The Grueling Road Trips

When the schedule came out last year, I noted that the Rockies would have 5 consecutive 3 city road trips starting in Mid-June going through Mid-September.  The Rockies just completed the 4th of the 5 road trips. In total they are 24-38 in this stretch with 18 games to go.   Their road trips have been 2-7, 4-6 , 1-9, and 4-6.  Total Road 11-28.  Their home record is 13-10 during this stretch and was 8-9 prior to their 5-1 record on the last home stand.

In 2012, the Rockies had 2 three city road trips, one 8 games, one 9.  In 2011 they had 3 three city road trips all of them of them were to division opponents on the west coast and they were separated by at least one road trip of 2 cities.  This year was overkill with 5 such road trips let alone having 5 trips in a row like that.  I am not sure how much pushback the Rockies can give on the schedule, but it seems like they get awful schedules with a lot of deviations that many of the East coast teams do not get.

To be fair the most ridiculous scheduling I've heard of this year is the one where  NL Central Foes Pittsburgh and St. Louis were scheduled to meet 6 times in April, and 13 times in 6 weeks between late July and Early September.  With an early postponement in Pittsburgh they will play 14 times in that 6 week period.

With 30 games left in the season, 18 at home, it is fair to look at what would constitute a positive season for the Rockies.  They will surpass last year's win total in the next week or two, and the 73 wins of 2011 is likely to be passed at some point.   So at what point does Walt Weiss deserve a second year as manager and we can look forward to 2014?   Clearly 81 wins would do it for sure, but I feel that honestly anything at 76 and above would be the right direction.  Depending on when Cargo comes back and can contribute, this team is a middle reliever or two from seriously contending next year.  The starting pitching has made great strides Chacin, De La Rosa, Chatwood and Nicasio having more good games than clunkers.  In fact when those four have taken the mound this year the Rockies have a 52-39 record.  When anyone else is on the mound to start, the Rockies are 9-32.  With Oswalt, Pomerantz, Bettis, or Manship on the mound the Rockies are a combined 1-16.   Bettis has run into bad luck a couple of times but has pitched well right off the bat.   Defense is good, and even if the Rockies were to trade Fowler for pitching or move Cuddyer to first, the Rockies have some depth in the outfield with Blackmon, Dickerson, Culbertson, and Wheeler.

If defense were considered for MVP and/or Rookie of the Year, then Nolan Arenado would be a near shoo-in for the 2013 ROY Award.  Each night he seems to make at least one or two sensational plays, but in yesterday's game against the Marlins, he made a play that I still can't believe he pulled off.  Going to his right past the foul line with the bases loaded and nobody out, he threw a strike to Catcher Jordan Pacheco who then turned and threw a strike to 1B Ryan Wheeler.  This was after he made two more routine 5-3 plays in the first inning.    This guy gets more amazing for me everyday.    He's also hitting .310 since the All-Star break raising his overall average to a respectable .264.