Ken Rosenthal recently reported and wrote a typically outstanding piece, this one about how the Rockies are essentially reinventing their approach to pitching, at least personnel-wise. No, the organization can't really find a dozen new and better hurlers between September and April. But the Rockies have a new general manager, a new pitching coach, and a new bullpen coach. Oh, and about their incumbent catcher?
Start with the de-emphasis on [Wilin] Rosario, who worked hard to improve his catching and dealt with injury and illness last season but was subpar by every measurable standard behind the plate – and some that are immeasurable as well.
Rosario had 12 passed balls in 96 games. Threw out only seven of 44 attempted base stealers (15.9 percent). Produced a 5.18 catcher’s ERA in 824 innings, as opposed to McKenry’s 4.19 ERA in 406 innings.
Team officials perceived Rosario’s game-calling as another shortcoming, and he also worked at a painfully slow pace, preventing the pitchers from getting into a rhythm.
The Rockies discussed trading Rosario during the offseason, but no deal materialized. Undaunted, they signed Hundley to a two-year, $6.25 million contract. The difference was immediately noticeable this spring.
“He’s a breath of fresh air back there, definitely something we needed,” closer LaTroy Hawkins said. “That’s not a knock on Rosario. He worked his butt off. But Hundley is going to be a plus for us.”
I'm not saying the Rockies shouldn't essentially tear everything down and start over. I'm not even saying Rosario's getting a raw deal; he really is pretty terrible at catching, as near as we can measure these things (including pitch-framing).
What I'm saying is that while the Rockies obviously shouldn't give up, the franchise has been around for more than 20 years now and nobody has figured out the pitching. Granted, Dan O'Dowd was the GM for most of that time. But it's not like O'Dowd didn't try a bunch of things.
Since the Rockies joined the National League in 1993, only 14 starting pitchers have totaled even 400 innings with the club. Of those 14, only TWO -- Ubaldo Jimenez and the just-released Jhoulys Chacin -- finished their Rockies careers with ERA+'s higher than 109.
Meanwhile, over that same period the Royals had 18 starters with at least 400 innings, eight of them with ERA+'s at least 110. Let's see, another generally woebegotten organization ... Oh, the Pirates. Whoa, the Pirates. They've had 17 starters with at least 400 innings, but Francisco Cordero (112) is the only one with an ERA+ higher than 109.
Has the problem for 22 seasons really been the Rockies' pitchers? Has the problem really been the Rockies' management, or coaching?
The Pirates' seeming inability to find high-quality consistency in the rotation does demonstrate that Coors Field isn't the only possible explanation for the Rockies' woes. Clearly, poor management and poor luck must be considered, too. But until the Rockies develop another couple of Ubaldo Jimenezes in quick succession, I'm going to assume the ballpark is a massive handicap.
