2008 Woodie Awards
2007 World Series: Clash of two titans
Bryan Shaffer
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 2 next >
Yes, it is that time of year. The postseason has played its first two rounds out, and now we have reached the pinnacle of the Major League Baseball season: the World Series, featuring the lone survivors of their respective leagues: the Colorado Rockies and the Boston Red Sox.
At the beginning of the season, had someone told you the Red Sox would be competing in this years Fall Classic, more likely than not you would have accepted that as a real possibility. On the other hand, if someone had made a similar speculation about the Rockies, you probably would have disregarded any of their future opinions regarding baseball. Who would think that a team that has not finished above fourth place in their division since 1997 would have a chance to play for all the marbles? Let's face it, since their inception in 1993, the Colorado Rockies have been the closest thing to perennial cellar dwellers that you can find. But this year they have come out of nowhere, going on a historic 21-1 tear that allowed them to pounce over all opponents and leave them in the dust scratching their heads.
To make matters even more puzzling, at the beginning of the season, I'm sure the average fan could not name many players on their roster beyond the likes of MVP candidate Matt Holliday and perennial All Star Todd Helton. So how did this team grow into the powerhouse it has proven to be over the last month? The answer is quite simple: home grown talent. A large number of their players, from ace Jeff Francis to rookie sensation Troy Tulowitzki were brought up through the system, and it is obvious who you can credit the build of the team to; General Manager Dan O'Dowd. Because of playing at such a high elevation as Denver, the ball travels a lot further than in other ballparks. Because of this, most people think that the Rockies should be build around an offensive powerhouse, but not O'Dowd. Though he has done a nice job building an impressive offensive team, he acknowledges the importance of pitching, and has put together a great pitching staff for his team. One may even say that their pitching is the single greatest strength of their team, and to prove this, look no further than the staggering 2.08 ERA the team has posted thus far in the postseason. And if you are thinking, "oh well, they can't do anything against Josh Beckett", then think again. Only once in the regular season did Beckett allow six or more earned runs in a start, and the team that dealt him that blow: the Rockies. For the Red Sox sake, we can only hope the snow in the Rockies has cooled down the red hot Rocks.
At the beginning of the season, had someone told you the Red Sox would be competing in this years Fall Classic, more likely than not you would have accepted that as a real possibility. On the other hand, if someone had made a similar speculation about the Rockies, you probably would have disregarded any of their future opinions regarding baseball. Who would think that a team that has not finished above fourth place in their division since 1997 would have a chance to play for all the marbles? Let's face it, since their inception in 1993, the Colorado Rockies have been the closest thing to perennial cellar dwellers that you can find. But this year they have come out of nowhere, going on a historic 21-1 tear that allowed them to pounce over all opponents and leave them in the dust scratching their heads.
To make matters even more puzzling, at the beginning of the season, I'm sure the average fan could not name many players on their roster beyond the likes of MVP candidate Matt Holliday and perennial All Star Todd Helton. So how did this team grow into the powerhouse it has proven to be over the last month? The answer is quite simple: home grown talent. A large number of their players, from ace Jeff Francis to rookie sensation Troy Tulowitzki were brought up through the system, and it is obvious who you can credit the build of the team to; General Manager Dan O'Dowd. Because of playing at such a high elevation as Denver, the ball travels a lot further than in other ballparks. Because of this, most people think that the Rockies should be build around an offensive powerhouse, but not O'Dowd. Though he has done a nice job building an impressive offensive team, he acknowledges the importance of pitching, and has put together a great pitching staff for his team. One may even say that their pitching is the single greatest strength of their team, and to prove this, look no further than the staggering 2.08 ERA the team has posted thus far in the postseason. And if you are thinking, "oh well, they can't do anything against Josh Beckett", then think again. Only once in the regular season did Beckett allow six or more earned runs in a start, and the team that dealt him that blow: the Rockies. For the Red Sox sake, we can only hope the snow in the Rockies has cooled down the red hot Rocks.
Be the first to comment on this story