Thank goodness Rockies baseball is back. The Colorado Rockies (39-59) return to action tonight against the Cincinnati Reds (43-52) at Coors Field after four days away for the All-Star break. The Rockies have not played since last Sunday, when their 3-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants brought a quiet end to the unofficial first half.
Four days without seeing the boys felt considerably longer than they should have. There was still baseball, of course. It just was not the baseball I wanted to watch. The Home Run Derby had its moments, and the All-Star Game offered the usual appeal of seeing baseball’s best players up close. But neither did much to fill the Rockies-sized hole in the week. Hunter Goodman barely received a passing mention, which was disappointing but not especially surprising.
After everything this organization has done—and failed to do—the Rockies have not earned national respect. They also have not earned anyone’s confidence that this climb will eventually reach the summit. But for all the frustration, the Rockies are moving uphill. They reached the break 17 games ahead of last year’s pace, and the product on the field has been considerably more watchable.
And, Rockies fans still get the joy of this team on its own terms. Anyone who showed up for the climb expecting an easy bandwagon ride has clearly never hiked in the Rockies. There is no wagon to the top. The trip is earned step by step. Rockies fans learn to enjoy the climb itself: the debuts, the breakouts, the wild Coors Field nights, the heartbreaks, and the evenings spent shouting at the television before tuning in again the next day to watch a young player continue to find his footing. Meanwhile, the jumpers are still at the trailhead complaining about the breeze.
Tonight, the climb resumes with Gabriel Hughes on the mound. The 24-year-old right-hander opened his season with three scoreless innings against the Giants, earning a save in his major-league debut. Five days later, he made his first major-league start at Dodger Stadium and struck out seven over six innings, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks. ERA with eight strikeouts and three walks over nine innings. He has leaned heavily on a four-seam fastball averaging just over 93 mph. The sample is small, but the fastball has already shown that it can miss major-league bats.
Cincinnati will counter with right-hander Brady Singer. The Rockies’ offense went quiet before the break, scoring three runs or fewer in four of its final five games. A few days away may have come at a good time.
Now, the break is over. Hughes is on the mound, the gang is back together, and it is simply good to have Rockies baseball back in front of us. I, for one, am glad to be back on the trail.
