TUCSON — The show of muscle made the lack of speed seem a distant memory.
The middle of the Rockies’ order walked onto the outfield grass at Hi Corbett Field, causing pause from onlookers. The lumber party of five — Troy Tulowitzki, Matt Holliday, Todd Helton, Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe — provided an imposing visual. Their XL shirts looked like Baby Gap gear, stretched across shoulders and biceps.
Nurse, get opposing pitchers a paper bag. It appears they are hyperventilating.
“I mean, they were scoring 10 runs a game for a long time last season, it seemed like. Top to bottom, you’ve got guys hitting for average and 25 to 30 home runs,” Arizona Diamondbacks ace Brandon Webb said. “There aren’t that many teams, if any, that have that much depth.”
Losing second baseman Kazuo Matsui’s fleet feet will hurt, but the potential pain inflicted with power could offset his absence. Tulowitzki takes over the second spot in the lineup, leaving the Rockies with a string of five consecutive hitters capable of hitting 25 home runs and driving in 100 or more runs.
“We have a chance to create a lot of havoc,” hitting instructor Alan Cockrell said.
Think Tulowitzki won’t get a steady diet of fastballs batting in front of Holliday? As the National League’s reigning RBI and batting champ, Holliday’s production seems limited only by his imagination. Atkins hit .320 last season with runners on base. Only Barry Bonds reached base at a higher clip than Todd Helton in the NL. Hawpe set a franchise record with 66 two-out RBIs.
“We didn’t know much about them last year, other than Helton,” said pitcher Josh Towers, formerly with the Toronto Blue Jays. “Then you got Troy yanking home runs and Holliday hitting shots and, it’s like, these dudes can crush.”
With the exception of second base, where rookie Jayson Nix is the leading candidate to replace Matsui, the lineup that advanced to the World Series returns intact.
After a puzzling offensive start the first six weeks — the club was nine games under .500 May 21 — the Rockies hit their stride. They finished with the league’s top batting average (.280) and on-base percentage (.354) ranking second in runs.
The dimensions of Coors Field make many believe even William Hung could produce a hit there. It helps a hitter’s average, without question, but it is no longer a home run haven since the advent of the humidor in 2002. But Helton and Holliday hit better than .300 on the road, and Atkins had more home runs and RBIs in visiting parks. And they are picky, a favorite trait of Cockrell’s, who is stressing “controlled aggressiveness” this spring.
“Everyone can contribute and do some damage,” said pitcher Kip Wells, who posted a 7.11 ERA against the Rockies last season. “And it’s not like other lineups, where you have only two or three guys in the middle of the order and everybody else you kind of walk through.”
The Rockies lack for speed, placing an added burden on leadoff hitter Willy Taveras to serve as a catalyst for the big guns. He hit .320 last season, but a nagging groin injury limited him to 97 games.
“He knows how important he is,” Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd said.
There will be those who argue that Philadelphia, the New York Mets and maybe even the Chicago Cubs will field stronger lineups. But as the Rockies’ fearsome fivesome walked off the field Thursday, it was hard to imagine a group that will dent more ERAs.
“They are threatening,” pitcher Mark Redman said. “You have power, high average, run production. Those five together, hello? I will take them against anyone, any day.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
Show of force
Rockies hitting instructor Alan Cockrell breaks down the strengths of the Rockies’ lumber party of five:
SS Troy Tulowitzki (.291, 24 HRs): Can hit behind runners, go gap to gap, intense.
3B Garrett Atkins (.301, 25 HRs): Very good two-strike hitter; always under control at the plate.
LF Matt Holliday (.340, 36 HRs): Power to all fields, hits for average, can mis-hit a ball out of the park.
1B Todd Helton (.320, 17 HRs): A complete pure hitter with great patience.
RF Brad Hawpe (.291, 29 HRs): Has power like Holliday; has shown he can hit the ball to the opposite field.
Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post
