[hiaspire]

Too bad we lost Tracy on this new board - I think we should have probably lost Tracy just for the treatment alone, but to each their own.

They are almost setting themselves up for failure with some of these statements. They do seem more open to trading Helton "if it will help the club", but more than likely the deal you are going to get WON'T help you this year as much as Helton would, but WILL hopefully help you in the long-run (salary relief as well as a couple very good AA prospects, etc.) So they'll give DOD a pat on the back for a good Helton trade, then fire Hurdle for losing more games without one of his best players and the return you got for him being in the minor leagues.

Recent statements do seem to be leaning toward putting more heat on Hurdle to win on the field, and separating DOD from his hip and those results. I'm not buying it, though, as history otherwise has them leaning more towards increasing Hurdle's power (and demanding that new managers keep him on previously) while diminishing DOD's authority, staff, and wheelin' ways that resulted in the lack of continuity they criticized him for publically. I don't think it goes 180 in the other direction, but that may depend upon what happens on the field and if they feel they need to do something -- where they manager usually takes the fall more times than not. Or maybe with their recent emphasis on faith and character, DOD has gone to church more than Hurdle (or championing that cause more enthusiastically) and is winning the owners over as a guy who will carry out their mission.

Speaking of religion (and since the Colts come up here sometimes due to poster geography), did anybody catch the statements made by the guys in charge at Indy? Rox take a lot of heat for religion here, but I don't think they are much different than many other examples in sports where players score touchdowns and thank God, or managers talk about team character.


Back to Helton... The other Troy painted a scenario on talk radio this morning about a win/win situation where Todd comes back healthy, has a fantastic season as he's so determined to do now, improves his value and demand, and gets moved to a world series contender. I have to disagree. If Todd really makes it back with a strong season, I don't think Rockies management will deal the returning hero regaining his form to applauding fans. Then they are right back to the same reasons they wouldn't deal the popular player before.

What has made trading Helton a possibility now is that more fans are frustrated, and they wouldn't take as much of a PR hit for moving him while he's in a down swing. If/when he gets going again, I couldn't see him being shipped out except for if the team totally went into the tank otherwise and it was mutually agreed it was best for everyone for Helton to jump the sinking ship. Either that, or some desperate team gives the Rox an offer they couldn't refuse (say a star 1B gets hurt on a playoff team) and that team also happens to be one of the few situations Helton may waive his no-trade for. That's possible where it might not have been before because management has crossed that line to where they can imagine a team without their star player like they haven't before.

If things go fairly well for the team and Helton looks to be back on track a bit, I don't think he's going anywhere. Same might be true for the dynamic duo leading the franchise in that case, where the owners have stuck with them through some horrendous baseball and I couldn't see them ditching H/DOD when things are looking better and hope is emerging. If it was me, I would have traded Helton and fired both of those guys years ago, but under today's reality I don't think the huge shake-up is coming that is being hinted at. At least not unless things get disasterously bad next year, which I don't expect. They are just applying some pressure, appeasing some fans looking for more accountability, and setting the stage just in case things don't go anywhere near as hoped on the field.