The Colorado Rockies: A Historic Descent in MLB
The 2024 season for the Colorado Rockies is marking a turning point in the modern history of MLB, but not precisely for the reasons their fans would wish. The team has set a new standard of defeat, accumulating the fewest wins (eight) in their first 50 games and losing a record series of 22 consecutive games before managing to sweep the Miami Marlins this week.The most surprising thing is that, unlike other teams in similar situations, the Rockies’ roster is not made up of rookies or transient players. Instead, it has key figures who were part of the franchise’s glory moments.
Players like Germán Márquez, Antonio Senzatela, Kyle Freeland, and infielder Ryan McMahon, who were part of the 2017 and 2018 postseason teams, remember those golden times. In those two seasons, Colorado accumulated a total of 178 victories.
However, the current reality is very different. The Rockies are on track to surpass the modern-era record for losses, set last year by the Chicago White Sox. They are projected to lose 130 games, surpassing Chicago by nine.
“If you had asked me in 2017 or 2018, I would have said that was impossible,” Freeland commented. “You realize how special those seasons were.”
Kyle Freeland
Despite their unfavorable record, the atmosphere in the locker room doesn’t seem very different from that of any other team mid-season. Rockies players point out that there’s still a lot of baseball to be played and refuse to succumb to the negativity surrounding the constant losses. They also highlight increased competitiveness since the coaching change at the beginning of last month.
Injured reliever Austin Gomber added: “The start of the year was difficult, if we’re being honest. We weren’t very competitive. Since Warren Schaeffer took over as interim manager, we’re practically in every game. But things aren’t going well for us. It’s easier to maintain a positive attitude. I know we’re competing every night. At the beginning of the year, that wasn’t the case.”
Freeland added: “We can’t give up now. We have a lot to learn as a team, with many young players learning. The veterans have to keep the team’s attitude in the right place.”The root of the Rockies’ problems is clear: they have allowed the most runs per game and score the fewest. This latter fact is surprising, considering the offensive advantage they have historically had playing at the highest altitude in MLB in Denver. Before this season, their lowest position in scoring since Coors Field opened 30 years ago was 22nd, achieved last season.
The lack of production on both sides of the field has resulted in lopsided scores and painful defeats. “Some stick with you,” McMahon commented. “We have players who care, and when you care, you carry it longer. But if you hold onto yesterday, it won’t help today and it’ll be a long season. You have to let it go.”
The team’s new motto could be “let it go,” as the organization tries to turn the page on a disastrous start, pointing to some improvements since 40-year-old Schaeffer replaced 67-year-old Bud Black. After eight years and approximately six weeks of Black at the helm in Colorado, the Rockies decided a change was needed.“Buddy Black is a great baseball guy,” said General Manager Bill Schmidt. “It was probably time for a different voice.”
Bill Schmidt
When Schmidt was asked what gives him hope at this difficult time for the franchise, he replied: “We’ve been much more competitive lately. We’re going to turn it around. I’m ashamed of what has happened.”
After their numbers improved with the sweep against the Marlins, the team can point to a run differential per game of minus 2.41 since Schaeffer took over, compared to minus 3.2 under Black, although their winning percentages are similar (0.175 under Black to 0.227 since the change).
Like the White Sox last year, the Rockies aren’t focusing on the losing record, as they believe it would be a self-fulfilling prophecy. “If not being the worst baseball team is our main focus, then we will be the worst baseball team,” Freeland said. “Our focus is ‘Get better every day.’ That’s the goal. We have a new manager, new coaches, a lot of moving parts. But let’s focus on ourselves.”
Schaeffer, who was a minor league player, is learning on the go, but he has brought new energy to the bench. He says he wants the same thing as any other manager from his players: accountability and the ability to master the fundamentals. Does he see improvements?“Yes, of course. I feel the competitive nature is there. Little by little we are learning to be in the games and to win. We haven’t achieved it yet. We have to execute at the end of the games. That’s the next step,” Schaeffer stated.
Warren Schaeffer
The last few weeks illustrate how close and how far the Rockies are from being respectable. The inability to execute, especially at the end of games, led to eight losses by two runs or less in a span of 12 games. It’s the kind of situation that will keep them at that record pace, along with the lopsided scores, which still occur about once a week.
“We have about 100 games left,” Gomber said. “We can get rid of that record with a good two-week stretch. I’m confident we’ll turn it around from that standpoint because, watching, I’ve seen them much more competitive every night. That’s going to change.”There is some concern about the young players on the team learning in an environment of so many losses. They point to the veterans, especially those who were in Colorado in better times, as the reason the team is staying together.
“We treat every day like a new day,” said Tyler Freeman, a 26-year-old infielder. “It’s hard to look at the record right now. But everyone is working hard. We come with the intention of winning. The results haven’t been seen, but we have to be patient. If you look at the beginning of the year and now, it’s very different. I think we’ve turned a corner.”Residing in the toughest division in baseball will only make it harder to avoid losing 120 games this season. Colorado is 3-13 against the National League West, with 36 games remaining against those opponents.
Surprisingly, the Rockies are still attracting over 26,000 fans per game, demonstrating their loyalty and the experience offered by Coors Field. But, what will the stands look like in September, when the team concludes a potentially historic season? One thing the locker room is unified on is how much the team has disappointed those fans. The Rockies have come a long way, in the wrong direction, since those consecutive postseason appearances of the past decade.
“A lot has happened since then,” Senzatela said, shaking his head. “We have to stay together. Hopefully we’ll be back there.”
