Dan O’Dowd was hired as the Rockies General Manager on September 20th, 1999. Since that time he has amassed a win-loss record of 1,063-1,206. A difference of 143 more losses than wins and 72 games UNDER 500 for his GM career.
In that time the Rockies have produced five batting champions, two of which O’Dowd had nothing to do with, Helton 2000, Walker 2001, Holliday 2007, Cargo 2010 and just last year, Cuddyer. Who also won the Silver Slugger.
In 2009, O’Dowd’s club won the wild card and quickly disappeared in the playoffs. There was the amazing 2007 NL pennant. That club had to win 21 of 22 games to tie the Padres and force a play in game, which of course they won. A achievement never been done before and doubtful to ever be done again. The reason? Good teams don’t have to do that, good teams win 90-95 games and make the playoffs.
After both of O’Dowd’s playoff runs, his managers promptly left him. He fired Hurdle the year after his playoff run and made the environment so bad that Tracy quite three years after his playoff shot.
Following the 2008 season, O’Dowd won the Sporting News Executive of the Year, a season the Rockies went 74-88 and came in 3rd place in the NL West. In 12 years O’Dowd has had three major free agent signings. Neagle and Hampton’s shard disaster and Jeromy Burnitz in 2004. A aging hitter that worked out fairly well for the club. In the last five years, Baseball America has averaged the Rockies Organizational Talent Rankings at 12.6 in the National League.
In 2006 the Rockies’s GM made his famous ‘looking for players of character’ statement, defining character as being Christian, which offended everyone and has made a mockery out of the depth of the farm system. Not to mention Helton’s recent error. At the very least, that old hitter is no longer holding the hitting line up down. Speaking of DUIs, Charlie Monfort earned a DUI in 1999 and he’s been charged with one this year. Blowing a .284, three times the legal limit which only a professional drunk and get up that high.
I am not even going to talk about him ‘firing’ himself to Modesto.
Clearly Dan O’Dowd has to go and take all of his staff with him. The physics of playing baseball at altitude is obviously a huge challenge. One that has eluded this GM for 14 years.
Dan doesn’t get all the blame though, Dick Monfort is easily the biggest issue with this team. In the last 12 years the Rockies have average a attendance ranking of 14th in the majors. That is smack dab in the middle of mid-market definition. In the same time frame, the Rockies payroll is $174 million UNDER the AVERAGE major league teams salary. That’s $14.5 million under the rest of the leagues medium each and every year. The Rockies would have to spend that additional 14.5 million bucks just to REACH the salary of a mid-market team.
This team is a mess, an atrocity of professional baseball and it will never be fixed while O’Dowd and Monfort are in charge. Simply sad that the amazing baseball fans in Colorado has to continually deal with the pathetic product put on Coor’s field. This year, finally, I have not re-newed my season tickets.
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Shayne Sharpe
Shayne is a Colorado native with a life love of sports. He's been studying and loving this state and their teams for four decades.
Excellent column and welcome to Light Rod Sports. So proud you are my colleague now, Shayne.
I am not even a Rockies fan, but that franchise sucked the life out of me this year. I was frustrated writing about them. I was bored. I was turned off by the lack of leadership by everyone on the team from High School Walt to Troy Tulowitzki. I was turned off by guys being okay with losing. I was disgusted with guys not playing the game with a proper mindset. I mean it was a joke. I was so turned off with the whole experience.
I know David Martin, who writes about the Rockies religiously for the excellent Rockies Review site. I have no idea how the hell he does everyday during the baseball season. Fans like him deserve better. I know a lady name Diane who was passionate for the Rockies, and she deserves better. Everyone does. Rockies fans have been loyal, and for their reward, they get the finger from that idiot Dick Monfort. It’s a joke.
Leslie, I totally agree with you. I’ve been a season ticket holder since 1998. This year, finally, I have given up on them. Dead last in the division again, excuses and more straight up bull sh$^. There is no excuse for Colorado fans not DEMANDING a team they can root for. What a damn joke….. The Cubbies of the West, probably the absolute most pitiful derogatory statement of any Colorado team, EVER!! Cubs are a bunch of damn losers and so are the Rockies.
My issue with the Rockies is Dick Monfort is so loyal to his incompetent employees. Dan O’Dowd and Bill Geivett have done nothing. My guess is Dick really runs the organization, and those two are company man. They are basically told to be company men. Why else would they be employed?
The clubhouse culture stinks. The operation is horrible. This ain’t even a Major League franchise, Shayne. Compare the Rockies to competent baseball teams, and all you can do is laugh from crying.
I know Rockies fans are upset. What can they do if Dick Monfort does not care? Apathy has invaded Coors Field. This should bother Dick, but apparently not.
Nice line comparing Cubs to Rockies.