Rock Solid Recap: Three times a Giambi

Zero hits in five weeks. Defensive liability. Manager wasn't giving him any starts at first base in recent weeks. I'd say anybody -- myself included -- that was questioning Jason Giambi's place on the Colorado Rockies roster had plenty of validation to do so.

Heck, he probably wasn't even going to be in Thursday's lineup if not for Todd Helton's back stiffening up on him. But like any proud person does when faced with criticism and given an opportunity to prove doubters incorrect, Giambi stepped up on Thursday night in the biggest way imaginable.

Watch Jason Giambi's first home run

Watch Jason Giambi's second home run

Watch Jason Giambi's third home run

His first career three home run game. He tied a career high with seven RBI. Amazing night.

And we have to give credit where credit is due. Jim Tracy spotted a flaw in Giambi's batting stance during a film session with hitting coach Carney Lansford. Giambi listened to the suggestion to stand more upright at the dish, adjusted, and baseball history was made.

Hats off to all of them for working together to make this special game possible.

Rockies 7, Phillies 1 (boxscore)

-- Speaking of special game's, Jhoulys Chacin's performance was unreal. He dominated the Phillies from start to finish. Granted, their lineup is far from full strength, but that's not his concern. His concern is to beat who's in front of him, and he handled his business like an established ace. It was a joy to watch.

-- Jose Lopez had four hits on Thursday. I don't know if anyone helped him with his stance, but that's a pretty damn good confidence builder for him. As nice as Giambi's game was on several levels, Lopez's performance could be more important long-term if he can build on it.

-- Oh my, Chris Iannetta, 0-for-5 with four strikeouts and another wild pitch allowed that led to a run. That means all three Philadelphia runs in the series came courtesy of a wild pitch/passed ball. He did do a much better job as the game moved along at blocking pitches, so that was good. And once again he called an excellent game, so you'll take the good with the bad.

-- Felipe Paulino pitched a scoreless ninth inning. I know... this was bizarro night at Citizens Bank Park.

-- And how about this for a nightcap: Franklin Morales was dealt to the Boston Red Sox for a player to be named later. Good for Dan O'Dowd for making a tough decision with Morales. It can't be easy to give up on a 25-year-old lefty with a nice arm. Especially knowing if Morales turns it around this has the chance to look like a terrible move. But O'Dowd can't worry about that right now. The Rockies have to field their best 25. This puts them one step closer to that.

Gutsy call all things considered. I respect it and hope it works out for all involved.

Rock Solid Recrap: Fish or cut bait

Hey, isn't that Jim Tracy's newest favorite phrase? How about he take his own advice, get together with Dan O'Dowd and cut the dead weight from this baseball team.

I know it's a tough position for the front office to be in. Some of their decisions are going to end up looking awful. But why not just end it now? No reason to make yourself look worse in a desperate attempt to look smart.

Felipe Paulino has to go. As much as I've supported giving Franklin Morales opportunities, it's time for him to go. Jason Giambi is serving little purpose at this point. This team isn't fielding its best 25 players. Not even close, and there's no excuse for that to continue.

And I don't think Jim Tracy would volunteer to step down as manager, but that would certainly help the situation get better as well.

Padres 8, Rockies 2 (boxscore)

Jason Hammel was alright.

When the umpire isn't giving the low strike, you have to live high in the zone. That's what cost Jason Hammel on the Ludwick three-run homer. He walked Hawpe on four pitches just prior, two of them at bottom of the zone that weren't called strikes. He went up on Maybin, who popped up. But Ludwick didn't miss his.

That was the one big mistake Hammel made. He hit a wall in the 7th inning that Jim Tracy allowed him to spin his tires against, and then he eventually pulled when it was too late. But I guess when Paulino and Morales are your options it's hard to blame him.

Franklin Morales: One pitch, one double. At least it was a strike.

Dexter Fowler attempted a bunt basehit. Failed miserably. If he can ever figure that out, he could approach a .400 OBP. Seriously.

Todd Helton doesn't give away at-bats no matter the inning, the score, the standings. It doesn't matter. Professional at-bat every time.

That's all I really care to write about in terms of the Rockies on field product.

Did Bud Black really pull Mat Latos so he didn't face the possibility of losing the game? I hope not, but if so, that's absurdly stupid. Such a flawed mentality, even though it worked.

Sounds of the game:

Jeff Huson on Chris Iannetta: He's more relaxed. He's seeing about five pitches per ballgame.

Tom Helmer: Can a right-handed batter drag a bunt?

If these are the people attempting to describe the action and educate casual baseball fans, we're in deep trouble. And yes, this was a rare day where Toyota Talk actually made the broadcast better. That doesn't say a lot for Helmer and Huson, but there was a nice message for Harmon Killebrew and a couple decent baseball thoughts in there.

Troy Tulowitzki on his foul popout leading off the 6th: F*CK!

What a lousy game all around. And now the Rockies get to play real baseball teams again... like the Giants, Phillies and Brewers. Oh boy.

Rock Solid Recrap: Rockies go cold in frigid Pittsburgh

Pirates 4, Rockies 3 (14) (boxscore)

Where do we begin tonight?

-- Well, how about with the lack of a clutch hit or timely contact. After Jason Giambi crushed a three-run first inning homer, the offense couldn't muster one single run. They had several chances, but when they needed to move a guy 90 feet, they couldn't get a baseball in play. When they needed a hit, it always found a Pittsburgh glove.

-- Carlos Gonzalez finished the night 0-for-7. That will never happen again in his career. Troy Tulowitzki finished 0-for-4 (three walks), but didn't see a lot to hit after Jason Giambi the game early for a pinch-runner.

-- Jorge De La Rosa was cruising right along for three innings until, once again, a blister problem popped up, altering his command and ending his night early. One has to assume he'll be pushed back a couple days this time as he deals with the reoccurring issues.

-- Dexter Fowler was caught wandering off first base after delivering a one out basehit in 11th. What should have been 1st and 3rd with one out quickly and senselessly became runner on 3rd with two outs.

-- Franklin Morales suffered another meltdown at a bad time for the Rockies. After retiring Jason Jaramillo, Morales forced Ronny Cedeno to pop up on the infield. Morales called for the ball, which no pitcher should ever do, and collided with Ty Wigginton. Morales caught the ball on the rebound, but was clearly rattled, walking Josh Rodriguez on four pitches.

After going 3-1 on Jose Tabata, Morales laid a fastball on a tee that Tabata bounced off the right field wall for the walk-off win.

-- It was also a bad night for manager Jim Tracy. Tracy removed Jason Giambi, who filled in last minute for the injured Todd Helton, for pinch-runner Ian Stewart in 6th. Stewart entered the game with the flu, and unfortunately only lasted three innings. It was clear Tracy wanted to improve the team's defense protecting a one run lead, which is smart, but with the circumstances surrounding Stewart's health, he left himself with no flexibility later in the game.

He probably should have gone to Lopez there and kept Ian for a pinch-hit attempt later on.

I also wasn't a fan of using Huston Street three innings. Low pitch count aside, it's April, and it's your closer that's spent time each of the last two seasons on the DL. Makes me nervous.

And finally, there are some in Pittsburgh who believe Clint Hurdle duped Tracy into pitching to Jose Tabata in the 14th by having Andrew McCutchen stand in the on deck circle one batter before his turn. The next due batter was actually the pitcher's spot currently occupied by Garrett Olson.

To me this sounds like a group of writers out to make Jim Tracy look stupid after his failed run in Pittsburgh. That said, there's little doubt who the better manager was on Friday night. It was the guy we used to have, not the guy we have now.

Spring Training Game 29: Hits, Misses & Foul Tips

Rockies 5, A's 2 (boxscore)

Hits

Ubaldo Jimenez

Good at pitching. Next time we see The Cheif the 2011 season will be officially underway. Relievers Huston Street and Felipe Paulino were equally outstanding in their scoreless innings.

Willy Taveras

The Taveras resurgence continues with three more hits and two runs scored. Great spring and great depth for the Rockies if he sticks in the organization.

Misses

Franklin Morales

Morales is kind of wavering between good and bad lately. Of course the bad will be overreacted to by people with bad memories from last season. And it doesn't help in people's minds that he's made the roster over Matt Daley. Problem is the Rockies want two lefties in the pen, and Daley, while talented and effective, can only pitch with his right arm.

Foul Tips

Mark Tracy

In a cool moment, Jim Tracy's son was allowed an opportunity to pinch-hit. He walked on five pitches, showing more discipline in one at-bat than the Rockies did on their entire trip through Pittsburgh and New York last summer.

Spring Training Game 24: Hits, Misses & Foul Tips

Rockies 6, Angels 6 (boxscore)

Hits

Troy Tulowitzki

These next days 11 days are going to be awfully boring for Tulowitzki. He's ready to go.

Chris Iannetta

I'm beginning to feel really good about Chris. That line drive RBI single in the first inning added to the momentum he's been building over the last week. It started with good plate appearances. Now it's becoming good swings and good contact. The extra base hits shouldn't be too far behind.

Felipe Paulino/Rex Brothers

If these guys continue pitching as they have, along with Street, Lindstrom, Belisle and Betancourt... Damn. The Rockies would be doing themselves a major disservice if they don't seriously consider Brothers for the opening day roster. He may not be experienced, but he's proving himself to be the best lefty arm available in their bullpen. You have to roll with your best.

Misses

Esmil Rogers

Esmil started excellent and then morphed back into that five inning pitcher that struggles to put hitters and innings away. That's a little discouraging in itself, and even more so when you're staked to an 6-0 lead and can't make it stand. Hopefully a trip back to the drawing board can get Esmil focused on what made him so dominant against the Cubs earlier in the week, which simply means pitching with confidence and believing in his abilities.

Foul Tips

Franklin Morales

Morales relieved Rogers in the 6th, allowing two inherited runners to score. One of those coming on one of his two wild pitches. Yikes.

I would say the last two outings have been distinct steps backwards for Morales after a very positive beginning to his spring. Hopefully it's just the natural ebs and flows of a reliever and not a sign his confidence/focus is getting shaky as the season nears. Time will tell.

Spring Training Game 23: Hits, Misses & Foul Tips

Reds 10, Rockies 3 (boxscore)

Hits

Um...

Well, no one got hurt. And everyone remembered their uniform.

Misses

John Maine

Whatever mystery was left in the Rockies 5th starter derby was gone about three batters into today's game. Maine was brutal... to put it nicely. His velocity was down according to people on scene. His command left a lot to be desired. He committed an error on a throw. Awful.

Sadly, it actually fit right in with several other performances by Rockies starters this week, only they weren't pitching for a job.

Sloppiness

Three more errors defensively. Some more icky base running. They should be playing much sharper baseball at this point. You can understand it when everyone is getting their feet under them and just getting work in. We're less than two weeks from opening day now, it's time to work out the kinks and play solid ball. Hopefully we see the beginning of that tomorrow.

Foul Tips

Franklin Morales/Reds broadcast

First real discouraging outing this spring for the man Reds radio described as one of the most dominant lefties in the game. Eh, well, he should be, and maybe he will be, but come on guys.

The funny thing is, knowing Reds broadcasters (mostly the Brennamans) as well as I do, I know they didn't say that because they didn't do their homework. They know who Morales is and the numbers have to be right there in front of them. They just go out of their way to dress up everything the Reds do. 

Yeah, all home team announcers do that to an extent. The Reds guy take it to levels that are laughable.

Five players reassigned to minor league camp

Among them were Ben Paulsen and Charlie Blackmon, who represented themselves VERY well this spring. All Rockies fans should be impressed and encouraged by both.

Hernan Iribarren had a better than average spring. Didn't run the bases particularly well, but I'm not sure the Rockies view that as a negative.

Pitchers Claudio Vargas and Sean White will likely go to Colorado Springs. White might be one of those relief arms you see come up in September... or he could be released tomorrow.

Spring Training Game 14: Hits, Misses & Foul Tips

Rockies 4, Royals 3 (boxscore)

Hits

Jason Hammel

Hammel made one mistake this afternoon -- which Mike Aviles hit for a HR. He also walked one, but retired each of the 12 other batters he faced. He's having as good as a spring as anyone in a Rockies uniform.

Todd Helton

Two more hits this afternoon. He's definitely locked in and feeling good. Cross your fingers it continues.

Seth Smith

Nice to hear a little noise from Seth in the spring. He's been relatively quiet, which doesn't necessarily mean he's struggling, but it's good to see him muscle up and take Luke Hochevar yard.

Misses

Carlos Gonzalez

0-for-3 with two strikeouts? Is that even allowed under his new contract?

Obviously it was a light day for misses, which is always a good thing.

Foul Tips

Franklin Morales

Four scoreless outings to start the spring for Franklin. I couldn't be happier for him. The sad thing, though, he could give up one run in his next outing and Rockies fans will go into their hate Morales routine. Just let the kid be and let him get his confidence.

Rex Brothers

Brothers had uneven inning of work today, loading the bases on one hit and two walks, but pitching out of the mess undamaged.

We're starting to hear his name more and more as an outside possibility to make the roster. Some of that has to do with how well he's pitching, but most of it has to do with how poorly Matt Reynolds has fared to this point. I think Reynolds will work his way through this stretch and be fine, but we'll have to take a closer look at Brothers' outings from here on out just in case.

Adam Jorgenson

Remember Adam from the first game of spring training? Things went much, much better today, as he lowered his ERA to 32.40 with one inning of one run baseball.

Spring Training Game 10: Hits, Misses & Foul Tips

Rockies 4, Cubs 0 (boxscore)

Hits

Jorge De La Rosa

Awesome. Could not ask for a better outing (4 IP, 2 H, 5 K) from a starter 11 games into the spring.

Jordan Pacheco

Pacheco lit up the scoreboard again today with a three-run home run off Braden Looper. The story of camp continues.

Clayton Mortensen

Mortensen is making the most of his spring opportunity after being acquired from Oakland to add depth to the starting rotation in Colorado Springs. He won't make the opening day roster, but he's a decent bet for a spot start or stint in the bullpen if the Rockies depth is tested.

Franklin Morales 

Three scoreless appearances this spring. Let's all cross our fingers and really hope he's found his groove during the winter.

Misses

Nothing really stood out here. I was honestly more focused on the Rockies game with the White Sox that aired locally than this game, but from what I heard the Rockies played solidly.

Foul Tips

Split Squads

If you're going to split the squads, stagger the times so nerdy fans like myself with blogs can keep their thoughts straight. That is all!

Spring Training Game 7: Hits, Misses & Foul Tips

Rockies 10, Royals 9 (boxscore)

Hits

Carlos Gonzalez

Pretty good hitter when he's locked... which is apparently all the time. The sound off his bat is second to no one in either league.

Jason Giambi

The ball was making a nice sound off Giambi's bat as well. Two doubles, two RBI. I get the feeling he's going to help the Rockies a lot this season after struggling to gain comfort in his role most of 2010.

Jordan Pacheco

What? Only 1-for-4 today? What's the matter with Jordan?

Kidding. That one hit was a 2-run double. He also stole a base and gunned down the speedy Alcides Escobar on a SB attempt. He's the unquestioned star of camp through the first week of games.

Misses

Esmil Rogers

Felipe Paulino is now the clear favorite for the 5th rotation spot after Esmil's bleh outing today. You can live with the four hits he allowed, but it's the walk and the two hit batters in just three innings that lead to extensive damage, short outings and taxed bullpens.

The good news is he has time to find his release point and get that consistency down, but not as much time as a guy like Chacin or De La Rosa, who already have their roster spots locked up.

Claudio Vargas

Nothing to see here. Triple A roster filler at best.

Greg Smith

Smith had his second uneven performance is as many appearances. He may not even get past the first cut down.

Foul Tips

Franklin Morales

Another scoreless outing for Morales despite a Mike Aviles triple, which is encouraging. Obviously there's a big difference between showing poise now and showing poise in April or August, but it's a start.

Also, the more Rockies fans hate on this kid the more I pull for him. There's no better feeling than silencing critics. That's the feeling I want for Franklin. I also want him to make the Rockies better, so that kinda goes hand-in-hand.

Ben Paulsen/Charlie Blackmon

Paulsen and Blackmon continue to contribute something positive whenever they're afforded the opportunity. That's all you can ask for of these kids. Great attitudes that fit the Rockies mold perfectly.

Spring Training Game 3: Hits, Misses & Foul Tips

Rockies 7, Diamondbacks 4 (boxscore)

Hits

Jason Hammel

Nice opening effort for Hammel Time with two scoreless frames. Troy Renck summed up the outing with this tweet.

We also intercepted this tweet from Jason's brother Bill to Renck.

Chris Iannetta

If you hit a home run, your chances to make the hit list are very good. He also flew out to RF right after a runner scored from third on a passed ball. I was actually very annoyed by that passed ball because I wanted to see if Iannetta would come through with a good situational AB. Guess we'll have to wait.

Jordan Pacheco

Pacheco has future man crush written all over him. Two more hits today with an RBI. He can flat rake.

Hernan Iribarren

First of all, that's a fantastic spring training baseball name. Second, he's played quite well in back-to-back games. Seeing as we've only played three, we'll call go ahead and call Hernan the early favorite for the surprise of camp 2011. What that gets him who knows.

New opponent tomorrow

You can only beat up on the Arizona Diamondbacks for so long without getting bored. Rockies head to Peoria tomorrow to take on the San Diego Padres.

Misses

Greg Smith

The Good: The 3rd inning. He pitched a scoreless top half and doubled leading off the bottom.

The Ugly: Yes, straight from good to ugly. Smith's horrendous 4th inning -- which consisted of 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB and one home run allowed to Russell Branyan -- will keep him a long ways off the Rockies radar.

In his defense, I'm sure it won't be the last home run Russell Branyan hits off Rockies pitching in 2011. He fits the mold of a Rockies killer the same way Pedro Feliz and Scott Hairston did.

Foul Tips

Franklin Morales

A scoreless inning! Sure there was one little walk mixed in there, but no runs, no hits, no balks, no wild pitches. We're on to something here.

Patience

The Rockies swung at the first pitch of every at bat today. Alright, not really, the At Bat Ap/Gameday on MLB.com only keep track of the pitches put in play. That gets confusing for a half inning or so.

Wouldn't it be nice if these 11 things happened in '11

Wouldn't it be nice...

... if the Rockies could get through spring training relatively healthy? 

After Sunday's Aaron Cook news, I think we're already down to ten.

... if we could count on Aaron Cook for 25 starts? 

Make that nine.

... if one of the Gregs (Reynolds or Smith) got their act together, stayed healthy for a full season, and contributed at a level higher than Double A?

Not ready to give up on this one... but don't hold your breath.

... if Ian Stewart led the league in RBI in April? 

Not because the stat means everything -- we've had it beaten into our brains that it doesn't -- but because that would very likely indicate the Rockies are scoring a lot of runs and #3 and #4 in the order will get pitched to a lot more.

... if Jim Tracy never used Huston Street four days in a row?

Heck, I'd be happy if he never had to go three days in a row. Mariano Rivera never does. I'm just guessing that's part of the reason he's remained so damn good for so damn long.

... if Todd Helton has one of those seasons that tipped the Hall of Fame scales back in his favor?


... if the Rockies patience (and mine) with Franklin Morales is rewarded?


... if the Rockies hired an old school organist to play walk-up music so we didn't have to hear silly debates over which walk-up song each Rockie selects?

 I means sure, it's all a part of the entertainment package that draws in the casual fan, but most of the guys pick awful songs or don't take it seriously.

And besides that, nothing will ever top Dante Bichette walking up to Sledgehammer. Talk about palpable electricity each time he was due up in a clutch situation late in a ballgame. That was special.

... if the Rockies named someone their regular second baseman, and that someone was Eric Young? 

He has to prove that's what he belongs, but having that speed into the #2 spot is something I'd really like to see. It would also help keep Jim Tracy from going overboard on the tinkering, while giving him his most versatile bench.

... if Dexter Fowler bunted a lot more? 

Just be on base, please. Those bunt singles are almost as good as doubles in most cases. Also, when you're on base, the Rockies have a really, really good chance of scoring run(s) in that particularly inning. That's logistics.

... if the Rockies finally win the NL West?

Please. I want to see one of those neat banners. There's one I want more than that, but just to finally see that a division championship banner would be fantastic. It's a nice to hurdle to get over en route to the biggest hurdle.

Why Franklin Morales deserves a chance

Saw the name Franklin Morales a lot on Twitter again yesterday. Not sure why. It shouldn't come as news to anyone that he's getting another opportunity to make the Rockies squad. And quite honestly, he deserves that chance.

Yeah, he was a complete train wreck last season. Got that.

The Rockies were foolish to keep running him out there time after time when it was obvious he didn't have any answers. Got that too. No one could possibly deny it.

That said, why not allow him to come to camp to see if he's figured something out? Why is that such a crime? The release Morales sentiment I often hear from fans drives me crazy. It's nonsense. Nobody seems to remember that this kid saved the Rockies ass in two different playoff seasons.

In 2007: The Rockies went 6-2 in his 8 starts. All of them coming in August and September. I'd say that was pretty important... right or wrong?

In 2009: Morales converted all 7 of his save opportunities. Each of them coming when Huston Street was injured in the month of September. He saved the Rockies ass one more time. No one could possibly deny that either.

To me that earns him at least one more chance. If he struggles and somehow clears waivers, I'd be willing to give him one more chance after that. What the heck does it hurt?

I'm not saying you hand him a roster spot in 2011 or force feed him down our throats. I'm not telling you he's going to be good again in a Rockies uniform. I'm saying he's twenty-freaking-four, he made a major impact at the big league level in the two most successful seasons the Rockies have ever had, and he did so at the age of 21 and 23. Why would you even consider pulling the plug now? That's a kid you give chances to.

Just imagine if the Cleveland Indians had pulled the plug on Cliff Lee after his dreadful 2007 season. That would have lost their opportunity to restock their minor leagues after the 2009. I'm not putting Morales on Lee's level. Please don't twist my words to say that. It's just an example of a situation where a talented guy completely lost it for a whole season but managed to recover it and became an elite player.

It happens.

Rock Solid Recrap: Dead Team Walking

The reality of the Rockies situation seems to have settled in on the players.  That said, I was at least expecting energy and urgency tonight as Ubaldo Jimenez went after win #20.  

Not to be.

Dodgers 3, Rockies 1

Ubaldo was fantastic.  Aside from a shaky first inning that saw him lacking in command and luck, he did everything he could to give the offense a chance.  All they needed was one good inning, one crooked number on the board.  Unfortunately, all they could muster was a Carlos Gonzalez solo HR into the center field forest.

Very disappointing.

But then you look at Roy Halladay out there for the Phillies taking matters into his own hands.  He pitched a complete shutout tonight to notch his 21st victory.  The win also clinched Philadelphia the National East title.  That just shows that there is still a wide gap between the tier Ubaldo stands on, and the tier reserved for Cy Young candidates.

The Offense

This was the third time the Rockies have seen Ted Lilly since August 19th.   He shut them out in LA on that date.  The Rockies came home to rough him up not long after.  Tonight looked exactly like the first time.

They had no answers whatsoever, and that's disturbing to me because like I said, they've seen him a lot in a short period of time.  I don't know that there's anything he was doing tonight that they didn't see the first two times, but they were never able to make adjustments.

I don't think you can put everything on the hitting coach, the hitters have to take their own mental notes and adjust on the fly, but it's maddening how lost the offense can look on any given night.

Maybe Don Baylor isn't as awful at his job as it sometimes appears, but maybe his message (whatever it is) isn't fitting this team either.  You can't overhaul the entire lineup, but I think the Rockies would be foolish to not consider a change at the hitting coach position.  And to be perfectly honest, his return would put a significant dent in my optimism for 2011.

Once-In-A- Season Events

I counted three of them tonight between the Rockies game and Monday Night Football.

1. Ryan Theriot walked on four pitches.
2. Robbie Gould missed a FG.
3. Franklin Morales received a standing ovation.  And it wasn't just because he was leaving.  He earned it.  

Tomorrow

Jeff Francis vs Hiroki Kuroda

Of course you know this means the offense will give Francis 7-8 runs of support.  Unfortunately, he'll probably need all of them.  Expect to see a lot of Jim Tracy and Joe Torre.

Rock Solid Recrap: How Not To Manage A Must Win Game

This was awful. The way Jim Tracy handled the game tonight was embarrassing and bordering on asinine. You can't label a game a must win (which it was) and then turn around and manage like it's April 27th.

Why the hell are you saving Betancourt and Street and Belisle and Reynolds?

For what?

For when?

For who?

This was a game you absolutely had to have, and here are the arms our genius manager used.

• Franklin Morales 
• Esmil Rogers (he actually made sense in his role, but was left out there to die. No excuse for that.) 
• Manny Delcarmen 
• Joe Beimel 
• Octavio Dotel

Either that's a manager saying I don't believe my offense has what it takes to turn this game around, or he's just clueless. Either freaking way, he didn't give his team the very best chance to win a must win game tonight.

Inexcusable. Unconscionable. Downright hideous managing.

Diamondbacks 10, Rockies 9

Because guess what? His team had fight in them tonight. His team battled their asses off to turn an 8-2 game into one run, one swing from taking the lead game. Not just one swing, but on two separate occasions they were mere feet or inches from taking the lead.

Yeah, I know Jeff Francis didn't give the team as much as they needed. Yeah Rogers didn't pitch well. The entire team obviously needed to play better tonight, the entire series, and at various points throughout the season, but if Tracy had just used the best arms he had available to keep the game from snowballing in the 6th-8th innings, the results could have been so much different.

He failed at his job. Miserably. No excuse.

He failed his players. He failed the organization. He failed the city of Denver and the state of Colorado. And above all he failed the diehard Rockies fans.

His legacy in Colorado will not be all the "Tracy is My Homeboy" nonsense that followed 2009. He was merely along for that ride just like the rest of us were.

His legacy now is how he unsuccessfully managed arguably the most talented roster in the NL (for sure the division) into a longshot playoff hopeful.  A no doubt 95 win caliber team is very unlikely to even reach 90.

This tweet by Joe Sheehan last night will be forever remembered by me because it tells the story so well.

@joe_sheehan There's an alternate universe in which Jim Tracy retired before the season, the Rockies hired [anyone else] and went 98-64. #rockies

Of course now they will sweep the Giants and the Padres will manage to lose two of three over the weekend to make the final week interesting again. But even then it won't matter because as much heart as this Rockies team has -- and they DO have heart -- they don't have a brain in the dugout.

If they only had a brain.

Rock Solid Recrap: Three Days Late

This will be Friday's game.  

Dodgers 6, Rockies 2 

I'm guessing there was a ton of frustration over Jim Tracy allowing Ubaldo Jimenez to begin that game-deciding 8th inning.  Looking at Ubaldo's pitch count after his removal (126), any and all frustration would be justified.

It is a tough spot for a manager, but Jim Tracy has proven time and time again (for 10 years) that he's just not a good in-game manager.  No feel for anything.  Acts desperate at all the wrong times.  Remains patient at all the wrong times.  It's annoying, and once again, it's why he's been fired two different times in the last 10 years.

Another reason would be strategy like this in the second inning.

Why intentionally walk Rod Barajas?  It's the 2nd inning!  You honestly don't believe your Cy Young candidate can't retire Rod Barajas?  Alright then.

What ends up happening?  Clayton Kershaw shows some patience, runs Ubaldo full, makes him throw seven pitches before flying out harmlessly.  Did you get through the inning?  Yes.  Were you smart of efficient.  I'd go with a big no.  I don't really need to see Ubaldo intentionally walking anybody.

And then it was another intentional walk setting up the Casey Blake Grand Slam.  That one you can understand under the circumstances, but I just hating giving aways and giving the opponent more runners.  It's a tight rope worth staying off of most times.

I'll insert this paragraph from Rox Girl's recap over at Purple Row.

Okay, let me get this out there before anybody gets too far into a Jim Tracy bashfest. This loss wasn't completely on his shoulders. Once again, for what feels like the billionth time this season, there were large portions of the offense that were exposed by Dodgers pitching, and the two runs the Rockies scored might not have cut it regardless off which Rockies pitcher started the eighth inning.

It's true.  There's always more to it than one decision.  That said, the evidence against Jim Tracy has been mounting all season.  The frustration is warranted.

I'm sure the frustration hit an entirely different level when Franklin Morales was summoned from the bullpen.

In this case, I would have said give the kid a chance.  I know he was God awful for so long this season, but my thinking would be who's to say he can't resume being the guy who REALLY helped this team make the playoffs in 2007 and 2009.

But the facts are the facts.  He clearly isn't that guy anymore.  Odds of him being that guy drop significantly every time he walks or balks.  He's a headcase with a wonderful arm and so much untapped potential.

Headcase > Potential

Highlights

How great is it to see Todd Helton go opposite field on a long ball?  (Highlight)

Will there be a portion of CarGo's body not wrapped by the time this season ends?  My God this kid gives it everything on the field.  So does Dexter Fowler.  In a lot of ways that's awesome, in so many other ways it remind me of Jim Edmonds and how he never lived up to his potential becasue was always injured playing defense.

Catch 22, but we'll take the outs.  (Highlight)

Rock Solid Recrap: Meet The New Lightning Rod

Exit: Franklin Morakes.  Enter: Manuel Corpas.  

Giants 11, Rockies 8

Manny Corpas

It pains me that Manny is receving and will continue to receive the boos that were recently reserved for Franklin Morales.  There's a really big difference between the two pitchers and their situations.

Morales' struggles were and are a product of his own mental toughness... or lack there of.  Even though I'm not a big fan of booing a guy with that fragile a mental state, at least you can point to his failures being a product of his own weakness/ability.  It's somewhat justifiable.

Manny Corpas is a different story.  His problems really have little to do with anything he's done, unless you consider him not telling Jim Tracy he needs a day off every now and then to be a crime.

Corpas has nothing left in the tank.  No short reliever could withstand the workoad Jim Tracy piled up on his arm in April and May.  Corpas had no experience as a long man, didn't really prepare for that role in ST, yet Jim Tracy kept using him for 2-3 innings at a time.  Burning precious bullets in non-pressure situations.

Manny had a lot of success in that role early, despite his lack of experience there.  Hell, I even said Manny was the second most valuable player on the team in April.  He was.  The work he did was fabulous.  So good, in fact, that Jim Tracy decided to shift him to the closer role.

There you have another type of workload. It's still physically demanding, of course, but here we're talking a 100% jump in mental demands   Manny did fine there for awhile, but everything finally caught up to him in that Milwaukee series when Tracy tried squeezing four days in a row out of him.  That idea was designed to fail from the get go, and boy did it fail miserably.

Sadly, Manny hasn't been the same guy since.  He's just a shell of the pitcher we saw in April.  His pitches are flat, and his confidence is shot.  That's all on Jim Tracy, because his job is to maximize a player's usefulness, not run him into the ground physically and drain him mentally.

Matt Belisle is in a similar spot, but has held up a little better than Manny because he has a history as a starter.  His arm is used to the workload.  That said, he will remain on implosion and fatigue watch, because you can only push these guys so far, and Jim Tracy seems far too willing to test those limits.

This is what has gotten Jim fired from his two previous managerial gigs.  He doesn't learn.  Never will.

Joe Beimel

As David Martin pointed out earlier, what makes the situation ten times more frustrating and baffling is San Francisco had three left-handed hitters due up that 7th inning, and Tracy had a fresh Joe Beimel at his disposal.

He goes to Corpas.  Why?  To keep Pat Burrell on the bench?

Idiot.

Just go with your BEST guys or your FRESH guys.  When your best guy and your fresh guy are one in the same, then the decision should be a no-brainer.

Not in the world of Jim Tracy.

Sad.

Ubaldo Jimenez 

This might sound weird.  It's almost as if Ubaldo and Jason Hammel have changed uniforms. The one bad inning bug that bit Hammel for so long is now latched on to Ubaldo's right arm.

Of course it goes deeper than that.  Ubaldo is likely fatiguing just as the guys above are.  That's to be expected though from a starter.  They go through periods of poor mechanics and other such ups and downs.

Tired arms.  Poor command.  Bad luck.  Lack of run support.  Lots of run support.  Poor defense.

I'm not worried about him.  It's just the natural flow of the season.

Besides that, If Fowler gets to that ball in the 3rd, it's a different scenario.  That ball dropping led to six runs that would not have scored.

That doesn't serve as an excuse for Jimenez, but it does emphasize the fine line every pitcher walks in a given game.  And to me it just emphasizes even more how special he was to avoid those situations entirely for two months.

Tomorrow

Jason Hammel vs. Matt Cain

Hammel needs to be good here.  The Rockies absolutety can't afford to give this series away and give the Giants any more momentum.  BIG game.

I'm Pulling For Morales

I really am!

I hope you will as well.

He's off the big league roster. He can't kill the Rockies playoff hopes anymore. We have to put that anger and frustation behind us or channel it to be something more positive.

Rockies fans... He's still one of our guys. He's still a part of the Rockies organization. Quite honestly, he's still a BIG part of the organization.

True, he may never throw another meaningful pitch for the Rockies in his career, but the bottom line on Franklin remains that he's left-handed, he can throw hard, and he has the type of big league stuff every GM will salivate over. He just needs to figure out how to put it all together on a consistent basis.

We need that to happen while he's still under our umbrella. Or we at least need him to show signs of it so that if/when the Rockies decide to cut bait, there may be a decent return (prospect) on their investment.

I encourage our fans at Colorado Springs to not boo Morales when he walks a batter or throws a wild pitch. I know, I know, you pay your money, you can do what you want. That's fine. But just understand the bigger picture here involves not only rehabing Franklin's pitching mechanics, but also rehabing him mentally.

Hearing boos every time he makes mistake won't help in either process.

I can't force anyone else to join me on this, but there's really no reason not to. Let's give the kid a little support and give him the best possible chance to grow up and become the man/pitcher we all hoped he'd become.

Rock Solid Recrap: Nibbling Leads To Crumbling

Padres 13, Rockies 3

I'll attempt to not overreact to one really horrfying loss.

I think I'm going to fail miserably at this.

Jeff Francis

If Jeff Francis is going to come out nibbling, while also completely wearing down 80-90 pitches in to his outings, then he should be considered for removal from the rotation when Jorge De La Rosa returns.

That will never happen, of course, but it could be a consideration.

His command needs to improve. His confidence isn't where it needs to be. His arm strength should be progressing by now. It's just not happening. He's not going to be anything more than a 5-6 inning pitcher unless he sees significantly improvement in each of those categories.

Honestly, I'd much rather live through the growing pains of Jhoulys Chacin and the inconsistencies of Aaron Cook than sit through anything like today again. Seriously, did you not want to jump through your TV, computer screen, IPhone or radio today and scream at Jeff Francis?

THROW STRIKES.

Make them earn it. Quit pitching like you're afraid of challenging the likes of Jerry Hairston and Chris Denorfia. He set an awful tone for himself in that first inning -- and then he got drilled in the arm by a comebacker. That surely didn't help him find his comfort zone.

It's weird, but aside from that particular hit, Francis was not hit hard in the game. He just constantly put himself in trouble with the walks, a HBP, several three ball counts. Then he naturally wore down, starting leaving pitches up, and the the Padres pecked away at him with bloops and well placed bleeders.

Franklin Morales

Of course the lightning rod Franklin Morales came out there and poured gasoline on the fire. He was his usual erractic self, while also getting hit hard. We already know what we're getting with Franklin, though. It's asinine to continue using him in a relief role when the trend shows he can't retire the first couple batters he faces. I don't even need to see a stat to understand that one.

Manny Corpas

Has a dead arm I'm sure.

The Offense

Clayton Richard's career high coming in was 8 strikeouts.  Today he set a new mark with 10 strikeouts.

Just fire Don Baylor already and give this team a fresh voice. Whatever he's saying, if he's even saying anything, isn't resonating.

Overall

It was just another one of those Rockies mail it in type of games we too often see when a W could really cement something positive.  Oh well. It is what it is with this team. They're still hanging tough in the standings, but something is going to break one way or the other very soon.

We're turning the page to July. This is where the contenders start stepping up and the pretenders start stepping aside.

A Trade Request To Dan O'Dowd

Mr. O'Dowd,

I'm not one to discuss or dream up trade rumors because I think it's a waste of time and energy for people with little knowledge of the inner-workings of trade talks to pretend like we have that knowledge.

This is just me pitching the name of a player out there that I like.

Jhonny Peralta -- IF -- Cleveland

He's 28.  By all accounts he has a reasonable contract.  Most importantly, the Indians sound willing to part company with him.

He's topped 20 HRs three times since 2005.  He averages roughly 80 RBI a season over that period of time.  He also plays two positions the Rockies currently need assistance at.

SS is his primary position.  He's no Troy Tulowitzki, very few are, but he could help the Rockies withstand the loss of Tulo for a number of weeks.

When that time passes, and maybe even before then, Peralta is a fine candidate to get ABs at 3B from Ian Stewart.  Let's face it, you need better production from the hot corner offensively.  A platoon there involving those two could maximize some production there.

What happens to Melvin Mora?

Well, we've seen he can play a little LF.  He could get ABs there, but the ultimate use for Mora is a platoon with Helton at 1B, while serving as a PH.  Jason Giambi would be the odd man out of this scenario.

I just wanted to throw Peralta's name out there.  Aaron Hill, Dan Uggla, Kelly Johnson, Craig Counsell are all names that intrigue me.  Names like Ryan Theriot, Cesar Izturis, Kaz Matsui, Julio Lugo and Adam Everett do not interest me.  In fact, I never want to hear those names linked to the Rockies again.

I like Peralta better than all of them.  Where he plays makes sense.  The money seems to make sense.  I don't know if they talent would match up, but you can always dangle Franklin Morales, right?

Thank you for reading, Mr O'Dowd.  I appreciate your time.

Mark R. Townsend
Heaven & Helton

Rock Solid Recrap: Twins Baseball At Its Finest

Twins 9, Rockies 3

You couldn't have written a script that better captures the essence of Twins baseball than what we saw unfold tonight.  They are pesky.  They are professional.  They adjust mid-stride.  They don't beat themselves.  That's why they constantly contend.

Just look at what they did to Aaron Cook.  They know what Cook likes to do.  They knew the HP umpire wasn't calling the pitches Cook needs to be strikes, so they layed off everything around the knees and forced Cook to bring it up a little more.  The result was a lot of baseball that were struck pretty well on the ground that simply found holes.

A lot of those eight groundball hits could have just easily been right at infielders, and Cook could have had 6-7 innings of quality pitching under his belt.  But the Twins knew that was their only chance for offensive success against an Aaron Cook that was keeping the ball down pretty effectively.

Tip your cap to Minnesota.

Aaron Cook

Regardless of how or why it the Twins knocked him out in under four innings, the fact of the matter is that it's happening way too often to Cookie.  His command is still off.  The sinker is there, but it's not there consistently.

We're approaching a point where a decision has to be made on the bottom of the rotation.  The Rockies would like to hold off on that decision until Jorge De La Rosa returns but another outing like this may force their hand a bit.  

My prediction remains that Cook will hit the DL, rest for a couple weeks, take a couple rehab starts, and the Rockies will hope they're adding a quality rotation arm come August and September.

Losing Player: Franklin Morales 

All that said about Cook, the losing player for me is Franklin Morales.  He had a chance tonight to establish himself in a new, more relaxed role as a long man that gives his manager innings and keeps his team in the game.

He didn't take to the role at all.  He was still all over the place with his command.  He was missing up in the zone, which resulted in quick offense for the Twins.  At least with Cook everything was down and Minnesota had to scratch and claw a little bit.  When Morales came in, the ball started flying.

Not good.

That's my take tonight.  Not a whole lot else to cover.  The offense was spotty.  The HRs from Tulowitkzi and Helton were nice to see.  It was just one of those games where they were clearly outplayed, which is a lot less frustrating than watching them give away a game that should have won against a team they should beat.