The success of the 2006 Rockies centers on one word: growth.
It is among the most slippery in the vernacular, so short, so simple, yet contradictory and difficult to achieve. It is defined both as the act of developing or, um, a tumor.
Taking the next step in their transition from Todd and the Toddlers to Todd and the Contenders is the challenge confronting the Rockies. Where last season was devoted to proving the rookies could play, this year is about proving they can stay – and compete.
A 30-28 finish provided hope on Blake Street that they have begun bridging the gap. But statistics, especially with inexperienced players, can be liars, which is why Pat Listach faded into oblivion and “Super Joe” Charboneau became a mechanic before his 30th birthday.
“The hardest part,” Cleveland Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said, “is that youth movements don’t have a linear path forward.”
So how does a small-to-mid market, built-from-within franchise climb upward? In talking to multiple GMs and current and former players, common hurdles must be cleared for a team to go from forever developing to a glossy Kodak print. A look:
Punch, counterpunch
Young teams stay bad for many reasons, the most obvious being that they don’t have good players. Colorado made progress in this area last year, with baseball taking notice in rookies Clint Barmes, pitcher Jeff Francis, steady run producer Garrett Atkins and late-blooming Cory Sullivan.
“I like a lot of things the Rockies are doing,” Toronto Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi said. “I see good young players on their roster.”
A player’s second season, however, makes executives squirm and provides a more accurate barometer of skills. This is the year of adjustment that can propel a youth movement or leave a GM looking for a new job.
Why? Because there are no secrets. Opposing teams know Barmes and Sullivan are impatient at the plate, that Brad Hawpe loves low-ball strikes and that Francis isn’t afraid to throw an off-speed pitch in any count.
“It is an important stage. Usually what you see in young players is that if they are going to take off, it doesn’t happen until the middle of their second year,” Oakland Athletics GM Billy Beane said. “With (Miguel) Tejada and (Eric) Chavez they showed as rookies that they were getting it, then they struggled and finally took off the next year.”
That curve mirrors Matt Holliday’s. Last April, clearly pressing, he was one of the Rockies’ most disappointing players. By September, he was hitting cleanup, and he drove in 64 second-half runs.
“It’s a cat-and-mouse game,” said former Rockies catcher Todd Greene, now with the San Francisco Giants. “You have to be able to figure it out.”
Dealing with pressure
Expectations represent hope, tangible optimism. They also bring a chilling element: pressure. The youthful Indians wilted in the spotlight two years ago before nearly shocking baseball with their late-season march last season.
“Handling pressure is something we continue to deal with as part of our process,” Shapiro said.
While not discounting the Rockies’ strong play after the all-star break, Todd Helton qualified the run, admitting, “We had nothing to lose, because of our (15-36) start.”
This season expectations will grow from self-imposed to public mandates as management believes the team is ready to contend. The Rockies will soon find out if they are closer to being the Indians, Minnesota Twins and A’s, teams that have won while going young over the past decade, or the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Pittsburgh Pirates, franchises caught in a vicious cycle of failed prospects and mismanagement.
“The (Rockies’) players are at the stage where they need to learn about themselves, their needs and prepare to come in and be better,” New York Mets bench coach Sandy Alomar Sr. said. “After players get a taste of success, they tend to listen to what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear. It takes sacrifices to reach that next level; nobody is going to give them anything.”
Chemistry class
Good chemistry is an obvious thread among inexperienced teams who move forward. The core of the Twins’ division-winning teams this decade grew up together. The same goes for Oakland, Cleveland, and Milwaukee, which last season finished with a .500 record for the first time since 1992.
“It might sound corny, but history shows that it works,” Brewers GM Doug Melvin said. “Look at the Tigers with (Alan) Trammel, (Lou) Whitaker and (Lance) Parrish. In Minnesota, they had Corey Koskie, Torii Hunter, (Doug) Mientkiewicz and (A.J.) Pierzynski.”
While everybody would like to believe players all get along, the reality is baseball breeds selfishness because of the attention on statistics. After establishing themselves, young players want to make money, which doesn’t always intersect with the franchise’s goals.
Having stronger personal relationships can boost confidence and improve performance – something GM Dan O’Dowd believes will happen with the Rockies – as players began to identify themselves more with the organization rather than as glorified independent contractors.
“This isn’t the ‘Baseball America’ pipe dream where every high school kid drafted hits the high ceiling. This is the real world. You are going to hit on some and miss on some,” Ricciardi said. “It helps if you can establish a group that goes through things together.”
Staying the course
Youth movements, as agonizing as they can be for fans, can’t work if done halfway. Once an organization hands over the keys to kids, there’s no grabbing of the car when they bump the trash can leaving the driveway. A clear vision fosters the patience necessary to endure erratic play.
All the kids have to do is grow up – and be good.
“And that’s just not an easy transition,” Melvin admitted. “There are going to be doubters. But it’s more fun when it works because you have scouted and developed them. They are your guys.”
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5447 or trenck@denverpost.com.
