For some Rockies fans — and for this Rockies beat writer — Troy Tulowitzki is our link to the thrill of the postseason.
When the star shortstop was traded to the Blue Jays in late July and helped them soar to the American League East title, Tulo became a must-see player for playoff-starved baseball fans in the Rocky Mountains.
But it has proved to be rather painful viewing, and it begs the question as to what has gone wrong for a player who has long dreamed about sparkling in the postseason spotlight.
Tulowitzki had a single and an RBI double in Toronto’s crushing 6-3 loss to Kansas City on Saturday in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. But before that, Tulowitzki had hit 2-for-25 (.080) this postseason. Apart from Game 3 in the division series against Texas, when he hit a crucial three-run homer and a single, he had been hitless, until Saturday.
Like the rest of his Toronto teammates, Tulo was overmatched against Royals starter Edinson Volquez on Friday night in the Royals’ 5-0 victory in Game 1 of the ALCS. Tulowitzki went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, including one with two on and two out in the sixth inning. In that crucial moment, Tulowitzki struck out looking at a Volquez fastball.
Tulowitzki, remember, is playing with the after-effects of a cracked scapula suffered Sept. 12. His defense at short has been stellar — and, at times, sublime. But at the plate he just doesn’t look right.
Tulowitzki says he is receiving constant treatment for the shoulder. Asked by reporters if there are certain areas of the strike zone that are limited for him because of his injury, Tulowitzki replied, “That’s not something I’m going to say on camera.”
I think Tulowitzki is pressing. He’s holding the bat too tight and swinging too hard. He has a lot of talent around him — the Blue Jays have the most prolific offense in baseball — so he doesn’t have to be the hero.
In football, a player can release the pressure by cranking up the intensity. Baseball doesn’t work that way. Tulo is already an intensely wound player. He needs to find a way to exhale.
This is not a new problem for Tulowitzki. In 22 postseason games, he’s hitting .186 (16-for-86) with two home runs, 11 RBIs and 27 strikeouts.
Tulo desperately wants to evolve into a postseason star, like his idol, Derek Jeter. In 158 postseason games as the shortstop of the Yankees, Jeter hit .308 with 20 home runs and an .838 OPS.
But this is Tulowitzki’s first playoff chance since 2009, and with Toronto down 2-0, who knows when he’ll get another.
ESPN rankings. In case you missed it, ESPN the Magazine’s “Ultimate Standings 2015” came out last week. The Rockies came in depressingly low.
At No. 110 overall, and as MLB’s second-worst organization, trailing only the Philadelphia Phillies.
Describing the dark side of the Rockies, ESPN.com senior writer Eric Karabell wrote:
“Most losing franchises deal with fans feeling unappreciated or being unable to voice concerns, but the Rockies’ score in “providing an avenue for fans to give feedback” is the worst in all of sports.
Ownership (118th, down 10 spots from last year) is not seen as trustworthy, and the e-mail in which owner Dick Monfort told a disgruntled fan that “maybe Denver doesn’t deserve a franchise” sure didn’t help (as shown by a 117th-place finish in fan relations).”
I agree with some of these points. I think it’s clear that Monfort does not understand the depth of true baseball fans’ frustration with his team.
Then again, the Rockies drew 31,334 fans per game at Coors Field, so ESPN’s ranking of Colorado as 57th in fan experience among all pro sports is bogus. Also, keep in mind that the fans who voted in this ESPN exercise are likely the most disgruntled of fans.
Yes, the Rockies are a frustrating and often dysfunctional franchise, but there is no way they should rank lower than the Miami Marlins (106).
Patrick Saunders: psaunders @denverpost.com or @psaundersdp
