The humidor should be ashamed of itself. This kind of game is not supposed to happen on its watch. A home season that began with the ball storage chamber ripped for being too effective ended Thursday with many wondering if it’s still working.
This wasn’t a game as much as it was a rotisserie league owner’s birthday present. The Dodgers bludgeoned the Rockies 19-11, completing a season in which they treated Colorado like a homecoming opponent.
The Dodgers won 15-of-19 games, outscoring the Rockies 125-80. If the Dodgers had a sense of humor, they would vote Colorado’s players a playoff share. Even as they overwhelmed the Rockies for six months, they never put on a show like this. They thrashed nine pitchers for 17 hits.
As days go, Los Angeles rookie James Loney had a nice month. He went deep twice and knocked in nine runs, tying Gil Hodges’ 56-year-old club record.
O Humidor, Where Art Thou?
“Maybe it’s some kind of electrical or thermostat problem,” Dodgers manager Grady Little said. “You go by what you see and it seems like there might be a short somewhere.”
Jimmie Lee Solomon, director of on-field operations for Major League Baseball, disagreed. Barely audible as Marlon Anderson’s sixth-inning home bounced into the right-field bleachers, Solomon said, “It continues to operate in the same fashion. Nothing has changed.”
Except for the scores and home runs. In the first 67 games, there were 9.46 runs and 1.87 home runs at Coors Light Field. Compare that to 16.79 and 3.07 in 14 home games this month.
“I did notice the difference,” said manager Clint Hurdle after his team finished 44-37 at home. “I don’t miss everything out there, contrary to popular belief.
“But I do think there were some factors.”
Falling temperatures and poor pitching are the most common cited, though no one could really get their arms around the statistical spike. Todd Helton said it was unexplainable, and Jason Jennings, while buying into the theory about tired pitchers, admitted, “The cooler weather doesn’t make any sense to me.”
After nearly four hours of baseball – the highlight a fourth-inning, run-scoring single by Vinny Castilla in his goodbye to fans – those most irritated were hitters. None interviewed wanted a return to beer-keg games in which mental fatigue becomes an issue.
“If you try to win by scoring 10 runs, it’s going to kill the pitchers, kill the players,” said Matt Holliday, who hit his 33rd home run. “That’s not good for anyone.”
Added Garrett Atkins, “I don’t care if I can take advantage of it, I want the 2 1/2-hour games back.”
The strange September created a weird dynamic. When the Rockies pitched well at home, they were mediocre. When their hitters crushed, they won, but collapsed on the road. The solution likely lies somewhere in between, with the Rockies leaning on pitching and defense while scoring enough to win on Blake Street.
Only then will the players’ ceremonial lap around Coors Field occur in October with a deeper meaning beyond thank you.
“That’s for the fans. They didn’t do anything wrong today,” Helton said. “I just don’t see a losing season as progress.”
Staff writer Patrick Saunders contributed to this report.
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
Rockies’ home record, year-by-year
(Year | Stadium | Record)
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ROCKIES WRAP
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|
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1993 Mile High Stadium 39-42
1994 Mile High Stadium 25-32*
1995 Coors Field 44-28*
1996 Coors Field 55-26
1997 Coors Field 47-34
1998 Coors Field 42-39
1999 Coors Field 39-42
2000 Coors Field 48-33
2001 Coors Field 41-40
2002 Coors Field 47-34
2003 Coors Field 49-32
2004 Coors Field 38-43
2005 Coors Field 40-41
2006 Coors Field 44-37
* – strike-shortened seasons
