Long road ahead for the Colorado Rockies

There is no way around it. After the Houston Astros destroyed the Colorado Rockies by a score of 8-4 for the second consecutive day at Coors Field, the verdict is in.

This Rockies team is going to take a long time to fix.

That has always been the reality, but small glimpses of hope have appeared recently and given some reason for fans to believe that there might be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Sorry to burst the bubble, but the Rockies have a long way to go. That became as clear as it has ever been over the past four games, where the Rockies were completely overmatched by a team in the Astros that has been further in the dumps, yet are finally emerging to be a true contender.

The Rockies have a few pieces that can carry them from time-to-time. They have some really good young talent as well. However, that talent is going to take time to be at a place where they can not only contribute, but become a driving force towards winning for the Rockies.

David Hale, Thursday’s starter, has shown some flashes of being a guy who could lock down a spot in the back-end of the starting rotation. However, he has also had a few moments where he looks like he doesn’t belong on a Major League mound. Much of the same could be said for Chris Rusin, who has looked dominant a few times and terrible a few others.

The Rockies are also waiting to see what they have in Eddie Butler and Jordan Lyles. Butler hasn’t taken the next step and Lyles hasn’t been able to avoid fluke injuries enough for the Rockies to truly know what they have in him.

The sad truth is that the Rockies are at a point where they are essentially waiting for their Double-A talent to reach the big leagues and get to a point where they can make a difference at the big league level. What that means is that not only is help not on the horizon for the rest of 2015, but it might take another two years before any realistic fan can hope for a change that would make the Rockies any better than .500.

It’s a tough time for Rockies fans. However, it is also a time to remember, because at some point, when the Rockies are finally good, all of the bad times will make all of the good times feel that much better. For every tough loss endured, it builds up a little more character and allows the eventual wins to be appreciated much more.

Until that day comes, Rockies fans are going to have to endure the tough times. It isn’t easy.