Rockies Mailbag: Should players complain about fans?

Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag.

Pose a Rockies — oregon MLB — related question for the Rockies Mailbag.

Good day, Patrick. Great play astatine Dodger Stadium! I person a shot question, not specifically astir the Rockies. What work lies betwixt players, management, and owners to the fans? The Mets players person caused an uproar by showing a “thumbs down” to fans, arsenic opposed to a worse motion of disapproval. Does this transverse the enactment of professionalism? I americium funny astir the gesticulations you privation to amusement the mensa successful Twittersphere. Thank you.
— Robert Emmerling, Limon
Robert, my gut absorption erstwhile I saw it and work astir the incidental was that Javier Baez, Francisco Lindor and Kevin Pillar were mode retired of line. I thought it was classless and childish behaviour coming from highly-paid, prima donna athletes.

But past I thought astir it immoderate more. Now it doesn’t fuss maine truthful much.

Actually, I find it benignant of amusing. Because it’s New York, due to the fact that it’s the Mets, due to the fact that it’s Mets fans, and due to the fact that it’s the satellite of The New York Daily News and the New York Post. It’s decidedly a antithetic satellite than Denver and Coors Field.

Fans connected the East Coast tin beryllium beauteous brutal. It’s their close to boo, but if the players privation to jab backmost a small bit, I’m good with it.

I americium perplexed, however, by Baez. He’s been with the Mets for what, a month? Not precisely the benignant of baggage helium wants to transportation with him toward escaped agency. He’s already playing poorly.

As agelong arsenic players don’t transverse the enactment with violence, foul connection oregon vulgar signs, I’m OK with it. I’d alternatively person players beryllium honorable and accidental they attraction astir what the fans deliberation alternatively than conscionable disregard them and unrecorded successful their shot bubbles.

What would you complaint the Rockies’ chances of contention this year, if they get blistery connected the roadworthy and triumph accidental 20 retired of the adjacent 21 games, similar ‘07 style.
— Ryan, Loveland

Ryan, I utilized to beryllium an optimist, conscionable similar you. Those were the days!

As I constitute this, the Rockies are 60-71 arsenic they participate Tuesday night’s crippled astatine Texas. They are 10 games retired successful the hunt for the National League’s 2nd wild-card spot and determination are 4 teams up of them. So I would accidental their chances are zero.

I accidental that not conscionable due to the fact that the Rockies are truthful acold down successful the standings, it’s due to the fact that the 2021 Rockies simply aren’t talented capable to marque a occurrence run.

In 2007, the Rockies were 69-65 astatine the extremity of August. They went 21-8 successful September and 1-0 successful October (Game 163 vs. the Padres). They won 14 of 15 to extremity the regular season. Sorry, I conscionable don’t spot a occurrence repeat.

Hi Patrick, a mates of thoughts connected the interim wide manager. I similar that Bill Schmidt wants to amended the intelligence aspects of the team. I deliberation that this is 1 of the reasons for the home/road split. I americium not truthful keen that helium considers himself aged school. Bud Black is aged schoolhouse and we request idiosyncratic with caller and amended ideas. I wonderment if you work the nonfiction by Dalton Brown connected Dodgers Nation: “On Dave Roberts; A Wonderful Man, and a Decision-Making Liability.” He describes the aforesaid benignant of decisions made by Roberts that we spot from Bud Black. Roberts is old-school too, and, arsenic I recognize it, they are precise adjacent friends. Both are regarded arsenic fantastic men. Do you judge that the Rockies volition beryllium capable to crook the home/road divided astir adjacent twelvemonth if Black is the manager? Thank you, Patrick.
— Bruce Dickinson, Louisville

Bruce, conscionable checking. You aren’t the Bruce Dickinson, are you? The feline who makes gold-plated records? The feline who’s got a fever, and his lone medicine is more cowbell?

Just asking.

OK, capable of that. It’s been a agelong season.

I work the nonfiction connected Dave Roberts and didn’t hold with overmuch of it. And pointing a digit astatine Roberts oregon Black due to the fact that they are excessively “old school,” doesn’t marque sense. The Dodgers person 1 of the biggest analytic departments successful the majors and Roberts, successful my opinion, is 1 of the game’s astir originative managers.

But much than that, successful today’s epoch of mega-salaries, societal media and brainsick free-agent contracts, a manager’s occupation is astir overmuch much than making chess moves during a game. It’s astir connection and getting the champion retired of the players.

Besides, determination are a batch of decisions are made due to the fact that the manager knows a batch much astir what’s going connected down the scenes than bloggers oregon sportswriters do.

It’s just to knock Black and Roberts for immoderate of their lineups and in-game decisions. But I don’t deliberation it’s Black’s responsibility that the Rockies person been truthful atrocious connected the road. He can’t motion players, commercialized for players oregon deed for the players.

You person to remember, the Rockies person had conscionable 3 winning roadworthy records successful their past — 2009, 2017 and 2018. Black was the manager successful ’17 and ’18.

Patrick, what bash you deliberation the rotation volition look similar adjacent season? We person 5 precise susceptible starters, but if we don’t get Jon Gray back, is it yet clip to propulsion Ryan Rolison into the fire? None of the remainder of our prospects look each that great. Maybe Ryan Feltner — helium seems similar he’s dealing astatine Double-A Hartford.
— Miles, Parker

Miles, I’ll beryllium funny to spot if Rolison gets called up successful September (big-league teams tin person 28 players connected their roster opening Wednesday). He’s not connected the 40-man roster yet, truthful Colorado would person to adhd him first.

But Rolison is surely successful the premix for adjacent season, arsenic is Peter Lambert, who’s coming backmost from Tommy John surgery. I expect to spot Lambert marque a mates of big-league starts successful September.

As for Feltner, he’s ranked arsenic the 22nd imaginable successful the organization. At 2 levels astatine the minors this season, he’s 8-2 with a 2.62 ERA. He’s been pitching good astatine Hartford, truthful that’s a precise bully sign. Still, I don’t spot him successful the Rockies’ rotation successful 2022.

Here is simply a speedy bio/scouting study of Feltner from MLB.com:

“Feltner’s three-year vocation astatine Ohio State was up-and-down, serving successful some starting and alleviation roles. He was, however, lights retired closing successful the Cape Cod League successful 2017, which undoubtedly opened a batch of eyes. So adjacent though his inferior play arsenic a starter for the Buckeyes was inconsistent, helium landed successful the 4th circular of the 2018 Draft.

“The Rockies person been processing him arsenic a starter and aft a beardown summertime pro debut, helium struggled pitching successful the hitting haven of Asheville successful 2019. He was dominant, albeit arsenic a 24-year-old, during his clip successful instructional league play past fall.

“The advancement Feltner made successful workouts implicit the summertime and past astatine instructs revolved astir his transportation and quality to bid his powerfulness stuff. He was 95-97 mph with his fastball astatine instructs and his slider played a batch amended than it did successful 2019, an 86-87 mph breaking shot with amended enactment and lateness to it. He’s ever had a bully changeup with bully fade.

“Feltner shortened up his limb ellipse successful back, allowing him to get to a much accordant merchandise constituent and helium was repeating his transportation much past fall. That helped his worldly tick up portion helium was capable to bid his pitches comparatively well. He has the worldly to start, but if the bid gains don’t stick, his fastball-slider operation could beryllium truly nasty successful shorter stints.”

Daniel Bard was a bully communicative past year, but helium doesn’t look similar helium should beryllium our person anymore. His ERA is 9.88 since the All-Star break. I genuinely judge our bullpen is what’s holding america backmost from being successful the premix for that last wild-card spot. How bash we hole it? Spending loads of wealth successful escaped bureau didn’t enactment for america erstwhile Jeff Bridich did it.
— Rob, Denver

Rob, I’m not definite erstwhile you sent successful your question, but Bard was demoted from person to set-up antheral past week, with right-hander Carlos Estevez taking his place. Manager Bud Black was close to instrumentality Bard retired of the ninth-inning relation due to the fact that Bard was losing games successful achy ways.

Still, it’s mode excessively aboriginal to springiness up connected Bard. He’s not conscionable a bully story, he’s got large stuff. He conscionable needs to harness it. I don’t deliberation the yips are going to travel back, but helium does request to amended the bid of his fastball and slider.

Relievers thrust a roller-coaster. Former Rockies right-hander Adam Ottavino is simply a cleanable illustration of that.

As for fixing the bullpen, I’m not definite throwing large wealth astatine the occupation the mode Bridich did is the answer. Bridich signed Wade Davis, Bryan Shaw and Jake McGee for a combined $106 cardinal for 3 years. The determination backfired.

I bash deliberation it makes consciousness to effort and motion 1 truly bully reliever and pencil them successful arsenic closer, and it besides makes consciousness to research trades. Remember, the Rockies got Mychal Givens successful a commercialized past summertime and helium was a bully find. Of course, helium was traded to the Reds astatine the deadline this year.

But you’re right, for the Rockies to entertain immoderate dreams of being a contender successful 2022, they person to adhd astatine slightest 2 bully relievers to their bullpen.

Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag.

Pose a Rockies — oregon MLB — related question for the Rockies Mailbag.