Cuddyer’s staying power
Gutsy bid to avoid trip to DL now paying dividends
boston » Michael Cuddyer saved his season, and possibly the Rockies’, on a youth baseball field near his Denver home 15 days ago. The decision had been made. The Rockies right fielder was headed to the disabled list with a bruised rib suffered during an awkward collision with hulking Padres first baseman Kyle Blanks. Cuddyer, who had just been activated this month after a neck problem subsided, begrudgingly accepted.
Rockies head trainer Keith Dugger, while relaying the decision, told Cuddyer to take a walk to expand his lungs, to test his breathing. As Cuddyer took a few steps, he began to think ofways to walk away fromthe DL. He grabbed a baseball and headed to a field near the University of Denver, and fired a baseball into the fence. About 15 throws into the session, he made his pitch to the Rockies.
“I am sure it was a crazy sight. I was just out there tossing balls across the street frommy house,” Cuddyer said. “After several throws, I was able to start coping with the pain. Going on the DL again was the last thing I
wanted to do.”
So, he texted Dugger and asked him to talk to assistant general manager Bill Geivett. Cuddyer wanted them to wait until the next morning before making a move.
Cuddyer showed up June 11 and, grinding his teeth, went through drills at full speed. To stay off the DL, he had to prove to the Rockies he was making progress. He didn’t play for two more days, but the test run convinced the Rockies to keep him activated. That decision might have kept the Rockies in the National LeagueWest race.
Colorado enters its two-game layover in Boston onTuesday night within arm’s reach of the firstplace Diamondbacks, three games back, and Cuddyer (.339, 11 home runs, 43 RBI, .968 OPS), has been central to the Rockies’ survival while pushing for an all-star berth.
At 34, he’s enjoying the best stretch of his career. He owns a 21game hitting streak, tied for thirdbest in team history, and has reached base in 40 consecutive games, the longest mark in a single season by a Rockies player. Had Cuddyer gone on the DL, he would have been joined by Troy Tulowitzki, depriving the Rockies of two of their best hitters. Instead, Cuddyer has batted .368 during the 21-game streak.
“It’s amazing what he’s doing. He’s holding down the cleanup spot, getting on every game, doing exactly what you want,” outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said. “He makes opponents think twice. He’s a special player who brings a lot of energy.”
In the second season of a threeyear, $31.5 million contract, Cuddyer remains a fan favorite because of his effort. Every day, he’s hustling. He got hurt running out a groundball. That’s who he is. His style was instilled in him while he was in the minor leagues with the Twins. “You had to do things the rightway if you wanted to move up,” he said.
Cuddyer explained the balance between effort and eyewash.
“I am not stupid. Or at least I try not to be. There’s a difference between playing hard and playing reckless,” Cuddyer said. “You see a guy climbing the fence for a ball that’s 15 rows deep, that’s reckless. As a player, you try to sift through what that fine line is.”
A big-leaguer since 2001, Cuddyer admittedly pressed at times last year, especially after Tulowitzki went down with a leg injury that forced him to miss the final four months. This season, clearly more comfortable in his surroundings and facing National League pitching, the man who loves taking pictures narrowed his focus.
“Up to this point, I have done a pretty good job of concentrating on each pitch. I amnot worried that if I don’t get a hit that I have to go 3for-4 the next game,” said Cuddyer, who was on pace for 50 extra-base hits last season before being limit- ed to 101 games because of two separate oblique injuries. “I have done a better job of homing in on each pitch, each at-bat.”
Like a shark, Cuddyer does everything with purpose. There’s not a lot of wasted movement in his game. But he doesn’t take himself too seriously, either. During his hitting streak, teammates have worn him out about his inability to reach base if he makes an out with his first at-bat. When he blasted a home run in his first at-bat Sunday inWashington, Todd Helton asked Cuddyer if he wanted the rest of the day off.
Cuddyer laughed when retelling the anecdote.
“He’s one of the best-kept secrets in the game,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of Cuddyer. “He’s a really good player who does everything professionally. He doesn’t care about his stats. He likes to show up and compete andwork on his beard. That’s all that matters to Cuddy.”