San Diego – There is annoying. There is irritating. And then there is the walk, baseball’s version of press-on nails across a chalkboard.
The Rockies lead the major leagues in free passes with 131, but that doesn’t mean third-year pitching coach Bob Apodaca is preparing to walk the plank.
“I am not thinking that way at all,” general manager Dan O’Dowd said. “It’s going to take a team effort to get us out of this.”
Apodaca, though, is infected with cluttered thoughts, the result of guiding a pitching staff that ranks last in nearly every meaningful category. He talked Wednesday about his passion for one-on-one instruction and the difficulty in balancing a youth movement with unwanted results.
“This is still a league where winning is all-important and we are about development, which is more of a minor-league task,” Apodaca said. “We may not be considered by anyone as a threat to win a title, but developing players so the Rockies can contend is a high priority. Still, it doesn’t make it any easier when you fall short of goals.”
With the Rockies possessing the big league’s youngest roster by almost two years in average age, Las Vegas oddsmakers weren’t the only people who expected them to struggle. O’Dowd insisted that “none of what has happened so far has surprised me except the number of walks.”
To address that issue, Apodaca has changed his postgame evaluation of pitchers to include categories for first batter retired, leadoff walks, two-out walks and four-pitch outs. The message: Please challenge hitters.
“It’s not Dac’s fault, it’s our fault,” starter Jamey Wright said. “We are big boys, we know we have to throw more strikes. It’s on us.”
More than anything, the Rockies’ control problems have made achieving momentum impossible. As manager Clint Hurdle said, “We have only had two guys put together back-to-back outings, Chacon’s first two starts and (reliever Marcos) Carvajal, and we are into May. That kind of puts it all in perspective.”
Neagle v. Rockies
Beginning today, a three-person panel will decide if receives the $19 million remaining on the contract the Rockies terminated, citing a violation of a morals clause.
Union lawyer Michael Weiner will provide counsel for Neagle, who still hopes to continue his career after being released by the Devil Rays in spring training. O’Dowd, team president Keli McGregor and in-house lawyer Hal Roth will represent the Rockies. Owner Charlie Monfort has said that cutting Neagle was not motivated by money, “but about the kind of team we want to represent to our fans.”
Union boss Donald Fehr has spoken confidently about Neagle winning his case. If Neagle prevails, the Rockies would have to cut the largest severance check in major-league history, dwarfing the previous record of $15.67 million the Angels paid pitcher Kevin Appier on July 30, 2003.
Speaking the language
Following Red Sox slugger David Ortiz’s claim that a language barrier has helped lead to more Latin American players testing positive for steroids, Rockies reliever Jose Acevedo said he makes sure to explain union documents to Spanish-speaking players.
“It can be dangerous for young guys. I let them know what’s going on and how they should check the (label) on anything they take,” Acevedo said.
All union documents circulated to teams are printed in English and Spanish.
