On Wednesday night Clint Hurdle and the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrated their postseason-clinching victory on the infield at Coors Field. The celebration had to be especially sweet for Hurdle, who has now managed the Pirates to three consecutive postseason berths since being fired by the Rockies in 2009.
Hurdle, as Rockies fans should be well aware, led Colorado to the World Series in 2007 and was relieved of his duties 46 games into the 2009 season, only to see Jim Tracy lead the Rockies out of last place and back to the playoffs.
Tracy was gone three years later, having followed his miracle run in ’09 with a third-place, then a fourth-place and, finally, a last-place finish in the NL West.
Pittsburgh meanwhile, under Hurdle, has enjoyed the most success the franchise has experienced in twenty years. And they currently have the St. Louis Cardinals within striking distance for the NL Central crown and the title of best team in baseball.
St. Louis, as Colorado fans recall with certainty, is led by left fielder Matt Holliday, whose (in)famous slide into home plate in the 2007 play-in game managed by Hurdle was the symbolic moment of that historic and magical run.
And so as the Rockies watch two keystone members of their 2007 club battle it out for the No.1 seed in the National League, it begs the question, “Which was the bigger mistake? Firing Hurdle? Or trading Holliday?”
Dan Williams and Marcello Romano, hosts of Morning Mayhem on Mile High Sports AM 1340, who both covered the team in 2007, offered their take.
What’s yours? Click on the links below to see Danny and Cello’s takes.
Williams says: Firing Hurde. Romano says: Trading Holliday.
As the 2015 Rockies watch two keystone members of their 2007 club battle it out for the No.1 seed in the National League, it begs the question, “Which was the bigger mistake? Firing Clint Hurdle? Or trading Matt Holliday?”
Dan Williams and Marcello Romano, hosts of Morning Mayhem on Mile High Sports AM 1340, who both covered the team in 2007, offered their take
Williams says it was firing Clint Hurdle.
“By leading Pittsburgh to the playoffs for three straight years,” Williams says, “and what he did with the Rockies, Hurdle has proved he’s one of the best managers over the past two decades.”
Hurdle inherited a struggling Rockies club in 2002 and turned them around to a nearly-.500 team. His turnaround in Pittsburgh was even more impressive. After two years he had his team playing above .500 and into the playoffs.
“He’s revived one of the proudest franchises in baseball,” notes Williams, “one that was incredibly down for a very long time before he arrived. Imagine where the Rockies would be today if they just stuck with Hurdle. Probably in the playoffs.”
Williams’ co-host, however, says it was losing the player on the field that was the biggest mistake.
Romano says: Trading Holliday.
As the 2015 Rockies watch two keystone members of their 2007 club battle it out for the No.1 seed in the National League, it begs the question, “Which was the bigger mistake? Firing Clint Hurdle? Or trading Matt Holliday?”
Dan Williams and Marcello Romano, hosts of Morning Mayhem on Mile High Sports AM 1340, who both covered the team in 2007, offered their take
Romano says it was trading Holliday.
“Trading Matt Holliday set an institutional tone that has mired this organization ever since,” he believes.
“They basically said, ‘We’re not going to pay this guy,’ and sent a clubhouse leader and perennial All-Star and MVP candidate packing.”
Romano acknowledges that Colorado gained an exceptional five-tool player in Carlos Gonzalez at the time, but says Gonzalez could have just as easily have been an Alex White like the Rockies got in return for Cy Young hopeful Ubaldo Jiminez.
“Holliday’s teams have made the playoff every year since he was traded, except for 2010. And he’s a career .450 hitter in three World Series. No manager can provide that kind of production.”
Romano’s co-host, on the other hand, thinks Colorado could have been on to something if they had stuck with Hurdle.