With a straight face, Rockies manager Clint Hurdle now confidently states a goal that would have caused the Colorado mountains to crumble from laughter only a month ago: “We will not be happy if we don’t get to the World Series.”
And know what? The Rockies will stay on one the most remarkable rolls in baseball history all the way to the Fall Classic, provided Hurdle doesn’t get in their way. In a National League Championship Series between longshots defying all odds, Colorado certainly appears to be the more talented team.
But Bob Melvin, who can pull runs out of his ear and has turned snakes into diamonds, works his hocus-pocus on Arizona’s bench. As a baseball magician, Melvin is Merlin. And how does Hurdle beat that?
We don’t need to wait for the official election results to declare Melvin the NL manager of the year.
Despite a sickly offense that shriveled in the desert sun and an Arizona lineup so young it makes calling Colorado the Kid Rocks a joke, Melvin coaxed the Diamondbacks into believing anything was possible.
“The biggest challenge was developing players and trying to win, all at the same time,” Melvin recently told me, explaining a young athlete might be physically bulletproof, yet can be as psychologically temperamental as any kid who rudely discovers for the first time that he doesn’t have all the answers.
Hurdle has rewarded the gift of a two-year contract extension team ownership granted him on opening day, and he so thoroughly outmaneuvered Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel in the opening round of the playoffs it should have been scored Rockies 3, Phillies duh.
On the baseball circuit, where a room-service menu often passes as heavy reading, Hurdle owns a more extensive library than Oprah’s Book Club. His current recommendation: “The Camel Club,” by David Baldacci.
So almost anywhere he travels in the major leagues, Hurdle is the smartest man in the room. He’s also not afraid to show off his intelligence, which makes Hurdle a fascinating dugout conversationalist and a made-for-TV philosopher, quick with a sound bite.
But his genius doesn’t always play well in the Colorado clubhouse.
In a game where many humble players seem adverse to any noise louder than the spitting of sunflower seeds, there are times when Hurdle comes off as a self-aggrandizing know-it-all to the Rockies.
While Hurdle’s recent decisions, whether using four pitchers in one inning or sending a little-used hitter to the plate in a pinch, have been golden during an amazing streak that has seen Colorado win 17 times in 18 tries, players know their manager has blown more than his share of games in the past.
When the Rockies secretly voted a generous share of their playoff earnings to the family of deceased Tulsa Drillers coach Mike Coolbaugh, killed by a line drive during the summer, there was a heartfelt feeling true charity seeks no publicity. When Hurdle revealed the act of kindness at a news conference, it was met with anger by at least one Colorado veteran, who regarded the manager’s announcement, however well-intended, as grandstanding.
To his credit, Hurdle has worked hard on dialing down his hyperactive IQ to stop overthinking every double switch, and allowed the natural ability of talented Rockies such as outfielder Matt Holliday and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to flow.
“I’ve tried to, as this particular group has come together, get more out of the way,” said Hurdle, who this year quit an annoying habit of bouncing a baseball on the dugout floor during the tensest junctures of a game. “It’s kind of like there comes a point in time when you stop telling your kids what they need to do, regardless if they’re listening or not, because they’re tired of hearing it. So flip them the keys and let ’em drive, and see where it takes you.”
The art of managing baseball in the pressure of October is restraint. A savvy skipper doesn’t smear the beauty of a hot team with too many fingerprints on his lineup card. He avoids paralysis from overreliance on statistical analysis.
Melvin’s masterstoke? He allowed Arizona players to take ownership of the magic that produced 90 victories and the NL West championship despite being outscored by 20 runs during the regular season.
“This group embraced the anybody-anytime thing,” Melvin said. With Arizona, the sum is greater than its individual parts. And isn’t that the very definition of stellar management?
A former big-league catcher, Melvin seems to understand in a game of hardball, where blows to every player’s confidence are unavoidable, a gentle hand can often ease the pain quicker than an iron fist.
With two underdog teams playing out of their heads, this series could be decided by how well the managers work the mind games, rather than by wowing us with strategy. How quickly would Melvin dare take the ball from starter Brandon Webb, should the Arizona ace struggle? Will Hurdle place faith in Brad Hawpe to deliver a big hit in the clutch against a left-handed pitcher?
The crucial moves that separate winners from losers in the playoffs are not based on raw intelligence so much as gut instinct.
“The worst thing we could do is overcoach at this point, because they’re ready to compete,” Colorado pitching coach Bob Apodaca said.
Like many managers itching to demonstrate genius on baseball’s big stage, the biggest challenge for Hurdle might be to get out of his own way.
On the road to the World Series, the last thing these rolling Rockies need is a backseat driver.
Mark Kiszla: 303-954-1053 or mkiszla@denverpost.com
