PHILADELPHIA – Walking inside the Rockies’ clubhouse now is not much different from walking inside their clubhouse on July 1. Then, as now, players needle one another so often, they’ve all turned into human pin cushions.
Todd Helton’s role as clubhouse smart aleck is the same as it ever was, and he is rivaled only by Josh Fogg.
About the only thing that has changed are the black T-shirts the players are wearing, the ones with the word “October” emblazoned across the chest.
On July 1, before this wild ride blasted them into baseball’s stratosphere, the Rockies were a fourth-place team, eight games out in the National League West. This morning, after their 16th win in 17 games, they are one victory from advancing to the National League Championship Series.
Yet they seem the same. How is that possible?
“I call it effortless effort,” said Dr. John F. Murray, a well-known sports psychologist from Palm Beach, Fla. “Some people call it ‘getting in the zone.’ That’s when athletes are less self-conscious of their effort. They don’t analyze things or dissect things, they just accept them and appreciate what’s going on. It’s about attention to the present.”
Rockies rookie Troy Tulowitzki epitomizes the concept. He seems oblivious to the improbability of what his team is doing.
“This is my first go-round at this, but it’s been an awesome run,” he said. “It’s been a blast, and hopefully it continues.”
As the wins pile up, manager Clint Hurdle understands how to steer the ship.
“One of the traps (teams) fall into is not enjoying the ride,” he said. “But this streak, I’ve never been involved in anything like this in my life, athletically.”
Throughout the Rockies’ run, reporters have continually probed for the secret to the team’s success. They want to know about superstitions and rituals. They want explanations. Few are forthcoming.
“Players are a very superstitious bunch, and they aren’t going to talk about a winning streak,” said ESPN commentator Steve Phillips, a former New York Mets general manager. “And the last thing they want to do is explain it and get all of that caught up in their own heads.”
For the Rockies to continue their winning ways, the team must stay in balance, or, as Murray said, “Don’t get caught up in the hype.”
That’s easier said than done.
When Cleveland won this year’s American League Central title, the atmosphere became more hyped in a hurry.
“Everything is different around that team in Cleveland now,” said Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, who is working as a commentator for the Indians-Yankees series on TBS. “You can’t escape all of the attention. It’s how you handle the attention that counts. From what I’ve seen, the Rockies are handling it very well.”
But, inevitably, the hot streak is going to cool, perhaps even crash.
“It’s bound to happen. It always does in team sports,” Murray said.
Then what? Can the Rockies rebound?
“I don’t think they have anything to worry about that, because they are a talented team,” Gwynn said. “I’ve been saying for a long time that they are the team to watch.”
