This is not going to be an easy thing for some of you to hear, so I will whisper it for you…
It is time to give Colorado Rockies ownership, Charlie and Dick Monfort, some credit.
Major League Baseball is full of blue-chip franchises. Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cardinals, and now even the Cubs, thanks to GM Theo Epstein, are competitive on a fairly regular basis. These teams year in and year out are stable, and are guaranteed to have success over the long haul, guaranteed to have a stable portfolio for the fan to buy into. These teams have stability in winning.
It starts at the top and trickles down through the organization. Solid owners who are dedicated to winning, solid general managers who find a way to build a roster year-in and year-out, and solid managers who know how to tweak the lineup and get the most out of each guy. Fans of these teams get their money’s worth year-in and year-out, because they trust the organization. They, the fans, trust that the organization is in fact dedicated to winning, and winning baseball is their top priority.
Major League Baseball is chock full of teams who have not earned the trust of the fans. Teams who seem to do right just long enough to keep afloat, then mortgage off the team to save money in the future. The Miami Marlins and their loathed owner, Jeffrey Loria, are a great example of this. The Marlins seem to contend every decade or so, and then they sell off everything and declare bankruptcy, both in the roster and in the fan’s hopes of winning the pennant. The Marlins are now for sale, and if you ask a Marlins fan their team cannot be sold fast enough.
The same could be said for the Tampa Bay Rays who play indoors at the ‘Trop,’ but leave everyone out in the cold when it comes to building a consistent winner in St. Petersburg. These teams, in this type of model, are built to win just enough. Keep the hopes high and profits higher. To fans, these teams are heartbreakers and wrench throwers. Muddling emotions and toying with fan’s hearts, like an ex-girlfriend who calls to hang out every seven years, then leaves the next morning with your favorite t-shirt and a note reading, “It was fun, see ya later.” Being a fan of these type of teams is a carnival ride followed by the stomach ache.
Then there are the lovable losers, the relished refuse of the MLB . Those teams who have no history of consistent success, but the cost of investment is so small, that any production whatsoever is seen as a meaningful gain. The San Diego Padres, the Minnesota Twins, the Seattle Mariners and perhaps our loveable Colorado Rockies. You can get mad at this type of team, but in the end, they are who they are, and there is nothing to do about it. Ownership isn’t willing to spend like the big boys, and competing always falls second to the bottom line. Lovable, unassuming franchises who are often nothing more than the second team in town, making for a sunshine-filled event to attend and a conversation piece when the family is in town.
Like the crazy charming uncle who doesn’t bring a dish to thanksgiving dinner. He might show up with a veggie tray or he might not bring anything to the table; regardless no one is counting on his contribution, just glad he is there. But the Rockies, often just like that crazy uncle, seem to be getting their lives back together. They seem to be making something of themselves, and that should be applauded, that should be recognized.
The Rockies are now in a better position than ever before, and like those consistent winning teams mentioned previously, it starts at the top. GM Jeff Bridich has made moves that have made the Rockies deep and flexible at the everyday spots and given them a healthy mix of young starting pitching with a seasoned and experienced bullpen. The addition of Bud Black has given the Rockies experience in handling those pitchers, and Black is as good as they come when managing talent – getting the most out of a lineup, day in and day out, consistently.
All of these positive additions did not come by luck by an ownership group that didn’t care. These additions came because someone wanted to give the Rockies a chance to succeed. And succeeding is what they are doing.
It’s time to give the Monforts some credit.
