@MarkKnudson41
Another dismal season is coming to a close for the Colorado Rockies, but it isn’t turning out that badly for some of the newer players on the roster.
Already out of postseason contention in July, General Manager Bill Schmidt struck an ominous tone by publicly stating, “We like our team.” Despite calls to become a “seller” at the Major League Baseball trade deadline, the Rockies stood pat. Very few who follow the game closely could understand why. Trading high priced players like C.J. Cron and Daniel Bard – both having stellar seasons – could have netted the Rockies back several quality prospects in return, and helped build for the future. When they made no moves, and followers of the team were left to wonder: What exactly did Schmidt and the rest of the front office “like” about a team that was obviously not good enough?
Now, as the season winds up, we can surmise that Schmidt wasn’t talking about the players that were being sent out on the field at the time, but rather players that Rockies fans would see for the first time late in the season.
As September rolled around, Schmidt and company did the right thing. They began to promote young players from the minor leagues. The feel-good story of Wynton Bernard, the 29-year-old first timer, began the series of call-ups that included outfielder Sean Bouchard, first baseman/outfielder Michael Toglia, pitcher Gavin Hollowell and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. These guys are among the Rockies highest rated prospects. They joined a rookie squad that already included infielders Elehuris Montero and Alan Trejo, pitchers Jake Bird, Ryan Feltner and Justin Lawrence, plus catcher Brian Serven.
At one point in late September, Colorado sent out a line-up against play-off bound San Diego that featured six rookies in the starting line-up. The Rockies won the game.
And now, here at the end of the season, the rookie squad has played a big role in some surprising Rockies wins, including back-to-back road wins over the 110-win Los Angeles Dodgers. The second win, a 2-1 nail bitter, included an RBI hit from Trejo, and game deciding RBI single from Toglia, and a save for Lawrence.
No one is projecting all of these rookies to be impact players for the Rockies next season. Several will likely start the year back in Triple A. But at least they give fans some hope for the not-too-distant future. Tovar – who got hits on the first two big league pitches he saw – is very likely to be the starter at shortstop next season. Montero and Toglia figure to be in the mix for a lot of playing time, and Trejo could see himself replacing Garrett Hampsen as the extra infielder. Feltner could be in the starting rotation and Bird and Lawrence figure to have important roles in the bullpen.
Maybe there is something to like after all.