Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag.
Pose a Rockies — or MLB — related question for the Rockies Mailbag.
Patrick, love your work! My question is a hypothetical one: Where would (the Rockies) be right now if Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story never left? Would we have finished at .500 last year?
— Mike, Denver
To answer your basic question, I would say no, the Rockies would not have been a .500 club last year. The pitching, which was counted on to be a team strength, turned out to be a weakness and even the presence of Story and Arenado wouldn’t have changed that.
And the reality is, the Rockies were 71-91 with both of them on the roster in 2019 and 26-34 during the pandemic-shortened season of 2020. In 2021, with Arenado in St. Louis but Story still in Colorado, the Rockies finished 74-87.
Beyond the raw numbers, there was the fact that neither player wanted to stay in Colorado because they didn’t see the team being a contender for years to come. That’s the primary reason why the duo left.
And, in retrospect, perhaps it was a good thing that the Rockies were not able to re-sign Story when he became a free agent after the 2021 season. There were hints of his elbow issues during his final season in Colorado and things fell apart for him during his first season with Boston. After being limited to just 94 games and slashing .238/.303/.434 with just 16 homers with the Red Sox, Story felt elbow pain during his offseason throwing program and elected to have the internal brace procedure (an alternative to Tommy John surgery) on Jan. 9.
At the time, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told Mass.Live.com that the club could “not bank on” Story returning in 2023.
So, the Rockies have moved on and now the hope is that Ezequiel Tovar will blossom at shortstop and Ryan McMahon will fulfill his potential at third and Brendan Rodgers will continue to get better at second.
Patrick, in 2018 it was announced that the Rockies would be paying tribute to the Denver White Elephants by wearing their uniforms for a game against Milwaukee. What happened with that, and would the Rockies ever consider doing something to honor that team? Thanks.
— Corey, Colorado Springs
Corey, I checked in with the Rockies regarding your question. Although there were “reports” that the Rockies were going to don the throwback uniforms, nothing was ever “announced.” And no, as of now, there are no plans to honor the White Elephants.
The White Elephants were an all-black team sponsored by a businessman named A.H.W. Ross, who ran The Rossonian hotel in Denver’s historically black Five Points neighborhood. Ross started his baseball team in 1915. The White Elephants, a semi-pro team, were one of the very best teams in Colorado.
Hi Patrick, I usually look forward to spring training and the upcoming baseball season. But with another offseason and no moves made by the Rockies to keep up with the rest of the division, what can you tell me about this year’s team that will convince me that I should invest any time (or money) watching the Rockies? While I appreciate the beauty of Coors Field, I also appreciate good, quality baseball. Right now all I feel is apathy.
— Kari, Denver
Kari, I’ve written before that the Rockies face a growing problem with fan apathy. I’ve never received so much negative feedback from fans as I’m receiving now.
That’s understandable. The product on the field has been sub-par for four consecutive seasons and I believe that if the Rockies play poorly at the beginning of the upcoming season, the average attendance per game at Coors Field could dip below 30,000 for the first time since 2007.
It’s not my job to “convince you” to attend games, of course, but there are some things to look forward to this season:
— If Kris Bryant stays healthy, he will be fun to watch and I could see a 30-homer season from him.
— Rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar’s defense will be tremendous.
— Outfielder prospect Zac Veen will likely make his debut this season and he’s going to be fun to watch as he matures.
— The Rockies believe that their next wave of young talent could produce a contender in the next few years. If you have that much patience, now would be a good time to start connecting with “the kids.”
Do you think Hensley Meulens will be able to cure what ails the Rockies’ bats? I know the Yankees led the league in homers last year, but it helps when Aaron Judge clobbers 62 of them. And who do you think could stand to benefit most from Meulens? I feel like Ryan McMahon could be something special if he can zero in on his potential. He has huge power, but the inconsistency at the plate leaves much to be desired at times.
— Ron, Parker
Ron, as I wrote in Tuesday’s Denver Post, Colorado is hopeful that Meulens can help improve its offense, but he won’t “cure what ails them.” It’s up to the players to take what Meulens provides them and then work with it.
Hitting coaches put in a lot of hours and hard work and sometimes form strong bonds with certain players. They also get a lot of criticism when things don’t go right. The truth is, they can only do so much and reach only so many players. Some hitters disregard the hitting coach, preferring instead to talk with their personal coach or teammates. A lot of hitters are simply stubborn.
Like you, I believe McMahon has not reached his potential. He’s one of those players who welcome coaching. I believe that rookie first baseman Michael Toglia will also improve by working with Meulens to clean up the holes in his swing.
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