So, this article has Rockies fans up in arms. It's Kruk, but they're convinced all of ESPN believes this. (IMO Denver has a weird chip on its shoulder, though I'm not prepared to support that with any hard evidence.)

Doesn't the overall issue seem pretty clear? The Rockies lack respect because they haven't earned it. Their first playoff appearance in 12 years came as a result of a 13 of 14 end of season run. They've achieved 5 winning seasons in 16 years, and the team record for wins is 90 (and they had to play 163 and win the 13 of 14 to get there). Management has improved, but for fans in other cities, it takes a while to replace the old images--the ridiculousness of baseball played with 125 park factors, the constantly changing player acquisition plans, the Hampton and Denny Neagle failures, etc. That the last 18 games were great doesn't mean the first 52 no longer count.

Not that this excuses Kruk, or ESPN's biases.

So, this article has Rockies fans up in arms. It's Kruk, but they're convinced all of ESPN believes this. (IMO Denver has a weird chip on its shoulder, though I'm not prepared to support that with any hard evidence.)

The weird chip comes from the fact that Rockies fans for the most part know that this team is distinct from those previous teams, and much better, and that each of these last 18 games count just as much as each of the previous 52, as the last month of 2007 counted just as much as the five months before that, but fans in other places and the national media seem to toss them out altogether as odd anomalies. It's as though you were in a class and the professor decided to toss out your best work, while keeping all of your worst.

If the team does falter in 2009 and wind up out of the picture as Kruk says, than sure, it will be as you say that the Rockies won't have earned any sort of respect, but their current pace has them for 87 wins and perhaps the second best record in the NL. If that's true, that would mean two out of the last three seasons the Rockies would have been 87 wins or over and outpaced both the Mets and Phillies during the regular season. Hopefully then the respect might start coming.

Everyone likes Jim Tracy.

I do not like Jim Tracy.

The weird chip comes from the fact that Rockies fans for the most part know that this team is distinct from those previous teams, and much better, and that each of these last 18 games count just as much as each of the previous 52, as the last month of 2007 counted just as much as the five months before that, but fans in other places and the national media seem to toss them out altogether as odd anomalies.

There were folks here who tossed them out the same way. The Rockies were the National League's best team when 2007 ended by any measure, but it sure seemed very few wanted to acknowledge it.

Maybe the Rockies' biggest problem is indifference.

I think part of it is that the Rockies still, in their whole history, have never really been in a season-long pennant race. So nobody ever spent an entire season saying, "Hey, those Rockies look really good this year."

Do you realize that this year's team has only three regulars left from the 2007 NL Champs? Helton, Hawpe and Tulowitzki are all that remain; Atkins and Yorvit are still with the team, but have lost their starting jobs.

Everyone likes Jim Tracy.

From what I've read on here, this does not seem to be the case. He seems to be a very divisive manager.

From what I've read on here, this does not seem to be the case. He seems to be a very divisive manager.

Just to clear up any confusion, AG1F, you're arguing with John Kruk.

Troy Tulowitzki likes Tracy, which is way more important than what anyone in this forum thinks of him: "He's the exact opposite of Hurdle. You had a guy who was very loud, very intimidating and sometimes you didn't know what you were going to get with your lineup. Tracy is low maintenance, very mild-tempered, will let you know if you aren't playing. Both ways can be very effective."

I also liked Clint Hurdle's take on why the Rockies have turned things around: "It starts at the top with the manager."