Sadly, I think you're right. How this team could open up a can of whoop-ass on top-flight teams like the Red Sox and drop 3 of four to the Pirates is beyond me. Not to mention the drubbings they received from the Royals and Nationals.

I'm still holding out for a .500 finish, but even that may be wishful thinking.

The Pirates are giving everyone a hard time recently, Mets & Phillies before the Rocks. The race for 4th place in the NL Central is as hot as they come.

1 You know, as much as I would like to lay the blame for this on Clint Hurdle, the Monforts, and Willy Taveras, the fact of the matter is no team in either league could lose three of their five starters in the middle of a pennant race and expect to actually increase their winning percentage. This year, it's really nobody's fault but Lady Luck's. That said, how the hell are the Rockies going to get any better next year? Have you seen the free agent starters who will be available this offseason? Argh. Someone somewhere will outbid them for Rodrigo Lopez and feel awfully stupid about it later. I would like to think very much that the Padres will never find another hitter, the Diamondbacks' raft of can't-miss prospects will all miss, and the Dodgers and Giants continue being run by complete blithering morons. Well, I feel pretty good about the last one. But, yeah, this might have been our year, but now we'll never know.

This could possibly be karmic punishment for Brad Hawpe tagging Mark Prior on the elbow during the 2005 season.

Don't you think a rotation of francis, cook, ubaldo, morales, and some mid level FA signing could be decent next year? It seems like we have a lot of chips for trade to improve the team next year, especially in the bullpen.

3. You're right about the bad luck, Mark. On the other hand, there still was this pattern this season where the Rockies were brilliant when they were punching above their weight, and godawful against weaker teams.

4 Morales isn't ready. The Rockies made a misjudgement both about his progress and how serious their chances of making the postseason this year were when they called him up. I'm not super clear on how the arbitration service clock thing works (and neither is anybody else), but if it won't penalize the Rockies any to keep him in the minors for most of next year, they really ought to.

OH MY GOD! We just swept the Nats! We're Back in it!

(at least until the upcoming 1-5 roadie)