Pressure is on Rodgers
Q: What’s going on with Brendan Rodgers at the plate? He can’t seem to buy his way onto a base.
— Mark, Arvada
Patrick: Mark, as I write this, Rodgers is hitting .083 (4-for-48) with one double, one RBI, and a .271 on-base percentage.
Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler wrote a terrific column on Rodgers last week in which Rodgers said, “I obviously didn’t intend to be in this slow start. But I feel confident, still. I’m taking good swings, I’m just missing pitches, missing my pitch, that I usually don’t miss. It’s part of the game. Got to keep grinding.”
After talking to some people about Rodgers’ slump, here’s my take:
• Pressure sits heavy on Rodgers’ shoulders and it has been that way ever since he was the third overall pick of the 2015 draft.
• The Rockies made a mistake by hitting Rodgers third early in the season after his impressive spring training. That only increased the pressure.
• Because he’s missing pitches he should be hitting, he’s now grabbing the bat too tightly and not swinging at pitches on time.
• The slump has made him susceptible to breaking balls outside the strike zone and he’s swinging over the ball, missing pitches by several inches. It’s become a vicious cycle. Opposing pitchers are like sharks, they can smell blood in the water.
• Rodgers has a simple, compact, and efficient swing. Nolan Arenado once told me that he thought Rodgers’ swing was one of the best he’d ever seen from a young player. So I believe that Rodgers will bounce back, but it might take a trip down to Triple-a for a tune-up to get him right.
Q: Patrick, would you consider teaching a class that instructs people on proper baseball etiquette and how to be a “baseball fan” as opposed to “being a fan of going to Coors Field?”
I about blew a gasket opening day when a beach ball came bouncing along in the very first inning and people were booing and shouting at the attendant trying to grab it.
The next inning, at a very crucial point for Kyle Freeland, an attempt to start the wave began in the left-field stands. Luckily it didn’t get too far. Lastly, what is it about people standing and chatting away in the aisles while there is action on the field? We’ve had baseball for 30 years and people still don’t get it. Thanks for letting me vent!
— Bill Gibson, Littleton
Patrick: Bill, consider yourself vented. I used to get upset when fans would do the wave at crucial points in the game. It used to bug me that the fans didn’t pay attention to the game.
I’ve quit worrying about it, having realized that a lot of fans who go to Rockies games don’t really care that much about the game itself. For them, it’s about food, beer, Dippin’ Dots, sunshine, and partying. That’s especially true on opening day. Plus, I have the luxury of sitting in the press box, so who am I to complain about the fans?
Besides, given the prices for tickets, concessions, and parking at sporting events these days, I’m not going to criticize fans for how they behave — unless they are abusive or violent. You can ask Yankees fans about that behavior.