He knows the drill by now, and so do I.
Every time I run into Charlie Monfort at the Rockies’ spring-training camp, I stick a tape recorder under his chin and ask him who’s going to win the National League West. And every time, he comes up with the same answer.
As talented as Matt Holliday is, only the owner hits 1.000.
“Surprise, surprise,” Monfort said. “Some people have picked us lower in the division, but I think we’re going to win it.”
Truth is, a lot of people aren’t buying the Rockies as legitimate contenders. For proof, we take you to Las Vegas, where the wise guys think with their wallets, not their hearts.
The Las Vegas Hilton, the world’s largest sports book, ranks the Rockies at 30-1 to win the World Series, putting them behind six other National League teams.
The Mets are the favorites at 6-1, followed by the Cubs (10-1), Phillies (20-1), Dodgers (20-1), Braves (20-1) and Diamondbacks (20-1). The Rox are next, tied with the Padres at 30-1.
The obvious question: Who do we believe, the Rockies’ owner or the Vegas establishment? Sorry, but if anyone knows where the beef is, it’s Charlie Monfort.
If the Rockies prove to be a fluke, a one-trick pony, a nice little team that won the pennant by getting hot at the right time, it will come as news to me.
These guys are good. They can hit and they can field. Not only that, they’ve got karma, the likes of which you seldom see in today’s major leagues.
That leaves pitching. Obviously, that’s why outsiders like the rest of the West over the Rockies. They like the Dodgers’ and Diamondbacks’ pitching more than the Rockies’ pitching.
It’s more than that, though. The rest of the world still has a perception of the Rockies that doesn’t match reality. The rest of the world believes Coors Field is still Coors Field. Or Coors Canaveral, as I used to call it.
No more. It’s a fair place to pitch, thanks to the humidor. Combine that with the most talented pitching staff in franchise history and I’ll take my chances with the Rox winning the West.
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
