Rockies manager Clint Hurdle retreated west in the days leading up to spring training, a final family reprieve before the eight-month grind camouflaged as a baseball season.
As he spoke on the telephone, his 3-year-old daughter, Madison, marveled at the falling snow on Breckenridge’s peaks. The scene conjured the challenge facing Hurdle this season: climbing a mountain with kids.
Yet, with Rockies pitchers and catchers scheduled to report to Tucson on Friday, Hurdle’s confidence is palpable. Even with a $45 million cash payroll and a relatively inexperienced roster, he believes the Rockies can snap a string of five consecutive losing seasons and contend for the National League West title.
Buoyed by a one-year contract extension that carries through 2007, Hurdle covered the bases, discussing expectations, Todd Helton, the youth movement and his future:
High expectations
Over the past three years, Hurdle has overseen a roster transformation. After a 67-win season, Hurdle could be forgiven for saying the Rockies will be less awful and leaving it at that. Instead, he’s talking with confidence not heard since the Rockies peaked above .500 in August 2003.
“The reality of it is that we have gotten better. We don’t really have any glaring weaknesses. We have a starting rotation that very well could be solid, as competitive as any one we have ever had. The bullpen, on paper, right now, is the best bullpen we have put together since I have been here.
“With the addition of the veteran leadership we have sprinkled in, and based on what we did the second half of the season, we need to compete, we need to win games, and we have the opportunity to contend.”
The mild, mild west
Last year, San Diego claimed the NL West with 82 wins. Since expansion in 1969, division winners have never totaled fewer than 170 victories in back-to-back seasons, suggesting it will take a minimum of 88 wins this year. The Rockies have never won more than 83 games in franchise history, but Hurdle sees a wide-open race.
“We’re not really concerned with what other people think. What’s important is what these men believe in the clubhouse,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, all of these other clubs addressed needs that they thought they had. The fact that all of the movement and changes that are going on in our division spells out the fact that other teams know that they are vulnerable and they have areas to work on.”
Importance of Helton
No player in baseball eats up more of his team’s payroll than Helton, who will make $16.6 million this season. It’s crucial, therefore, for Helton to have a big year. Hurdle believes the 32-year-old will return to super stardom.
“The second half of the season his numbers were as eye-opening as you would ever want to see. He is definitely revitalized. This is probably as good a club as he’s had a chance to be a part of for a long, long time.
“He wants to be a part of it.”
Fanning criticism
Upon rewarding contract extensions to general manager Dan O’Dowd and Hurdle last week, owner Dick Monfort predicted the news would not be embraced. O’Dowd has long been a whipping post for Rockies’ fans. As Hurdle’s tenure grows, he is realizing as well that fingers are pointing in his direction.
“Getting the extension is symbolic of the support I have always felt from ownership,” Hurdle said. “But the proof is in the pudding. I know that we have frustrated fans. My passion here and the gratification I will feel is when we fill up the ballpark again with fans screaming for the Colorado Rockies.”
On the lineup
The Rockies’ players get a little defensive when talking about their offense. Or lack of it. In order to regain home-field dominance and respectability in visiting parks, the lineup must provide more pop. Who will be in it?
Hurdle said Cory Sullivan or Clint Barmes would hit leadoff with the other hitting second, followed by Helton, Matt Holliday, Garrett Atkins, Brad Hawpe, Luis Gonzalez and either Yorvit Torrealba or Danny Ardoin.
“I do believe that if we keep these pieces in place we have the (pieces) to have a dynamic offensive club,” he said.
Young guns
The Rockies have reinvented themselves as a small-market team, so building from within provides a functional strategy. However, any franchise can go young. It’s up to the Rockies to go young and get good. Hurdle sees it happening as early as this season.
“The New York Yankees haven’t won a championship in how many years now? And they have spent an enormous amount of money.
“In 1999 we tried a quick fix. We paid tremendous penalties for it. I think organizationally we have become wiser and we have become smarter. I know we have disappointed our fans in a lot of moves we have made in the past years to get to this point.
“But we did it with an internal belief that this was the right thing to do and this is what we needed to do to be successful.”
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5457 or trenck@denverpost.com.
Staff writer Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-820-5459 or psaunders@denverpost.com.
