After losing three of four games at home against Cincinnati and dropping two of three games this weekend in San Diego, fans are beginning to wonder how far the Colorado Rockies can fall.
Entering each series, the Reds and Padres were in last place in their respective divisions. Atlanta is the only National League club with a worse record. But they’re both gaining on the free-falling Rockies, losers of 13 of their last 18 games.
“They’re losing to bad teams that they shouldn’t be losing to,” Jeff Lalicker said Sunday on Mile High Sports Radio AM 1340 | FM 104.7. “They’ve got the talent to be one of the best teams – at least up there competing with the Dodgers and the Giants.”
And that’s the problem. The Rockies are full of great offensive talent, yet, they lack the pitching to put up a lot of positive results. Frustration has mounted within the Rockies fan base, but perhaps no one is more peeved than Nolan Arenado.
“Arenado has every right to be calling out his team,” said co-host Alex Johnston, referring to the third baseman’s dugout incident Friday night against the Padres in which he vehemently confronted catcher Nick Hundley about pitch selection following a San Diego home run. “He’s the talent every day that they have on this team.”
It’s understandable why Arenado would feel upset when his teammates are seemingly letting him down. He established himself as one of the best players in baseball after a break out 2015 season, but he’s consistently on the losing end despite his best efforts – including leading the NL in home runs and RBIs again this year. Yet since getting the call to the Rockies in 2013, Arenado’s teams have averaged more than 92 losses per season. Colorado is again on pace to lose 90 games this year.
So where is this root cause? Certainly not in the infield, where Colorado has showcased talent with Arenado, Trevor Story, DJ LeMahieu and Mark Reynolds. The outfield boasts All-Stars Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon alongside Gold Glove winner Gerardo Parra.
Could it be with the team’s ownership? Lalicker believes so.
“I definitely put it on the Monforts,” he said, “because the Monforts aren’t doing anything.”
Johnston added, “It seems like they [the Monforts] are more interested in making money through gimmicks like the Party Deck. They’re not worried about winning, is what it looks like… I don’t know what it is that can make this team better, but they need to spend some money.”
The Rockies rank 17th in overall spending, roughly $20 million ahead of both San Diego and Cincinnati. They rank 21st in pitching spending, well ahead of both clubs, yet on their way to competing with them for yet another top-5 draft pick.
The Rockies are fifth in the league in runs scored and third in batting average. But Colorado has the second-worst team ERA (behind only Cincinnati); their starters are the worst in baseball.
The Monforts have never been ones to throw money at their problems, but pitching has been a problem for Colorado for so long, there may not be many other options. Fans can’t bear to see this team fall any farther.
To listen to more on the Rockies’ continual struggles, click on the podcast below…
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