As the Rockies Close Another Season, I Believe in Next Year
As you have no doubt figured out by now, the baseball season ended yesterday, and the game the Rockies played against the Cubbies summed up their season perfectly. They took off in the early going (built up a 4-run lead by the third), let down a little bit after the start (let in 2 in the fourth), collapsed late (6 runs allowed between 7 and 8 ) and then finished off strong after they were out of it (the homer in the ninth). As much as I like extended metaphors, this one has to end here.
The truth is, we all got caught up in the hype early this season. Even the most celebrated pessimist had to feel a bit of excitement at this team’s position after the All-Star break. Of course, it was not to be. The Rockies could not keep up the pace, and their youth caught up to them in the second half.
But they say hope springs eternal. For a Rockies fan, it almost has to. I think that justifies my next sentence: Despite the ultimate dissapointment of another losing season, it’s my belief that the Rockies are headed in the right direction. They made a 9 game improvement over last year, which is second in the NL only to the Dodgers, who were able to gamble their 10 games for their future at the trading deadline. And if you were to just look at the stats for the end of this season, you’d wonder why the Rockies aren’t in the playoffs.
In offensive statistics, they tied with the Braves for the second-best team average in the league at .270. Their team OBP is also second in the NL at .341. The New York Mets have an average of .264, and an OBP of .334. In pitching, they aren’t great - them team ERA is 13th in the NL at 4.66, but for a team that rarely finishes with an ERA below five, it’s a good improvement. Moreover, the starting and road ERA’s are quite good. The Rockies are one place below the Mets at 8th with a road ERA of 4.59, and two places below the Big Apple’s with a starting ERA of 4.72. These aren’t the greatest numbers in the league, but my point is that they represent huge improvements, and they compare with the best in the league.
But as we all know, the only numbers that matter are wins and losses. What held back the Colorado Rockies from performing up to their statistics was youth, and the nerves that come with it. For a stretch in late July and early August, the Rockies could not manage a hit with runners in scoring position. During their 8-game losing streak that started just before the break, the Rockies managed under 4 runs per game (3.75 to be exact), and could score more than 4 runs just three times in that stretch. During their 6-game losing streak in the last half of August, they scored 2.5 runs per game. Clutch hitting killed the Rockies. There weren’t a lack of opportunities to score, and there wasn’t a lack of good pitching. How many times did you punch your couch in frustration this year when Rockie after Rockie failed to get a runner home from third late in a close ballgame? But for whatever reason, the entire team’s ability to hit in the clutch tanked at the same time, and as a result, the two losing streaks put the Rockies out of contention for good.
We can look at what could have been all we want, but it’s best to look at what wasn’t. The Colorado Rockies were 20-30 clutch hits short this year. If they had been able to come up some key hits in a few games during those slumps, we might be talking about that team that could, instead of the team that couldn’t.
I’ll come back and offer some more detailed posts on individual players, possible offseason moves, etc. later. But for now, this cliche-filled ramble is all I can muster. I’m worn out, people, but I’m ready to think positive. For the first time in a long while, we’re going to see two upswing years in a row for the Rockies. Next years’ team is going to be better and more competitive, and I’m all giddy in anticipation. I believe in next year. For once, this could become the mantra of Rockies die-hards everywhere.
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