This hasn’t been a season. More like a miniseries blending an after-school special with “Gray’s Anatomy.”
The Rockies have talent, and not once has their effort been questioned. But they haven’t been good enough to overcome injuries to key players. Their roster is top-heavy, they have been sabotaged by the startling regression of Aaron Cook and Brad Hawpe and they aren’t doing the little things well on a consistent basis.
At this point, the Rockies, as Bill Parcells might say, are who they are. They look like contenders, but really their record suggests that they have found their level. They are good, but not good enough to play in October.
The O’s — Ubaldo, CarGo and Tulo — have been A’s. Too much mediocrity exists in the rest of the starting lineup. This will change quickly if Dexter Fowler and Eric Young Jr. mature into on-base machines. The offense will suddenly become caffeinated. But it hasn’t happened yet.
Remember, this is a team that doesn’t have monster power, save for Carlos Gonzalez. The Rockies must manufacture runs, particularly on the road, where too many runners die in scoring position. Finding a right-handed power bat, either an outfielder or first baseman to pair with Todd Helton, must be a priority. The offense needs help.
The result: It demands near perfection from the pitching and defense.
In the last loss at San Francisco, Ubaldo Jimenez couldn’t field Mike Fontenot’s comebacker that led to the first run. No problem. But why throw Fontenot anything to hit with the pitcher on deck?
Against the Phillies, Young, who has been better than advertised at second, pulled Tulowitzki off the bag on an easy force play. The inning spiraled. This is not meant to single out anyone but to illustrate how simple mistakes have turned a potential playoff team into a club just good enough to break hearts.
Unbe-Lee-vable.
Pitcher Cliff Lee, the Hope Diamond of the trade market, has lost his luster. The Rangers believe the root of his slump is a back problem. Something is clearly wrong. He has gone 2-5 with a 4.69 ERA for the Rangers in 11 starts. That’s fifth-starter material.
Roy Oswalt, meanwhile, is 4-1 with a 1.90 ERA in his seven starts for Philadelphia. Let’s call it like it is: The Rangers aren’t advancing in the playoffs if Lee isn’t right. They won’t re-sign him, so the trade will be judged solely on his postseason performance.
Red alert.
Reliever Aroldis Chapman has created a buzz in Cincinnati with radar- gun readings that challenge reality. He was clocked at 103.4 mph last week. Not even Stephen Strasburg throws that hard. The Reds wanted Chapman, signed as a free agent after defecting from the Cuban national team, to start, but he battled command issues. As a reliever, he found his way in Triple-A.
He’s positioned to make the biggest impact by a reliever since Detroit’s Joel Zumaya in 2006 — I will never forget seeing him clocked at 104 mph in Yankee Stadium — and former Angel Francisco Rodri- guez in 2002.
What makes Chapman special is not the fastball. He throws a back foot slider to right-handed hitters at 90 mph, the likes of which haven’t been seen since Randy Johnson’s salad days.
Footnotes.
Another suggestion for the Diamondbacks while they mull installing a humidor: Change the hitter’s eye at Chase Field. Ask any visiting player and he admits there’s no place easier to pick up the ball than off the solid black backdrop. Even the Rockies added unruly ivy on the back wall at Coors Field. . . . When San Francisco’s Darren Ford scored the winning run against the Rockies, it wasn’t the first time he’s been accused of pulling a fast one. He has been charged with conspiracy, filing a false report and obstruction after police said Ford lied about being robbed at gunpoint in a New Jersey parking lot while carrying a bank deposit bag for the car dealership where he worked. He has not been indicted. . . . Cardinals fans really don’t like Brandon Phillips, who was at the epicenter of the fracas in Cincinnati. They booed him unmercifully during his at-bats Friday and even threw his foul balls back onto the field.
EYE ON . . .
Joey Votto, 1B, Reds
Background: Selected in the second round of the 2002 draft at the recommendation of former Reds scouting director Kasey McKeon, Votto made a gradual climb toward stardom. McKeon, a Rockies bird dog until he left for the Nationals, loved Votto’s swing and thought it would play at the highest level. Votto, teeth privately grinding, didn’t reach the majors until 2007 for a late-season stint. He promptly hit 24 home runs in 2008, finishing second in the rookie of the year voting. Oh, and he and Jeff Francis might be the only two Canadians who didn’t play hockey growing up.
What’s up: Who needs to be ROY when you can be an MVP? Votto is shedding anonymity with each extra-base hit, threatening to pry the NL’s top trophy away from Albert Pujols’ strong-muscled grip. Votto is hitting .324 with 32 home runs and 98 RBIs through Saturday’s games, and like Carlos Gonzalez, his career is taking off because of his improvement against left-handed pitching. Take comfort, fans: He, like CarGo, was an all-star snub before mouse clicks in the Last Man voting earned him a spot.
Renck’s take: What I like about Votto, who will be in Denver for a four-game series this week, goes beyond stats. He’s a humble, hard worker who overcame his father’s unexpected death in the 2008 season. He missed time a year ago as the sadness and his new role as father figure for his three younger brothers overwhelmed him. Reds manager Dusty Baker has said repeatedly that if more players were like Votto, the game would be in good hands. Teammate Scott Rolen raved about him to me during spring training. In short, Votto is Richie Cunningham in cleats with many well-deserved “Happy Days” in his future.
AT ISSUE
Morgan’s hard-hitting hockey roots had better be kept in check
What: Washington Nationals outfielder Nyjer Morgan has gone from dreaming of the NHL to reaching MLB to aspiring to be a villain in WWE. He was suspended for eight games for his recent obnoxious actions, including his role in an ugly brawl Wednesday.
When: MLB disciplined Morgan on Friday.
Background: Morgan has gone from catalyst offensively to cataclysmic personality. Over the last three weeks, he has thrown a ball at a heckler in Philadelphia, earning a seven-game suspension. Then he inexplicably ran into Cardinals catcher Bryan Anderson for no reason, plowed into the Marlins’ Brett Hayes, separating the catcher’s left shoulder on a questionable move, stole two bases with his team trailing by 11 runs and ignited the bench-clearing fight against the Marlins after Chris Volstad fired a pitch behind him. Morgan is appealing both suspensions, meaning he could begin next season on the shelf.
Renck’s take: Morgan is a former elite junior hockey player, but it’s not OK to forecheck and act like a roughneck in baseball. He clearly hasn’t learned from his previous discipline. Of the incidents, the response to the fan and the plowing of Hayes is the most defensible, but even those bring into question Morgan’s judgment and mental stability. He’s obviously frustrated with the way his season is going. He’s batting .254 with no home runs. Here’s the issue with Morgan. I like a little fire, a little bravado. I can live with steal attempts at any point in a game and understand his anger after the Marlins threw at him, twice. Still, he needs to show some restraint. His actions have become selfish. He’s a fourth outfielder.
He’s putting not only his teammates but his fledgling career in jeopardy with foolish behavior.
THREE UP
1. Yankees: CC Sabathia is 16-0 with a 2.05 ERA in his last 21 starts at Yankee Stadium.
2. Reds: Home crowd chants “Joey V!” after his great plays. “M-V-P!” is more like it.
3. Astros: Next best thing to making playoffs? Keeping Cardinals from the postseason.
THREE DOWN
1. Cardinals: Went 35 innings without having a lead on their recent, dreadful road trip.
2. Padres: This is now big-boy baseball — they don’t play September in the minors.
3. Angels: Dan Haren has won just two of his eight starts with his new club.
