The Rockies continue to be the definition of baseball insanity
Oct 2, 2021, 6:43 PM
On Saturday, the Rockies officially announced that Bill Schmidt will have the “interim” tag removed from his job title and be named the team’s permanent general manager. At the same time, the franchise unofficially told their fan base that they have no clue what they’re doing.
During the last weekend of the regular season, Colorado promoted from within, tabbing Schmidt to replace Jeff Bridich, who departed less than a month into the season. In doing so, the team once again proved that they aren’t a viable MLB franchise.
In 1999, the Rockies hired Dan O’Dowd to be their GM. It was a bold move, as he was a rising star in baseball, a key part of the Indians front office.
That was more than two decades ago. It was in a different millennium.
Since then, the Rockies have hired a new general manager twice. Both times, they’ve promoted from within.
At the end of the 2014 season, O’Dowd walked away after 15 years on the job. He was replaced by his right-hand man, as Bridich as promoted.
The Rockies didn’t interview anyone else for the job. They chose to continuity over outside ideas.
Seven years later, they’re doing the same thing. This time, they’re replacing Bridich with Schmidt.
The Rockies didn’t interview anyone else for the job. They chose to continuity over outside ideas.
Schmidt joined the Rockies in 1999. He’s been around for the entire O’Dowd / Bridich era. He’s part of the same braintrust.
Thus, it’s safe to assume that it’ll be more of the same at 20th and Blake. Nothing will change in Colorado.
And that’s a missed opportunity. After 20-plus years of the same thinking and strategy, it’s time for something new.
During that time, the Rockies have made the postseason four times. They’ve advanced past the National League Division Series just once.
Clearly, it’s not working. Making the playoffs less than 20 percent of the time is not a good success rate.
Bridich’s surprise departure provided an opportunity to look at other options. It gave Colorado a chance to do something different. It offered the hope that new thinking would be considered.
Given that the Rockies have never won a division title, that seems like a good idea. Another approach would be welcome.
Instead, Colorado has decided to go with a novel approach. Apparently, they believe in the lesser-used adage, “If it ain’t fixed, don’t break it.”
It’s beyond frustrating. The franchise is literally employing the definition of insanity, doing the same thing over and over again, while hoping for a different outcome.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. When O’Dowd walked away, Dick Monfort made it clear that he didn’t even know who to consider when it came outside candidates. The Rockies owner had no idea who to even talk to about the job.
That’s because he’s not plugged into the game’s inner circles. Monfort isn’t a power broker in Major League Baseball. He’s the guy who runs the glorified softball team in Denver.
But it’s a profitable team. The Rockies are a money-making machine.
That being the case, why would Monfort bring in someone who wasn’t on board with the plan? Why would he hire a GM who didn’t get that it’s about profit, not victories, for the boys in purple pinstripes?
Last offseason, the Rockies infuriated their fan base by trading away the best player in franchise history. Bridich shipped Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals for a bucket of balls, throwing in $50 million for good measure.
How did Colorado fans respond? They turned out in droves to watch a bad baseball team, posting the seventh-highest attendance in the league.
The Rockies were never a contender. They entered the season as an afterthought. Yet, fans paid for tickets, bought beers and hot dogs, and restocked the team’s coffers.
That’s the way it’s always been. The fans show up in Colorado, no matter what.
As a result, there’s no motivation to change anything. There’s no impetus to try something new because the fans don’t demand it.
That’s why 2022 will be more of the same for the Rockies. It’ll be the 24th-straight year of the same plan, from the same regime.
Nothing will change. Nothing will improve.
Why? Because Dick Monfort hasn’t been forced to get it right.
The Rockies failures are on the owner. But they’re also on the fans who repeatedly let him get away with it.
