Denver Post sports writer Troy E. Renck posts his Rockies Mailbag every other week on Mondays during the 2007 Major League Baseball season on DenverPost.com. The next installment is slated for May 28.
To drop a Rockies or MLB question into the Rockies Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
Hi, Troy. This may seem like a minor issue, but I am sure other fans have noticed. Many, if not all, of the Rockies are no longer wearing the high socks but have gone to the long pants (e.g. Troy Tulowitzki, Jamey Carroll, Todd Helton, Willy Taveras, Clint Barmes). Is there a significance behind the fashion trend? My guess is superstition. Taveras and Tulo are playing much better with the pants. Am I correct? Thanks.
— Thomas Fioriglio, Levittown, N.Y.
Thomas – For the most part, it is superstition. Once players like Todd Helton performed well with the pants down, that’s where they stayed. As a rule, most players like the long pants these days. In fact, they even cut out the elastic at the ankles to make them wear baggier.
When is Kaz Matsui coming off the DL? Coming out of Japan, one of his strengths was supposed to be his durability.
— Mike Monroney, Aspen
Mike – Kaz Matsui’s iron-man performance in Japan helped make him more vulnerable to injury in the United States. Playing on AstroTurf for several years appears to have caught up with him physically, particularly when related to his multiple back injuries. The disc injury he suffers from is getting better. I talked to Matsui on Saturday, and he admitted that he’s not 100 percent, but was willing to play in some pain.
Matsui will begin a rehab assignment in extended spring training Monday in Tucson, where he will play three innings and work on sliding and diving drills. The Rockies would like him to play seven innings in Tucson before reporting to Triple-A Colorado Springs. Barring any setback, Matsui could be back with the Rockies in 10 days.
What is Matt Holliday eating while in left field?
— Ted R., Evergreen
Ted – Matt is one of many players who likes sunflower seeds. It’s healthier than tobacco and, for that matter, chewing gum. On a sort-of-related topic, I asked Matt the other day about what he’s saying to himself as the pitch comes in the batter’s box. You can see his lips moving, so I assumed he was reminding himself of a mechanical issue or just giving himself encouragement.
I was wrong on both counts. His lips are moving, but he’s not talking.
It’s just a habit. Like Tom Brady biting his tongue when he passes or Michael Jordan wagging his tongue when he shoots. Told of my Jordan comparison, Holliday smiled and said, “Yeah, it’s like that.”
Troy: I have a serious question for a change. Is the umpiring and officiating in general in all sports deteriorating or is it my imagination? Strike-zone changes every night, depending on who is behind the plate? I don’t care to elaborate on it. I just wonder if it’s just me? Basketball has gotten ridiculous; the officials think they are God. Well, you get the drift. Thanks for listening.
— Ed, Pueblo
Ed – There are those who would argue that baseball umpires have become more consistent since the advent of QuesTec that tracks balls and strikes in some ballparks and the report cards provided by major league baseball. There’s room, in my opinion, for each umpire to have a slightly different interpretation of the strike zone. They don’t have to be robots. Consistency is the key. As long as the same pitches are called for both teams, there’s no issue.
As for deteriorating quality, I am not ready to go there. Because every game is on TV and there are a million replays, umpires’ mistakes are amplified like never before. The arrogance has also diminished. There was a time when some umpires seemed to think that people were paying to see them. Unless they can moonwalk like Leslie Nielsen in “Naked Gun,” that’s never going to happen.
Hi, Troy. I can imagine how frustrated the Rockies were with Chin-hui Tsao’s injuries. They invested millions. How does it happen that L.A. picks him up for $100,000? Did the Rockies give up on him, or did Tsao jump ship?
— Doc, Santa Barbara, Calif.
Doc – Chin-hui Tsao’s injuries certainly influenced how the Rockies viewed him. After Tsao sat out last year while recovering from shoulder and biceps tendon surgery, Colorado officials wondered if he would pitch again. So the Rockies dropped him from their 40-man roster, making him a free agent. They had interest in re-signing him, but Tsao told me that he didn’t want to wait anymore for an offer, so he chose Los Angeles.
In truth, I think Tsao needed a fresh start. For whatever reason, his stay in Colorado had run its course.
I have never seen a better Rockies’ pitching prospect. And given his talent, I hope he has a chance to have a productive career.
Hey, Troy. Most fans I know want Clint Hurdle axed. As fans, what can we do to help that process along? Joe Girardi would be excellent. By the way, love .
— Christopher Roth, Galveston, Texas
Christopher – Thanks for noticing . They are a cool way to throw more nuggets to fans without the space limitations of a daily newspaper.
As for manager Clint Hurdle’s job security, that issue faded when he was given a two-year contract extension on opening day. Joe Girardi is a name that often comes up among Rockies’ fans given his success in Florida and his ties to Colorado. My gut tells me that Girardi’s next managerial job will be with the New York Yankees either next season or in 2009.
On the triple play, it looked like Helton flipped the ball into the stands. Did the Rockies retrieve it? Will the ball go to Cooperstown? To Tulo? On the shelf of a paying customer? What happened to the ball? Thanks.
— George Smith, Bloomington, Ind.
George – Todd Helton routinely throws the ball of the final out into the stands above the Rockies’ dugout. As it so happens, a KOA radio personality caught the ball that Sunday. He recently returned to the ball to Tulowitzki. The rookie shortstop said the Rockies have the ball. He wasn’t sure if they were going to display it first then ship it to Cooperstown. Tulowitzki did receive a cool painting of the triple play, showing him tagging out Edgar Renteria for the third out. It’s hanging in the Rockies’ clubhouse – “Brad Hawpe pulled it out of the box and put it there,” Tulowitzki said.
He will take the painting home in the offseason. Tulowitzki does collect some memorabilia. He has several autographed baseballs from famous shortstops, including Cal Ripken Jr. and Jose Reyes. He also received a game bat from the Dodgers’ Nomar Garcia with the inscription: Troy, keep working hard. Nomar Garciaparra.
“My parents put a lot of that stuff in a trophy case, like my first big-league hit and first big league home run,” Tulowitzki said.
Denver Post sports writer Troy E. Renck is in his 12th season of covering the Colorado Rockies, his sixth for The Denver Post. To drop a question into his Rockies Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
