TUCSON — The Rockies’ think tank split sharply last summer on what to do with Jorge De La Rosa. Manager Clint Hurdle was fed up with the walks, the repeated mistakes. Pitching coach Bob Apodaca recommended patience, believing that banishing the left-hander to the bullpen wouldn’t help De La Rosa or the team.
The outcome of that debate will go a long way toward shaping this season, determining whether the Rockies will reinvent themselves as playoff contenders. Apodaca won the argument, and De La Rosa responded to the unlikely show of confidence to now sit firmly entrenched as the club’s No. 4 starter, a critical role after the loss of former ace Jeff Francis to shoulder surgery.
“He’s somebody we are going to count very, very heavily on,” Apodaca said Monday of De La Rosa. “There’s so much there that is still untapped.”
Potential is a dirty word in sports, like the blind date with a great personality. De La Rosa, who turns 28 on April 5, was maddening to executives and teammates alike, spending time with five organizations, including the Monterrey Sultans, before landing with the Rockies last April. Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown could count the number of left-handed starters who throw 94 miles per hour — CC Sabathia and Oliver Perez are the others — so why was success so elusive for De La Rosa?
“I would get crazy when I pitched when something happened that I didn’t like,” De La Rosa admitted. “It wasn’t physical, it was mental. I knew it, but I couldn’t fix it.”
That all changed when De La Rosa sought help from Rockies mental-skills coach Ronn Svetich. Svetich was blunt in his assessment.
He said: “I told him straight up: ‘You can go one way or the other. You can continue doing what you are doing, and it will take you back down to Triple-A. Or you can breathe slowly and deeply and find a way to correct this problem.’ ”
The techniques were simple. When frustration mounted, which came easily for De La Rosa on a hit or a bad call by the ump, he would step off the mound and count to five. The pause served as a reminder to focus on what he could control: pitch selection, location and execution. His wife, Martha, translated Svetich’s instructions on a paper that De La Rosa still keeps with him. As a reminder, Svetich calls De La Rosa the day before his starts.
“He tells me how good I am going to do if I follow the advice. I like the calls,” De La Rosa said. “I think I can pitch like I did in the second half and help this team win a lot of games.”
De La Rosa’s transformation after the all-star break was startling. His career with the Rockies hanging by a shoelace, he went 7-3 with a 3.08 ERA after the all-star break, compared with 3-5 with a 7.26 ERA in the first half. He finished with 128 strikeouts in 130 innings, a testament to a terrific changeup and a cut slider. The Rockies went 13-10 in De La Rosa’s starts, including 9-1 when he worked at least six innings.
“When he’s around the zone, he has no issues,” catcher Yorvit Torrealba said. “He can get excited, but he’s learned how to calm himself down.”
The results have transcended the mound. De La Rosa is a lot more relaxed and personable with teammates. His confidence has swollen, leaving him convinced — with a deep breath, of course — that he can top his breakthrough season.
“He’s comfortable in his own skin,” Apodaca said. “It’s nice to look back and be happy with the decision we made with him.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
