SURPRISE, Ariz. — It’s one of Jim Tracy’s favorite sayings, which is saying something since the Rockies manager seemingly wrote the book about favorite sayings.
“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel,” Tracy was saying the other day.
But the Rockies are trying to re-invent a few 2009 batting averages. Clint Barmes’ .245, for instance. Or the .228 mark shared by Ian Stewart and Chris Iannetta. Or the .241 by Ryan Spilborghs, 72 points below the .313 he hit a year earlier.
Tracy has preached a new approach at the plate this spring after the Rockies hit .261 in 2009, the lowest mark in franchise history, and struck out more than any other National League team except Arizona.
Stay behind the ball. Hit it up the middle. Don’t be pull happy. If you can’t get a hit, move up a runner. Those have been Tracy’s instructions from Day One. And just to drive home the point, Tracy had orange traffic cones placed in center field for batting practice this spring.
The results? The Rockies are leading the National League in hitting (.312). And it’s no coincidence they are leading the majors in doubles (77) and triples (18), many of which have landed in center field, or the opposite field.
“We want to be in position where mentally we’re not going to take any pitches off,” Tracy said. “That’s the message we’ve been trying to send. I think they’ve gotten the message.”
This isn’t just a helpful suggestion from the manager. It isn’t just an idea Tracy is hoping to implement. It’s a direct order.
Gone are the days of the Blake Street Bombers. The Rockies are evolving into a pitching- and defensive-oriented team.
Given that new reality, one in which lower-scoring games are a given, the Rockies want to play smarter baseball. They want to decrease their strikeouts and move runners by any means necessary to keep the pressure on the opposition.
Trying to pull every pitch? Swinging for the fences? Doing it too much will get you a seat on the bench.
“We’re not 100 percent there,” Tracy said. “But those that may not be completely convinced, eventually they’ll join the party. Those that are there are the ones who are likely to be doing a lot of the participating.”
Tracy will sit down hitters whose pull-happy ways send them into a downward spiral.
Case in point: Barmes’ 4-for-57 slide in late July-early August a year ago. That won’t cut it this year. Barmes knows it and that’s why he’s all in with the new approach.
“I’m staying behind the ball, and I’ve seen a huge difference in my pitch selection,” Barmes said. “I’ve been seeing pitches better than I have in a long time. I’m not chasing low and away, which is something I’ve always had an issue with.
“In the past, I’d come into spring and my swing would look pretty good, but then I’d get in trouble and I’d be stuck in the season trying to fix it. This is really the first point where they said we’re going to fix it here and instill it in my DNA.”
The Rockies aren’t about to hit .312 once the pitches start counting. Opposing pitchers will change their approach, and so will the results. But the Rockies’ methods won’t change.
“Hopefully, with a consistent approach, we have some success,” Iannetta said.
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
