I think I like Carney Lansford

I knew I respected Lansford for his past successes on the field, but two paragraphs in Dave Krieger's column this morning made me think I'm really going to like him as the Rockies new hitting coach.

From the Denver Post.

"When I came up as a rookie in 1978, Don Baylor took me under his wing and taught me how to play the game of baseball the right way — old school-type baseball. So I have nothing but respect for him," Lansford told me.

Don was an awful hitting coach.

I'm sorry. Helluva guy. Helluva player. Terrible hitting coach to not be able to get more out of the talent he had to work with. Guys were actually regressing to the point of no return if a change wasn't made.

Now the good part.

"But my approach is totally different. Don was a pull-type hitter. I like my hitters to use the entire field. In my opinion, that makes them much tougher outs. Nobody likes home runs more than me, but trying to force a home run, trying to swing for a home run every at-bat, doesn't work. What it does is make you very easy to pitch to."

Amen. A hitting coach that understands the basics of hitting.

I don't know how many times myself and other Rockies fans pointed out Colorado's inability to use the whole damn field. It seems like such a simple and obvious approach, but the 2010 Rockies lost sight of that time and time again, leading to several extended offensive slumps that sabotaged their season.

Lansford has identified this problem. It probably didn't take him long to do so thanks to the miles of ugly video tape Rockies hitters left behind. He understands what needs to be corrected. Now we all have to hope he can recover and reprogram these young hitters.

Chris Iannetta. Ian Stewart. Seth Smith. These guys don't need to be pull conscious to park balls in the seats. They just need to take what they're given, drive it where it's meant to be driven, and watch the stats pile up.

Singles. Doubles. Triples. Sac flys. Walks. Those aren't bad either. Just don't open yourself up to being that easy out the Rockies were far too often in 2010, especially in money situations.

It may take awhile to see positive results, and even longer to see them sustained on a fairly consistent basis, but just reading what I've read here gives me a lot hope that this offense won't underachieve again.

This offense can and will be dynamic if Lansford can successfully flush out Don Baylor's philosophies.

I believe it.

Welcome Aboard Carney Lansford!

I've been having a lot of fun helping the folks over at Big League Stew cover the baseball playoffs this month.  Certainly that pitching matchup tonight in Philadelphia is shaping up to be something historic... or a big letdown.  

All that aside, I must take a step back from that task to comment on the Rockies removal of Don Baylor as hitting coach, and the announcement that Carney Lansford will be replacing him.

My comment: Hell yes!

The Rockies desperately needed this switch. It's not a matter of what Don Baylor knows, doesn't know, how he communicates, what his experience is, what his past credentials are, blah blah. This is about results.

SEVERAL key Rockies players entering, or about to enter, the primes of their careers took major steps backwards offensively in 2010. Chris Iannetta, Ian Stewart, Dexter Fowler, Seth Smith. All backwards.

Then you had professional hitters like Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe, guys in their prime, falling completely off the face of the earth under Baylor's watch. That's a problem.

I know Troy Renck of the Denver Post will continue telling us how well Baylor worked with these hitters. Then he'll cite the development of Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez as feathers in Baylor's cap.

Fine. Great. I'm sure he had sound wisdom for them at times, but come on, those two would hit if I was the hitting coach. If that's all you can give me on the positive side, then you've actually made more of a case against the guy you're defending than for him.

As for Lansford, his experience in the Rockies organization is certainly a plus. The comfort level already exists between him and a number of the Rockies players already mentioned in this article. They know his message and his style. There's no guarantee it'll work for them at this level, obviously, but there's just as much chance it'll be precisely what the doctor ordered.

That's why you have to make the move.

I applaud the Rockies -- Dan O'Dowd and Jim Tracy especially -- for stepping up here to make the change. It's never easy to tell a guy his services are no longer required, but it's necessary to be constantly evaluating your team, your coaches, your situation, how your organization is evolving, and what pieces may or may not be helping you reach a championship level.

I'm happy to see that process taking place.

It's very early still in what I perceive to be the most important off-season in the Dan O'Dowd regime, but I'm encouraged by the events of yesterday and optimistic that honest assessments will be taking place across the board in attempt to correct the problems of 2010. There's a long way to go. There's a lot of work to be done. But it's a damn good start.

Rock Solid Recrap: Lethargic State Of Mind

I was hoping for something a little closer to urgent... or conscious.

I try to avoid placing extra emphasis on any single game at this point of the season, but I really thought today's game presented a golden opportunity to turn a corner on the road, steal a win, a series, establish some confidence.

Perhaps even lay a foundation to build off of the next time they leave Coors Field.

Mets 4, Rockies 0

Those things didn't happen.

I'm really disappointed by that. Not just the result, but the entire nine inning package. It just wasn't good enough.

Yes, I get that Johan Santana was on his game today. I don't mean to take any credit away from him. But pardon me if I don't question a little bit if the Rockies inconsistent and too often lifeless offense had more to do with it than Santana. He may have just been in the right place at the right time.

Yes, I understand the Rockies battled hard last night to come back and win. That was great. I really appreciated and admired that effort. My recap should have driven that point home.

It's just... this team has put itself in a position where they have to battle everyday. Winning every other day in Pittsburgh and New York wouldn't be good enough under any circumstances. It's especially not good enough now, when every loss makes reaching your goals and potential more and more unlikely.

I'm not pulling the plug on this team. I'm just continually frustrated by what I perceive as a lack of urgency. That a switch can be flipped on and everything will be okay. That's my perception of this team's attitude. Wrong or right as it may be, that's where I stand.

These Rockies are absolutely talented enough to win a ton of games in a row, but it makes me extremely uncomfortable how comfortable they are allowing it to get to that point.

Hat tip

Jason Hammel started slow (2 in the 1st) and finished tired (2 in the 7th), but everything in between was really good. So I guess that qualifies Hammel as the Rockies player of the game.

Question

Don't you wish Don Baylor was K-Rod's father-in-law? Just wondering.

Tomorrow

Is Friday the 13th... Mustache Night at Coors Field... and my birthday. I'm equally excited about all three.

Oh... and there will be a baseball game as well. Jorge De La Rosa vs Yovani Gallardo.

That's a really tasty matchup if you love good pitching.

Baylor's Mind In Other Places?

Interesting article penned by Nick Cafardo at Boston.com.

The article centers around Don Baylor's desire to manage again in the big leagues and his frustration with being disregarded by a number of teams with managerial openings and/or likely future managerial openings.

Baylor says...

“It’s not lack of experience,’’ said Baylor. “I have experience. I have the same desire to be on the field and to help an organization put together a winning strategy and work with a GM that has the same goal and philosophy.’’

“When you’ve managed for nine years or so and when you’ve been the Manager of the Year in the National League, there are no other issues whatsoever. None.’’

I suppose it's only natural a guy at Baylor's age who has managed in the past and desires to do so again would be frustrated by the lack on interest. That said, he has a job to do with the Colorado Rockies, and as far as I'm concerned and most Rockies fans are concerned, he's not doing his job worth a damn.

To have the gull to make public comments on wanting to manage again, while he's clearly underperforming in the role he has with the Rockies, kinda makes me sick to my stomach. Do the fricking job you have, then worry about moving on. Don't sit there and bitch about not getting promoted when you're lucky to even have the job you do have.

I'm holding my frustrations back pretty good right now, but to read this.

"I have the same desire to be on the field and to help an organization put together a winning strategy.."

Then put together a winning strategy for Rockies hitters! My God this team looks so freaking clueless at the plate sometimes and you desire to help a team put together a winning strategy? Isn't that your job now?

The Rockies really need to do everybody involved here a favor and can this guy right now. I don't want a guy coaching my team in any shape or form when his mind is 1,000 miles away. Then he can go on that wild goose chase for that job offer that isn't coming again in his lifetime.

Hat tip to MLB Trade Rumors for the heads up.

Roster Questions

How many more days can Jim Tracy justify sitting Dexter Fowler?

Just play him. With an offense that has no life or means of bunching hits together, you need his presence. You need his speed. And honestly, you need his plate discipline. That's not to say his is great, but it's a lot better than CarGo's or Ian Stewart's or Clint Barmes' or Miguel Olivo's or you get the point.

How many more days can Matt Daley waste away in AAA?

Esmil Rogers isn't really cut out for this reliever thing. He's great if he retires everybody, but any kind of error or basehit sends him into disaster inning mode. Those don't just kill games, those damage team confidence/morale/bullpen flexibility.

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