The Rockies’ legend has only grown with each calendar flip.
It’s been almost a year since Colorado began a run that inspired a book, a Fox Sports documentary and millions of fans who had forgotten major-league baseball existed in the Mountain Time Zone.
Don’t understand why grown men painted their faces and why elementary schools told kids to wear purple on game days? Or why players cried and bathed in champagne with joy so unfiltered that it pulled at heartstrings? The baseball world does and hasn’t forgotten.
No matter how hopeless, no matter how dark the tunnel, no matter how foolish the optimism, teams always have the Rockies. They have become nothing short of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team in spikes.
In Houston, where the Astros are clinging to wild-card hopes, they don’t look to their 2005 World Series or J.R. Richard. They found a lighthouse in the mountains.
“Anytime a team shows you it’s possible, it gives you a glimmer of hope,” Astros pitcher Randy Wolf said. “You see what the Rockies did, and it gives you a benchmark.”
Perhaps the strangest dynamic is the pessimism surrounding the Rockies themselves. Because of their losing record, they haven’t captivated the public. But they deserve faith, a few players gently reminded me Saturday, eager to see big home crowds support them in their final push.
If everyone else can get a lift from the Rockies, why can’t they? It’s not plagiarizing if they wrote the original script.
“We are still in this,” outfielder Brad Hawpe said.
It’s hard to imagine a better sequel.
When kids go to games 20 years from now, they will see clips of John Belushi screaming, “Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?” and Todd Helton yelling as he raises his hands in triumph in the National League Championship Series clincher.
Heck, the Marlins act like they are watching Helton clips right now before batting practice.
“We all know what the Rockies did,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
To hear Florida tell it, the Rockies ruined the trading deadline as well. There was so little activity because — you guessed it — everybody was afraid to give up because they could be this year’s Rockies.
If there was one moment that summed up what the Rockies did last season, it was this: The Yankees — the little engine that could with the $209 million payroll — see them as motivation.
“Colorado showed the world last year that it can be done,” third baseman Alex Rodriguez told reporters. “Why not us? Crazier things have happened.”
Funny, Rockies players are thinking the same thing.
One man out.
Chicago, once expected to be sport’s epicenter in October, has become a house of blues. Carlos Zambrano was diagnosed with tendinitis in his shoulder. With his velocity diminishing and control lacking, there’s still real concern about how he will perform in the postseason. The club was already bracing for Rich Harden to need rest, now this?
It could be worse: The Cubs could be Carlos Quentin. The White Sox slugger is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season after breaking his wrist by slamming it into his bat. He’s embarrassed and apologetic. But it doesn’t change the fact his 100 RBIs have vanished from the lineup.
Quentin, an American League MVP favorite, has provided attitude, grit and muscle. The White Sox have shown resilience all season. This will be their biggest challenge.
Footnotes.
For all those who e-mailed and ridiculed my column regarding Dustin Pedroia’s AL MVP candidacy, his bid just got stronger. That he was 11-for-17 as a cleanup hitter last week didn’t hurt. With Quentin likely gone, Texas’ Josh Hamilton is Pedroia’s lone rival. . . . All the talk about Milwaukee’s CC Sabathia winning the Cy Young Award is insulting on two levels. First, Brandon Webb has been the NL’s best pitcher for the entire season. Secondly, Tim Lincecum can match his resume with anyone in the league. He leads the league in strikeouts and ERA. Sabathia has been amazing, no more amazing than Randy Johnson with the 1998 Astros, but terrific nonetheless. He should get MVP votes but not win the Cy Young. Lincecum remains my pick. . . . Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has quietly put together a solid second half. When looking for reasons to think Colorado can win the division, it should start with him. If he reaches 25 home runs and 100 RBIs next season, the offense suddenly goes from interesting to dangerous. . . . Infielder Casey Blake has become an invaluable member of the Dodgers. Manager Joe Torre told me about Blake: “You would know he’s a ballplayer before you even looked him in the eye or shook his hand. He’s a grinder.”
Eye on …
Roy Halladay, RHP, Blue Jays
Background: Drafted 17th overall in the first round of the 1995 draft from Arvada West High School. Any conversation about the game’s most effective pitchers over the last decade must include Halladay. He has won 129 games, leaving him comparable to Mike Mussina at a similar age.
What’s up: In a league where executives have become a slave to pitch counts, Halladay remains an ox. He entered Saturday leading baseball in innings pitched, having topped the 200-inning threshold five times in seven seasons. But don’t even dare hint he’s more about quantity than quality. He ranks fourth overall with a 2.69 ERA (tied with San Diego’s Jake Peavy) and is second in complete games with eight, one shy of Milwaukee’s CC Sabathia.
What’s next: Halladay should finish second in Cy Young voting behind Cleveland’s Cliff Lee. Halladay won in 2003 and has finished in the top five three times. Boston’s Daisuke Matsuzaka has a better record, but injuries and short outings leave him shy of Halladay’s stature. Said a scout who watched Halladay recently: “He has great command and great movement. That’s hard to beat.”
Renck’s take: Halladay, at the all-star break, said he liked the change under manager Cito Gaston, whom he says has created more accountability. Gaston is coming back next season with one certainty: Halladay will be the Jays’ opening-day ace for the seventh straight year. Halladay’s story can’t be told enough, given the lack of Colorado kids in the majors. He’s proud of where he came from, and of those who helped him here along the way. Goose Gossage is Colorado’s greatest player. In Halladay, you have a starter’s version. The Hall is a long shot, but I’m not about to bet against him.
At issue
Overworking young pitchers can lead to doctor’s visit
What: General managers get sweaty palms and nervous tics as kid starters reach dangerous workloads. Based on the widely accepted theory developed by Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci, a pitcher under the age of 25 who sees at least a 30- inning increase from the previous season increases the likelihood of injury.
When: The innings pile up in September after a long season. Teams out of the race can easily defuse the issue, simply pulling the plug on young aces or going to six-man rotations. For teams in contention, however, it is a much more complicated scenario, particularly if they don’t have any other options.
Background: Verducci’s theory is why the Yankees limited Joba Chamberlain’s innings this season and will start him in the bullpen next season. The 30-inning principle also predicts that performance will suffer even if health doesn’t. It is a valuable indicator, if nothing else. Of seven pitchers flagged for potential problems this season, the Yankees’ Ian Kennedy, Cleveland’s Fausto Carmona, Milwaukee’s Yovani Gallardo and Toronto’s Dustin McGowan all have been hurt.
Renck’s take: It is for this reason that Rockies fans should be thankful that 24-year-old Ubaldo Jimenez has escaped this season — despite a 41 2/3 innings increase in 2007 from 2006 — virtually unscathed. His record notwithstanding, his ERA and stats have been encouraging in his first full season. The case of the Mets’ Mike Pelfrey, as stated in The New York Times, is worth monitoring. The Mets are running out of healthy bodies — John Maine is hurting and Pedro Martinez is limited these days — so trimming Pelfrey’s workload will be difficult. Like Jimenez, can Pelfrey be the exception or will the Mets rue a decision to push him?
Ups and downs
THREE UP
1. Red Sox: Dustin Pedroia went 11-for-17 with six RBIs in first four games in cleanup spot.
2. Astros: Ty Wigginton hit .379 with 12 home runs and 26 RBIs in August.
3. Mets: David Wright an MVP candidate; Billy Wagner on the way back.
THREE DOWN
1. Twins: Extended road trip because of Republican National Convention could cost them a playoff berth.
2. Orioles: Engaging in typical September swoon even as manager gets extension.
3. Cardinals: Sour bullpen causes warm and fuzzy story to become cold and prickly.
