A short elevator ride separates the Rockies’ clubhouse from the front-office desks on the second floor at Coors Field. By the end of last year, that distance felt greater, a fact that directly shaped the team’s offseason.
Creating stronger trust was critical to bridging the gap.
Think back to Sept. 14. General manager Dan O’Dowd ripped his underperforming club, saying “our execution has been abysmal.” His disappointment ran deep. Had the team he assembled been just mediocre, it had a shot to play in October. His criticism stung the players. They hung The Denver Post article in the clubhouse, hinted at a chasm growing between management and the foot soldiers.
The point was driven home to O’Dowd a few weeks later.
“I found through our (exit) interview process this winter and during conversations that there was a gap between what we perceived in trust and what there really was,” O’Dowd said. “I do think to get where we want to get, we have to work toward that. Maybe we won’t get there. But we have to try.”
O’Dowd’s solution: authentic honesty.
Whether that’s achievable in an industry built on half-truths and white lies is debatable. But there’s no denying there was a bluntness to O’Dowd’s offseason not seen since the winter of 2000.
His fingerprints were on everything. At O’Dowd’s urging, manager Clint Hurdle reshaped his coaching staff. The additions of bench coach Jim Tracy and hitting instructor Don Baylor were designed to address Hurdle’s shortcomings.
Tracy is deft at handling bullpens, and Baylor’s mere presence demands accountability from hitters who grew wayward last year. Adhering to O’Dowd’s back-to-basics mantra, Hurdle ran spring training with exhausting precision and attention to detail. The workload created some grumbles, but no one was caught off guard. The players were told what to expect when they reported to Tucson.
For me, that’s the key to this heavier-handed approach. Allow the players to feel like they are part of it, rather than potential scapegoats, which was definitely the vibe at the end of last season.
“Nobody in the locker room is asking to be (consulted) about trades and who they sign. But what we want is that if you are going to bring in a new guy, let us do our own little background check to see if they are going to fit in here,” outfielder Ryan Spilborghs said.
“We are a close-knit group. We try to tell each other the truth, and it can be difficult because some guys take it personal. But if a guy gets out of line, we will let them know.”
Therein lies the secret. If the team is going to build around the values of chemistry and family, then the front office and coaching staff must treat the players like they ask the players to treat themselves.
“When we talk about having honesty, we mean if we aren’t doing the job, tell us,” Spilborghs said. “We want it to be talked about in here, not through some other source. That’s what Hurdle’s been great at this spring. When he’s said something to a player, he’s followed through on it. And O’Dowd has done everything he said he would do.”
Consistency and communication foster respect. And if this team is to win like 2007, that must manifest into greater trust.
“It’s about making sure you have the big picture in mind with everything you do and, sometimes with that, maybe you feel like you are not helping the process by being brutally honest. But you are,” O’Dowd said. “Maybe it was hard in the past, but it won’t be anymore. I have no issue with confrontation. None at all.”
Footnotes.
If it wasn’t before, the NL West race is wide-open now as the Dodgers (Hiroki Kuroda) and Diamondbacks (Brandon Webb) are dealing with worrisome pitcher injuries. . . . Congrats to Cherry Creek alum Darnell McDonald, who started on opening day for the Reds. . . . From Hell’s Bells to Heath Bell. With Trevor Hoffman no longer closing games for San Diego to AC/DC, Bell has done fine so far. He throws 95 miles per hour with a fastball that cuts away from right-handers.
At issue
Adenhart’s death strikes at core of big-leaguers
What: Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, 22, died in a traffic accident, numbing the entire organization just hours after the rookie pitched his best game in the big leagues. His career and life were over before they had really started.
When: Adenhart was killed Thursday along with two other passengers, the victim of alleged serial drunken driver Andrew Thomas Gallo.
Background: Adenhart was the Angels’ top prospect. His name had often been connected to the Rockies, whenever Garrett Atkins trade rumors to the Angels surfaced.
Renck’s take: There’s no handbook for handling tragedy. Grief strikes in different ways. Adenhart’s loss cuts to the bone because he was so young. As teammate and friend Dustin Moseley said, “It takes you out of that bubble that you think you are in, makes you think tomorrow may be your last day.” The stunning loss can be a unifying force. I attended the University of Colorado when quarterback Sal Aunese died after an illness. That team reacted passionately, forging its way to a special season. The Cardinals, following the loss of Darryl Kile during the 2002 season, won 57 games — his jersey number — after the pitcher’s heart failed. Reminders of Adenhart will be everywhere for the Angels. They will hurt, especially for an organization known for its family atmosphere and one that fiercely guards its pitching prospects. How they live over these next six months — with class and dignity — will honor Adenhart in death.
Eye on …
Ian Kinsler, 2B, Texas Rangers
Background: Kinsler grew up in Tucson, starring alongside White Sox outfielder Brian Anderson at Canyon Del Oro High School. His college path at Arizona State blocked by Dustin Pedroia, Kinsler finished at the University of Missouri. The Rangers selected him in the 17th round of the 2003 draft.
What’s up: Kinsler told me during spring training he couldn’t wait for this season to start. “Not because it’s so long down here . . . because we are going to be a lot better than people think.” Kinsler launched effortlessly, knocking in six runs in the first four games for a Texas team that is a sleeper in the AL West.
What’s next: How does Kinsler, AL MVP sound? If the Rangers can be competitive, he’s a strong bet.
Renck’s take: It’s easy to forget that Kinsler was leading the AL in every meaningful offensive category through July, when he suffered a sports hernia. He can Rickey Henderson opponents from the leadoff spot. “He’ll take a walk and has the power to hit the ball out,” manager Ron Washington said. And he makes it difficult for pitchers to work around slugger Josh Hamilton. Ultimately, what Kinsler brings is Red Bull energy, a dirt-dog mentality. The value of players like this goes beyond stats because they find ways to win.
Ups and downs
THREE UP
1. Marlins: Fast start helped by the game’s fastest player, Emilio Bonifacio.
2. Rockies: Ubaldo Jimenez’s starts should become an event like Tiny Tim’s are in San Francisco.
3. Blue Jays: If you have Adam Lind on your fantasy team, congratulations.
THREE DOWN
1. Indians: Cliff Lee, spring training is over, you can start pitching like it counts any day now.
2. Nationals: Is it too early for Nationals to ask for bailout money?
3. Astros: Mike Hampton, Russ Ortiz? What is this, 2001?
