The Burrall Blog – OK, That’s A Start

5/29/09 – 2:15 PM

Rockies fans have gotten one of their wishes.  Manager Clint Hurdle has been fired and replaced by bench coach and former Pirates and Dodgers manager Jim Tracy.

From all accounts, Hurdle’s a good guy and does deserve some credit for leading Colorado to the World Series in 2007.   That team was talented, and the talent level really hasn’t dropped off since then.  So, why did the Rockies win only 74 games last year?  Injuries did have something to do with that, but a well-run team would have again contended for a title in this weak division, even with the Dodgers’ surge and Manny “No, I Really Didn’t Know That Was a Fertility Drug” Ramirez.  Young pitchers have to be actually coached, not coddled, as the man who is somehow still the pitching coach, Bob Apodaca, seems to do.

And even with talent, there isn’t much depth still in the Rockies’ organization, and that falls at the feet of the man who is somehow still the general manager, Dan O’Dowd.  I’ve written before about the terrible trades and signings he’s made, and the Rockies are still recovering from them.

But still, as inept as O’Dowd and Apodaca are, the problem may still be at the top.  Charles and Dick Montfort, seeing the amazing attendance in the first years of the franchise, thought they would make huge amounts of money.  Well, the problem with that is that the team didn’t get any better and attendance dropped.  So, instead of making moves to help the team improve, the Montforts have instead aimed themselves upon improving their bottom line.  Therefore, with the notable exception of the last two months of 2007, the overall quality has suffered.

Sure, O’Dowd and Apodaca should have been gone lone ago.  But, I’m afraid to say that results may not change with the Rockies until the Montforts decide they’ve had enough and sell the team to someone who actually has an idea about making the team better, and consequentially, improving attendance and interest.

The Burrall Blog – Huh????

5/22/09 – 1:30 PM

Some things in sports are simply puzzling.  One is the story I saw today, where Colorado Rockies’ general manager Dan O’Dowd says that the fate of manager Clint Hurdle will be decided by the team’s results.

Huh?

Since their improbable run to the 2007 World Series, the Rockies have been decidingly mediocre, with only 74 wins last season and a poor start to 2009.  That seems like a pretty good indicator of results to me.  So, why does Hurdle still have his job?  Also, why do pitching coach Bob Apodaca and O’Dowd still have their jobs?

Pitchers can win at altitude.  They just have to be guided correctly, something about which Apodaca, with his sparking major league record of 16-25, doesn’t seem to have a clue. 

Then, there is O’Dowd, with his track record of brilliant signings that include Josh Fogg, Mike Hampton and Desi Relaford, and great trades that include Eric Byrnes for Larry Bigbie and Charles Johnson for B.K. Kim.

Despite their World Series appearance, the Rockies under the ownership of the Montforts don’t appear to be committed to putting a winner on the field. Part of that lack of commitment is allowing O’Dowd, Hurdle and Apodaca to continue in their current positions.  This team needs changes now, or it’s headed for a last-place finish in the awful National League West.  And the Rockies have too much on-field talent for that.

Planting in Tree City

May. 11, 2009 – posted by Staff Writer

The City of Newcastle hosted an Arbor Day celebration on Friday, May 8th at the City’s youth sports complex. Read more

The Burrall Blog – Matt’s The Man

5/6/09 – 3:25 PM

Congratulations to Matt Conzelman, who was recently named as the new head football coach at Newcastle High School.  Matt is no stranger to the program, of course, having served as an assistant for several years.  His 2009 team faces a very difficult schedule, which includes three state champions.

Also, it is expected that a new Lady Dogies’ head basketball coach will be named very soon.

Some other thoughts:

Even during the Rockies’ pennant-winning season two years ago, there will still those who wanted veteran first baseman Todd Helton gone, something I never quite understood.  The guy can still hit, and he’s fought off a very bad back injury.  The start for the Rockies has been a little tough, but it isn’t Helton’s fault at all.

Brett Favre may come back — again.  Folks, this is beyond ridiculous.  In his prime, Favre was a pretty good NFL quarterback.  That’s just the point.  He is long past his prime, as his play in the last month of the regular season last year with the Jets proved.  Now, after again saying he’s done for good, he again apparently wants to play, this time with the Vikings.  I don’t know if their head coach, Brad Childress, reads this blog (ha ha), but if he does, here’s a message:  Brad – You only have your job still because your team squeaked into the playoffs last season.  You have a quarterback in Tavaris Jackson who, while he isn’t great, isn’t bad.  Signing an aging, slow, interception-prone Brett Favre will eventually place you on the ever-growing unemployment line.  Don’t do it!  If you do, anyway, you can’t say I didn’t warn you.

And what about this off-season for the Broncos?  They did the two things they needed to do after last season, though I never dreamed they’d be done: They changed head coach and quarterback.  Kyle Orton may not have Jay Cutler’s arm, but Orton is steady.  Here’s the other good thing about Orton:  As far as I know, he isn’t a crybaby, unlike the man for whom he was traded. Cutler’s childish reaction after he learned the Broncos had tried to trade him for Matt Cassell was embarassing.  Cutler couldn’t understand why the Broncos could possibly do such a thing.  Well, I do, and so do most others who follow football.  Matt Cassell is a better quarterback than Jay Cutler.  So is Kyle Orton.  He doesn’t tend to make horrible decisions that lead to turnovers, as Cutler did each of the last two seasons.  With Orton, the Broncos’ offense should be steadier.  As for Cutler, he’s the Bears’ problem now.