After a season of let downs, struggles and injuries, the Colorado Rockies are looking for the answer to what went wrong in 2012. Fans are looking for a scapegoat to take the blame for one of the worst seasons in franchise history. Although many believe firing General Manager Dan O’Dowd would solve the problem, researchers inside the clubhouse have found that the problem is far from managerial.
The Rockies have indeed suffered from injuries on central players, such as all-star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. His groin injury appears to be due to strain and overuse, but evidence suggests foul play and sabotage. The suspect – western Croatian extremists hired by the rival San Diego Padres organization. These individuals allegedly infiltrated the Rockies Clubhouse and slipped muscle degrading substances into the shortstop’s water supply, a probable and respectable theory.
Another legitimate theory: the Rockies are just plain bad this year. As of September 6, the Rockies are a stellar 56-80, a mere 20.5 games behind the first place San Francisco Giants in the National League West. But the Rockies are not poised to take the division – the Blake Street Bombers are setting their sights on a NL Wildcard berth. Think back to 2007. The Rockies capped off a sub-par season with a legendary run, winning 21 out of 22 games (including playoffs). Sadly, that streak ended with heartbreak, as the Rockies were swept in four games in the World Series against the Red Sox.
But not this year. With 29 games left in the season, it is more than likely some “Lo-Do Magic” will come into play. A little winning streak of, say, 29 games or so, could give the Rockies the boost they need. If this happens, their record will be improved to 85-80. All of the misfortune of the 2012 Rockies season is bound to turn around at some point. And why not now? Rockies fans share this optimistic outlook.
If you have been to a Rockies game lately, in spite of their continuous poor performance, home game attendance has remained impressively high. The Rookies, excuse me, Rockies, have been drawing, on average, 33,000 (which is more than 20,000 for those of you keeping score at home) fans per game. This is quite remarkable for a team that is 24 games under a .500 win loss ratio. It helps having a bunch of promising young talent like Josh Rutledge and Jordan Pacheco coming to play every game. But, knowing the Rockies, they will be traded in the offseason. If the Colorado Rockies somehow do not complete the simple 29 game winning streak, there is a last resort – scrapping this season and looking forward to 2013. Thirteen is a lucky number, right?