Rox Talk - Week 17

A 1-5 week against the D-Backs and Reds. The Rox currently stand at 37-63 (second half record at 4-11). Seventeen and half games behind the Giants/Dodgers for the division lead in last place. Currently 20-32 at home and 17-31 on the road, the Rox have been outscored by its opponents 564-471 (expected wins is 42 versus historical wins at 47). On pace for 60 wins with 763 runs scored and 914 runs against. Playoff indicator (Runs Scored/Runs Against ratio) is 0.84 (1.16 indicates high playoff potential). 

Now that the season is in the trash can and we go back and try to figure out what happened, the "experts" will probably declare that we really shouldn't have expected anything else but a really bad year. Rox rolled the dice on pitching, hoping for some average starts, and basically nothing worked out. I mean when old man Moyer came out of Spring Training as one of our starters we should have waved the white flag immediately. 

The offense has been great. If we had just an average rotation we probably would have had at least had a respectable season but to be frank the starting pitching has been the worse staff in Rox history (which is saying a whole lot because pre-humidor we had terrible staffs). Also Rox pitching is on pace for the worst staff ERA in the history of the game! And the saddest part in all this is that this is when pitching in baseball has been the strongest it has been since the end of the Steroid era. How bad is it comparatively speaking?  At High Heat Stats a few notes on this season's MLB seasonal averages:

1)  Run scoring is the 2nd-lowest value since 1992.  Rox are giving up 5.64 runs a game versus the 4.33 average.

2)  Strikeouts are up to 7.5 per game with walks down to 3.06 per game (lowest since 1968).  Average K/BB ration is 2.43.  Rox ratio is 2.15 overall but the starters are at 2.08.

3)  Hits per game are at 8.65 per game, the lowest value since 1989 and yet our Rox are giving up 10.24 hits per game!

So should we expect (maybe even demand?) changes in the head office? You would think when you send out and create the worse staff in the history of baseball that someone would be looking for a new job but this is the Rox we are talking about. The owner, who earlier this year, claimed that O'Dud was the greatest GM in the game is just clueless and could care less if a winning product is put on the field. Why should he when Coors Field is a cash cow. I mean when the Pirates were in town 2 weeks ago, in a mid week July game, over 40,000 people showed up!  Heck even when we embarrass ourselves when 9 fielders can't even remember how many outs there are in an inning and have to be reminded by the umpire that it is OK to leave the field the Rox manager continues to get a free pass.

As an aside I am also an avid Rapids fan.  In addition to the Rox, their season has been a disappointment as well.  They are currently on a 0-6-0 run in July.  But I will take what the Rapids are trying to do because when I watch them on the pitch they are giving an A effort.  Results might not be there but they care.  Their winless July streak was frustrating as a fan but their passion and desire was there even if wins weren't.  Plus their staff understand our frustration and give honest outlooks.  Look I love our Rox and I think in the end this year would have been more acceptable if the team had just been honest with itself.  The fact that it came up with a lot of BS and made a bunch of excuses just bothers me.  It will be an interesting off season to say the least!