Rockies Pitch

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The choices are intriguing.

Renee Dechert

Nov 12, 2021


Now that the 2021 season is officially over, it’s time to start planning for 2022 (and ignoring the looming lockout). This is always a fun time of year for baseball fans as they browse through the rosters of free agents and tanking teams. Think of it as an early holiday shopping season that extends into spring.

Since Rockies don’t do rebuilds, their brand is one of cheery optimism: They always “just need a few pieces.” Bill Schmidt has been clear that the Rockies are in the market for power. “All I’ve got to tell you is our lineup needs to get more offensive,” Schmidt said recently. “Is that something that gets done this winter, or does it get done over the course of time?” Based on recent history the Rockies would be best served by acting sooner rather than later. Their outfield was woefully unproductive in 2021, earning a league worst wRC+ of 82. The Rockies need their presents now.

As a reminder, here’s just how bad the Rockies’ outfield was offensively:

Source: FanGraphs

Only Connor Joe had an above-average wRC+ — and he’s a utility player with the fewest games in the outfield. Four of the outfielders weren’t even close to average at Coors Field, the hitters’ park. Something has to change.

The Possibilities

When it’s free-agent season, I watch for the players Thomas Harding is focused on because he’s often right in his assessments. Earlier in the week, he speculated about possible outfield free agents for the Rockies. Here’s his list of potential outfielders, and I’ve added Kiley McDaniel’s projected salaries:

  • Kyle Schwarber (Age: 28; LF; L/R; 3 yrs @ $45 million)
  • Kris Bryant (Age: 29; OF; R/R; 5 yrs @ $90 million)
  • Jorge Solar (Age: 29; RF; R/R; 3 yrs @ $36 million)
  • Nick Castellanos (Age: 29; RF; R/R; 3 yrs @ $54 million)
  • Michael Conforto (Age: 28; OF; L/R; 3 yrs @ $51 million)

Offensive Numbers

Let’s do some comparison shopping and start with FanGraphs. These are the numbers from 2021.

Source: FanGraphs

Looking at just wRC+, any of these players marks an improvement over the Rockies’ outfielders, save Connor Joe, and even then, three players have a higher wRC+ than Joe did in 2021. (For comparison, CJ Cron’s wRC+ was 127.) Even Soler, who only had a league-average year in 2021, outperformed most of the Rockies’ outfield.

Now, consider 2019-2021 to provide a larger sample size.

Source: FanGraphs

All five are consistently good hitters. Bryant is the most consistently valuable (and costly) while Castellanos is the best masher. Soler is clearly the weakest of this field.

Defensive Numbers

Of course, Coors Field giveth, and Coors Field taketh away. These players would also be playing defense in one of baseball’s most demanding ballparks. With that in mind, I returned to FanGraphs and my favorite defensive stat, DRS. Here’s 2021:

Source: FanGraphs

Suddenly, Charlie Blackmon’s DRS of -3 in 137 innings doesn’t look so bad. None of these players is especially good defensively, but Soler is substantially worse.

Here are the numbers from 2019-2021:

Source: FanGraphs

It wasn’t just one year: Soler is consistently ineffective defensively, and despite all that power, Castellanos is a defensively liability. Again, Kris Bryant emerges as the best defender though he’s played fewer innings in the outfield. Conforto is the middle path: Very good (though less good than the others) offensively and marginal (though less marginal than the others) defensively. Schwarber is more extreme: better offensively and worse defensively.

My Best Guess

Given what we know about the Rockies’ spending plans, I suspect Kris Bryant, Nick Castellanos, and Michael Conforto are too pricey. Soler’s defense takes him out of the running, especially with that salary.

Based on this, Kyle Schwarber seems the best fit. After overcoming injuries, he has shown he can still hit for power — like, a lot of power. He’s also shown himself to be a willing (if not-so-good) first baseman. See for yourself.

Kyle Schwarber:

mlb.comIT on where Schwarber will end up | 11/10/2021Intentional Talk discusses potential destinations for Kyle Schwarber as he enters free agency3:43 AM ∙ Nov 12, 2021

Schwarber’s got a solid offensive profile — well, he had an OPS+ of 148 in 2021, so better than solid. He’s only slightly worse than Charlie Blackmon defensively; and his projected contract of 3 years/$45 million seems something the Rockies would pay for. Kyle Schwarber’s defensive highlights are not plentiful, but here’s one:

Kyle Schwarber Outfield:

mlb.comKyle Schwarber’s sliding catch | 08/24/2021Kyle Schwarber makes a sliding catch in left field to retire Josh Donaldson for out number two in the top of the 1st inning4:46 AM ∙ Nov 12, 2021

It’s easy to see him taking Raimel Tapia’s place in left.

Of course, this assumes any of these players would be willing to join an organization that is baseball’s Mile High Mystery. Most likely, I think, the Rockies will put together a package of young players (e.g., Raimel Tapia, Colton Welker, and Ryan Vilade) and make a trade to one of the tanking/rebuilding teams.

It’s the Rockies, so who knows? But I’ve become a fan of Kyle Schwarber: Colorado Rockie.


Rehab

  • There’s good news on Scott Oberg, who’s attempting a return:

Twitter avatar for @nickgrokeNick Groke @nickgroke

RHP Scott Oberg is recovering from another procedure to help with blood clots in his arm. It was planned, not an emergency. Rockies want him back next season, even if he's not able to pitch. He said he wants to be back. Last season he scouted and coached and was a bullpen yoda.

2:38 AM ∙ Nov 11, 2021


  • The irrepressible Chris Owings is back in action before he heads to the Dominican Republic to join Ryan Rolison with the Tigres de Licey:

Twitter avatar for @GradumGswingGradum Gswing™️ @GradumGswing

Chris Owings (⁦@cowings5⁩) getting dialed in for winter ball in the #LIDOM for the ⁦@TigresdelLicey⁩! #gswing #tigres

10:28 PM ∙ Nov 6, 2021


Down on the Farm

  • Baseball Prospectus has released its rankings of the Rockies’ prospects. (Spoiler: They are not impressed.)
  • As the Arizona Fall League winds down, Michael Toglia needs fans’ help.

Twitter avatar for @MLBazFallLeagueMLB's Arizona Fall League @MLBazFallLeague

Rockies prospect, @MichaelToglia, is on the verge of being named to this year’s @MLB Fall Stars roster! With your vote, Michael can be one of two“Fall Stars Final Vote” winners and find himself at Salt River Field on Saturday! 📍 mlb.com/arizona-fall-l… #️⃣ #AFLFinalVoteToglia

6:40 PM ∙ Nov 10, 2021


What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To


Weekend Walk-off

While we wait for news, enjoy some of Kyle Schwarber’s walk-up music:

Thanks for reading —

Renee

@307Renee

There is (perhaps) reason for hope.

Renee Dechert

Oct 22, 2021


On Wednesday, Dick Monfort sent his yearly executive update email to season ticket holders. (This happened the day after my Rockies ticket sales rep Chris called to ask about updating my Passport, so it’s the season to sell tickets.) Last year’s executive update was a gloomy affair that included this paragraph:

The financial losses incurred across baseball in 2020 are astounding, with losses at nearly $3 billion industry wide and the average club losing nearly $100 million. It will take time to rebound, and in some cases, these losses will never be recovered. As a result, there will be nothing normal about this offseason as the industry faces a new economic reality, and each club will have to adjust. It will take all of us working together to face the uncertain months ahead with determination and hope, and then be ready for a 2021 season. I have faith in our staff and our fans — we must and will make it through this — so please stay tuned for updates from us over the course of the coming months.

Things appear to be looking up in 2021, however. Here’s the text of Monfort’s letter, which is notably more upbeat than the one he sent a year ago.

Below are a few takeaways.

  • For Monfort, the Rockies’ Glass Is Absolutely Half Full — The Rockies got off to a rough start, sure, but how about those 48 wins at Coors Field and 12 walk-offs? The players get along and want to be in Colorado. The Spokane and Fresno teams did well, along with two Dominican Summer League teams and the Arizona team. Folks, the Rockies’ future is bright, and, in retrospect, according to Dick Monfort, 2021 wasn’t so bad.

His comments about the Rockies pulling off an excellent All-Star Game are merited. The ASG Week was pretty spectacular (except for those uniforms, which were a terrible error). * He Omitted Some Key Details About the Team — Not mentioned? The Road Rockies, who flirted with some very bad history for much of the season. A record that was (again) below .500. A lackluster offense. The Nolan Arenado deal (or maybe that was the subtext of the players “love-playing-here” remark). Jeff Bridich’s resignation/firing. I understand that when making a sales pitch, it’s best to focus on the positive, but it seems like an executive update should include some of the bad news, too, and ways in which those challenges have been met.

Monfort also did not mention promoting Greg Feasel to Rockies President. That strikes me as a curious omission. Given that this is a forward-looking email, it seems that one of the key players should be mentioned. (Bill Schmidt is, after all.)  * This Email Seems Written to Both Rockies Fans and Rockies Employees — Sure, this is an email about selling tickets, but it also feels like the work of a person in charge of a large business assuring those who work for him that the chaos is over and that stability has arrived. (As someone who’s worked in unstable environments, I appreciate Monfort taking the time to include this.) * Monfort Writes Some Interesting Things About the Rockies — This is the paragraph I’ve thought about the most: 

Back on the field, we have a very special group of players – they love playing here, they love each other, and they believe in this club. Our entire front office is (and has been) hard at work to supplement this group with more talent, and I am confident that our recently-named General Manager Bill Schmidt and his baseball operations staff will provide the leadership and vision for us to take the next steps forward. We have already seen their motivation and belief in what our club can achieve with the recent signings of Antonio Senzatela and C.J. Cron, and in their plans to improve this club in a number of key areas as we enter this offseason.

Here are the notable points. First, Monfort writes the front office “is (and has been) hard at work to supplement this group with more talent” and has “plans to improve this club in a number of key areas as we enter this offseason.” I take that to mean that the Rockies are not done spending, even though they have already signed deals with CJ Cron and Antonio Senzatela. 

Second, there’s a clear subtext in this that Schmidt and his baseball operations staff are making the decisions — not Monfort. That may just be a rhetorical ploy, and clearly big financial decisions must still be approved by the owner, but there’s a sense that Schmidt is his own man. And let me just say that the mention of Schmidt’s “baseball operations staff” makes my heart sing. (I hope we learn more about the hirings.)

This email sounds less dire than the one sent last year, and it has hints of spending for improvement. Let the speculation about acquiring a power hitter begin!


Down on the Farm

Twitter avatar for @spokaneindiansSpokane Indians @spokaneindians

.@MichaelToglia doing Michael Toglia things for Salt River in the @MLBazFallLeague. 💪 #GoSpo 📽️ @MLBPipeline | @UCLABaseball

6:09 PM ∙ Oct 17, 2021

  • All of the action takes place off camera’s unchanged perspective: Toglia swings and begins jogging to first; the pitcher steps off the mound; the second baseman strolls toward second; the on-base runner trots toward home. The home run itself remains only implied. It’s a great bit of cinema.

Picking Rocks

  • Mike Petriello tweeted an interesting idea on Thursday:

Twitter avatar for @mike_petrielloMike Petriello @mike_petriello

Attn Rockies Re a guy who might enjoy a place where breaking balls don't break so much

Twitter avatar for @alexspeierAlex Speier @alexspeier

The DFA of Franchy Cordero is sort of startling given that he had an option remaining after 2021, but … the performance simply wasn’t there to justify a 40-man spot. He needs to go to a rebuilding team that can play him everyday in MLB and see if he’s more than a 4-A player.

6:18 PM ∙ Oct 21, 2021

  • Roster changes have begun. Read more about what the moves mean here.

Twitter avatar for @RockiesClubInfoRockies Club Information @RockiesClubInfo

The Colorado Rockies announced today that they have outrighted RHP Yency Almonte, RHP Tommy Doyle, INF Joshua Fuentes and INF Rio Ruiz to Triple-A. The Rockies currently have 35 players on the 40-man roster, plus four players on the 60-day IL (Gomber, Joe, Oberg, Owings).

9:20 PM ∙ Oct 21, 2021

  • And this: 

Twitter avatar for @tombaseball29MiLB-Transactions @tombaseball29

#Rockies 3B Rio Ruiz has elected free agency.

4:23 AM ∙ Oct 22, 2021


Old Friends

  • DJ LeMahieu is on the mend:

Twitter avatar for @MarlyRiveraESPNMarly Rivera @MarlyRiveraESPN

Brian Cashman says that DJ LeMahieu (sport hernia) had a “procedure” that will take have him down eight weeks.

3:25 PM ∙ Oct 19, 2021


Twitter avatar for @PitchingNinjaRob Friedman @PitchingNinja

Tyler Matzek, Dirty 87mph Slider...and Pitching with 🔥 Every. Single. Day.

3:09 AM ∙ Oct 21, 2021



What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To


Weekend Walk-off

I’m always a fan of a Kyle Freeland interview, and this one is worth your time:

Who’s the most challenging hitter Freeland has faced? Juan Soto. Which pitcher would Freeland most like to hit a home run off of? Walker Buehler. What does Freeland think about Nolan Arenado’s exit? You’ll have to watch. There’s also a fascinating discussion of pitching mechanics. The interview lasts just under 22 minutes, and it’s worth your time.

Thanks for reading —

Renee

@307Renee


The Rockies weren’t very good, but a lot happened.

Renee Dechert

Oct 4, 2021


Yesterday, the Rockies’ 2021 season came to a close. During one of the most exciting final days of the regular season in recent memory, the Rockies were playing meaningless baseball in a half-empty Chase Field. 

Twitter avatar for @choice_fielderMax Bay @choice_fielder

Anybody else as pumped as I am for the Rockies Diamondbacks game?

6:48 PM ∙ Oct 3, 2021

(To be clear, Bay is an avid Dodgers fan, so his tone is sarcastic.) 

The Rockies finished with a record of 74-87, (48-33 at Coors Field; 26-54 on the road). They were better than a lot of pundits thought they would be, but the last three years have shown the Rockies to be a 70-win team, not a serious playoff contender, despite ownership assessments like this: “I truly in my heart believe that this is a very talented team that underperformed the last couple of years.” The “guys playing better” strategy has been remarkably consistent— and not in a good way.

The offseason in baseball is about autopsying what has happened with an eye to next year. I enjoy those kinds of exercises, and I’ll be started by the end of the week. First, though, I wanted to take a moment and consider what happened this year, especially in light of the Rockies’ (unsurprising) decision to name Bill Schmidt permanent general manager. Despite their record, it was a big year for the Rockies.

Here’s some of the news from 2021.

  • Jeff Bridich Resigned, and Bill Schmidt Became General Manager — No one was surprised by the decision, especially given that it came in a highly insular organization. Generally speaking, it was not well received:

Twitter avatar for @EricGoodmanEric Goodman @EricGoodman

Former MLB Executive on #Rockies hiring Bill Schmidt as GM.. “Confirms their total lack of self awareness along w/extending their prevailing ineptitude by design. They didn't even seek outside opinions & methodology. It's baffling to the baseball world, absolutely inexplicable!”

6:41 PM ∙ Oct 3, 2021

I’m ambivalent about Schmidt being named general manager. As someone who’s spent time working in situations without clear leadership, I’m sympathetic to a group saying, “We can’t handle more change. Just give us stability for awhile.” Apparently, for the Rockies, Schmidt has done that. 

In addition, we know that the Rockies were hemorrhaging staff. Schmidt has begun filling positions left vacant, including hiring Scott Van Lenten to oversee research and development. None of this is sexy or revelatory, but stability matters. 

(If you’re interested, there’s a link to Bill Schmidt’s interview with Jack Corrigan here.)

Moreover, I remain convinced that the Rockies are an organization operating under “The Plan” Jeff Bridich devised. That may explain Schmidt’s open-ended contract. Since The Plan ends when the starting rotation is no longer operable, the occupant of Jeff Bridich’s office is less important. (To be clear, the initial results have been mixed.)

I would also assume that Bridich’s leaving was less a firing than an expression of dissatisfaction at Dick Monfort’s decision to promote Greg Feasel. The timing suggests the two were not a coincidence. Moreover, I suspect the #FireBridich campaign got to him. He hadn’t seemed happy for a long time. 

But anyone who thinks the Bridich Years are over is being premature. It takes time to assess leadership effectiveness and evaluate the fallout from decisions made by a previous administration. In the fall of 2009, I remember a student telling the library director (who also has a PhD in history) that he wanted to write his research paper on whether Barack Obama was a good president. Susan explained to him that decades pass before it’s possible to evaluate a president — they’d only just received Bill Clinton’s papers the previous month. That’s going to be the case with Jeff Bridich. We know he was a terrible communicator, and we know he was bad at signing free agents, but we won’t understand his legacy for awhile.

  • Nolan Arenado Was Traded — We knew Arenado was unhappy, and in February, he punched his ticket out of Colorado. For fans, it was distressing for a number of reasons: A lack of closure; the loss of the face of the franchise and a generational talent; questions about the return the Rockies received; and a revelation in the national media of the Rockies’ front office incompetence. Arenado sent the fans a goodbye video, but it was hard. Without Arenado, who were the Colorado Rockies? It also showed how little the Rockies understand their fans.

Speaking for myself, I found Arenado’s return to Coors Field for the All-Star Game deeply satisfying — and I feel like when he took the field and I got to give him a standing ovation, I was through it. (Fandom is a weird relationship.) Emotion aside, Arenado’s exit from Colorado fundamentally changed the franchise.

  • The All-Star Game Came to Coors Field — It was unexpected (and surely a cash cow for the Rockies and McGregor Square). It was also a very big deal — albeit hastily thrown together. (Someone, please, explain those uniforms. They still don’t make sense outside of Atlanta.) Seeing Arenado and Germán Márquez support Trevor Story in the Home Run Derby was very cool, and that moment when Márquez pitched with Arenado picking up a ground ball and firing it to first was pretty special, too. I feel like we earned that, and we only got that moment because of a series of actions that were unplanned when the season began.

For a week, the baseball world revolved around Denver.

  • Larry Walker Entered the Hall of Fame — The Rockies finally have a presence in Cooperstown, which is pretty terrific. In addition, the Rockies celebrated Walker’s career and retired his number (which was probably a good way to fill Coors Field at the end of the season when the team was out of the playoff chase). 

“I want you to view that plaque with a certain amount of pride,” Walker said during his Coors Field speech. “I want you to see it with your face on it, not mine. . . . Today I don’t say I have a plaque in Cooperstown, I say WE have a plaque in Cooperstown.” Everything about Larry Walker’s HOF induction was a big deal. 

  • Trevor Story Is (Probably) Done as a Rockie — All that was missing from Nolan Arenado’s Colorado exit happened for Trevor Story. The last week of the Rockies’ season felt like an ongoing eulogy. He addressed fans; he gave away his Rockies gear; he was emotional about leaving his teammates. In the way that the hiring of Bill Schmidt provided a strange parallel to Jeff Bridich’s early-season exit, Trevor Story’s final games with Colorado framed a season that began with the Arenado deal.

The Rockies’ handling of Arenado and Story also raised similar questions about the front office’s ability to manage a professional baseball team. 

Fans did turn out to Coors Field this season, even as their team faded from contention. After the Rockies opened for full capacity on June 28 against the Pirates in a kind of second swing at Opening Day, they averaged 30,263 fans the rest of the season. A persistent pandemic kept crowds down across baseball, it seemed, but for the Rockies, their attendance dipped.

Over the same time period in 2019, the last time Coors Field was open for full capacity, the Rockies averaged 38,525 fans, even as they again faded from contention. Their 2021 attendance amounted to a 24 percent full-capacity decrease. Two years ago, the Rockies ranked sixth in attendance in the majors. Even after their slide, and even though an accurate, league-wide accounting is difficult this year, the Rockies probably finished among the top 10 in attendance. Coors Field remains a draw.

Turns out, there’s a cost to fielding a marginal baseball team.

  • A Thought About Dick Monfort and Fans — I’ve come to wonder if Dick Monfort has become fan shy. This was brought home to me while watching the Larry Walker festivities when an unannounced Dick Monfort made his way to the podium to give a speech. He did this, presumably, not because of an error in the program but rather to decrease the chances of fans booing him. (I’ve heard from some who were at the game they were prepared to do so.)

If that’s the case, and if Monfort is, indeed, susceptible to fan criticism, then perhaps fans have found a pressure point that would work better than attendance boycotts.

Just a thought.

With that, now that we have all the data, it’s time to autopsy 2021 and begin planning for the future. These were just a few points outside the numbers that felt worth revisiting. 

So, when do the Winter Leagues start?


Thank You for Reading

September 26 marked the first anniversary of Rockies Pitch, and I wanted to thank you for subscribing to this newsletter, reading it, recommending it, and making suggestions for improvement. Everyone has too much stuff to read, so I appreciate this newsletter being added to your inbox. 

When I started Rockies Pitch, I told myself if I had 30 readers who appreciated the content, that would be enough. I passed that goal early on, and the numbers have surpassed my expectations. Excessive thanks can become maudlin, so I’ll stop now, but always know that I am grateful. 

Look for the regular Rockies Pitch on Friday.

Renee

@307Renee


What does this suggest about the team’s 2022 plans?

Renee Dechert

Oct 1, 2021


The 2021 MLB season is winding down, but some of the Rockies will play on during the offseason.

Twitter avatar for @d_allentuckDanielle Allentuck @d_allentuck

The plan right now is for Rolison to play the first half of the season. Sam Hilliard, Brian Serven, Dom Nuñez and Chris Owings are among the other #Rockies players planning to play winer ball this year.

9:11 PM ∙ Sep 27, 2021

The Rolison announcement is official:

Twitter avatar for @TigresdelLiceyTigres del Licey @TigresdelLicey

Anunciamos la contratación del lanzador zurdo Ryan Rolison, prospecto #3 de los Rockies de Colorado y Samad Taylor, prospecto #17 de Blue Jay nombrado como el Mejor Corredor de Bases Liga Noreste AA, por Baseball America 2021. ¡Bienvenido a la #FamiliaAzul 🐅💙! #ElGlorioso

2:54 PM ∙ Sep 27, 2021

Given that Rolison missed significant time due to appendicitis and a finger injury, it makes sense that the Rockies want him to build up his innings in preparation for 2022. In addition, Thomas Harding writes that the Dominican Winter League is “a highly competitive atmosphere that can often serve as a bridge to the intensity of the Majors.”

Ryan Rolison isn’t the only Rockie who will be playing winter ball. Sam Hilliard, Julian Fernández, Brian Serven, Dom Nuñez, Chris Owings, and Colton Welker will play as well, and there are rumors that Jordan Sheffield will, too. (Final rosters as well as Arizona Fall League rosters should be available in the next few days.)

Hilliard will be playing in the Mexican Pacific League as he continues to hone his approach at the plate. Hilliard has shortened his swing in an attempt to increase contact and reduce strikeouts, so it makes sense that he would further that work in the offseason.

He has acknowledged the changes have required some practice. “I’m a long guy and I have long levers, so I’m just shortening my swing as much as I can. I believe I’m on my way to getting the most out of the swing that I have. That’s just about cleaning up some things,” Hilliard said.

While Bud Black has been positive about the changes Hilliard has made, he acknowledges there’s more to be done. “He has to continue to work on putting the ball in play,” Black told Patrick Saunders, “And we have seen a more concentrated effort to do that, even with two strikes. Sam, with his strength, if he just puts the ball in play more, I think the average will climb.” In other words, the Rockies have some clear expectations, and Hilliard is attempting to meet them (and, presumably, earn a starting outfield spot).

Joining Hilliard in the Mexican Pacific League is Colton Welker. Given that Welker served an 80-game PED suspension, causing him to miss most of the season, he will benefit from additional playing time as he attempts to earn a starting spot in 2022.

The other teams that will host the Rockies remain unknown. 

In the past, the Rockies have used winter baseball to help players recover after missing a season due to injuries (e.g., Chi Chi Gonzálex and Charlie Blackmon, whose stay in the Dominican Republic is archived in his Twitter feed for anyone curious enough to do some excavating). Presumably, Owings and Sheffield will be playing to make up for missed time due to injuries. But this offseason will have an usually high number of Rockies seeing additional action — they have typically only sent four or five players. This year, the Rockies have eight players who will participate in the Winter Leagues, which marks a decided shift.

What does it mean? Here are a few theories.

  • There’s a New Boss — Since the Rockies have a new (albeit interim) general manager in Bill Schmidt, it makes sense that there would be changes in the organization’s player development strategies. We won’t know if this strategy worked until Spring Training, but it suggests a new philosophy in the Rockies’ offseason player development.

It also hints that a frugal Rockies organization will attempt to develop what they have as opposed to spending heavily on free agents or making trades. The Rockies have been known to overvalue their prospects, and this move to additional offseason player development suggests that part of the organizational philosophy remains unchanged. * The Rockies Want to Give Hilliard and Nuñez a Chance to Improve — Neither player had an especially remarkable season in 2021. Hilliard has slashed .211/.288/.441 for a wRC+ of 77 and an fWAR of 0.2; Nuñez went .182/.287/.368 for a wRC+ of 66 and an fWAR of 0.3. Nuñez has been a disappointing catcher on both sides of the plate — a fact even more noticeable given the year Elias Díaz has had (92 wRC+; 1.5 fWAR). Like Hilliard, Nuñez is preparing to make a case for himself in spring training. Before that, he will play for the Indios de Mayagüez in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

The fact that Brian Serven is also playing winter baseball suggests there may be competition for Nuñez if his game doesn’t pick up. This year in Albuquerque, Serven slashed .247/.303/.498 for a wRC+ of 89. To be fair, it’s Minor League baseball, but Serven clearly wants his chance.

If the Rockies want to build on their current starting rotation, other parts of the team must perform better, notably an offensively anemic outfield. I expect the Rockies’ outfield to look different in 2022; by playing the Winter Leagues, Hilliard is trying to earn a spot.  * The Rockies Are Trying to Get the Pitching Staff Up to Speed — The Rockies have given Peter Lamber and Ryan Feltner MLB time during September to see where they are — an ERA of 11.37 in 6.1 IP and 11.12 ERA in 5.2 IP, respectively. Rolison will be afforded that opportunity in the Dominican Republic. This suggests that the Rockies are planning for a rotation without Jon Gray in the event they are unable to re-sign him or looking for that sixth starter in the event of a starter injury. 

Sheffield and Fernández are destined to help a marginal bullpen that had the fourth-highest ERA in baseball (4.90 and an fWAR of only 1.5). These relievers need more work, especially a 25-year-old Julian Fernández.

Final Thoughts

Russell A. Carleton’s research indicates that playing in the Winter Leagues has little impact on most players, so it may not matter. But it does show a Rockies team trying something a little different as they make plans for 2022. 

It also gives Rockies fans something to look forward to in the offseason because watching Winter League Baseball — even if you don’t speak Spanish — is a lot of fun.


Down on the Farm

  • The Rockies have released their roster for their Instructional League. (Read it here.) Zac Veen and Benny Montgomery will be playing on the same team, which is exciting.

Old Friends

  • I got this prediction wrong — though my prediction was always predicated on the Cards having a losing season:

Twitter avatar for @stlsportscntrlSTL Sports Central @stlsportscntrl

BREAKING: Nolan Arenado confirms that he will not be opting out of his contract this offseason, will notify the #STLCards formally of his decision, Derrick Goold reports

Image

10:54 PM ∙ Sep 29, 2021


  • The Tyler Anderson-Tom Murphy battery continues to roll with the Mariners tied for the second AL Wildcard:

Twitter avatar for @MarinersSeattle Mariners @Mariners

Shoutout to TA 👏

Image

3:46 AM ∙ Sep 29, 2021


For Some Fans, Even Less Access

  • Yesterday, Dish stopped carrying the AT&T SportsNet and Root Sports. According to Awful Announcing:

Everything about the move is frustrating, especially for Mariners fans, who just want to watch their team as it attempts to make the postseason for the first time in 20 years. (It’s also a loss for rural viewers with limited options — like my parents, who haven’t seen a Nuggets game in two years unless it was on a national broadcast). 

This underscores the extent to which MLB blackouts are barriers to fans who want to watch teams play and are willing to do so. If the networks cannot get along with service providers, fans should be able to go around them, and MLB should facilitate the process, not stay wedded to an outdated delivery model.


What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To


Weekend Walk-off

The series against the Nationals may have marked Trevor Story’s last time to play at Coors Field as a Rockie. Here’s how the Rockies took the field on Wednesday:

Twitter avatar for @RoxGifsVidsRoxGifsVids @RoxGifsVids

7:40 PM ∙ Sep 29, 2021

Story has made clear that he hopes to be playing elsewhere in 2022, and he may well be though it’s going to be a tough year to be a free-agent shortstop.

But while watching this, along with Story giving his Rockies gear to fans after the game, I couldn’t stop thinking about the framing of this season: It began with the Nolan Arenado trade and ended with Trevor Story (probably) leaving as a free agent in a year when the Rockies had another losing season.

Earlier in the day, the Rockies emailed season ticket holders, telling them to save the date for October 11 when they could begin buying their 2022 tickets, which, given everything going on, showed an inability to read the room.

For fans, all of this is disappointing and reinforces the extent to which the front office does not understand Rockies fans (and doesn’t seem much interested in working it out).

Thanks for reading —

Renee

@307Renee


For all the talk of draft and develop, 2021 data suggests some problems with the Rockies’ system.

Renee Dechert

Sep 3, 2021


Back in June, I wrote about the Rockies’ offense — it was not good then and has not improved much since. Here’s how all MLB teams rank in terms of wRC+ where 100 is league average.1

Source: FanGraphs

That’s right: The baseball team that plays half of its games at Coors Field is tied with the Pirates for the lowest wRC+ in baseball. That borders on unbelievable. The Rockies have hit 150 home runs — 10 of them grand slams, the most in Rockies history — which is 22nd in baseball. (For what it’s worth, the Rockies are better than the Cardinals with 147). By comparison, the Giants, who play half of their games at Oracle Park, lead the league in home runs with 201 (although Mike Petriello points out that recent changes to Oracle may be affecting the numbers). 

Also note that the top ten teams are all playoff contenders. Offense matters. Moreover, these teams have invested in data and/or personnel while the Rockies have had other priorities.

Now consider the wRC+ rankings of individual Rockies:

Source: FanGraphs

Three players are above average as measured by wRC+: C.J. Cron, Connor Joe, and Brendan Rodgers. The two best players, Cron and Joe, are not products of the Rockies’ development system; rather, both were signed as free agents in the offseason. For all the talk of the Rockies as a “draft-and-develop team,” they have not built a particularly good offense, at least as measured by wRC+, since 2017. 

That said, watching Brendan Rodgers come into his own has been a treat. He’s come to have a reliable presence at the plate. Trevor Story, Ryan McMahon, and Charlie Blackmon have all had disappointing years offensively though they are close to being league average, and McMahon has spent much of the season above it. 

One other point is worth noting: The Rockies outfield has little offensive value. Raimel Tapia, Yonathan Daza, Sam Hilliard, and Garrett Hampson have all had miserable years offensively. None of them is above 80 in terms of wRC+. If Hampson continues to shine as a center fielder, the Rockies may be able to compensate for his lack of offense, but they cannot continue to carry unproductive outfielders. 

All of this suggests possible systemic evaluation and developmental issues with the Rockies’ road record (18-50) indicating an even-more-pressing need to address the Coors Field effect.

As it turns out, this week, the Rockies began advertising for three “Baseball Operations Research and Development” positions. (Read the job listings here.) I don’t know enough about these jobs to evaluate what the Rockies are asking for, but I do know that $85,000-$95,000 for this kind of position is not a competitive salary. 

In related news, Thomas Harding reported that Bill Schmidt has begun filling positions in the Rockies’ front office. Schmidt insists the general manager position has not yet been determined, but all indications are that he has the job. (In this piece, Sheryl Ring explains how easy it is for front offices to get around the “Selig Rule,” so should Schmidt get the position, it would be no surprise.)

As Schmidt has made his media rounds, he has spoken — as Rockies general managers before him have — of the team’s reliance on drafting and developing players. wRC+ indicates that strategy as implemented by the Rockies has not been terribly successful for some time. If the Rockies plan to contend, they will need better data and new ideas. While it appears they’re trying to rebuild their depleted analytics department, low salaries suggest that the Rockies still aren’t terribly invested in the science. (Organizations spend money on things they value.) 

Similarly, front office promotions from within do nothing to contradict the appearance that these changes are little more than performative. The Rockies cannot bring themselves, either because of financial choices or team culture, to embrace anything new. The odds are they cannot win until they do.

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Down on the Farm

Twitter avatar for @FresnoGrizzliesFresno Grizzlies @FresnoGrizzlies

Celebrate #TacoTuesday by bidding on a game-worn, signed, Fresno Tacos jersey! 🌮⚾️ Enter the auction here: bit.ly/21TacoJerseyAu…

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9:46 PM ∙ Aug 31, 2021 * The crisis in MiLB housing is receiving more attention, this time from J.J. Cooper. It’s past time for MLB to deal with this issue.  * Nick Groke has some insights on the Rockies’ MiLB system. (Groke also has some reporting here on David Dahl, who, clearly, is no longer a prospect, but I found this really interesting.) * Don’t lose track of the Rockie’s Arizona Complex League team. Kyle Newman reports that the Rockies think Adael Amador and Benny Montgomery will be playing at Coors Field in four or five years. The future looks promising.


Accolades (and Some Gossip)

C.J. Cron has been named the August NL Player of the Month:

Source: MLB Press Release

Cron is the 11th Rockie to earn this award. (The most recent was Charlie Blackmon in June 2019.)

Last week, Bob Nightengale reported this:

Twitter avatar for @BNightengaleBob Nightengale @BNightengale

C.J. Cron, who turned down an offer from the #Dodgers during the winter and bet on himself to be an everyday player with the #Rockies, hits a 3-run HR in the 1st inning vs. LA. Cron now has 24 homers and 76 RBI with a .914 OPS

8:31 PM ∙ Aug 29, 2021

So Cron decided against being a Dodger, which is interesting — and suggests that perhaps the odds of the Rockies re-signing him are good. While Cron did sign a 2021 one-year contract for $1 million with the Rockies, it also includes incentives: He can earn additional performance bonuses: “$200,000 each for 50, 75, 100 and 125, and $300,000 apiece for 140 and 145. He would get a $500,000 one-time assignment bonus if traded.” Cron has been, hands down, one of the Rockies’ most valuable players and a terrific investment.


Old Friends

  • I’m still a Tyler Anderson fan, so a possible return to Seattle in 2022 sounds like a good fit to me, especially since fellow old friend Tom Murphy is catching there.

Twitter avatar for @CoreyBrockMLBCorey Brock @CoreyBrockMLB

Tyler Anderson loads the bases with no outs. Tyler Anderson retires the next three hitters. Tyler Anderson returns to Seattle in 2022.

9:06 PM ∙ Aug 28, 2021


  • Gerardo Parra is now selling a limited Parra Shark speaker. As the ad explains, “Be happy as long as you live!” You can read more here. (I was a little disappointed “Baby Shark” didn’t start auto-playing when I opened the website.)

What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To

  • Neil Paine’s “The Best, Worst And Weirdest Stats Of The 2021 MLB Season”(538.com) — You knew the #RoadRockies would make this one, but so do Ryan McMahon and Raimel Tapia. (Here’s an early prediction: The Rockies will attempt to trade and then non-tender Tapia.)
  • Patrick Saunders’ “Will the Rockies Be Spenders This Offseason? Colorado Faces Major Payroll Questions with Contracts Coming off the Books” (Denver Post) — Saunders does the math. (Here’s another prediction: The Rockies will go to shorter but more lucrative contracts, like the Daniel Murphy deal. No more Ian Desmond or Nolan Arenado long-term commitments.) 
  • Joelle Milholm’s “September Could Be a Good Indicator of the Rockies’ Future”(Purple Row) — For Milholm, September will be more meaningful than the Rockies’ record in the next 30 games.
  • Justin Wick’s “Austin Gomber Has Shown a Wild Pitch Mix in His Last Three Starts” (Purple Row) — I remain bullish on Gomber as a Rockie. I’ve come to suspect that part of Gomber’s issues arise from the fatigue of this being his first season as a rotation starter.
  • Drew Goodman’s “Rockies Starter Austin Gomber” (The Drew Goodman Podcast) — I always appreciate Goodman’s podcast because I think players are comfortable with him, and they have very honest conversation. Last week, Goodman spoke with Gomber, and the week before, Kyle Freeland. Both pitchers are clear about one thing: They believe the Rockies are close. Much of the baseball world may not believe in the Rockies, but I think they believe in themselves — and I think the front office will spend some money in the offseason to show they do, too.
  • Robert Murray’s “St. Louis Discussed Perameters of Trevor Story Trade” (Redbird Rants) — Cardinal fans’ fixation on reconstructing the Rockies’ former left side is fascinating. Were Arenado and Story an electric combination? Absolutely. Are their best days behind them? Very probably. Here’s what Murray writes: “Story could be a candidate for a lucrative one-year deal similar to what Semien signed with the Blue Jays. A one-year, $18 or so million deal could stretch the books for the Cardinals in 2022, but that and other upgrades throughout the roster would give them a real chance at competing for a title in Yadier Molina’s last season.” Maybe. Consider me skeptical.

Weekend Walk-off

There has not been a lot of joy this season for the #RoadRockies, and that’s been true for Trevor Story, too, who’s had a down year.

However, his bat flip game is a thing of beauty. See for yourself:

Twitter avatar for @RockiesColorado Rockies @Rockies

@PurpleRow we got you :)

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2:13 AM ∙ Aug 31, 2021

His bat flips have become their own art form.

Thanks for reading —

Renee

@307Renee

1 This data is current as of September 2, 2021.

This isn’t heaven; it’s capitalism. It also has limits.

Renee Dechert

Aug 13, 2021


I’ve been a Field of Dreams fan since 1989 when I first saw the film in a theater. I don’t know how many times I’ve re-watched it, but if I stumble onto a cable airing, I watch again. “Hey, Dad, you wanna have a catch?” gets me every time.

But nothing compares to that first time. I grew up on a farm, and I grew up around corn — not Iowa corn, but corn nonetheless. Back in 1989, I got the baseball stuff though I didn’t realize how badly the film had faltered in omitting the Negro Leagues from the story. I also understood the father-son stuff and the mysticism (I was an English major, after all). But it was the farm stuff that got me.

Ray and Annie’s financial uncertainty was something I understood, and I also understood the neighbors’ absolute disbelief at Ray’s decision to take out his crop and build a baseball field. My father had all the tools to do that to his hayfield — plow it, plane it, and lay in a baseball diamond — but I could not begin to imagine it. My English major self understood the poetry; the farm girl knew that poetry didn’t stand a chance when it came to money. 

As it turns out, MLB’s decision to build a Field of Dreams Game shows the league understands that, too — but in the end, the game is more powerful.

★ ★ ★

Major League Baseball determined in 2015 to recreate the Field of Dream experience with construction beginning in 2019, but their plans were set back by COVID. Yesterday, it all came to pass.

Twitter avatar for @MLBONFOXFOX Sports: MLB @MLBONFOX

They built it, and now they are here ⚾️🌽 #MLBatFieldOfDreams 📺: TONIGHT, 6 PM ET on FOX

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3:08 PM ∙ Aug 12, 2021


Note the careful nostalgia: The revision of the original movie poster, this time highlighting contemporary and diverse athletes rather than Kevin Costner. The moonlight, the corn, the symbols of baseball, the romance. 

Then, notice the Fox label down in the bottom left-hand corner and the discrete Nike swooshes on Aaron Judge’s and Tim Anderson’s uniforms. During the game, the Yankees and White Sox wore throwback uniforms modeled on their 1919 predecessors. On one hand, the replicas are remarkable. On another, the Nike swoosh rather gives away the game. Come for the nostalgia; then, buy some merch.

Social media teemed with charming images from Dyersville, Iowa, and Maury Brown reported that the venture was a success even before the teams took the field. 

The field seated 8,000. Here’s how MLB distributed tickets:

Twitter avatar for @shaneschurchShane Church 👨‍💻🦬 @shaneschurch

@cjensen23 @SABRSkeptic They had a lottery here in Iowa for tickets. If you “won” the lottery, you got the right to purchase a maximum of 2 tickets at a face value of $375/each + $24 in fees for a total of right at $400/ticket. The secondary market was 4-15x face value from what I saw. Insanity.

3:46 AM ∙ Aug 13, 2021

★ ★ ★

In what it called an “attempt to grow the game,” MLB stressed that the Field of Dreams Game was the first MLB regular-season game ever played in the state of Iowa. In fact, MLB intends to continue this series: 

Twitter avatar for @TylerKepnerTyler Kepner @TylerKepner

Rob Manfred says MLB will hold a game in Dyersville next year, too. Kevin Costner likes that idea: “You never mess with a winning streak,” Costner says. “It does feel like all the teams will want to touch this.”

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10:16 PM ∙ Aug 12, 2021


The League’s decision to focus its efforts on Iowa is not without irony.

First, Iowa has a rich MiLB history. In 2020 when MLB contracted the minor leagues, the state lost the Burlington Bees and the Clinton Lumberjacks. Maybe MLB isn’t really committed to affiliated baseball in Iowa. 

Second, the Field of Dreams Game obviously, overlooks the irony of MLB’s decision to impose on Iowans a television blackout of six teams. One fan took advantage of the moment:

Twitter avatar for @JesseGavin1Jesse Gavin @JesseGavin1

Digital billboard currently running in Dubuque on the route to Dyersville. #FieldOfDreamsGame

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9:57 PM ∙ Aug 9, 2021


This isn’t about growing the game or access. It’s all about money driven by an exploitation of nostalgia.

★ ★ ★

The broadcast itself was masterful, from the players walking in from the cornfield to the gorgeous visuals and the walk-off ninth inning.

Source: MLBonFOX Twitter

The nostalgia, though, was everywhere as men (and only men, mostly older) discussed their emotional reactions to the film. There were no interviews with Amy Madigan or Gabby Hoffmann, who played key characters in the film. No women — actors, reporters, or fans — were asked to describe their reactions to either the movie or the game. 

★ ★ ★

Nostalgia, though, has its limits because the present will only tolerate so much. The Yankees and White Sox teams that took the field are younger and more diverse than those players portrayed in the film. Moreover, it was absolutely fitting that the game ended with a walk-off by one of the game’s most exciting young stars, Tim Anderson.

Twitter avatar for @MLBONFOXFOX Sports: MLB @MLBONFOX

Ok yup this is one of the coolest videos we've ever seen. @whitesox | @TimAnderson7

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3:17 AM ∙ Aug 13, 2021


Jared Diamond writes of Tim Anderson, who’s never seen Field of Dreams, “He’s young, Black, supremely talented — and on a mission to prove the sport he calls ‘corny’ can still be cool.” (The profile is terrific.) Zach Crizer goes one step further

A dynamic Black star who wouldn’t have been allowed to wear the uniforms that inspired the beautiful White Sox throwbacks, Anderson doesn’t need to connect to the movie that inspired this event. He just needed the stage.

The energy here, the swagger, the excitement. Baseball, like the world, is ever changing. The sooner MLB embraces this, the better.

★ ★ ★

I enjoyed the game. In fact, I hated to leave it to for a Road Rockies game that felt doomed before it started. (It was: 7-0 Giants. If there’s anything that can kill a baseball mood, it’s the Road Rockies.)

I’ve changed a lot since 1989. I still read a lot, and I still love baseball, and I can still irrigate with the best of them, but I’d like to think I’m smarter now, too, though I know there will always be more to learn. But I’m not nostalgic about what’s done. The good ol’ days aren’t nearly as awesome as some make them out to be. I want to see what’s next. It would be good if baseball did too and rather than invest in nostalgia or NFTs or Bitcoin ventures or collaborations with companies that profit from excluding others, I wish MLB would bank on fans and inclusion and truly growing the game 

My family’s farm is winding down now, and it’s a strange time. In 1989, we were entering a period of stability though we didn’t know it. That’s ending, and the ghosts (mostly friendly) are everywhere. It’s fine. In both baseball and life, I’m ready for the next thing.

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Down on the Farm


Old Friends

Twitter avatar for @jphoornstraJ.P. Hoornstra @jphoornstra

Source: the Dodgers signed FA catcher Tony Wolters to a minor league contract. He’s expected to report to OKC.

11:06 PM ∙ Aug 7, 2021


Let’s Get Social

The Diamondbacks’ social team made an unusual announcement last Friday:

Twitter avatar for @DbacksArizona Diamondbacks @Dbacks

Sent from my iPhone at 12:07PM

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7:07 PM ∙ Aug 6, 2021

On one hand, taking a weekend off during the baseball season seems like a bad idea. On the other, the D-backs are having a very bad year, and surely their social media feeds have been one big dumpster fire, so I’d say they’ve earned it. (And the social team gets an A+ for their handling of this one.)


What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To 


Weekend Walk-off

Even without Nolan Arenado, the Rockies’ infield is still very, very good. This play, however, was next level:

Twitter avatar for @MLBMLB @MLB

Teamwork makes the dream work! 😱

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2:06 AM ∙ Aug 7, 2021

Watching Brendan Rodgers come into himself has been a joy this season. Here’s to many more.

Thanks for reading —

Renee

@307Renee


For fans, it’s a difficult reality to accept.

Renee Dechert

Jul 9, 2021


The Rockies are a team in disarray. This week, Nick Groke reported another story of front-office malpractice, writing. “The Rockies and interim general manager Bill Schmidt have indicated to teams that they are not willing to engage in trade talks on any player, multiple league sources told The Athletic.” Should anyone wish to make a deal, “[s]ources from two opposing front offices said their teams don’t know exactly whom to contact when they want to reach the Rockies about trades.” 

[Imagine a ThisIsFine.GIF here.]

It’s one thing for the Rockies to have a philosophy that involves keeping key players (though, to be clear, there has been no indication from the front office that any kind of plan exists). It’s quite another for other teams to be uncertain about whom to contact within the Rockies organization. Moreover, the indication that they won’t be doing anything until after the MLB Draft and All-Star Game leaves an impression that the Rockies cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. This is a bad look for a company worth an estimated $1.3 billion.

But maybe we’re thinking about this incorrectly. Maybe the Rockies are less a baseball team than, say, a McGregor Square amenity, like a rooftop pool or an exclusive fitness center and day spa. 

Early model of McGregor Square

Two writers whose work I respect have given me much to ponder. The first is from Bryan Kilpatrick of Mile High Sports:

Twitter avatar for @RockyMountainBKBryan Kilpatrick @RockyMountainBK

@Rockies_UK The issue is this: whether the team outperforms expectations or not, they still have a formula for financial success and that formula will not change.

2:32 PM ∙ Jul 6, 2021

This makes sense. We know that the Rockies have been a profitable team — at least in terms of attendance. Coors Field consistently ranks in the top ten of MLB attendance, which probably means more revenue. In addition, there’s not much indication that team quality disproportionately affects fans’ decisions to attend. 

This comment on Groke’s article has also stayed with me:

Source: The Athletic

On Wednesday, Rockies president Greg Feasel spoke with media, saying, “Yes, there has been change, but we feel good about how we are moving forward.” Greg, buddy, I don’t know if you’d noticed, but the Rockies are historically bad on the road, and the only news from the front office involves people leaving. Your assurances seem a bit empty — and lacking any reference to actual baseball.

Perhaps I’m just caving into “the narrative,” but given what we know about front office departures and decisions, it’s impossible to believe Dick Monfort prioritizes having a winning baseball team. I mean, he likes winning — we all like winning — but there does not appear to be a financial motivation to, first, focus on baseball operations, and, second, allow knowledgeable staff to do their jobs. (In my experience the management philosophy that involves having fewer people do more work often requires employees to perform tasks they are not trained to do. Yes, it fills a need and saves money in the short term, but the long-term consequences are real.)

The second idea I’ve been thinking about involves a Twitter conversation Nick Groke had last weekend.

Twitter avatar for @nickgrokeNick Groke @nickgroke

I hear you. But an owner shouldn't need a financial incentive to win. If they're looking to make money, there are plenty of places to invest outside the city trust. Get in the stupid stock market or something. They should want to win because that's the purpose of the game.

Twitter avatar for @LauraChapinLaura Chapin @LauraChapin

@nickgroke This is why the Rockies will always be mediocre under the Monforts' ownership. Why spend money on players when you can still sell out the stadium?

2:39 AM ∙ Jul 3, 2021


I get what Groke is saying here — and I agree — but, really, where’s the glamor in making money in the stock market? 

Sure, a select group of people who read the Wall Street Journal and watch CNBC recognize how talented and rich you are, but that can’t compare to owning a sports team. You’re one in an elite club of 30 (very visible, very wealthy) owners. You’re recognized locally, and you get your name in national sports reporting. In addition to all that celebrity, you get to be a fan — the biggest fan! Fantasy baseball is now your reality: You’re signing and trading players. You get to hang out with them. People know you. Sure, the stock market is great, but owning a sports team is better, especially when it comes with a publicly owned stadium. (And we know from recent ProPublica reporting that sports team owners have carved out for themselves some nifty tax benefits.)

I’ve been bothered for awhile by the appearance of McGregor Square in Rockies publicity. Grand openings get mentioned in Rockies press releases. On Opening Day 2.0, the broadcast had McGregor Square in the background and discussed its awesomeness. Ryan McMahon has filmed a spot where he walks through the Rally Hotel and describes its amenities. Camera shots of fans walking through McGregor Square are common. None of this is about building a winning baseball team. This is about money.

Fans are agonizing over a fascinatingly weird baseball team: It’s a juggernaut at home (with terrific pitching) and historically bad on the road (with worst-in-the-league hitting). For Dick Monfort, this strikes me as the ideal scenario. At Coors Field, the Rockies win are a whole lot of fun — after all, they lead the league in walk-off wins. What’s more fun that a walk-off? Besides, who cares what happens on the road? The TV revenues are set, and the money spends the same. 

If Dick Monfort thought there were a problem with the Rockies, he’d address it. There’s no evidence that’s happening.


Old Friends

  • Joe Harvey is a Twin now.

Down on the Farm

  • P.J. Poulin, a UConn alum and 11th round choice in the 2018 draft, is now with the Yard Goats. (This is a local news story, and I’m a serious fan of that kind of writing.)
  • Pitcher Dugan Darnell, a right-handed pitcher, has moved to the Spokane team. (This is another local news story.)
  • The promotions keep coming:

Twitter avatar for @spokaneindiansSpokane Indians @spokaneindians

Congrats to Nick Bush on being promoted to the Double-A @GoYardGoats! In 10 appearances (7 starts) with Spokane, the former @LSUbaseball pitcher went 4-2 with 3 wins in his last 4 starts. He sported a 2.58 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 52.1 innings. Good luck, Nick! #GoSpo

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7:11 PM ∙ Jul 6, 2021


What I’m Reading


Weekend Walk-off 

Last week Nolan Arenado returned to Coors Field. Much has been written about it, so I’ll spare you more rehashing and just add a personal observation.

It must have been weird for Arenado, returning as a visitor to the stadium he knows best. He stayed in the opposing team’s clubhouse and experienced Coors Field from an outsider’s perspective. He’s always been clear that he liked Denver and his teammates and coaches and the fans — and that came through last weekend. But this time, he was the outsider.

The Rockies’ walk-off win on Sunday had to have been especially hard. Yes, the Cardinals lost — we know he hates losing — but it must have been strange, watching his old friends celebrate in the outfield after his cousin scored the winning run as his family looked on. Meanwhile, Arenado got to collect his things, return to the visitors’ clubhouse, and prepare to leave for San Francisco. Surely in that moment, the consequences of his choices became clear. That’s not to say his request for a trade was a good or bad decision; rather, his stay in Denver served as a reminder of what he’d left behind because decisions always have consequences.

In the meantime, I appreciated this conversation with Ryan Spilborghs:

Twitter avatar for @RoxGifsVidsRoxGifsVids @RoxGifsVids

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8:53 PM ∙ Jul 4, 2021


We’ll see Arenado again at Coors Field next week, and perhaps this time will be less weird.

Thanks for reading, and, if you’re going, have a great time at the All-Star Game festivities —

Renee

@307Renee

MLB has begun checking pitchers for banned substances, but it’s about more than cheating.

Renee Dechert

Jun 25, 2021


On Tuesday, MLB began enforcing its foreign-substance check pitching protocols in an effort to remove “sticky stuff” from the game. According to Anthony Castrovince, here’s how the in-game inspections work:

Starting pitchers will have more than one mandatory check per game, and each relief pitcher must be checked either at the conclusion of the inning in which he entered the game or when he is removed from the game (whichever occurs first). In general, inspections will be conducted between innings or after pitching changes to avoid a delay of the game and to allow the umpire to perform a thorough check, including the hat, glove and fingertips of the pitcher.

While many (including Bud Black) have agreed that enforcement was needed, the middle-of-the-season timing was problematic and, some suggested, might facilitate pitcher injuries

But on Tuesday, the inspections began, and Baseball Twitter was alive with video of various pitchers as they experienced their first TSA-like searches. 

Jacob deGrom went first:

Twitter avatar for @SNYtvSNY @SNYtv

Jacob deGrom is checked for foreign substances as he heads to the dugout in the first inning. Jake passed inspection.

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9:17 PM ∙ Jun 21, 2021


deGrom expresses both bemusement and compliance as the umpire checks deGrom’s glove and hat and then his belt. He is the best pitcher alive — he has a godlike ERA of 0.50 and has struck out 117 while walking 10. In one sense, the inspection makes sense. Can anyone pitch like deGrom has been pitching without something extra? In another, it’s a very public questioning of both his integrity and his skill. MLB has effectively diminished a pitcher having an historic season. As for deGrom, he is good natured about it, but everything about the process seems uncomfortable.

Then things got complicated.

Max Scherzer is, well, Max Scherzer, a pitcher known for his intensity. Early in the game against the Phillies, he was irritated by the checks but submitted, his body language one big “are you serious?” As the game progressed, he grew increasingly agitated.

Twitter avatar for @BaseballAmericaBaseball America @BaseballAmerica

This is incredible. Joe Girardi asked the umpires to check Max Scherzer for sticky stuff again. Scherzer’s reaction:

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12:55 AM ∙ Jun 23, 2021


If deGrom’s behavior is a courteous submission, Scherzer’s is a physical confrontation. He looks like a suspect being frisked by police as he holds up his hands and unbuttons his pants. In both cases, these future Hall-of-Fame pitchers are being subjected to a kind of public humiliation and a violation of their personal space. 

That seemed difficult to top until it was Sergio Romo’s turn:

Twitter avatar for @ChrisHalickeChris Halicke @ChrisHalicke

Oakland A’s reliever Sergio Romo was checked for “sticky stuff” and might have upstaged Max Scherzer in the process.

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2:51 AM ∙ Jun 23, 2021


Romo’s contempt is clear as he takes off his belt and throws it at the umpire’s feet, and his decision to disrobe calls attention to the invasiveness of the exercise. 

Pitching Ninja captured the absurdity of the moment.

Twitter avatar for @PitchingNinjaRob Friedman @PitchingNinja

Max Scherzer vs. Sergio Romo, Mechanics.

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12:29 PM ∙ Jun 23, 2021


As for the Rockies, Kyle Freeland seems quietly embarrassed:

Twitter avatar for @RoxGifsVidsRoxGifsVids @RoxGifsVids

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2:26 AM ∙ Jun 23, 2021


Freeland offers to the umpire his glove and hat, waits for the pat down, and then grins at his teammates in the dugout as he leaves the field.

I found all of this to be uncomfortable. Clearly, these inspections received attention because they were new, but it was impossible to deny the humiliation of both the pitchers and the umpires as fans watched.

Obviously, the process is designed to catch pitchers giving themselves an unfair advantage, but it is also undeniably an exercise in public humiliation. After all, Commissioner Rob Manfred isn’t having his person inspected, and he’s not the umpire forced to check the belt of a player. The cameras do the dirty work while fans watch.

Manfred considered Tuesday a success. (Others disagree.) As he told Brittany Ghirolion Wednesday, “My view is the first two days have gone very well. We’ve had no ejections (for foreign substances), players in general have been extremely cooperative, the inspections have taken place quickly and between innings.”

She asked Manfred about televising the inspections to which he said, 

“In putting the plan together, we tried to come up with a plan that was as unobtrusive as possible given the practicalities of the game and the need to move the game along. We thought the checks between innings was a good way to de-escalate them, maybe is the right word (to use). I don’t think practically we can tell broadcast partners to not cover something that’s on the field.”

Who is MLB to tell networks what to broadcast? The inherent public humiliation seems more a feature than a bug. 

The image that stayed with me was this one of Max Scherzer:

Twitter avatar for @JCPGATAJPDAILYSPORTS @JCPGATA

Sticky situation: Scherzer, Romo and Harper's hair headline wild 20 hours in MLB: The MLB sticky stuff mandate is here and it's going, well, interestingly. From Max Scherzer and Sergio Romo's priceless reactions to name-calling and a Joe Girardi… dlvr.it/S2Kp6k

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10:29 PM ∙ Jun 23, 2021

Obviously, professional athletes — especially straight white male professional athletes — are some of the most privileged people alive. I’m not here to argue about that, except to say that these inspections take larger-than-life baseball players and publicly violate their physical space in an effort to police them. In doing this, MLB undercuts the power that players have earned for themselves and invests it in MLB as an enforcer of fairness. That is, MLB positions itself as the parent while pitchers are forced into the role of unruly children.

The shift is significant. After all, baseball, like everything, is about power.

Does something need to be done about banned substances in baseball? Yes. 

But this isn’t it.


Down on the Farm

  • Ryan Castellani, a 2014 second-round draft pick who struggled with control issues, is no longer with the Rockies. Read more about Bernardo Flores Jr. here.

Twitter avatar for @RockiesClubInfoRockies Club Information @RockiesClubInfo

The Rockies announced today that they have claimed LHP Bernardo Flores Jr. off of waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals and optioned him to Triple-A. RHP Ryan Castellani has been designated for assignment.

6:13 PM ∙ Jun 24, 2021


  • Joe Harvey cannot catch a break, despite earning an ERA of 2.63 in 13.2 innings, striking out 20, and walking five. I assume the Rockies are hoping he’ll make it through waivers, but given the dearth of MLB pitching now, that may not happen.

Twitter avatar for @tombaseball29MiLB-Transactions @tombaseball29

#Rockies have designated RHP Joe Harvey for assignment.

3:03 AM ∙ Jun 23, 2021

  • Meanwhile, the Rockies are signing lefty pitchers to MiLB contracts again:

Twitter avatar for @tombaseball29MiLB-Transactions @tombaseball29

#Rockies have signed LHP Cole Stringer to a minor league contract.

2:23 AM ∙ Jun 21, 2021


Old Friends

  • Daniel Descalso has elected to become a free agent.

Twitter avatar for @newsnetworkmlbMLB News Network @newsnetworkmlb

Daniel Descalso has opted out of his contract with the #MNTwins.

2:31 PM ∙ Jun 23, 2021


3Likes1Retweet


What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To

Twitter avatar for @mike_petrielloMike Petriello @mike_petriello

The Rays have this super cool pronunciation guide on their site (mlb.com/rays/team/pron…) with audio clips from the players themselves, and this one feels like it's going to be much-needed today: 

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1:59 PM ∙ Jun 22, 2021

The complete guide is here. All teams should do this.


Weekend Walk-off

No one doubts that Germán Márquez had a terrific outing against the Mariners on Wednesday, but a pitcher knows they’ve made it when they receive attention from Pitching Ninja. This is, in my opinion, some of Ninja’s best work:

Twitter avatar for @PitchingNinjaRob Friedman @PitchingNinja

German Marquez: Just Killed a Man. 🎼💀🪦

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12:06 AM ∙ Jun 24, 2021


After the game, Trevor Story, who hit two home runs during that game, said he and Marquez were sharing the MVP Chain. That’s good, but Story didn’t get his home runs set to Queen. 

Advantage: Marquez. 

Thanks for reading —

Renee

@307Renee

Leave a comment

1 There is an important essay to be written about the intersection of race and gender in these inspections, but I lack the background (both personal and academic) to write it.

Kathy Deikroeger’s “I Should Have Quit This Morning” is a mix of ethnography, research, instruction, and just good writing.

Renee Dechert

Jun 4, 2021


When my niece was in high school, she was one of the best setters in the state of Wyoming. That is, I realize, a minor accolade in the grand scheme of things, but it had two effects that are relevant here. First, for six years, my family participated in a community of athletes and sports families. It was not always an especially functional group, but we had been brought together by a shared commitment to a group of girls playing a sport. We came to know each other fairly well during that time though the community largely disbanded after the girls graduated.

Second, because my niece was a talented setter, she wanted to see how far she could go. That led to her parents doing a lot of research and talking with recruiters and coaches about options. It was a lot. My family has always been academics oriented, and given the treatment of women’s sports, my niece and her parents had to balance the big picture with a desire to be confident that my niece’s volleyball potential had been fully explored. 

I am telling you this because those memories came back to me when I read Kathy Diekroeger’s self-published 2019 book, I Should Have Quit This Morning: Adventures in Minor League Baseball

Diekroeger is the mother of Danny Diekroeger and Kenny Diekroeger, both members of the Stanford baseball teams in 2011 and 2012. Their teammates include players such as Mark Appel, Alex Blandino, Tommy Edman, Stephen Piscotty, Cal Quantrill, Austin Slater, and others you’ve probably never heard of because most players, even the really good ones, don’t make it far in a highly competitive sport.

I Should Have Quit This Morning is an important book; it’s an ethnography, a research study, a set of instructions, and a very baseball story that should be required reading for fans everywhere. 

To give you a sense of Diekroeger’s voice, here’s an early passage from I Should Have Quit This Morning:

Notice how this passage balances Diekroeger’s experience as a parent with the players’ stories. The book itself is strictly third person, with a focus on the players and guiding the reader through the labyrinth of Minor League Baseball, but the introduction indicates the author’s relationship to the material, and her empathy emerges in the stories she shares. 

Diekroeger explains how baseball works, beginning with the complexities of the draft and concluding with players who get called up to the Major Leagues — and she includes the stories of those who left the game. She clearly explains the processes involved and provides research to support assertions she’s making. For example, each year, over 140,000 players are eligible for the MLB draft; in 2018, 1214 were drafted; a first rounder has a 69% chance of making it the Major Leagues whereas a second rounder has a 51% chance; and the numbers decline steadily after that. 

On one hand, Diekroeger is using data to prove a point about the challenges of becoming a professional baseball player, but in the subtext of all that research is a mother doing her homework to help her sons make informed decisions. 

Because Diekroeger was a baseball mom for years and because she knew the Standford players so well, they were candid in their answers to her questions. Although Diekroeger has created a narrative architecture that rests on navigating MiLB, the actual bricks are the stories the players themselves tell. They are smart, funny, insightful, and sometimes heartbreaking — and they are rendered in the players’ own words, giving them narrative heft. 

Moreover, their stories aren’t being mediated by, say, a sports writer or someone telling a PR story about a team; rather, they come through Diekroeger’s perspective, which is that of a mom watching players she’s grown to care for, two of whom happen to be her sons. To be clear, all of that was subtext I read into I Should Have Quit This Morning based on my own sports-related experience, but I found Diekroeger’s account to be refreshing and important. It was the kind of information my family was desperate to find when my niece was making her decisions. (Baseball publishers, more perspectives like this, please.)

Two notes are in order.

Diekroeger’s book appeared before the 2020 contraction of MiLB. I’ve been a critic of that decision, but Diekroeger’s book changed my thinking. First, she made a clear case for too many Minor League players resulting in too few opportunists and resources. (Whether teams can pay for more is a subject for another day.) Moreover, her descriptions of the Pioneer League, the closest league to where I live, rang true. In one section, a player describes the team bus hitting a deer en route to Helena, Montana. If you’ve lived out here, this kind of thing is not uncommon. But given all the other stresses Minor League players face, long bus trips to Helena and Billings seems a bit unnecessary given that a majority of those players will never play Major League ball, and game attendance there was not very good. (Diekroeger provides the numbers. In 2018, the Helena Brewers averaged 840 attendees per game.)

Then there are the conditions in which the (mostly underpaid) players find themselves. For every 2021 story about the Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros providing housing for their MiLB players — and good for them because Diekroeger’s stories about players finding housing are nightmarish — is a competing account of players being forced to sleep in the stadium locker room and not getting adequate food.1Diekroeger’s book gives credence to those kinds of accounts and personalizes them because some of these players, we already know professionally, and because of Diekroeger’s telling, we know them much more personally. It is a significant narrative accomplishment.

Second, students who play college baseball at Stanford are, necessarily, not your typical baseball player. Those who left baseball have, in many cases, taken jobs in some area of finance. So the group Diekroeger describes values education and understands the worth of a Stanford Degree. 

I first learned about Diekroeger’s book last February on Twitter: 

Twitter avatar for @dannydiekroegerDanny Diekroeger @dannydiekroeger

My mom is dying of pancreatic cancer She recently self-published a book of hilarious stories about Minor League Baseball Would be pretty neat if we made it go viral to give her a thrill while she’s still around 🙏🏽❤️amazon.com/Should-Have-Qu…

amazon.comI Should Have Quit This Morning: Adventures in Minor League Baseball: Diekroeger, Kathy: 9781093282610: Amazon.com: BooksI Should Have Quit This Morning: Adventures in Minor League Baseball [Diekroeger, Kathy] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. I Should Have Quit This Morning: Adventures in Minor League Baseball8:04 PM ∙ Feb 26, 2021


Kathy Diekroeger passed away in March. You can read her obituary here, and her Instagram gives a nice sense of the person she was. I Should Have Quit This Morning is an important book. It’s a gift to her sons and their teammates and to baseball fans everywhere. 

Share Rockies Pitch: A Newsletter about Baseball & Fandom


Accolades 

  • This is very cool!

Twitter avatar for @SlangsOnSportsSarah Langs @SlangsOnSports

Jillian Geib is the official scorer at tonight's Rangers/Rockies game Per the broadcast, she's believed to be the 3rd woman official scorer in history Good, more please.

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1:24 AM ∙ Jun 2, 2021

Read Nick Groke’s story about Geib here.


Resources

  • One of my favorite Twitter feeds is UmpScorecards, which provides morning-after grades of umpires. Here’s what a scorecard looks like:

Ump Scorecard for Rangers-Rockies Game

Ump Score Card has started a searchable database of umpires, and the potential here is significant. Go to umpirescorecards.com and see for yourself.


What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To


Weekend Walk-off

Okay, it’s a wild-pitch walk-off, which is less fun than a true walk-off, but a win’s a win.

Twitter avatar for @RoxGifsVidsRoxGifsVids @RoxGifsVids

ROCKIES WALK-OFF! Ryan McMahon scores on a wild pitch!

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4:07 AM ∙ Jun 2, 2021


The Rockies will absolutely take it.

Thanks for reading —

Renee

@307Renee


For the organization, it’s become a year of opportunity, but will they take it?

Renee Dechert

May 6, 2021


On Monday, the Rockies announced that Vice President of Scouting Bill Schmidt would assume the role of Interim General Manager. Schmidt has been in the Rockies organization for more than 20 years, serving as Scouting Director since 2007 and overseeing the Rockies MLB Draft since 2000. 

The good news is that the Rockies (we hope) have begun sorting through the issues confronting them. Filling the interim position shows the organization being proactive; Schmidt’s relationships should help the Rockies improve their work with other teams; his history with players throughout the system should facilitate better communication. All of this is good. (There’s still the problem of the out-sourced analytics department, but the organization has to start somewhere.)

On Wednesday morning, Schmidt met with the media. I wasn’t able to watch that (read Thomas Harding’s reporting here), but I did see his in-game conversation with Ryan Spilborghs (available here).

It was a nice format in which to introduce Schmidt to fans. Spilborghs knows Schmidt well, and the two had a friendly conversation. Schmidt stressed his history and relationships with players (both inside and outside the Rockies organization), and he reiterated that he was in the position to ensure “everyone is pulling the rope in the same direction.” He named others in the organization who would be key in moving forward — and said that he wasn’t smart enough to do everything himself. (I’d call that some “brain surgeon shade.”)

In a purely interpersonal sense, Schmidt seemed knowledgeable, approachable, and likable. He talked about players he’d scouted — for example, Schmidt first saw Ryan McMahon when going to a baseball camp with his son. In telling these kinds of stories, he created an immediate connection with fans. He made jokes and stressed that he was there to improve communication. His language was clear and concise. There was no sense he was hiding anything or that he’d rather be anywhere else. He was just stopping by the booth to visit with an old friend — and to introduce himself to fans.

It’s a good start. 

Now, it’s time for the Rockies to begin the next phase of rebuilding trust with fans. Here’s how Thomas Harding put it last week:

_The hard feelings of the Arenado trade have been dissected to death. The lesson should be that transparency must improve. Fans have been displeased with the product on the field the last two years, but an underlying cause for the anger is that decisions were made to keep them in the dark about the team’s plans.  

If the Rockies have to shop their best players now to enhance the future, they'd benefit from telling everyone — even if reaction is negative. Monfort and new club president Greg Feasel can help with this attitude by keeping stand-up baseball people around when the new hires are made._

Harding is right (although I’d argue there’s more Arenado “dissection” to be done), and I’d like to offer some suggestions to the Rockies as they begin the work of constructively engaging fans.

Hold Another Press Conference — A Real One

When the news of the Schmidt hiring dropped, Patrick Saunders tweeted this:

Twitter avatar for @psaundersdpPatrick Saunders @psaundersdp

Here's hoping the interim GM will actually talk to the media. ... Without being condescending.

Twitter avatar for @DPRockiesDenver Post Rockies @DPRockies

NEW: Bill Schmidt named #Rockies interim general manager, replacing Jeff Bridich via @psaundersdp https://t.co/xYiXbKtwdo

6:45 PM ∙ May 3, 2021


Rockies, he’s offering you some advice. 

Now that Schmidt has made his first appearance as Interim GM, it’s time for the next step. Holding a press conference with Dick Monfort, Greg Feasel, and Schmidt would serve several purposes. First, it would allow everyone to see the new leadership in place — the new team, if you will. Visuals matter. Second, it would indicate that the Rockies are beginning to re-engage with the larger world of MLB. National writers were perplexed by the Rockies’ failure to hold a press conference in the wake of the Bridich resignation. A press conference shows an attempt to be, well, a normal baseball team — and normal baseball teams engage with the baseball community.

Third, it would allow the Rockies to begin their repair work on their relationship with local media. Those beat writers mediate the relationship between the organization and fans. Right now, the Rockies are re-setting, but they also need to open themselves up to a conversation with the writers who know them best.

If Coors Field can allow fans again and if the team is 100% vaccinated, then the Rockies can arrange for a safe in-person media availability. Zoom gives the Rockies too much control over the situation — and I say this as someone who adores Zoom. If it’s a new day, then it deserves a forum suited to an honest conversation and trust building.

Monfort, Feasel, and Schmidt Need to Do Some Interviews

The press conference sets the tone for what’s next. The real conversations should happen between those in power and reporters they’re comfortable having more nuanced visits with. 

Like Patrick Saunders, Harding has offered the Rockies some advice:

Twitter avatar for @harding_at_mlbThomas Harding @hardingatmlb

@rocktober19 @psaundersdp Full disclosure: I hate press conferences. They can make idiots of us all. Talking to a player/manager/front office person/exec face-to-face leads to better stories. There is time to hammer out nuance. Even worse, press conferences are performance art, made for grandstanding ...

3:14 PM ∙ May 4, 2021


Those face-to-face conversations should be with media figures Rockies fans know and trust, reporters who understand the team and the fanbase. (Spilborghs is a good start — fans like him — but he’s not exactly a seasoned journalist. The front office needs to talk with those willing to ask harder questions.)

The front office’s message — and I don’t know what that is, though hopefully they do — needs to be clear, and each member of the front office should address a specific component of that message (e.g., Monfort on vision; Feasel on finance; and Schmidt on the team). 

In having those conversations, the front office is effectively telling fans what’s happening and giving them a sense of the plan. If the Rockies want fan buy-in, fans have to feel like they’re stakeholders. For that to happen, the leadership needs to speak directly with fans (even if that message is heavily scripted). This is about building trust, and that involves some vulnerability on both sides. The Rockies front office has to carry their share of that burden.

Solicit Fan Feedback

Rockies social media has been a dumpster fire since the Arenado deal — and, to be clear, the Rockies social team did not deserve that, but it doesn’t matter. Fans use those platforms because they’re available and provide the closest thing most fans have in terms of a direct voice to the organization. It’s time to change the tenor of that conversation.

Since the Rockies have been hinting that 2021 was “The Year of Opportunity,” it’s time to extend that symbolism to the organization itself. It’s an opportunity for the Rockies to recalibrate their relationships. 

To change the tone on social media, I’d create a Google form and distribute it widely soliciting feedback on pretty much anything fans want to vent about. Have thoughts on a rebuild? Share them. Concerned about beer prices? Let’s hear your ideas. Want to change the Tooth Trot? What do you have in mind? They should plan for a lot of venting and a lot of unworkable ideas and maybe some gems, but the point is to signal that it’s a new day: The Rockies want to hear from fans. 

Actions like this change the tone even if they don’t result in actionable ideas.

Communicate Regularly with Stakeholders

I assume right now, the Rockies are building a plan for the post-Bridich era. If they are, they should tell fans, and they should provide updates. Create a “fan liaison.” Clearly, fans can’t know everything: It’s a business. No one disputes that.

But the Rockies need to be clear about what fans can expect to know as stakeholders, and they need to plan on ways to regularly and personally get that message out. Those press statements that drop on social media simply aren’t personal enough. 

Twitter avatar for @RockiesColorado Rockies @Rockies

The Colorado Rockies announced today that they have named the club’s Vice President of Scouting Bill Schmidt their interim General Manager.

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6:34 PM ∙ May 3, 2021


Initiatives work best when they’re affiliated with a person.

Final Thoughts

Some fans have expressed concerns about Schmidt’s statement that he’d like to be considered for the permanent job. To that, I’ll offer two observations. Interim leaders generally say they hope a position becomes permanent, even if that’s not really their plan. Otherwise, they risk operating in a lame-duck capacity and having less influence on daily operations. Moreover, it helps calm the inevitable speculation.

Second, I’ve known lots of folks who took interim positions and discovered that it really wasn’t a job they wanted.

I recognize the Rockies’ history of hiring familiar people, but if that were Dick Monfort’s plan, I tend to think that Schmidt would already have the job. It is essential that the Rockies run a real search — and if Schmidt wishes to be considered, he should apply — but right now, this is about letting things settle. Schmidt’s history with the organization and his statement that he hopes to remain in the position achieves that, regardless of what happens in the fall.

The Rockies have a window, and they’ve made some moves fans have requested. None of that matters, however, if the Rockies don’t go all in on re-setting their relationship with fans.


Milestones

  • Reader, it happened: After 83 plate appearances in 2021, Josh Fuentes walked:

Twitter avatar for @RoxGifsVidsRoxGifsVids @RoxGifsVids

Josh Fuentes Walked

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11:56 PM ∙ May 4, 2021


During the second game of the double header against the Giants, Fuentes walked again. In doing so, he equaled the number of walks he took in 2020 in 103 plate appearances. 


Old Friends

  • Tyler Anderson continues to make a name for himself in Pittsburgh: On Monday, he carried a no-hitter against the Padres into the seventh inning. Anderson is having a good season, and I wonder if the Pirates will attempt to move him before the trade deadline.
  • C. Trent Rosencrans talked with Jeff Hoffman about how he selects the jerseys the Reds will wear. (Hoffman is a player I’m hoping good things for.)

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What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To


Weekend Walk-off

Since being a Ryan McMahon Defense Skeptic is apparently a thing now, I’ve decided it’s my lot in life to remind folks that McMahon is a very good defender. Check out this play during the second game against the Giants:

Twitter avatar for @RoxGifsVidsRoxGifsVids @RoxGifsVids

This double play 🔥

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2:06 AM ∙ May 5, 2021


I’ll say it: Ryan McMahon should be an All Star. 

Now to the emotional weekend waiting for everyone in St. Louis.

Thanks for reading —

Renee