Power of Caring
  presented by CIGNA

The gritty Walker, whose power was cut by injuries last year, has signed a six-year deal and hopes to reclaim the pop that made him MVP in 1997. Al Bello/Allsport

Colorado Rockies

For the power-packed Rockies, success -- or failure -- is still up in the air

By Ian Thomsen

Kurt Abbott, who won the World Series with Jim Leyland and the Marlins two years ago, never believed the speculation that Leyland would be managing the Dodgers this season. "I told people if he went to L.A., I'd be really, really surprised," says Abbott. "It's just not his style. I couldn't see him making that hourlong trip to the ballpark each day, getting stuck in traffic."

Instead, in October, Leyland signed a three-year, $6 million contract to manage Colorado, where utilityman Abbott had landed after Florida's post-championship fire sale. "I liked the combination they have here," Leyland says of the Rockies. "It's similar to what we had on the Marlins, a good combination of youth and veteran players."

Manager Jim Leyland (first season with Colorado) 1998 Record 77-85 (fourth in NL West) Prediction Third in NL West Batting Order CF Darryl Hamilton SS Neifi Perez LF Dante Bichette RF Larry Walker 3B Vinny Castilla 1B Todd Helton 2B Mike Lansing C Kirt Manwaring Starters RH Darryl Kile RH Pedro Astacio LH Brian Bohanon LF John Thomson RH Jamey Wright Bullpen RH Dave Veres RH Jerry DiPoto LH Chuck McElroy RH Mike DeJean RH Curt Leskanic LH Bobby Jones

Next Up... In 1996, while sliding into second with his first major league hit, pitcher Jamey Wright suffered an injury to his right knee. He would need three cartilage operations over the next two years. "This is the first time I had the whole off-season to get ready," says the righthander, 24, who's expecting big things from himself and fellow righthanded starter John Thomson, 25. Wright was a first-round pick in '93, and Thomson was drafted six rounds later. Last year, in their first full season in the majors, Wright was 9-14 and Thomson 8-11. "This is the year both of us need to step up and get 12 to 15 wins," Wright says. "I really think we're the key to our team's making the playoffs."

Colorado tried and failed to sign pitcher Kevin Brown, which means that Leyland is the only major addition to a club that finished a befuddling 21 games behind the Padres in the National League West last season. The first thing Leyland told the Rockies players was that he wouldn't make a difference. In so doing, he might have made all the difference.

"You can see we have talent here," says second baseman Mike Lansing, "but until we go out and win games, that talent doesn't mean anything." That the Colorado players are repeating after their manager, who admits he was nervous before addressing them the first time, says much about the respect he commands. "When Jim Leyland talks, players shut up and listen," says rightfielder Larry Walker. "He's probably a soft little guy inside, but when he talks, he's intimidating. People take him seriously. His reputation alone scares the crap out of people."

The Rockies needed someone new to grab their attention. Don Baylor, the only manager Colorado had known in its six-year history, was replaced after three consecutive disappointing seasons. "On the field, in the dugout, in the clubhouse, we were 25 people going in 25 different directions last year," Walker says.

Besides hiring Leyland, Colorado's only big move was to sign Walker to a six-year, $75 million contract extension. Elbow, finger and lower-back ailments limited Walker's strength last season, yet he still joined Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs as the only players since 1930 to hit .360 in successive seasons. "Last year he reminded me of MacGyver," says batting coach Clint Hurdle, the only coach from Baylor's staff retained by Leyland. "With whatever he was able to bring to the park, he'd put something together on the field. Maybe it was a single and a couple of stolen bases, or maybe it was throwing somebody out at home."

Somehow, Leyland must solve the riddle of Coors Field. Last season Colorado hit .325 at home, as if in a zero-gravity chamber, but when it ventured into the real world for the rest of its games, it batted only .257. Walker's recovering his health -- and with it his 1997 MVP power numbers (49 home runs, 130 RBIs) -- would help greatly, and it would make the Rockies' murderous lineup of Dante Bichette, Walker, Vinny Castilla and Todd Helton even more punishing. Last year first baseman Helton became only the 11th player in the past 51 seasons to lead major league rookies in average, home runs and RBIs. Darryl Hamilton (.335 in 51 games after being obtained from San Francisco) gives the Rockies a leadoff threat and a true centerfielder in spacious Coors Field.

Leyland can make the biggest impact with his pitching staff. He inherits plenty of talent in the bullpen but no firm closer among Dave Veres, Mike DeJean, Jerry Dipoto and Curt Leskanic. "I want a definite closer if we can find one,'' says Leyland. "It takes a lot of worry away, a lot of questions."

Colorado Rockies

More important, Leyland has to find a way of guiding his rotation through the dangers of pitching in Coors Field. "I'm sure I'll get booed some nights for leaving a starting pitcher in longer than the fans think I should," Leyland says. "I managed in the American Association years ago and used to come through Denver, and a wise man gave me some good advice about playing in this altitude: Don't be so quick with your pitchers." Leyland has made the rare move of converting a hitting coach, former catcher Milt May, to pitching coach. That'll give the Rockies' staff a different perspective.

"It's no secret," Leyland says, "that when someone like McGwire or Sosa or Walker or Guerrero catches hold of one, it's gone, and it doesn't matter which ballpark you're in. There's no ballpark big enough to hold guys like that. What you want to eliminate is the home run from the guy who's only going to hit five of them in a season."

Issue date: March 29, 1999