ST. LOUIS — When they came west to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the whole mood of the franchise changed.
Not, it turns out, for the Rockies, but the Diamondbacks.
Colorado parlayed its new spring training digs in Scottsdale into baseball’s best start. Arizona has turned it into baseball’s best story.
Full disclosure: I would have bet the mortgage in March that the Diamondbacks weren’t going to have a winning record, let alone reach the playoffs. Along with the Cubs, they were the worst team I saw in the Cactus League. Simply put, the Diamondbacks couldn’t catch the ball.
But there was an edge to this team, even then. Manager Kirk Gibson was calling guys out, ripping the lackluster play. He torched his team when the players performed shoddily against the Rockies, wanting them to make a statement. That demeanor plays well in football, but ultimately baseball’s long season turns fire and brimstone into flickers and ash.
Still, general manager Kevin Towers cautioned me that I was wrong about his club, using, as he is wont to do, an anecdote.
“Coming to the new facility, it really energized everyone. It allowed us to put the last two years behind them,” Towers said. “We had guys in the weight room at 5:30 in the morning. Guys were motivated. You couldn’t even get a treadmill unless you were there by 5. It helped jell us as a club.”
There’s no doubt that Tower has a high baseball IQ, that he’s a capable GM. What was suspect was his ability to pull off his blueprint in a hitter-friendly park. Towers fashioned division winners and a World Series team in San Diego on good starting pitching and hellacious bullpens. And this year in Arizona, the Diamondbacks are winning with, well, you guessed it.
“A baseball game is a like a dining experience. You can have a wonderful dinner with tremendous ambience, but if you have to wait 20 minutes for the check, you are going to walk away and not remember anything good about the dinner or the ambience,” Towers said. “It’s terrible when you don’t protect leads. It was by design to strengthen the bullpen.”
The Diamondbacks’ relievers have lowered their ERA by two runs, going from historically bad at 5.74 to a 3.81 mark. Relievers, any manager will tell you, are a lot better when you use them when you want to, not when you have to. Ian Kennedy, a strong Cy Young Award candidate, and Daniel Hudson are responsible for anchoring the rotation.
“For us to get back to being contenders this year, we had to pitch better,” Towers said. “You have to in this division.”
Even if the Diamondbacks don’t reach the playoffs, Gibson is a virtual lock for NL manager of the year. He has instilled a mental toughness in his team that, frankly, the Rockies lack.
March is always a time when hope springs eternal. Or in the case with the Diamondbacks, it appears, it can last six months.
Footnotes.
The Rockies’ reloading will hinge on young pitchers. Alex White and Drew Pomeranz are scheduled to throw back-to-back days in Tulsa this week. The Rockies think highly of both. No. 33 is already earmarked for Pomeranz in the big leagues. . . . I took exception to the Rockies’ reissuing Ubaldo Jimenez’s No. 38 less than two weeks after the trade. I know it saves money, and a number is a number. Still, the Rockies should have waited until next year. The one number I never expect to see in circulation again is No. 17. Todd Helton’s will be retired at some point. . . . The Giants tied a modern-day record with 20 consecutive solo home runs. . . . As predicted at the all-star break, the Brewers are the most talented team in the NL Central. Their dominance at home reminds me of the Broncos during their Super Bowl runs. . . . The Yankees are quickly facing a dicey decision: contract or statistics? Ivan Nova has pitched better than A.J. Burnett. He deserves to be in the rotation ahead of the embattled Burnett. But for now, the Yankees are remaining patient. . . . If the Angels make the playoffs, watch out. Other than the Phillies, no team can rival the trio of Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Ervin Santana, who has pitched like Pedro Martinez for six weeks. . . . The White Sox aren’t a playoff team. Too many pieces that don’t fit, starting with Adam Dunn and Alex Rios. . . . Great to see Stephen Strasburg healthy and throwing 99 mph. It’s further evidence that Jorge De La Rosa should come back strong for the Rockies in May or June. Next season could hinge on his performance and ability to ease Jhoulys Chacin’s burden.
EYE ON
Dan Uggla, 2B, Braves
Background: Clint Hurdle always liked Dan Uggla, wondered what he would do playing half his games in Coors Field. He saw him in the Arizona Fall League, loved his approach. The Diamondbacks had depth at second base, leaving him on their 40-man roster. The Marlins turned him into one of the greatest Rule 5 picks in history, joining the likes of Johan Santana. Uggla became one of the best power-hitting second basemen in ages, but once the Marlins signed Hanley Ramirez to a long-term deal, his days were numbered. They dealt him to the rival Braves, who promptly signed the slugger to a five-year, $65 million deal through 2015.
What’s up: On July 4, Uggla was hitting .139, ranking alongside the cardboard cutout formerly known as Adam Dunn as the game’s biggest busts. He has responded by going on a 33-game hitting streak, beginning against the Rockies on July 5 with a 447-foot home run off reliever Eric Stults. After going 2-for-3 Saturday, Uggla is batting .377 during the streak, which is an Atlanta team record.
Renck’s take: Uggla is a little like Carlos Gonzalez. Bear with me. When Uggla swings at sliders out of the zone, he’s horrifically bad and easily pitched to in any situation. Beginning with the Rockies series, he began showing more patience and better pitch selection. All those breaking balls he was missing were suddenly getting launched to left field or put into play repeatedly. That’s the other about Uggla. He comes to work with his sleeves rolled up. This guy is a gamer. On balls hit to the left side, he has always run out of the box like Carl Lewis, legging out infield singles. That doesn’t mean this isn’t a shock, because it is. Uggla strikes out too much to remain consistent for this long. Joe DiMaggio, who holds the hallowed record of hitting in 56 consecutive games in 1941, went seasons when he had more home runs than K’s. Uggla isn’t going to break DiMaggio’s record, but his season will be remembered as one of the great revivals after spending three months digging a deep statistical grave.
AT ISSUE
Sign of the times, or are the Blue Jays cheating at plate?
What: The Blue Jays have been accused of illicitly stealing signs by using a man placed in the stands to relay pitches.
When: Following accusations, but no officially lodged complaints with Major League Baseball, ESPN detailed the alleged practice last week, creating a firestorm of denials from the Blue Jays.
Background: Sign-stealing is as old as the Civil War. Troops used to use and swipe them in battle. In baseball, the stakes aren’t as high but can influence the outcome. It’s understood that sign-stealing is part of the game, whether from the dugout or on the bases. It’s on the catcher to mix up his signs when runners are on second base. No player should take exception. However, using someone off the field is considered out of bounds. “I do have issues with that,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who instructed catcher Russell Martin to use multiple signs even with no one on base.
Renck’s take: The Wall Street Journal revealed in 2001 that the 1951 New York Giants used a sign-stealing system to tip pitches to hitters. A bench player hid in the Polo Grounds’ center-field clubhouse with a Wollensak telescope and relayed the signs to the dugout with a bell-and-buzzer system as the Giants erased a 13-game deficit in the standings. The Phillies’ bullpen coach stupidly used binoculars to steal signs at Coors Field last season. The Blue Jays deny they are sign-stealing, and for good reason. It calls into question their players’ power statistics, namely Jose Bautista’s. ESPN analysis showed that for every ball batters made contact with, the Rogers Centre added .011 home runs for the Jays. The opponents, meanwhile, homered at a below-average rate. It creates suspicion. The reality is this: If the Jays are using someone to relay signs, it needs to stop. Steal them fairly, and we’re good. Steal them with some mysterious guy dressed in white, and we’re not.
THREE UP
1. Phillies: Relentless lineup feeding off Shane Victorino, who has rebounded better than Kevin Love this season.
2. Brewers: Even Craig Counsell is hot now, following his 0-for-45 streak with a 2-for-6 stretch.
3. Yankees: Ask yourself, pinstriped fanatic: Who would you rather have start Game 2 of the playoffs — Nova or Burnett?
THREE DOWN
1. Pirates: Snapping 18-year streak of losing seasons became a challenge when rotation veered off tracks for two weeks.
2. Giants: Fans wonder if team can just skip Barry Zito and Jonathan Sanchez for the rest of the season.
3. Orioles: Held latest bobblehead night for a player not in uniform, this time pitcher Brian Matusz.
