Tucson – With spring optimism in full bloom, the Rockies claim they have a philosophy and a strategy in place to solve their biggest problem. Namely, a failure to get clutch hits.
“Offensively, we have a plan that will reap us benefits,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “We are going to commit to a plan and commit to an approach.”
That plan includes better utilization of scouting reports before the game and learning how to relax when the pressure is the greatest during a game. Hurdle is confident that his more mature and experienced hitters will rise to the challenge.
“They are going to be treated like men,” he said. “Most of them have cut their teeth.”
Last season, failure with R.I.S.P. spelled R.I.P. for Colorado’s hopes to be a legitimate contender. One statistic spelled it out: With two outs and runners in scoring position, the Rockies hit .230, ranking 27th out of 30 major-league teams.
To solve the problem, new hitting coach Alan Cockrell said he wants his hitters to lean heavily on in-depth reports on pitchers. Much of the material is supplied by Inside Edge, an independent scouting firm. The plan is to provide every Rockies hitter with a detailed description of every pitcher they face.
“We are going to help them with the information,” said Cockrell, who replaced Duane Espy. “We’ll provide a more individualized report for guys to help them go up there with a plan that they can commit to.
“You get a better idea of what to expect when you go up there and you know the pitcher’s pitching patterns. As a hitter, I think that helps you relax. You can zone into a particular location and just give yourself positive thoughts.”
Cockrell also believes his young hitters – such as Matt Holliday, Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe – should know more what to expect this season.
Hawpe, who hit .255 with men in scoring position in 2006, said success stems from attitude.
“We’ve learned that you have to shorten the bad times,” he said. “You can’t keep pressing. Regardless if you are hitting with guys on or not, you have to be consistent with your approach. It’s about learning from the mistakes.”
Holliday hit .326 with 34 homers and 114 RBIs, and he batted .281 with runners in scoring position. However, with two outs and runners in scoring position, his averaged plummeted to .200. One of his goals is to improve in the clutch, and that means exhaling at the plate, he said.
“As easy as it is to say, you have to control your emotions because those are the times that your heartbeat is going fast,” he said. “Instead of attacking the situation, you need to calm your nerves. But I think the more of those situations you are involved in, the better you become at handling your emotions. That’s the ultimate goal with runners in scoring position. Be the hitter you are, not something you are not.”
Staff writer Troy E. Renck contributed to this report.
Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com.
Clutch failure
A look at how the Rockies’ hitting wilted under pressure last season, with overall ranking:
.286 – Team average with less than two outs (fourth)
.237 – Team average with two outs (28th)
.267 – Team average with runners in scoring position (16th)
.230 – Team average with two outs and runners in scoring position (27th)
.292 – Team average in innings one through six (second)
.225 – Team average after sixth inning (30th)
