(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
The Colorado Rockies, now only two games out of first place as of Aug. 26, have gone from being this spring's lame ducks to this summer's club full of studs without even a gentle nod to the baseball purists' idea of a "winning" ball club.
They walk and strikeout as much as anyone (in the top five in both categories respectively), they steal no more than the average club (thanks to the departure of hack and run fool, Willy Taveras), and they don't really use their bullpen in what has become the "traditional" way (ideally going sp-short relief-set up man-closer).
One would be ridiculous not to question the fact that maybe this is why they are winning, and not constantly perplex themselves with the questions of how are they winning?
Start from the Top
Although a manager does indeed make some crucial decisions for the club's day-to-day success, the managerial change from Clint Hurdle to Jim Tracy has a lot less to do with the "Rocks" success than the front office does.
Rockies GM Daniel O'Dowd, is solely accountable (along with the rest of their baseball operations team) for building one of the strongest farm systems in his tenure these past 10 years.
As humbling as it is for most casual fans of the game, there weren't many people who even knew who Brad Hawpe was in 2006, yet he has been producing the same type of numbers since then.
Let's not forget how economical the Matt Holliday dump was, either. Although they may not have received a VORP king in his place, they are indeed platooning their outfield properly in most instances and have balanced out their club in terms of payroll results.
The Offense
Moneyball. Walks, extra-base hits at the price of strikeouts, and a lack of the game's most senseless statistic—batting average. How else would you build a club whose yard couldn't hold a baseball longer than a two-year-old with cotton-candy hands?
They are not without their flaws, by any means; however, if you so want intangibles, this club leads the majors in "doing the most with what they have." It's really hard not to score runs when 7/9 of your everyday players get on base at least at a .330 clip, and 5/9 can rock a +850 OPS.
In fact, that is basically the formula that has been exercised by smarter ball-clubs who don't pay less attention to "make-up" and more attention to winning (i.e. the Yankees, Red Sox, and Phillies just to name a few..)
The Pitching
Their starters give them quality innings. There's not much more to be said when you can pair that up with even a sustainable offense.
There is no true Ace-Anchor on that club, and there clearly doesn't need to be as long as Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Marquis can handle a heavy enough workload and stay healthy in the higher altitudes long enough to pass the ball to a bend-don't-break bullpen by committee that is still making their bones, and rightfully so, given that the starters give them time to breathe.
It's a far cry from the Joe Torre Bullpen Suffocation Method that late-night seam-heads fall asleep to just about every night. One would like to believe that it's just injuries, when it's really just a quirky gut that has overused and destroyed arms dating all the way back to his days back east.
October-Bound
The answer is "yes"! They are arguably the best team in their division, and could very well be the second-best in the National League next to the Phillies.
Granted, the National League West is a cakewalk compared to the NL East or even the slightly more pedestrian NL Central, however, if you weigh this team in all the statistics that matter, there is still room for error believe it or not.
Cheers to one of the most interesting and fun teams in this year's game. No matter what, they have indeed exceeded the expectations of many, and although they may not visit the White House come this winter, it is certainly not out of the question for them to scruff up more than just a five-game series if the matchup so fits.
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