The infamously misspelled “Tulowizki” jersey is available on eBay for $99.
The sad part is: 99 bucks might be more than the Rockies could get in a trade for many of the misfit pitchers on a roster built by Colorado general manager Dan O’Dowd, who has been messing things up since 1999.
However, if the Rockies fail to deal capable closer LaTroy Hawkins before the trade deadline Thursday, it would be further proof this franchise is worse than clueless.
Long before the Rockies botched the spelling of his name and compounded their embarrassing error by distributing flawed T-shirts to fans entering the ballpark, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki knew the team he plays for is often too inept to recognize a glaring mistake, much less do the right thing.
Know the latest nonsensical move by a laughably mismanaged baseball team?
Rockies owner Dick Monfort has dared Tulowitzki to demand a trade.
How stupid is that?
Tulowitzki told me this month in a calm voice and plain English: He doesn’t want to finish his career as Todd Helton, a local baseball hero who toiled 17 seasons in Denver without winning a division title. “That’s not me,” Tulowitzki said. “I want to be somewhere there’s a chance to be in the playoffs every single year.”
Monfort responded to Tulo’s concerns in the same manner the Rockies owner deals with too many problems with his ballclub: He covered his ears, hummed a happy tune and pretended there was no trouble on the horizon. Monfort insists until Tulowitzki asks him directly to be traded, it’s safe to assume his 29-year-old shortstop is satisfied being a member of a team headed for a last-place finish in the National League West for the third consecutive year.
So while many in baseball speculated Tulowitzki was dropping a hint when he sat in full view of television cameras at Yankee Stadium this week to watch idol Derek Jeter, the best player on a bad Colorado team is well aware it will require more than a passive-aggressive act to hasten a divorce with the Rockies.
The Rockies were tempted to trade Tulowitzki to the St. Louis Cardinals late in 2013 but did not advance toward closure of the deal in large part because Monfort wanted Tulo to stay in Colorado. Now, in a silly game of chicken, Monfort is calling Tulowitzki’s bluff, in the apparent belief Tulo lacks the gumption to look the owner in the eye and ask for a ticket out of town.
For better or worse, the Monfort brothers have always run their baseball team like a family business. As such, nothing is more prized in the Rockies organization than loyalty. If Tulowitzki wants to leave, all he has to do is tell the owner his loyalty to the organization has been eroded to the point of no return by chronic losing.
That is a difficult discussion between Tulowitzki and Monfort best saved for October. The immediate concerns for Tulo are to get off the disabled list and turn his .340 average into a batting title. Trading him now makes zero sense.
But with the clock ticking toward the trade deadline, here are three things O’Dowd could proactively do this week in an effort to make the Rockies a better team next season:
1) Move Hawkins to a playoff contender desperate for bullpen help. With a 3.09 earned-run average and 17 saves, Hawkins has exceeded any reasonable expectations. Give O’Dowd credit for believing a veteran of 19 seasons could work the ninth inning. But a 41-year-old reliever is not the future for the Rockies. It’s time to flip Hawkins for young talent from a team that wants to make playoff run now.
2) Measure the trade value of catcher Wilin Rosario and outfielder Charlie Blackmon: No matter how much pop is in the bat of Rosario, it’s crazy to employ a catcher in Coors Field whose primary talents do not include playing sound defense and inspiring confidence in his pitching staff.
Of course, it might have been smarter to trade Rosario a year ago, when his offensive statistics were stronger. That hard lesson is, in short, precisely why Blackmon should also be shopped. “Chuck Nazty” has a great nickname, awesome beard and an All-Star Game on his résumé. Deal him now. His value is unlikely to ever be higher.
3) Start the groundwork on a three-year, $45 million deal with Jorge De La Rosa: It’s not enough to refuse trade offers for Colorado’s staff ace. If the Rockies are serious about building a decent starting rotation for 2015, keep De La Rosa off the free-agent market.
Yes, $45 million is a steep price to pay for a 33-year-old left-handed pitcher with 81 career victories. To be sure, the risk inherent by investing heavily in De La Rosa would be real. But pitching in Colorado is no bargain. What does Monfort want more: a party deck or the National League pennant?
Mark Kiszla: mkiszla@denverpost.com or twitter.com/markkiszla
