New York – When the subject turned to Matt Holliday, Huston Street turned serious. The Oakland Athletics’ closer pitched for Holliday’s dad in college and worked out with Matt a few winters ago. He believes Holliday is limited only by his imagination.
“He’s a phenomenal athlete. There’s nothing he can’t do,” Street said.
Obscured by the Rockies’ disappointing start, Holliday has quietly enjoyed a terrific month. He leads the National League with a .393 average and his 35 hits rank tops in baseball. He’s the only Rockie to start every game this season, a reflection of his consistent offense.
“I take pride in being out there,” Holliday said. “That’s what I am paid to do.”
Evidence of Holliday’s maturation can be seen in his statistics. He’s not driving the ball like he wants to or did last season – two home runs and nine extra-base hits in 89 at-bats – but owns a .438 on-base percentage and has avoided the slump that has infected nearly everyone else in the lineup.
“I don’t have the same feeling of last September, when I felt like I could crush every pitch,” Holliday said. “But it’s getting better.”
On second thoughts
Troy Tulowitzki wears No. 2 because of Derek Jeter. He has long admired Nomar Garciaparra. And he wouldn’t have left Shea Stadium without an autographed ball from all-star Jose Reyes.
All are bound by greatness, a description common for Tulowitzki until he reached the big leagues. The rookie shortstop admittedly has trouble seeing himself as elite while batting from the seventh and eighth spots in the lineup.
Moved to the No. 2 hole Wednesday as a part of a snowglobe shakeup of the batting order, Tulowitzki responded, contributing more in an 0-for-4 game than in almost any other start this season.
“It pumped me up a little bit,” Tulowitzki said. “When you hit near the bottom of the order every day, you feel like the other team doesn’t think too much of you, and that even your own team might not.
“I would like to stay in the second spot. You never know what could happen.”
To do that, he must inflate his .185 batting average. What made Wednesday so striking was his multidimensional side. He patiently worked a full-count walk, stole his first base, laid down a sacrifice bunt and moved a runner to third with a flyball to right field.
“Tulowitzki’s at-bats were huge. He did a lot of things to set things up,” manager Clint Hurdle said.
Footnotes
Jeff Baker snapped a 17 at-bat hitless streak with an eighth-inning single. … Tom Martin’s scoreless eighth inning was highlighted by a nasty slider that froze the Mets’ Shawn Green. … Cedric Brooks, a minor-leaguer released by the Rockies, was suspended 50 games for violating the drug policy.
