TUCSON — For a team that’s made a lot of noise on the field in recent years, the Rockies sure are a quiet bunch.
“It’s a very humble group of guys,” Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd said. “There’s not a lot of bravado there.”
Unlike the Yankees and Red Sox, the Rockies are not to be confused with rock stars. The closest Rockies player to fitting that description is Jason Giambi, and he’s a bench player.
The Rockies much prefer the shadows to the limelight. They have an air about them, but precious little flair.
“It’s the personality of some of the individuals in that clubhouse and, frankly, that’s the way I like it,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “It’s not necessary to create bulletin-board fodder for other clubs. We recognize who we are, and we go about our business accordingly. And through the course of our actions, that’s when people walk away from you shaking their heads and saying, ‘Boy, they’re awfully good.’ “
So what makes the Rockies so confident? What were the forces at play that enabled them to make the playoffs last season despite a lineup that racked up the second-most strikeouts in the National League and didn’t include anyone with 100 RBIs?
They have many strengths, but you have to look and listen closely to find them.
They’re quiet strengths that rarely take a day off but make the Rockies a serious threat to win the National League West for the first time. A closer look:
Infield defense: Best in bigs?
Somebody asked Tracy the other day how likely opposing hitters were to make outs by hitting the ball to the left side of the Rockies’ infield. His response?
“You’ve got a good chance of being out if you hit it on the right side of the infield too.”
The Rockies’ infield defense could be the best in the major leagues. First baseman Todd Helton already has three Gold Gloves, and the other starters — Clint Barmes at second base, Troy Tulowitzki at shortstop and Ian Stewart at third base — could strike gold soon.
It’s more than talent, though, said Stewart.
“Every time a hitter comes up, Tulo and I know exactly where we want to position ourselves. It’s almost like we can read each other’s minds.”
Said Tulowitzki: “I know what balls Stew and Barmy can get to, so it gives me more room to do what I have to do. I don’t have to cheat a certain way to play to their deficiencies because they don’t have any. I know they can cover what they’re supposed to, so that helps me get to more balls.”
Bench: Proven veterans
Jayhawk Owens, where have you gone? The Rockies may have the deepest bench in baseball.
Don’t believe it? Then good luck finding another team with a former MVP (Giambi) ready to pinch hit in the late innings. Or a backup catcher (Miguel Olivo) who hit 23 homers a year ago. Or a fourth outfielder (Seth Smith) who hit .293 with a home run every 22 at-bats a year ago.
“It reminds me of ’95, when Ellis Burks got hurt and Mike Kingery stepped in and hit .340,” said hitting instructor Don Baylor, the Rockies’ first manager. “We’ve got guys who can pinch hit or step in and play every day if somebody gets hurt.”
Rotation: All competition
Thanks to the humidor, pitching is no longer the damage-control department in Denver. As such, the front office has been able to assemble a quality rotation of starters who have gotten to know each other and feed off each other’s success.
“It’s a healthy competition,” Aaron Cook said. “We try to make each other better. We go out every day feeling like we don’t want to be the guy who gives it up and lets the other guys down.”
Said pitching coach Bob Apodaca: “They talk to each other before they pitch. And who do they hang out with when they’re not pitching? With the other starters. You have to have that to be successful at this level.
“It’s like the great Braves rotation with (Greg) Maddux, (John) Smoltz and (Tom) Glavine. Those guys weren’t just great talents, they pushed each other. That’s what we’ve got going on.”
Tulo factor: Born leader
The Rockies advanced to the playoffs once in 14 years before Tulowitzki arrived. Since then, they have been there twice in three seasons. Do the math.
Tulo has quietly attained star status, a great player who oozes leadership. Oh, and did we mention he plays one of the most vital defensive positions on the field?
“He’s the whole package,” Tracy said. “I’m not sitting here trying to talk him up, or convince you that’s who he is. I’m telling you that’s who he is. But he embraces that. When you start to talk along those lines about a specific individual, you’re talking about a pretty special guy.”
And he isn’t alone. Yes, Tulo is a born leader. But anything he may not have known about leadership, about instilling a sense of purpose and insisting on a work ethic among his teammates, he learned from Helton.
“You know every day that clubhouse door opens and either of those guys walks in, it’s ‘All right, boys, we can get started now,’ ” Tracy said. “That’s what you love about it. It’s not like we’re all waiting around to see what kind of mood they’re in today.
“You know what’s coming through there, and it makes it very easy if you’re a younger player in that clubhouse. I don’t think you need any type of dissertation as to ‘Here’s how we do it.’ “
Said Tulowitzki: “The cool thing about our team is we have guys who, if someone needs to be pulled aside, they can tell them, ‘Hey, man, you’ve got to put in a little bit more.’ That starts with Todd. I’ve always said when the best players on the team are the hardest workers, the rest of the team is only going to follow.”
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
