BLACKMON THE BEST
Center fielder wins batting title
Shouts of “M-V-P” rose above the splatters of champagne and beer late Saturday night in the Rockies’ clubhouse. At the center of the bouncing pack of players, his head bowed and hair dripping with booze, was Charlie Blackmon.
On a playoff-bound team that includes two National League most valuable player candidates, including all-star Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado, Blackmon rose to be the players’ choice. With his line-drive single to right field in the third inning Sunday off Dodgers reliever Edward Paredes, Blackmon locked up the NL batting title.
It wasn’t really in doubt. Blackmon finished with a .331 batting average, while the Dodgers’ Justin Turner closed at .322.
But Blackmon’s value comes from his stoicism. On a team that will play in its first postseason since 2009, he is the Rockies’ steely-eyed center, the player always focused on the next pitch, never stuck on yesterday, a hitter who rarely goes quietly. “Charlie is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen,” Arenado said.
The Rockies clinched a postseason berth Saturday about an hour before they faced the Dodgers when Milwaukee lost at St. Louis. The party started early at Coors Field, but Blackmon sat in his corner, wrapping his wrists and running through scouting reports.
Wild-card matchups
Tuesday’s AL game
Twins RHP Ervin Santana (16-8, 3.28 ERA) at Yankees RHP Luis Severino (14-6, 2.98),
6 p.m., ESPN
ALDS: Winner vs. Indians; Red Sox vs. Astros Wednesday’s NL game
Rockies RHP Jon Gray (10-4, 3.67) at Diamondbacks RHP Zack Greinke (17-7, 3.20), 6 p.m., TBS
NLDS: Winner vs. Dodgers; Cubs vs. Nationals
“He’s so funny,” Arenado said. “We’re like, ‘Dude, we’re in already, it’s all good, bro, we did this.’ But that’s Charlie. He’s an intense guy. That’s probably why he got two hits and I struck out ugly in my first at-bat.”
Blackmon’s batting title followed DJ LeMahieu’s in 2016. The Rockies have won four of the NL’s past five and 11 in their 25-year history, including Carlos Gonzalez (2010), Matt Holliday (2007), Larry Walker (199899, 2001), Todd Helton (2000) and Andres Galarraga (1993).
Arenado, who won the RBI title the past two seasons, finished this season with 130 RBIs, two shy of Miami slugger Giancarlo Stanton for the NL lead. Arenado, Blackmon, LeMahieu and Gonzalez form the offensive spine of a Rockies run toward Wednesday’s wildcard playoff game at Arizona.
“This is what we’ve been working for for a long time,” Blackmon said. “It’s what you dream about as a kid. We were just asking for a chance. We just sneaked in under the wire, but I wouldn’t have it any other way, to be honest. We took a lot of steps forward as a team this year and that’s why we’re where we are.”
Gonzalez, who suffered through his worst season since his rookie year in 2008, is the only remaining player from the Rockies’ last playoff team, in 2009. The Rockies sprinted to the top of the NL West early this season and held that spot as late as June 1, but if Gonzalez wasn’t necessary to their early rise, he was needed at the end. He rebounded over the final month, hitting .377 (29-for-77) in September with a major leaguehigh .484 on-base percentage.
The Rockies appear to be peaking at the plate in time for postseason play. Their .792 OPS (onbase plus slugging percentage) is the best in the NL in September.
“This is the best year of my life,” Gonzalez said. “In ’09, I started the season in Triple-A. I got the chance to play when (manager) Jim Tracy gave me the opportunity. But I was a young guy trying to survive. Now, it doesn’t matter who is out there. Everybody is getting the job done. It didn’t take CarGo hitting 40 or 50 home runs to get to the postseason. We have a great team, top to bottom.”