As disappointing as it is to say, it’s finally gotten to the point where you can say that the 2013 Rockies are all but finished.
Not to say that anyone expected better out of the Rockies after the miserable 99-loss season in 2012, but it’s time to give them the death sentence, even if we’re only at the 103-game mark.
It might seem a bit hasty to make such a bold statement just because the Rockies lost three of four to the garbage of the league in the Miami Marlins, but the statement isn’t just in lieu of the series against Miami. The Rockies have issues that are beyond fixing, at least for one season. When you have Walt Weiss as your manager, despite being such a great guy, it’s kind of like having a crash dummy sitting in your corner. I’ve seen barely any emotion out of Walt, and when the guys in the club house need a strong voice, he’s about as emotional as your average mime.
Let’s not just put a target on Walt, though. It’s his first year as manager, and I’m not counting out the possibility that he can manage in the big-leagues. If I had to really put a target on someone’s back, I’m putting it squarely on Dan O’Dowd. I’m sure the Rockies fan base would join me in doing so, and with good reason. If the Rockies had a general manager that was willing to make a move that would help out this squad, you’d see a move being made for a banger-type bat to fill in nicely in that sixth slot in the batting order to replace Helton. You’d then stick Helton on the bench, and put Cuddyer at first in his place.
That’s not the only move a proactive general manager would make. Oh no, the Rockies could then get another sure-fire starting pitcher. The Rockies are set near the top with Chacin, De La Rosa, Chatwood, and Nicasio on a good day, but they need a consistent seven-inning guy right in the middle to round-out that rotation. I’ll leave the trade speculation of who to get to our writer Dave Land, but you get the point.
The Rockies don’t have the front-office management that is willing to break the bank and farm system to complete this roster. I’d be foolish to say that it’s completely the fault of the on-field product. I’d go as far as saying that the front-office is holding back this team, and they know it. But does ownership and company care? Not one bit. There’s always butts in the seats regardless of how atrocious this team is, and you could even make the case that more fans come when this team stinks, because fans start to feel bad for the team, not to mention the cheaper tickets.
As “rant-like” as this blog might seem, it’s the cold-hard truth and the smart fans in this town know it. As long as The Monfort brothers own this team, and as long as Dan O’Dowd is running things upstairs, you can pencil in the Colorado Rockies to be as mediocre as any team in Major League Baseball.
And if they’re going to continue being as bad as they’ve been, do you really think guys like Troy Tulowitzki, Dexter Fowler, and Carlos Gonzalez are going to want to stick around with such a stinker of a team? No way. Think about that. Cough Cough, Dan O’Dowd, Monfort brothers. Cough.
Anthony Rodriguez
Anthony is the Founder, Administrator, Editor and Publisher of Lightning Rod Sports. Originally from California, Anthony has been raised in the Rocky Mountains and Denver area for most of his life. Anthony works with the Emmy-winning student-run T.V. newscast at MSU Denver, The Met Report, as the Assistant General Manager, formerly the Sports Producer, as well as Lead Anchor and Production Assistant. He is currently the Play-by-Play Announcer, Color Commentator, and Production Assistant for the Metro State Broadcast Network, and calls games for Metro State soccer, basketball, volleyball, baseball, and softball as a “Voice of the Roadrunners.” In addition to that work with the Metro State Broadcast Network, Anthony also hosts the monthly 30-minute magazine show called "The Roadrunner Review" which airs on Altitude Sports and Entertainment. He hosts the bi-weekly "KMet Sports Show" on KMET Radio at MyMetMedia.com/KMETSportsShow. He is also the Founder, Administrator, Editor, and Columnist for his own Denver Sports website, LightningRodSports.com. Anthony is also part of the Social Media team at Examiner.com, and has worked with the Altitude Radio Network for the Avalanche and Nuggets. Anthony is a former Producer for Mile High Sports Radio, as well as a former Sports-Talk show host on the LightningRod Radio Network.
