Comments on: Recap: Rockies 3, A’s 1

By: WillM

WillM — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:18:55 +0000

I think Tracy is running into a side effect of winning baseball, and that is your closer is heavily used. I think he was taking a shot at giving Street the day off by letting Cook go deep, but no such luck.

By: roxnsox

roxnsox — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:48:45 +0000

I like the way Gonzalez plays the field, and his bat is waking up. I am VERY concerned about the middle relief, like everybody is, and agree with a post in a previous article that the starters and Street may get run into the ground (even though I also like Tracy’s willingness to let the starters go deep…..psychologically that’s a good thing, but I worry they will wear down).

All in all, though, this is a very good team! The one we thought we had when the season began!

By: Josh L

Josh L — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:14:34 +0000

I would be very surprised if the Rockies, went after Holliday they have enough depth in the outfield already. The money that would be spent on Holliday is going to do much more for the team solidifying the bullpen. I like the way the team is shaping up and with Francis and Buckholz back next year, this team is only going to get better. The more I watch CarGo play, the more comfortable I am with him filling left for years to come.

By: Jerry R.

Jerry R. — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:45:46 +0000

Jack – no correction was needed. You mention the sweep of the Mariners; that is Seattle.

Rockies need to take two of three from LA – BEAT LA! BEAT LA!

By: Cisco Kid

Cisco Kid — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:14:14 +0000

Can we PLEASE put to bed the notion that Holliday will ever return to the Rockies? It’s never going to happen- period, end of story! That ship sailed when he was traded to Oakland. Quite frankly I’m not sure you’d want to invest that much of the team payroll on him when you already have Helton’s contract to contend with for a few more years. Besides, what’s wrong with the production the Rockies are getting in left from Smith/CarGo/Spilly? My guess is Holliday will eventually land in Anaheim at the beginning of next year. He’s dropped those hints already and he did move his family to that area last off-season. It’s a perfect fit for him with the Angels probably not signing Vlad in the off-season.

By: Vrian H

Vrian H — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:48:52 +0000

What a great month it’s been. The series of events that transpired to get the Rockies to the point of contention – something that I, at the beginning of the season, vehemently believed they should be capable of. What’s even better about this, is that they are playing fundamentally sound, yet aggressive baseball. Hurdle was all about solid fundamentals, but Jim Tracy has a lot of the National League small-ball attitude about him. They will squeeze runs out of you. They will manufacture runs whenever it’s tight. They will power you into submission if they are behind. It’s a dangerous lineup.

But that’s not the best of it.

The starting staff has been nothing short of BRILLIANT. If you’d look at the numbers, you would think that this is a staff that should be coming out of the mid 2000s Braves (no true stud, but a well rounded and lower ERA staff, full of inning eaters.) Marquis has been a great acquisition, but I question his longevity in Denver. Regardless of where he ends up, this seems like his place of choice.

Under Tracy, more confidence has been shown in the starting staff, but I’m not sure we can start taking comfort in our middle relievers. Tracy will let the pitchers go for upwards of 130 pitches if they feel it’s right, and he’ll also let them get off the hill earlier than 100 pitches(De La Rosa) even if they are ahead. He is showing a lot of faith in them, and it’s paying off. They are throwing for more strikes than ever.

This is a lineup without Holliday, whom for years lead the team in slugging stats and overall offensive production.

This is a pitching staff without Jeff Francis. Francis has solid, strikeout quality stuff and he keeps the ball on the ground, making him an idea innings eater.

This is also a staff without setup man Taylor Bucholtz, who would have made a strong force in an anemic bullpen.

It’s a team that needed a little bit of humanity pushed into them; it was a team that was struggling for life. Now, it’s a team flourishing despite its prior shortcomings. This upcoming series with the Dodgers will be quite fun to watch. I hope that everyone in Rockies nation give this team a look.

This is a team that’s even better than the ‘07 Miracle squad.

By: Marc

Marc — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:27:16 +0000

I have lost faith in myself…completely. Prior to this weekend I thought there was no chance that Matt would ever wear a Rockies uniform again.
After catching glimpses of the interplay with his old teammates, the state of his numbers, the state of the A’s, the economic pressures on most teams and our return to competitiveness – I am not completely sure we have seen the last of him.

By: Tony Benjamin

Tony Benjamin — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:26:01 +0000

Hey Elliotlc,
I think it’s because, well, that’s the way Tracy manages baseball.
Let the players play.
He almost, almost went one step too far today with Cook.
I really don’t want Tracy to go all conservative on us. On the other hand, taking chances when chances don’t need to be taken can bite a team in the butt.
Tracy seems to be a real smart guy; savvy and a good fit with this team. I think both he — and Cook — will file what happened today away, and play it a little differently next time.
Rockies earned the win, and at this point in the season and the standings, that’s the important thing. On to Los Angeles.
Tony Benjamin,
Loveland
ps: If the series doesn’t grind on Matt Holliday, it should. I really like his style and ability. I’m not too high on his agent.

By: Elliotlc

Elliotlc — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:03:31 +0000

I was a little suprised that Tracy stuck with a starter again after cook had thrown over 100 pitches and pulled him anyway after the leadoff single. I understand him pulling cook after the single but why trott him back out there with a high pitch count? Do you think that is due to the fact cook had been pitching extremely well or so you think that’s due to maybe a little mistrust in the bullpen besides Street???

By: Drew S.

Drew S. — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:14:03 +0000

I am sure Street and CarGo left the ballpark with an especially big smile today. Good series win but a big test starts Monday. Go Rox!