RocKKKies.
Three strikeouts.
Down in order: Tulowitzki, Hurdle, Holliday.
ROCKTOBER, followed by NOvember.
NO R-E-S-P-E-C-T, NO R-O-C-K-I-E-S.
The greatest late-season run to the playoffs in Major League Baseball history was rewarded with a shutout.
Somebody here, somehow, some way, deserved something.
Perhaps the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voters will name the Rox Miss Congeniality.
The most indignant injustice occurred Tuesday when Matt Holliday was not chosen the National League’s most valuable player. The Rockies’ left-fielder put up T-Rex offensive numbers, finished first in batting average, RBIs, hits, doubles, total bases and extra-base hits, slammed 36 home runs, was the catalyst in the Rox’s remarkable streak and drove in the tying run and scored the winning run in the play-in game (which counts in the regular season).
But I don’t need to tell you. I should have locked a bunch of forkballed seamheads in a cellar and made them watch a video of Holliday’s season. Instead, they were content, as always, to stand in the corner of a clubhouse with their thumbs . . . in their mouths.
Keep in mind that the day before, it was announced that two writers (ahem) voted for Detroit’s Magglio Ordoñez for American League MVP, depriving A-Rod of a unanimous selection.
Who’s to blame for the appalling Holliday oversight?
Blame me if you want, and many have, but I wrote a column in mid-September stating that Holliday deserved to be MVP, and even though I am a longtime member of the BWhateverItIs, I wasn’t given a vote in any of the categories. To quote Groucho: “I don’t want to belong to a club that would have me as a member.” There are reasons I have to belong, but I’m not proud of it. I may quit (if I’m not kicked out after this column).
Blame Eastern bias, but, forgive them, for they know not what they do (and are forced to live in the East), and they didn’t do their due diligence. One New York voter said his choice was based on what Jimmy Rollins — who won, by the way — did against the Mets (as if the globe revolves around the Mets) and because the Phillies shortstop brashly predicted before the season Philadelphia was the team to beat (so, Nostradamus should have been an MVP, too).
Blame the Western bias. NL West voters gave Holliday only a 6-4 first-place edge over Rollins — who won, by the way — even though Holliday bashed their teams — remember the Giants, who were pitiful, the Dodgers and the Padres, who gagged, and the Diamondbacks, who ultimately fell hard.
Blame Central Division voters’ stupidity. Prince Fielder was neither a prince nor a fielder, and the Brewers collapsed.
Blame the Fox and ESPN networks, which never televised the Rockies’ games (until the final against the Padres).
Blame the ballpark, the altitude, the lack of media and fan support locally. Coors Field and Denver are what and where they are, and no excuses must be given. (People and players elsewhere are jealous.) And what about The Equalizer (read: humidor)? Imagine Holliday’s statistics if the balls weren’t dead weights in LoDo. Nobody apologizes for Fenway or that Little League field in Philadelphia. The media in Denver did not criticize individual players (except for a center fielder) all season, and the fans had a legitimate cause for giving up after 12 years of their frustration and team leadership futility).
Blame the Rockies’ ownership, the management, the manager and the players. Yes. The Rockies had wallowed in mediocrity for years, so why should they be on national TV or be trusted?
Remember that this was the same outfit that embarrassed Colorado and the franchise with The Internet Ticket Fiasco and its handling of every other aspect of the postseason (granted, it was after the voting for awards, but the mess didn’t suddenly start then).
And remember that the co-owner embarrassed Colorado and the franchise with his dumbstruck comments after the World Series. And the public relations department might have done a competent job outside Denver promoting the emerging superstar left fielder, the sensational rookie shortstop and the manager who pulled all the right levers during the Rockies’ phenomenal stretch (I have been a witness to the organization’s inadequacies from the other side of the land and the other side of the television set, and they are laughable.)
The Rockies should learn from this experience — and carry it into the spring, next season and the future. If the Rockies believe Holliday is a true MVP, they should sign him to a six-year MVP contract — and stop letting other key members of the team, catchers and second basemen and pitchers, go without a murmur.
Then “Respect” and “Rockies” will be together next Yesvember.
