MLB: Colorado Rockies, Down With Flashes of Credibility  

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“SPORTS NOTEBOOK” posts its columns Tuesday and Friday of every week---Ed. & Publ., Marvin Leibstone.

MLB:   THE Cincinnati Reds/Colorado Rockies July 27-July 29 three-game series would be interesting across several levels, for instance, the Reds arrived at Denver’s Coors Field as the second best ball club in the National League, tied for numero uno in both leagues at 58 wins along with the American League’s Texas Rangers---the Reds would play a Colorado franchise that on July 26 was second worst in the NL, and second worst in both leagues at 36 wins/60 losses, the Houston Astros beneath them at 34 wins/66 losses. Being emphasized here is that a top dog/underdog face-off rarely becomes a trip to Dullsville.

But while the Rockies would be receiving the Reds after having won only four of 12 games since the All Star break, the Colorado team wouldn’t be appearing as fallen wimps, as declared wipeouts. A kind of saving grace is that the four wins formed a total of 23 runs, while runs of the four worst Rockies losses totaled 20, just a three run deficit. That’s roughly four runs per game for the 12, not great but far from being no-show at the dance.

Also, none of the eight Rockies losses were by more than four runs, six with deficits of only three runs.

Too, Rockies LHP Drew Pomeranz would start the first game of the Reds/Rockies series, holding an ERA below 4.0 for his seven starts at Coors Field, versus Reds RHP, Bronson Arroyo, of a 5.6 ERA. We’d be seeing another result of the Rockies four-man/70-75 pitching limit experiment and its impact on one of the more promising of the new Rockies starters, possibly a good result.

Moreover, superb infielder and hitter, Todd Helton, would again be in the Rockies line-up, returning from 12 days on the Rockies DL. In spite of days away, he’d return with seven home runs accrued, 34 RBI’s, a triple and 13 doubles. Add, Rockies outfielder, Carlos Gonzalez, with hits in more than 25 consecutive games, and outfielder Dexter Fowler’s stunning 39 triples since 2010, with 10 in 2012, batting average .341; and include the Rockies rookie with the most home runs in the NL since the All Star game, catcher, Wiln Rosario (16 HR’s).

Now add that the Rockies have been blessed with Rookie shortstop, Josh Rutledge, of 16 hits, including multi-hits in six of 12 games since the All Star break.

No way would the July 27-July 29 vs. Cincinnati series be Part One of a movie titled “Major League-4,” the Rockies looking like first day back from a winter of partying and a series of hangovers.

Furthermore, no team that the Rockies had faced for a three game series since the All Star event (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Diego and Arizona) could sweep the Rockies, though each departed their respective series, 2-1.

So—while at the bottom among professional baseball’s under .500 teams on July 27, the Rockies picture was still that of a struggling but credible franchise---they’d be facing the Reds as a competitive team.

But the Rockies were swept by the Reds, 3-0, 9-7, and 7-2 (ugh!), the team’s accumulation of nine runs vs. the Reds 19 reflecting a drop in average runs per game. Particularly embarrassing were the five homers given up by Rockies pitchers Christian Friedrich (the starter), Josh Roenicke and Matt Belisle, during game two of the series. Games one and three turned out to be lots of half innings when the Rockies were left scoreless with men on base, implying that the Rockies line-up is a hitting line-up, that the team is capable of having a decent on-base percentage, just not frequent enough with bang for runs needed to offset the Rockies already identified big weakness, a starter rotation that falters in early innings, which to date has a worse than 6.0 ERA, plus a bull pen that, like the team’s hitters, lacks what it takes to offset that awful weakness consistently, compounded by the once-promising RHP Jeremy Guthrie becoming Santa Claus awarding hits and runs to nearly every team he faced, traded not too soon for starter Jonathan Sanchez, who gave up six runs to the Reds on Saturday ( were the Rockies starters from the mound those of a few seasons ago, the team’s defense and offense would be contributing to a Rockies team above .500, maybe leading the NL-West).  

There’s no joy for the Rockies in being one of only two teams below .400, today at 37/63, still ahead of the Astros by only two games. Yet a favorable irony in baseball is that a losing team can still provide wonder, signs of skill and consistency, e.g., Carlos Gonzalez having hit in 30 consecutive games as of Sunday, batting .328, having gone 2-4 on Saturday with three RBI, and Rutledge continuing to manage multi-hits per game, 3-5 on Saturday, 2-4 on Sunday, now batting .379. It’s this that paints the Rockies as an interesting team in spite of the losses, now up for a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals, third place, NL-Central, at 54/48.

A fan wrote, “Of late, shouting ‘Go Rockies, Go!’ feels like praying for rain during a drought that weather experts have proven will last another 62 days, which is the number of games left to the 2012 season.”

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