TUCSON — On the occasion of his first Valentine’s Day with his future wife, Huston Street sent her 321 roses. The card read, “One rose for each day you’ve made my life better.”
When he proposed to Lacey 2 1/2 years later, he popped the question amidst a sea of 1,500 red roses inside his condo in Austin, Texas.
“Buck Cody, one of my best friends and a teammate of mine at Texas, always says, ‘Top shelf or not at all,’ ” Street said. “That’s the way I try to look at things.”
That’s the attitude the 25-year-old right-hander and former American League rookie of the year brings into the spring training battle for the job as Rockies closer. Colorado acquired Street from the Oakland Athletics as part of the Matt Holliday trade in November.
Street’s competition is Manuel Corpas, a 26-year-old from Panama. Both pitchers lost their dream jobs last year, Corpas because of an ugly April meltdown, Street because of a July swoon exacerbated by a hip flexor injury. This spring offers a chance for redemption for both.
“They were as straight with me as they could be, and they’ve said it’s wide open,” Street said. “I think it’s going to push us both and make us both better, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to win it. That’s my goal. I expect him to say the exact same thing.”
Competition has already begun. On Sunday, the first day of the Rockies’ workouts, general manager Dan O’Dowd watched intently as Corpas and Street worked through their bullpen sessions. Manager Clint Hurdle plans to throw them into spring training games early and often.
“Everything is going to be scrutinized, games and practice,” O’Dowd said. “What we want to see is the guy who can consistently pound the strike zone.”
Neither did that very well in 2008. Corpas, one of the stars of Rocktober in 2007, lost his job to Brian Fuentes last April. Admittedly out of shape and lacking focus, Corpas went 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA and four blown saves in eight chances before he got the hook.
Street’s fall was more gradual. On the day before the all-star break, he raced off the mound and fielded a swinging bunt by the Los Angeles Angels’ Torii Hunter. When he pivoted to make the throw, his spike caught and his season unraveled.
“I didn’t feel a pop, just a burning feeling,” he said. “The next five weeks, it was hit or miss. Some days it felt better, some days it just felt horrible.”
Street kept pitching, but he lost velocity on his fastball and lost command of his slider, his bread-and-butter pitch. Street, who saved 23 games en route to rookie of the year honors in 2005 and then notched 37 saves a year later, couldn’t save his job. He was relieved of his Oakland closer duties on Aug. 1, one day before his 25th birthday.
“It’s always frustrating to lose something that means so much to you,” Street said. “So it bothered me and it frustrated me, and it still does. Getting the closer’s job is something I’ve always taken a lot of pride in, not because it’s me as the guy, but that’s how I feel like I can help the team the most.”
Once demoted, he didn’t make any excuses. He kept pitching, but as a setup reliever. But it was clear something was amiss.
“You could see he was flat and lacked velocity,” said former A’s teammate Alan Embree, who signed with the Rockies this offseason to be their late-game, left-handed reliever. “But I have a lot of respect for what he did. So many guys now won’t play through pain, but Huston showed me he’s got some old school in him.”
In retrospect, however, Street said it might have been better had he not pitched because he wasn’t fully healthy.
This winter, Street retooled his offseason conditioning program, emphasizing flexibility, and worked on his pitches. His goal is to regain command not only of his slider, but of his changeup, a pitch he used effectively against left-handers in 2007.
“I’ve never worked harder to get ready,” he said. “This means a lot to me. I couldn’t be more excited.”
Street came out of the University of Texas as one of the most highly regarded closers in collegiate history. He saved 41 games for the Longhorns and has known almost nothing but success in his young career. He wants that feeling again.
“When I felt better at the end of last season, I knew I was auditioning for the trade market,” he said. “Even when I didn’t have my closer’s job, I said to myself, ‘Well, you have to prove that you can go out and dominate. It doesn’t matter whether you are dominating the sixth or dominating in the ninth, if you can prove that you are a guy they can rely on, everything will take care of itself.’ And it did. I find myself here with an opportunity.”
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
