Los Angeles – Cory Sullivan returned to the scene of his quick fix Monday night.
It was at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 24 that Sullivan turned his season around. Challenged by manager Clint Hurdle to become a more productive hitter – if he wanted to challenge for the center-field job next season – Sullivan broke down his swing and then put it back together again.
“I was gliding into the ball, not getting any power,” Sullivan said. “I widened my stance, shortened my stride and moved back in the box so I could see the ball longer.”
That night, in his first at-bat against right-hander Steve Schmoll, Sullivan hit a double to left-center.
“Right away, I felt my hands were a lot freer,” Sullivan said. “I wouldn’t say it was an instant fix, but almost, and it’s worked well.”
Well enough that Sullivan is a contender to be Colorado’s center fielder next season instead of being sent down to Triple-A. Heading into Monday night’s game, Sullivan was riding a hot streak. Over his past 10 games, he was 15-for-40 (.375) with three doubles, two triples, a homer and four RBIs.
When Sullivan entered that game in Los Angeles on Aug. 24, he was hitting .263. After going 1-for-4 on Monday night, Sullivan is hitting .276.
ROCKIES’ SCHEDULE: A first-time visit to Coors Field by the Toronto Blue Jays highlights the Rockies’ 2006 home schedule. The schedule, released Monday, features interleague play against the Blue Jays from May 19-21. The other American League teams coming to Denver are Oakland (June 19-21) and Texas (June 23-25). The Rockies will travel to Anaheim and Seattle to complete their schedule vs. the American League.
The Rockies open their season at 2:05 p.m. on April 3 against Arizona at Coors Field. For the second consecutive season, the Rockies’ home schedule features 6:35 p.m. start times for the majority of the weeknight games in April, May and September.
FOOTNOTES: Todd Helton is one of six finalists for the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award, presented to a player who combines on-field performance and contributions to the community. … Hurdle loves to beat the Dodgers, anytime, anywhere. But he especially loves to beat them at Dodger Stadium. “Of all the ballparks I played in, this is the only one I never got a hit in. I was 0-for-16 here, and it still burns me to this day,” said Hurdle, who had a 10-year major-league career.
