TUCSON — It would be helpful to the cause this season if the Rockies didn’t have to win back-to- back games at Coors Field against the Dodgers on Sept. 13-14, then sweep three-game series with San Diego and Arizona at home, then win three games at San Francisco and lose one at Arizona before winning the final two (scheduled games) over the Diamondbacks and one more (unscheduled) play-in game in Denver.
It would be useful if the Rockies didn’t start off this year with an 18-27 record and fall to last place in the National League West Division.
It would be beneficial if the Rockies didn’t lose nine of 10 games in late June to fall eight games out of first place.
It would be nice if the Rockies weren’t .500 at the all-star break or 64-63 in late August, and it would be nifty if they didn’t possess a 76-72 record with 14 games remaining.
But it would not be hopeless, as we now have learned.
If you are a Conehead who recently arrived here from the planet Remulak, or France, the Rockies were all that and did all that in 2007 and, ended up, after all that, in the World Series. So it would be exciting if they did all that again.
Pour yourself a glass of Kool- Aid and enjoy the 2008 season.
Can the Rockies reprise the prize, repeat the feat?
A week from today the Rockies will open the season at St. Louis and try to reopen The Magic Box.
A good start would be a good start.
After spending 10 days with the Rockies in Arizona, my guess is I don’t know, and they don’t know. This much we think we do know: They certainly won’t be the worst team in baseball, and they probably won’t be the best team in baseball.
Did the Rockies make improvements — with their additions and subtractions to the team?
No.
They didn’t go out and get a cinch 15-game winner or a world-class veteran second baseman. They had a notion, but were not willing to part with several prospects to obtain pitcher Dan Haren, who was traded to Arizona, and they chose not to re-sign second baseman Kaz Matsui, but to promote Jayson Nix — the Rox Nix.
Five players are gone from the postseason roster, but only Josh Fogg and Matsui will be missed. They kept together the core group of position players and a majority of the pitchers.
Will the Rockies be improved?
Yes.
The young players are a year older and wiser and more experienced, and Todd Helton is happier than we’ve ever seen him in the spring. Nix and Jeff Baker will play well defensively and provide enough offensively.
Aaron Cook is healthier; Jeff Francis will be a king, if not an ace.
Manny Corpas has to prove he can be a strong closer for a full year, but they have Brian Fuentes as the closer-in-waiting — again. There are questions, as always here (and everywhere in baseball), about the fourth and fifth starters. Franklin Morales has to quit trying to blow every pitch by the hitters, and Josh Towers, Mark Redman or Kip Wells will be OK.
The Rockies will be a better team, but so will three of the other four teams in the division. Arizona, lest we forget, won the NL West last season, and San Diego lost the wild-card spot in the extra game to the Rockies. Arizona and San Diego have the quality starting rotations.
The Dodgers shouldn’t collapse as they did last year, if Joe Torre has any influence, and the Giants are coyote ugly.
The Mets brought in Johan Santana, and the Cubs are talking a great game, but probably won’t play such a great game. The owner wants to change the name of Wrigley Field, and the franchise signed an enclosed stadium — Kosuke Fuku Dome. The Phillies, the Braves and the Brewers are teams to consider seriously.
Of course, the Rockies are quietly confident, and they aren’t acting cocky in spring training. I’ve not heard one player say the Rox will go back to the World Series or beat the Red Sox this time. They just say they will work hard and have fun again. There’s love, and lousy music, in the clubhouse.
And, over the weekend, the Rockies still were putting on their baseball pants one leg at a time.
They will be one of the premier offensive teams — team batting average probably .280-something — and defensive teams in the National League — they’re still not committing (mental or physical) errors — and if they are to contend, they have to draw walks and not allow walks. They were special in both areas last year.
In the past, the old Rockies never saw a pitch they didn’t like, and they threw too many pitches that a manager could hate. The batters and the pitchers thought a bit outside was in the strike zone. Last season they kept the ball down and put the ball in play.
Troy Tulowitzki and Yorvit Torrealba are a Vanna White delight 29 letters featuring five T’s, four R’s, four O’s, three I’s, two Y’s, two A’s, two L’s, one K, one B, one U, one V, one W and one Z. And an E. I’ll take an X. Sorry. And they also are Clint Hurdle’s delight. “Troyorvit” will provide expanded leadership this season.
Pitching will decide the Rox fate, to reiterate.
Pressed to guess on the way out of Tucson: The Rockies, with an 87-75 record, will finish second behind Arizona and ahead of San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
In the spring it seems like there will be a ReRox in the summer and autumn.
Woody Paige: 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com
