As the Major League Baseball season prepares to enter the annual All-Star break, I am torn between two contrary rooting points. One, the New York Yankees sport the best record in all of MLB, 18 games over .500, with a 6-game lead in the AL East over the second-place Baltimore Orioles, and 8-1/2 games ahead of the Boston Red Sux. Two, the Colorado Rockies are tied with the Chicago Cubs for the worst record in the majors, twenty games under .500, 14 games behind the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.. In order for the Rockies to NOT lose 100 games this year, they will have to win 31 of the remaining 78 games, including today's contest with the Washington Nationals, who are a surprising 16 games over .500 and in first place in the tough NL East. The other division leaders are: the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central, the Texas Rangers in the AL West and Clint Hurdle's Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Central.
The Yankees suffered a huge loss when the best closer in Major League Baseball history went down with a knee injury on May 2 in Kansas City while shagging fly balls during batting practice. He underwent season-ending surgery, but vows to be back next season to add to his MLB career-best 608 saves. Michael Pineda has not pitched in a game yet for the Yanks, as he was a key off-season acquisition in a trade with the Seattle Mariners. The Yankees coveted Pineda enough to part with two prized prospects, RHP Hector Noesi and C Jesus Montero, two players that enjoyed bright futures in the Yankee organization. However, Noesi is 2-11 with the Mariners, having lost 8 consecutive decions and surrendering 20 home runs in 96+ innings, and is now serving time on Seattle's AAA affiliate Tacoma Rainiers' roster. Montero, was the number-one hitting prospect as a catcher in the Yankees' organization, but has been less-than-stellar with the last-place Mariners. It's obvious that this Jesus does not walk on water, with 67 strikeouts in just 274 plate appearances, while batting just .245 with 8 HRs and 28 RBIs. In limited late-season call-up duty with the Yankees last year, he showed brilliant promise, batting at a .328 clip with 4 HRs and 12 RBIs in only 61 at-bats, which enhanced his market value in the off-season. Further losses to the Yankee pitching staff (Andy Pettitte, broken ankle, Joba Chamberlain, dislocated ankle, CC Sabathia, groin strain) have only been minor obstacles in New York's rise to the top of MLB at the halfway point.
Personnel losses to injury such as the Rockies have experienced (Tulo out since May 31st, Jhoulys Chacin last appeared on May 1st, Juan Nicasio left a game against the Dodgers on June 2nd, Jorge De LaRosa hasn't pitched since May 24 of last season, just to name a few critical parts) have transformed the Rockies from hopeful, to just plain hopeless. Not to say that injuries are the only reason for the Rox sinking to the bottom. The biggest reason for the Pitiful Purple Pinstripers' decline is that the Dan O'Dowd regime here in Colorado has severely under-performed in the most important, critical aspects that define a front office: drafting, acquiring and developing major league talent. The job of a General Manager in baseball is like a Chief Operating Officer in a corporation. The biggest success in O'Dowd's tenure is that he has been insulated from removal because of the unmitigated support of the owners of the Colorado Rockies. Since Rockies' President of Baseball Operations, Keli McGregor's tragic and sudden death in April of 2010 (three days after Ubaldo Jimenez' historic no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves), O'Dowd has enjoyed free reign in shaping the Rockies' organization on the field and beyond. Coaches and scouts answer to him, and his assistant, Bill Geivett. Geivett has been the Director of Player Personnel since 2000 (O'Dowd's choice) and was elevated to Senior Vice President of Scouting and Player Development, Assistant GM in January 2011. This regime is responsible for drafting, trading and developing every player in the Rockies organization. Their first big splash came following the 2000 season when they spent $176 million to sign Mike Hampton and Denny Neagle to free agent contracts that would cripple the club's finances into the 2009 season. Also, remember Dan O'Dowd as the brains behind sending Vinny Castilla, Dante Bichette, Larry Walker, Ubaldo Jimenez, Jason Hammel and Clint Hurdle away.
Here's a list for you: Rockies' first round draft picks since 2000,
P Matthew Harrington (#7 overall)
INF Jayson Nix #44
P Jeff Francis #9
INF Ian Stewart #10
INF Chris Nelson #9
INF Troy Tulowitzki #7
P Greg Reynolds #2
P Casey Weathers #8
P Christian Friedrich #25
P Tyler Matzek #11
OF Kyle Parker #26
P Tyler Anderson #20 and
OF David Dahl #10.
How many impact players do you recognize? Harrington never signed, re-entered the draft in 2001, still didn't sign and never pitched in the Major Leagues. A totally wasted pick, at #7 overall, picked by O'Dowd even though all other teams recognized that Harrington and his advisors made it known that he would require a $4.95 million signing bonus, 20% higher than the previous #1 pick, Josh Hamilton, had received. O'Dowd and his team egotiscally figured that they would get him to sign. Nope.
Nix has had a journeyman's career, presently playing for the Yankees in a utility role. He toiled for over 6 seasons in the Rockies organization before getting a 22-game tryout during the 2008 campaign, batting .125 in 56 ABs, striking out 17 times. He has played for the White Sox, the Indians and the Blue Jays in addition to the Yankees, with a .208 career batting average.
Jeff Francis, quality pitcher, is in his second stint with the Rockies. He has a 57-52 career record with the Rockies, good for third in career victories (behind Aaron Cook's 72 wins and Jason Jennings with 58, ahead of Ubaldo's 57). Cook, by the way, discarded by the Rockies and O'Dowd after the 2011 season, is 2-2 with the Boston Red Sux, tossing a nifty 2-hit complete game shutout last week against the Mariners.
Ian Stewart? Along with 2007 1st round pick Casey Weathers, was traded to the Chicago Cubs for Tyler Colvin and DJ LeMahieu. Colvin's power surge as of late has scored some points in favor of this O'Dowd move. In his last 10 games, Colvin has 13 hits in 37 ABs (.351), and of his thirteen hits, only 3 have been singles, 6 HRs, 2 triples and 2 doubles. Those are Larry Walker type numbers. By the way, look for Stewart to appear later this year on the hit television series, "Survivor: Philippines". As long as he doesn't have to hit his way off the island to survive.
Chris Nelson may yet provide an answer for the Rockies at second base. 3B minor league prospect, Nolan Arenado, is developing at AA Tulsa, batting .282 with 7 HRs, 38 RBIs and an OPS of only .739. He, along with Jordan Pacheco, represent the future at 3B for the Rockies, supposedly. Colorado has not had a long-term solution at the hot corner since Vinny Castilla.
Tulo is Tulo, great when healthy, but not healthy enough for long enough to be the go-to guy for this team. That mantle belongs to Carlos Gonzalez, who is more productive, more consistently. I just hope his appearance in tomorrow's Home Run Derby doesn't affect his swing and consistency over the post-All Star stretch of the regular season. There's talk that maybe Tulowitzki should consider moving over to third base to prolong his career and increase his offensive impact by not getting hurt all the time. I do not see that happening. Deep down, I'd bet that Troy Tulowitzki secretly wishes that he could take Derek Jeter's place as the Yankee shortstop when Jeter hangs up his spikes. That won't happen either, for no other reason than the pinstriped #2 jersey will be retired as soon as Jeter is done with his storied career.
Greg Reynolds was traded to the Texas Rangers after last season for manager Jim Tracy's son Chad Tracy. Neither will factor in the Majors.
Christian Friedrich shows promise so far. But, let's face it; pitchers at Coors Field will always struggle, humidor or not. Pitching at altitude has proven to be a very difficult proposition, and it will forever be so. This "paired pitching rotation" may yet prove to be the last attempt at salvaging a Dan O'Dowd tenure with the Colorado Rockies.
At least I still have the Yankees. And golf.
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