Midseason Report Card

OK, so it's a bit past the midpoint of the season, the All-Star game has come and gone and I'm just now getting to the "midseason report card." Part of me is apologetic about that, and part of me says "So what? If you want it done at midseason, do it yourself!" Then I sit back and feel a bit bad about that outburst, and I question if maybe my blood sugar is low or something. So I grab a Coke, pour a bit of JD in there, and sit down and get working on the midseason grades. So with that little bit of internal drama out of the way, on to the report card!

Starting Pitching: A

Taken as a complete half-season, the starting pitching has been a bit above average. But as a grader, I tend to put some extra weight into obvious improvement over the first half, and under those circumstances, the Rockies starters clearly get very high marks, because since late May they have been excellent. Marquis is an all-star, leads the league in wins. He, Cook, and Jimenez all have sub-4.00 ERAs, which in most other home ballparks equates to a sub-3.00 ERA. The Ever-Mysterious Del La Rosa has won his last 5 starts. And if they could figure out a way to pitch Hammel only on the road, where he is lights out (1.93 ERA, 7.62 at home), they'd really be on to something. The Rockies recent success can be traced directly to the starting pitching they've received.

Relief Pitching: B-

The bullpen gets a B- only because of the great work by Huston Street, who has been fantastic in the closer role. The rest of the bullpen has been hit-or-miss, and without Street factored in I feel I'm being generous to give them a C-. I like what Fogg has done out there, and Peralta has been good more often than he hasn't, but I don't have a lot of faith in the likes of Rincon, Corpas, and Daley... and if I never see Matt Beslile again it will be too soon. Seeing that guy walk to the mound is like seeing oranges appear onscreen in "The Godfather." If the Rockies are going to stay in the race, they need another bullpen arm. Franklin Morales has just recently been put out there, which could work out nicely, but the guys that get the ball into Street's hands are the obvious weak link on this team.

Offense: C+

Every once in a while, this team hits like we know it can, and they ring up 8-10 runs on just about anybody four or five games in a row. It's beautiful to watch, because there's a lot of pop throughout this lineup. But then, they go into a strange funk where nobody other than Helton and Hawpe is hitting; as a team, they're hitting .259, right about middle of the pack. And this team strikes out a lot... 4th most in the NL, with Fowler and Barmes leading the way. I know there are some young guys in this lineup, but they need to do better than this at the plate, especially with this bullpen.

Defense: B

Their defense hasn't been as terrific as it's been in recent years, but they've been fine. With Stewart at 3B they have a great defensive infield, and the outfield is solid. Defense is winning them more games than it's costing them, and that's about all you can ask for.

Manager: A+

What can you say about Tracy? This team was DOA under Hurdle. Tracy steps in, and they go on one of the best win streaks in recent history, and even once the streak was over they continued to play over .500 ball, and to everyone's surprise they are right in the playoff hunt. The Dodgers have a huge lead at this point, but not only do I expect the Rockies to be right there in the race for the Wild Card spot, I think they will give the Dodgers a run for their money, too. If they're still in the playoff hunt at the end of the season, Jim Tracy should get some serious consideration for Manager of the Year.

GM: incomplete

I'll admit to frustration that we couldn't hold onto Holliday, but right now, the Rockies look like they clearly got the better of that trade. Holliday's stock has fallen sharply in Oakland, while Street could have been an all-star and Gonzales has shown flashes of the player he's been touted as. We also lost Fuentes (who I am happy to say is pitching great in Anaheim) but with Street, they haven't really missed him.

There is still work to do, however, before I can give a grade. He's earned an "A" so far, but this is a team that right now could go either way. And until we see what O'Dowd does to keep this team in the hunt -- particularly getting value for Atkins, either with a #3 starter or a top-end bullpen guy -- I'm withholding a grade until the trade deadline. Yeah, it's a carrot. So what? If it works, nobody should complain.