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Thread: Clint Hurdle Fired

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    Default Clint Hurdle Fired

    Rockies fired Clint.

    http://www.kdvr.com/news/kdvr-hurdle...,5022811.story

    DENVER, Colo. - Less than two years after he led the franchise to its first World Series appearance, Clint Hurdle is out as manager of the Colorado Rockies, the Denver Post reported Friday, citing a Major League Baseball source.

    Hurdle, who managed the team for seven years, will likely be replaced by Rockies' bench coach Jim Tracey, the Post reports.

    The team scheduled a news conference for 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time to announce the move.

    After a remarkable post-season run in 2007, the Rockies finished 74-88 during the 2008 campaign and are currently in last place in the National League West division with a record of 18-28.

    The Rockies host the San Diego Padres this weekend.

    Copyright © 2009, KDVR-TV

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    TEBOW Bringing back the hb pass since 2012

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    Clint Hurdle lasted far longer than he should have. The question is what are the Monfords gonna do at manager after the "interim," and why does the GM still have his job? If they're gonna clean house and start fresh, I'd like the house to actually be clean, not just smear the muck around on the windows, change out the welcome mat and call it good.

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    I liked Clint but he managed a pitching staff just about as badly as a manager could.
    TEBOW Bringing back the hb pass since 2012

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    Quote Originally Posted by G_Money View Post
    Clint Hurdle lasted far longer than he should have. The question is what are the Monfords gonna do at manager after the "interim," and why does the GM still have his job? If they're gonna clean house and start fresh, I'd like the house to actually be clean, not just smear the muck around on the windows, change out the welcome mat and call it good.

    ~G
    Let's really clean house.


    Hey Monfords...you cheap sob's, sell the effing team. Do Colorado a favor.

    Love,
    Sickofthosecheapbastardskillingagreatbaseballcity

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    Quote Originally Posted by G_Money View Post
    Clint Hurdle lasted far longer than he should have. The question is what are the Monfords gonna do at manager after the "interim," and why does the GM still have his job? If they're gonna clean house and start fresh, I'd like the house to actually be clean, not just smear the muck around on the windows, change out the welcome mat and call it good.

    ~G
    Don Baylor should be the interim.
    *The statements above are my opinions, unless they are links, because then they are links, which wouldn't make them my opinions, and I suppose stats aren't necessarily opinion, but they are certainly presented to support an opinion. Proceed accordingly.

    Quote Originally Posted by Buff View Post
    What is this, amateur hour? It's TNF against the Jets and you didn't think you'd need extra booze?

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    Well, how fast do you fire a guy who got the overachieving Rockies to the World Series?

    I don't know if Colorado can ever sustain a winning tradition until they figure out a way to consistently pitch effectively at Coors. They tried throwing money at the problem and that's not the way to go. You need to find pitchers with great sinkers that induce plenty of grounders. That's the only type I think will have long-term success pitching at Coors.
    I miss the old Mile High Stadium.

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    Coors Field is 13th in park factor in HRs this year in a small sample size.

    Last year it was 3rd, so obviously HRs were still given up...but they're no longer lapping the universe in HRs like they used to before the humidor.

    The top 8 (all over 1.15) in 2008 were the Orioles, the White Sox, the Rockies, the Reds, the Rangers, the Tigers, the Cubs and the Astros.

    Those are all homer-friendly fields, but nobody's telling the White Sox they can't win, say, a WS playing on that field. The pure death that Coors used to be to pitchers it isn't any more - they just need to convince free-agent pitchers of that, and maybe crack open a wallet once in a while.

    It'd be nice to get some good sinkerballers in, but the key is just to get good pitching. Avoiding pure flyballers would be good, but really roster construction has not be a GM strength. Getting value for departing players has not been a strength. Not being cheap has not been a strength.

    There are a lot of non-strengths to go around, even with Hurdle gone...

    ~G
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    My novels Mason's Order and its sequel Mason's Pledge are now available at Amazon in both paperback and kindle versions.

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    Quote Originally Posted by GEM View Post
    Let's really clean house.


    Hey Monfords...you cheap sob's, sell the effing team. Do Colorado a favor.

    Love,
    Sickofthosecheapbastardskillingagreatbaseballcity
    GEM - you are EXACTLY correct - the Monfords are by FAR, the worst owners in PROFESSIONAL SPORTS.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Denver Native (Carol) View Post
    GEM - you are EXACTLY correct - the Monfords are by FAR, the worst owners in PROFESSIONAL SPORTS.
    Whoa.

    I'm just gonna stop you there.

    :aldavis:
    *The statements above are my opinions, unless they are links, because then they are links, which wouldn't make them my opinions, and I suppose stats aren't necessarily opinion, but they are certainly presented to support an opinion. Proceed accordingly.

    Quote Originally Posted by Buff View Post
    What is this, amateur hour? It's TNF against the Jets and you didn't think you'd need extra booze?

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    Quote Originally Posted by MissouriBronc View Post
    Don Baylor should be the interim.
    I agree - but according to this article, it was ODowd's doings to bring Tracy here this year, so things may have already been in the works then. There is NO Manager who will be successful here on a long term basis, with the CHEAP OWNERS!!!!!!!

    http://cbs4denver.com/sports/mlb.col...2.1024011.html

    The Colorado Rockies have fired manager Clint Hurdle less than two years after their incredible "Roctober" run to the World Series. He was replaced by bench coach Jim Tracy.

    Without reliable hitting, pitching or defense, the Rockies stumbled to an 18-28 start and were 14 1/2 games behind Los Angeles in the NL West heading into Friday night's action.

    Hurdle, who had been Colorado's manager since replacing Buddy Bell three weeks into the 2002 season, was 534-625 for a .460 winning percentage in his seven-plus seasons.

    Since the Rockies' one and only trip to the World Series in 2007, where they were swept by the Boston Red Sox, Colorado was 24 games under .500 with Hurdle at the helm.

    Tracy has a 562-572 managerial record with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2001-05) and Pittsburgh Pirates (2006-07), with a division title in 2004. He joined the Rockies' staff this winter at the behest of general manager Dan O'Dowd.

    Hurdle, who was in the final year of his contract, was hamstrung this season by the loss of his best hitter and his best pitcher as the Rockies got off to their second straight slow start, which affected attendance.

    Slugger Matt Holliday was traded to Oakland in November after refusing a contract extension, and ace Jeff Francis was lost for the season with shoulder surgery this spring -- not that Hurdle ever used that as an excuse.

    Hurdle was never one to complain about the club's cost-conscious ways, which likely helped earn him a longer leash from ownership than fans would have liked.

    Except for that magical month at the end of the 2007 season, when the Rockies won their first NL pennant by going on an unfathomable 21-1 run-up to the World Series, Hurdle's teams never were very good.

    Aside from their 90-73 record in '07, when they won the wild-card in a memorable one-game playoff against San Diego, the Rockies owned nothing but losing records under Hurdle -- he's the only manager in major league history to begin his career with five consecutive losing seasons and not get fired for it.

    Ownership stuck by their man for years because of his loyalty during the long rebuilding process when the Rockies pulled in their financial reins following some embarrassing and costly mistakes. Until the roster was refurbished and the young core of players seasoned, Hurdle was as much fan ambassador as manager.

    Many expected Hurdle to get fired last year, when the Rockies started out 20-38 and never recovered. He stuck around but after the season, he was asked by the front office to change his approach and juggle his coaching staff, bringing on Tracy and hitting coach Don Baylor.

    He set a more disciplinarian tone at spring training. Yet, the Rockies seemed to get away from that when the season started, and things quickly went downhill. O'Dowd, who also is in the final year of his contract, gave Hurdle a vote of confidence earlier this month, as did co-owner Dick Monfort.

    The Rockies continued to struggle at the plate, on the mound and, consequently, at the turnstile.

    The Dodgers outscored them 31-13 in a three-game sweep at Coors Field this week that proved to be Hurdle's last hurrah. After losing 8-6 in front of a sparse crowd on a beautifully sunny Wednesday afternoon, several players blamed themselves for the bad start but sensed Hurdle's time was up.

    "I think we think about things like that," Todd Helton said. "We know what's at stake."

    The Rockies have been at a loss to explain their inconsistent play.

    "I think it's only natural to start pressing a little when you aren't winning," Helton said. "You expect to have ups and downs throughout the season, but we still should be playing better baseball than this."

    Earlier this week, Hurdle spoke about the team's litany of troubles in all phases of the game but said it really came down to this: "We haven't played good baseball. So many times in society, and even in sports, we try to make things more complicated than they are."

    Thanks to MasterShake for my great signature
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    Quote Originally Posted by G_Money View Post
    Coors Field is 13th in park factor in HRs this year in a small sample size.

    Last year it was 3rd, so obviously HRs were still given up...but they're no longer lapping the universe in HRs like they used to before the humidor.

    The top 8 (all over 1.15) in 2008 were the Orioles, the White Sox, the Rockies, the Reds, the Rangers, the Tigers, the Cubs and the Astros.

    Those are all homer-friendly fields, but nobody's telling the White Sox they can't win, say, a WS playing on that field. The pure death that Coors used to be to pitchers it isn't any more - they just need to convince free-agent pitchers of that, and maybe crack open a wallet once in a while.

    It'd be nice to get some good sinkerballers in, but the key is just to get good pitching. Avoiding pure flyballers would be good, but really roster construction has not be a GM strength. Getting value for departing players has not been a strength. Not being cheap has not been a strength.

    There are a lot of non-strengths to go around, even with Hurdle gone...

    ~G

    But Coors is a huge expanse in the outfield. It isn't just a home run park, it's a park where fielders have a huge acreage to patrol. That's why you want mostly ground ball pitchers because it is easier to keep a ball on the infield than to go chase it down in the outfield.

    True, that's not the Rockies' only problem but if you're going to build a dynasty there, you'll need to know which types of pitchers can be effective there. Until that lesson is learned, they won't ever climb out of their rut.
    I miss the old Mile High Stadium.

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    From a dodgers fan who struggled to watch a Jim Tracy coached team:

    The Rockies can call it a season now with Tracy playing Skipper...He is a horrible downgrade from big C. Tracy barely ever matches up his players vs the opposition good. He continuously rotates the lineup trying to get the most of his key players, but always fails...And he loves to tuck his tail in between his legs and say "Its a long season"...Other than Grady Little, probably one of the worst recent Coaches the Dodgers have had..Not to mention the Pirates as well.

    I actually thought Clint did a pretty damn good job in his 7 years as Skip....Considering he had his big guns taken away from him time after time...I have always had a soft spot for the Rockies, and wish them good luck with a joke of a head coach.

    Rock fans, I feel for ya...Especially you Buff.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Benetto View Post
    From a dodgers fan who struggled to watch a Jim Tracy coached team:

    The Rockies can call it a season now with Tracy playing Skipper...He is a horrible downgrade from big C. Tracy barely ever matches up his players vs the opposition good. He continuously rotates the lineup trying to get the most of his key players, but always fails...And he loves to tuck his tail in between his legs and say "Its a long season"...Other than Grady Little, probably one of the worst recent Coaches the Dodgers have had..Not to mention the Pirates as well.

    I actually thought Clint did a pretty damn good job in his 7 years as Skip....Considering he had his big guns taken away from him time after time...I have always had a soft spot for the Rockies, and wish them good luck with a joke of a head coach.

    Rock fans, I feel for ya...Especially you Buff.
    Yep, only so much you can do when every time you coach a guy up from the start and the minute he is due some money the damn ownership ships them off.

    If you don't have the cash to support a MAJOR league team, go buy a MINOR league team. Until there is new ownership this franchise isn't going anywhere.

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    And Joe Torre was an idiot, run out of St. Louis, Atlanta AND Philadelphia...
    *The statements above are my opinions, unless they are links, because then they are links, which wouldn't make them my opinions, and I suppose stats aren't necessarily opinion, but they are certainly presented to support an opinion. Proceed accordingly.

    Quote Originally Posted by Buff View Post
    What is this, amateur hour? It's TNF against the Jets and you didn't think you'd need extra booze?

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