The one thing the Colorado Rockies need to turn it all around

Identity is an elusive concept.

It has been the water that runs the wheel inside the minds of some of the greatest thinkers in human history like Rene Descartes and Immanuel Kant. It has even been the subject of numerous modern cinema classics like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Fight Club.

As their texts explore, figuring out who and what you are can be a challenging enough endeavor for just a single person who has (at least in theory and at times) access to their own brains.

So what does that mean for a team?

How does a group of 25 people – all with different backgrounds, beliefs, abilities, and bank accounts – form a singular identity?

And what does that even mean?

There is no statistic that measures this or even in any way really tries. In a game that is essentially a series of isolated one-on-one events, with a few exceptions, how can a writer or a fanbase or a team tell if they are getting some kind of benefit on the field of play out of such an elusive concept?

There may be no answer to that question or there may be an emphatic one, but for the 2019 Colorado Rockies, it is looking more and more like they remain a team in search of an identity. And that is costing them.

While on the one hand, it is unfair to look at a five-game sample size against two of the very best in MLB in which the club was close to winning each and every game and conclude that the season is over, it would also be foolish to look away from the issues currently plaguing them.

It all begins with the starting pitching which was supposed to be the backbone of this team and that of course begins with Kyle Freeland.

Looking at overall numbers, he is one of the few players on the team who is truly struggling. An ugly 6.02 ERA over 52.1 IP is paired with a home-run-rate of 2.06 per nine innings. This coming from the hometown kid who burst onto the scene in his second year, earning fourth in Cy Young voting and outpitching Jon Lester in the NL Wild Card game.

Which brings us back to identity.

In the aftermath of the departures of DJ LeMahieu, Carlos Gonzalez, Adam Ottavino, and Gerardo Parra, the questions were immediately being asked about who would emerge to replace these men, not only on the field but in terms of what they meant to the entire organization.

We all know what Nolan Arenado is capable of between the lines but also that he has never been the most natural vocal leader. Trevor Story has talked about becoming more of one and Charlie Blackmon displays countless leadership qualities but can also be a difficult act to imitate.

And each of them can be quite serious and focused. Of course, that’s almost always a good thing in the game of baseball but Freeland was the one member of the core of this team that brought fun in equal measure to focus.

But right now the game isn’t fun for Freeland and it hasn’t been fun for the Rockies.

Even as they were just a few key plays from a massively successful beginning to the road trip, they looked out of sync the entire time, even striking out 24 times in the one game they emerged victoriously.

Sloppy defense, symbolized by a two-error game from Arenado, and more bad pitching, especially at key times, has matched poor situational hitting to complete the malaise that hangs over the Rockies heading into Pittsburgh.

But that also begs the question:

How can a team that has looked, at times, awful in just about every element of the game, have actually played the Red Sox and Phillies so close and still sit only 4.5 games out of a postseason spot with 117 to play?

The answer is that they are still a remarkably talented team that is missing something. And they have little time to figure out what that is.

Surprisingly, the offense has seven players hitting around or above league average according to OPS+ and the bullpen is in the top third in terms of not blowing saves and in the middle of the pack (14th place) with a 4.02 ERA.

The combination of Freeland’s struggles and the need to send Tyler Anderson back to Triple-A (and now undergo knee surgery) has created a hole in what was supposed to be the strongest part of the armor.

There are plenty of positive signs as well. Jon Gray has been at the very least solid. German Marquez seems to flirt with a no-hitter every third game, and Antonio Senzatela has been good in all but one outing since returning from injury.

But how long can Colorado wait for the rest to iron out?

There will undoubtedly be fans calling for trades. And honestly, the Rockies should consider it especially with quality names like Marcus Stroman and Zach Wheeler floating around.

It may also turn out that the promotion of Brendan Rodgers was the beginning of a wave that is about to crash upon the shores of the pitching front in the form of highly-touted pitching prospects Peter Lambert and Ryan Castellani.

But one thing is for sure; the Rockies can’t wait around for a fight with Luis Perdomo to kick them into high gear again.

Maybe what they need to find their fire – and their identity – is as simple as an impassioned speech at the right moment. Maybe it will be as painstakingly slow as the usual incremental process of baseball where small adjustments often win the long race.

When it comes to Freeland, it looks likely to be such a process. His mechanics are off, he is missing in the middle of the zone far too often, and he needs to make an adjustment. But betting against a guy with his stuff, his competitive drive, and his deep understanding of the game of baseball would be unwise.

It would likely be unwise for the Colorado club to rely on the problems they’ve experienced to solve themselves.

One way to look at the last five games is to argue that fundamental flaws in the team cost them multiple games they should have won. Another is to say that they were one small… something… from winning all five.

Now it is the job of the brain trust at 20th and Blake that has led the Colorado Rockies to back-to-back postseasons to figure out what that is.

Can it be addressed via a trade or a tirade? A demotion or promotion? Is it really fair to put it all on Freeland getting back to normal? Are the shifting lineups, though statistically effective, causing a backlash that should see them shelved?

Whatever route they take, it needs to be centered on the one thing that can turn the Colorado Rockies season around.

It needs to help them find their identity.