SURPRISE, Ariz. — There is one way, and one way only, for the Rockies to win the World Series in 2010: Troy Tulowitzki must be the most valuable player in the National League.
With apologies to Carmelo Anthony and Champ Bailey, the face of sports in Colorado is now Tulo.
Now, for the big question: Can a shortstop who has never made the NL all-star team blossom into the best player in the league?
It’s a crazy, hard task. St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols casts the longest shadow in the game.
But is it a reasonable expectation for Tulowitzki to be the rare player capable of becoming a legitimate MVP contender for the next 10 years?
“Yes, he is that rare guy,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said Monday.
Look, Tracy doesn’t want to heap pressure on Tulowitzki, but it takes about five seconds in the presence of the Colorado shortstop to realize there’s something different about him this year. At age 25, Tulo finally seems comfortable in his own skin.
Tulowitzki no longer seems in a rush to grab the mantle of leadership and take on the whole baseball world. Tulo now moves with the easy confidence of a man who knows where he’s going.
“You play on the big stage in the World Series and the playoffs, and for myself it gives me a comfort zone out there to make plays in any situation,” Tulowitzki said.
He has grown up in the glare of the spotlight. And, yes, fans helped hasten the ascension of his star. Tulo heard you screaming his name when he walked to the plate during the 2007 World Series. How could he not? The chant rattled his bones.
“Being in my rookie year and having the whole stadium chant your name, to take a calm at-bat? It’s tough,” he said. “Not to say I’m this big veteran, but at the same time, I think my at-bats now are different, just because I’ve been in that situation, been in the stadium where everybody’s yelling your name.”
For all the welcome ambition and nonstop optimism emanating from the Rockies going into the most anticipated season in franchise history, they will go only as far as Tulo takes them.
Let us count the reasons Tulowit- zki has the weight of the Rockies on his shoulders.
Despite his undeniable natural ability, Ubaldo Jimenez isn’t going to be the most dominating pitcher in the NL West so long as San Francisco ace Tim Lincecum stays healthy. The $22 million the Rockies gave injured closer Huston Street is looking more like risky speculation than a sound investment. And the Colorado batting order has pop, but it makes scary noise only if Tulowitzki pumps up the volume from the 32 home runs, 92 RBIs and .297 batting average he produced last season.
Here’s guessing you’re either born to love pressure or you never learn. But dealing with the strain of leadership is a skill that can be taught only through experience.
“Derek Jeter would be the prime guy to ask. From his first time he made it to the World Series to last year when he made it in the World Series for the seventh time, I bet you he was in a different state of mind,” Tulowitzki said.
“I think that’s why teams run in streaks as far as being good. You look at the Phillies now. When you hit in pressure situations all the time, your players are only going to get better. When the Yankees get hot year after year, it’s because they’ve played on the biggest stage and know how to grind out at-bats and have the know-how to do the little things. Back when the A’s were good, they ran off playoff appearances, World Series appearances and World Series wins because they had been there and a playoff game wasn’t huge to them.”
Broncos quarterback John Elway was MVP of the NFL in 1987. Larry Walker bashed the baseball so hard voters forgot their prejudice against Coors Field when casting ballots for National League MVP in 1997. The Avalanche had Hart Trophy winners in Joe Sakic (2001) and Peter Forsberg (2003).
Sooner or later, Tulowitzki will join the list of most valuable players to wear a uniform in Colorado.
We’ve seen the streets of Denver come alive with Super Bowl parades, and local folks have known the sweet pleasure of taking long drinks from the Stanley Cup.
Should the Rockies win a World Series, however, two names would stand above the title when writing the history of Colorado sports:
Elway.
Tulo.
Mark Kiszla: 303-954-1053 or mkiszla@denverpost.com
