The San Diego Padres were cruising. They had a 6 ½ game lead in the division at the end of August and had been in first place since June 16. In between, baseball people everywhere scratched their heads and wondered how a team predicted to be among the worst in baseball was among the best. While the Padres piled up wins, many wondered who was even on this team. You’re probably still not sure right now.
But the Padres were good. And they were in control, calmly enjoying the California sun and basking in the glow of winning ball games. But then the storm hit. San Diego lost 10 straight games and watched as their division lead whittled away. The Padres are ½ game back of the San Francisco Giants today.
The Rockies are 1 ½ games back of first.
Around the same time the Padres ran into a storm, the Rockies started one of their own. Colorado thrives in the crazy whirlwind of September. It has become their trademark. The Rockies have won 19 of their last 25 games to roar back into contention.
If they stay red-hot, they could be returning to the postseason for the third time in four years. It all began in 2007. Yes, that was the year that the Rockies ripped off 21 wins in 22 games to reach the franchise’s first World Series. It was Rocktober in Colorado after the team swept the Phillies and Diamondbacks. The party ended when Boston gave them the broom on the ultimate stage.
But the magic from that season never died. It was too spectacular to forget in three years.
Now, they have 15 games to recreate the magic and bring back Rocktober.
The division race is tight, but it’s hard to pick against a team as hot and talented as Colorado. The Rockies have plenty of star power and it’s all joining forces at the same time. That spells trouble for their California counterparts.
Carlos Gonzalez leads the National League in hitting with a .341 batting average. He also has 32 home runs, fourth best in the league, and 106 RBIs, just one behind Albert Pujols for tops in the NL.
That impressive combination of statistics puts Gonzalez in the middle of a Triple Crown race. While the reality of Gonzalez, Pujols, or Joey Votto making history is slim to none, it’s amazing to see three players with a chance. Gonzalez may have the best shot, but the seven-homer gap between him and Pujols is likely too much to overcome.
The MVP award is well within reach for all three. Gonzalez would be the favorite if he can lead the Rockies to the postseason and keep his average on the rise. There is something special about an average above .340 and that could be the difference between him and Votto who also has the postseason plans of Cincinnati in his favor. Pujols is great, but his chances crumbled with his team in the final months of the year.
Gonzalez has only gotten stronger as the season goes on. The 24-year-old has continued to drill double after double and big hit after big hit. He has been the key to the Rockies run.
And he was relatively unknown coming into the year. Gonzalez turned some heads last year in the NLDS against the Phillies. While Colorado lost to the defending world champs, Gonzalez may have been the best player on the field, racking up 10 hits in 17 at bats.
Earlier in the year, before the All-Star break, he was hitting just .202 in 27 games with the team. The young kid who had already been traded twice was low on confidence. But the Rockies stuck with him and he fit right into the team’s late season tradition. He hit .320 with 12 homers and 24 RBIs after the break.
The confidence grew and entering this year, he was ready to break out. And he has done so exceedingly.
Gonzalez has also had an effect on his teammates. Troy Tulowitzki, perhaps the game’s best shortstop, hits behind him. All Tulowitzki has done over the last two weeks is hit everything in sight. He has actually been hotter than his MVP candidate teammate.
That’s not even fair to opposing pitchers. First they have to face the batting leader and Triple Crown hopeful and then they face a guy who is somehow outdoing that guy.
But that’s exactly what Tulo has done in September. He is hitting .327 with 12 home runs and 27 RBIs in his last 14 games. For the year, Tulowitzki is hitting .324 – second in the NL to Gonzalez – with 24 home runs and 84 RBIs. Couple that with his stellar defense and Tulowitzki would be a leading MVP candidate any other year.
His .986 fielding percentage is tops in the NL and it looks like he might finally get the Gold Glove award. He has been worthy every year since his first full season in 2007 when he had a .987 percentage. While it’s not the only measure, it’s the starting point for measuring defensive abilities. More numbers tell a more complete story, but just by watching he has the range to be considered one of the best.
So does Jimmy Rollins who has won the award each of the past three years. Rollins is so smooth out there and it’s hard to argue with him as the premiere shortstop in baseball. But this year, Rollins missed a lot of games due to injuries. It’s time for a new name to join the club. While Tulowitzki missed time due to injuries too, he should still be considered a frontrunner for the award.
It would mean everything to him as a player. He would rather be recognized for his glove work than his bat.
“Gold Glove,” Tulowitzki said when asked if the Silver Slugger or Gold Glove would mean more to him. “You all know how much pride I take in my defense. I’ve said before I’d rather make a game-saving play than hit a home run, and I say that in all honesty.”
The good thing for him is that he has the skill set to do both on a regular basis. Last night, his two-run homer in the first inning set the tone for a 7-5 win. Ubaldo Jimenez picked up his 19th win of the year. He adds the final piece of young star power to this Rockies club. He is the ace that every team needs to make a postseason push.
All three bring the thunder in the Rockies stormy Septembers.
They’re hoping to get a chance to bring it in a revival of Rocktober.