DENVER – Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black doesn’t want to talk about splits. Of any kind. He doesn’t want his ballplayers or coaches overemphasizing Coord Field, particular pitching matchups, or certain series’ throughout the year that the fans and the media may deem more important than others.
He doesn’t want to talk about whether or not they are playing division rivals or teams that were in the World Series a year ago. He’s not interested in speculating — at least, not out loud in a public setting — his strategies for next week or even tomorrow. “We’re trying to win today,” he has quickly become famous in Denver for saying.
His players echo this sentiment on a daily basis, insisting on living through the 162-game season a day at a time. “Each game is an individual event,” says Adam Ottavino, “what happened yesterday doesn’t matter.”
With the Rockies currently in the midst of their first four-game slump of the season, this theory is going to be tested more earnestly than it has before. Can Colorado stay mentally focused, not allowing any of the previous four games — and their near complete lack of competitiveness — to hack away at their confidence and/or send them on some kind of downward spiral?
As we’ve noted multiple times, the Rockies still hold a healthy lead in the Wild Card standings with more than half the season to play. That, of course, could be a blessing or a curse depending on how the club responds to their first extending streak of poor play.
Throughout their history, the Colorado Rockies have developed some tendencies that have been pretty consistent. Bud Black, being a pretty smart guy, is very much aware of these. He knows that some pitches move differently at home than they do out on the road, especially when that road lands you in California. He knows that this team has historically struggled mightily on the road. He knows that this is a franchise still clamoring to be taken seriously on a national stage while simultaneously believing that talent, and not reputation, is what will win out in the end.
He doesn’t speak of these things. He mostly blocks any narratives that some may want to draw (we’ve absolutely been in this boat) about any unique struggles his ballclub may face. “Throw quality strikes … swing at good pitches … make smart baseball plays … and you usually win,” he says. Hard to argue with that formula.
Over the years there have been raging debates about whether the Rockies did massive damage to their team (mostly pitchers) by putting way too much emphasis on the nature of their home ballpark and the added troubles that brings in terms of the “hangover effect” out on the road. Conversely, many believed that Colorado wasn’t going far enough to address these issues, arguing that ignoring them only worsened the problem that clearly needed to be dealt with.
In 2017, even including recent days, the Rockies pitching staff is the best it has ever been despite getting almost nothing from three top guys a year ago in Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson — who returns this afternoon — and Chad Bettis. With a now-famous group of rookies, Colorado has managed to shake a 24-year trend. Black will tell you that all the credit goes to the talent of the young men in question, and the development work done by a myriad of coaches throughout their minor, and now major, league careers.
But don’t discount the strategy of “Keep Calm, It’s Just Baseball” that emanates from their manager of every day. Things are being done to address the elephant in the room. The results are proof enough of that. This is why Bud Black sees no reason to give each unique challenge a spotlight. He doesn’t want his players thinking that way.
Maybe if he had a lesser team he wouldn’t be so strict on this policy. Why not make a big deal “tests” and home/away splits and curveballs at Coors or divisional games? Maybe because he thinks the “big deal” is the roster of 25 he trots out every night.
He instills a constant belief in his guys that no matter where they are, no matter who they face, no matter the situation or the stakes, they have the talent to win any game in which they take the field. It’s their job to go out and reward that faith.
