David Dahl blasted a home run that got the whole house rockin’ and caused those pesky, front-running Dodgers fans to duck for cover. And how cool was this? Moments later, during a nationally televised reveal show, Dahl would be officially named to the All-Star Game for the first time in his career.
As he circled the bases, however, Dahl kept a secret close to his heart. Earlier Sunday, before Colorado took the field against Los Angeles, Bud Black had called his 25-year-old outfielder into the manager’s office.
The office television was beaming red-carpet moments from all-star games of the past. Black asked if Dahl ever watched the pomp and circumstance of the Midsummer Classic. The player replied: Yes.
And in his next breath, Black was the first to inform Dahl: “Well, you’re going to be in it this year.”
Dahl, whose well-documented injury history deferred the realization of his ballyhooed promise, has finally arrived in full force as the real deal in 2019. So letap stand and applaud his rocket-like rise as the outfielder asked to replace the much-beloved Carlos Gonzalez.
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Rather than by exit velocity, Dahl’s moon-shot homer off Los Angeles reliever Zac Rosscup in the fourth inning should have been measured at what point it left the earth’s gravitational pull.
Over in apountry, the No Fly Zone is dead. But here in LoDo, the Blake Street Bombers are back. These guys do “Big Cat” and “Walk” and “Cousin Vinny” proud.
For a sequel, the Bombers 2.0 make for great entertainment. While itap not always good baseball, the swing-from-the-hip and never-say-quit competitiveness in these Rockies is compelling viewing, so long as you didn’t need to rush home and walk the dog after a 10-5 loss to the Dodgers that required a minute past four hours to complete.
In the year of the home run, these new Bombers can crush ’em with the best of ’em. In addition to Dahl (12 homers), the fence-busters in the Colorado batting order include Nolan Arenado (20), Charlie Blackmon (20) and, when he returns to health, Trevor Story (17).
All four of those big boppers have been invited to the All-Star Game, the first time in the Rockies’ glorious offensive history four hitters have earned a spot.
“Offensively,” Arenado said, “we’re good.”
No joke.
The Colorado pitching staff, however, has been a bad joke.
We’re not picking on anyone here, because the Rockies rode strong pitching, especially Kyle Freeland and German Marquez, all the way to October in 2018.
But the team’s earned run average this year is acid reflux-inducing 5.10, which ranks dead last in the National League. Only Philadelphia’s staff has surrendered more homers than Colorado pitchers.
The Bombers 2.0 are as fun as fireworks on the Fourth of July. As the playoff races heat up in late summer, however, which teams win a postseason berth and which go home always comes down to pitching, doesn’t it?
“I’ve been saying that for three years, since I’ve been here,” said Black, who took over as Colorado’s manager in 2017.
Can the Rockies make it back to the playoffs for the third year in a row by being the Blake Street Bombers 2.0?
I say: Heck no.
“We’ve got to pitch better,” Black said. “There’s no doubt about it.”
“I never quarrel with a man who buys ink by the barrel,” former Indiana Rep. Charles Brownson said of the press. But we need your help to keep up with the rising cost of ink.
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