  Also, when the Rockies have had a chance to sweep a series this year, they have failed seven consecutive times when they have won the first two games of a series.  The last time they swept a three game series?  April 11, 13 and 14 against the Mets at CitiField, though it was supposed to be a 4-game series, the second game was rained out.  Can't close the deal.  Oh, don't get me started on Huston Street.  Talk about can't close the deal.

It's been a very frustrating year, why even Mariano Rivera has blown 5 saves.  But, really, whom would you rather have striding to the mound in the ninth inning?  The New York Yankees have hung on to remain only one game behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East, and firmly in the Wild Card seat, at 7 games ahead of the closest pursuer, the California Angels.  Like I said before, I am grateful for the MLB Network and the YES (Yankees Entertainment and Sports) Network.  ROOT Sports is fine, but there's nothing like John Sterling saying at the end of a game, "Inning over, game over, thuhhhhhhh Yankees win!"

MLB Network

I do not know exactly what it's like to be a Cubs fan, but I'm beginning to empathize.  The Colorado Rockies' futility doesn't begin to approach the Cubbies', but only because the Blake Street Bumblers have only been around since 1993.  Both home ballparks are fantastic venues for taking in a game.  Coors Field smells better.  But, at least at Wrigley Field, most of the fans in the stands are Cubs fans, with Cubs gear.  Look at the crowd when the Phillies or Red Sox or Yankees or Cubs come to Denver.  Though there was next to nothing to cheer for at Tuesday night's game, if you are a Rockies fan, there was plenty of cheering going on because Phillies starter, and winner, Kyle Kendrick held the Rox to 4 hits in eight strong innings while the Phillies scored 5 runs on eight hits.  Philadelphia 1B Ryan Howard continued to show off his power stroke with two home runs and the Rockies failed to advance a runner past second base as they were shut out at home in a game that felt a lot like the Rockies have quit on the 2011 season.  Colorado starter, Aaron Cook left the game after 4 innings with a stiff neck, perhaps explaining why he was ineffective, again, in a very disappointing 2011 campaign.

Up and down the lineup, Rockies batters are displaying a consistent series of befuddled and inept at-bats.  Seven strikeouts, four with bats on shoulders, the Rockies are a tired and confused bunch, with slow bats and bad plate discipline.  I don't think it's Carney Lansford's fault.  These guys just don't listen, as former hitting coach, Don Baylor, discovered.  I listened to a brief interview with general manager Dan O'Dowd during Sunday's game, after the Jimenez trade was less than 24 hours old.  He was very frank about one subject that I first brought up in May.  The Rockies are a soft team, with no edge, nobody on the team that gets visibly upset when things don't go their way.  He said that, at first, when he let it be known that Ubaldo was maybe available in a trade, that it was more a motivational ploy.  Perhaps it was an attempt to kick-start a mediocre ace, or perhaps a wake-up call to the rest of the team that if they don't start winning, the team would be disassembled.  In any case, as offers started to formulate from interested teams that were still in contention, O'Dowd had to listen to the real possibilities that the best pitcher in Rockie history could be a tool to rebuild a weak roster of future major league arms.  O'Dowd even acknowledged that the scouting and developmental history of the Rockies had been sub-par, especially in the pitching talent and position player evaluation.  Let's see.......pitching and position players, what else is there?  The Rockies' scouting and drafting has been successful in exactly what area?  Most of the home-grown pitching prospects seem to be coming from the Latin America developmental organization, not the draft.  Jhoulys Chacin, the departed Ubaldo Jimenez, Juan Nicasio, Edgmer Escalona, Esmil Rogers.  The Rockies have pretty much whiffed on drafted pitchers.  Which is the biggest reason why O'Dowd had to trade Jimenez.  To restock the organization with three arms to compensate for bad decisions on recent drafts.  The Jimenez trade bought O'Dowd and manager Jim Tracy and pitching coach Bob Apodaca another two years, probably.  And that's too bad.

I am grateful that I have Direct TV and the Major League Baseball Network, and the YES Network.  At least every night I can watch Yankee games and highlights of really good baseball being played throughout the Major Leagues each and every day.  A typical Rockies game takes up about 3% of the space on my DVR's hard drive.  Now there's more room to save Entourage, Breaking Bad and Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes, and all those Japanese Iron Chef shows.  It has been too painful to watch most of the games in totality.  I am a diehard baseball fan, but I am a dying Rockie fan.  Wednesday's game against the Phillies features Roy Halladay, as the Rockies try to avoid a sweep against the best pitcher in the National League.  This Saturday, my Mom has wrangled six Monfort box seats next to the dugout for the game against Washington.  With the Coors Clubhouse premium buffet.  Sweet.

The season is lost, all's left is to see how the pitchers that we got for Ubaldo pan out.  CarGo should be back in the Rockies lineup next week, Chris Iannetta still may become a Pirate, Ian Stewart might be designated soon, banished to the Garrett Atkins rubbish heap, we shall get a look at Wilin Rosario, the next great hope at catcher.  So, there are still some things to watch for.  The Rockies are closer to last place in the West than first,  as the Diamondbacks have tied the slumping Giants, and the Dodgers are only a half-game behind our Rox.  We watch the race as we ponder why it isn't our Rockies contending this year.  No need to wonder.  As long as the franchise on Blake Street continues to draw 2.5 million fans year after year, and O'Dowd and Tracy and Apodaca remain, we are destined for mediocrity.  Go Broncos.  When's Nugget camp open?