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The Rockie Way: Inside Colorado’s three decades of mediocre baseball

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:23:57 GMT

On a postcard-perfect autumn night, the Colorado Rockies made history last Tuesday at Coors Field.This wasn’t the kind of history anyone in purple pinstripes wanted to be a part of, of course, but it remained notable all the same: The Rockies’ 100th loss of the 2023 season, a franchise first handed to them by an old nemesis in the Los Angeles Dodgers.A crowd of 25,133, roughly half Coors Field’s capacity, paid to witness the moment on the back end of a day-night doubleheader.While Rockies manager Bud Black insisted 100 was just another number, no different than 98 or 99, many in a fanbase beaten down by years of mediocre baseball could not ignore its significance.As the Rockies play out the string in the waning days of the worst season in club history, The Denver Post examines the franchise in a series of stories that attempt to define the core principles that led to this moment and currently guide a club that from the outside has often appeared directionless.Just ...

The Colorado Rockies continue to look inward to turn around lagging franchise. Is Bill Schmidt the answer?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:23:57 GMT

When Bill Schmidt was named the fourth general manager in Rockies history, he inherited a to-do list longer than a Coors Field homer on a hot August night.Schmidt was tasked with revamping a dysfunctional front office, replenishing a depleted farm system, upgrading an understaffed analytics department and helping shape a winning culture in the clubhouse.Ever the optimist, Schmidt made an interesting statement at last year’s winter meetings in San Diego.“We’re not where we need to be. But I use the bamboo theory,” Schmidt said. “There’s a lot of stuff growing underneath that people don’t see, and it’s gonna pop here. When it does, we’re going to be good.”THE ROCKIE WAY: Inside Colorado’s three decades of mediocre baseballTen months later, Rockies fans are still waiting on that pop.Colorado just lost 100 games for the first time in franchise history, extending its current playoff drought to five seasons. And with few ML...

State of the Rockies’ farm: Draft-and-build Colorado playing catch-up in pitching, analytics

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:23:57 GMT

Before a Double-A game in August, Drew Romo worked in his new mitt in the Hartford dugout, pounding his glove with a quiet confidence, as if waiting on his moment to become the Rockies’ catcher.A few minutes later, outfielder Jordan Beck popped up in the dugout and grabbed some lumber, twisting it in his hands ahead of batting practice, swaying it back and forth, ready to mash something at Coors Field tomorrow.Those two top prospects weren’t worried about what was going on in Denver, where the Rockies were on their way to bottoming out with their first 100-loss season in franchise history. To Romo, Beck and other big names on the Colorado farm, optimism is the tone, and forward is the vision.Can these promising positional prospects, pitching depth be damned, make the Rockies competitive again sometime soon?THE ROCKIE WAY: Inside Colorado’s three decades of mediocre baseball“No question,” Romo said confidently.“My goal coming into pro ball is not to lose...

Many Rockies fans fed up with owner Dick Monfort, but love of Coors Field endures

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:23:57 GMT

Audrey McKenny is a disenchanted Rockies superfan.In the garden outside her home in rural Douglas County, purple-and-white flowers form a “CR” logo in celebration of her favorite baseball team. On summer evenings, she lounges in seats once used inside Coors Field.She was a full-time season-ticket holder beginning with the birth of the team in 1993. Then McKenny, 64, switched to a ticket mini-plan, saying, “I got frustrated with some of the management moves regarding players.”THE ROCKIE WAY: Inside Colorado’s three decades of mediocre baseballOver the last couple of years, she’s switched allegiances, choosing to spend money on the Nuggets, who won their first NBA championship this year, and the Avalanche, who won their third Stanley Cup title in 2022.“I decided right out of the gate not to renew our Rockies’ mini-plan,” she said. “The primary reason? No commitment from the owner to win a championship now or in the near futur...

House fire leads to discovery of illegal marijuana operation in Northridge

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:23:57 GMT

Police are investigating a suspected illegal marijuana grow operation discovered as firefighters were battling a house fire in Northridge Thursday morning. Los Angeles Fire Department crews responded to the blaze at the single-story home in the 16900 block of West Tupper Street around 4:30 a.m.Flames were visible when the firefighters arrived, a Fire Department spokesperson said. At one point, the fire extended into the attic, prompting firefighters to conduct an extensive ventilation operation on the roof.Police are investigating a marijuana grow operation discovered as firefighters were battling a house fire in Northridge, Calif. Sept. 28, 2023. (KTLA) Around 30 firefighters extinguished the fire in just over half an hour. No injuries were reported."The contents of the home indicate a marijuana grow operation," a spokesman said.Neighbors told KTLA that it appeared no one was living inside the home. At some point in the past, they told us, the home's water was left on, causing a mi...

Woman recovering after being beaten unconscious during armed home invasion, kidnapping 

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:23:57 GMT

NORWALK, Calif. - A woman who was brutally beaten by an armed home invader who then kidnapped her son is beginning the long road to recovery.The break-in occurred on Aug. 2 at the home of Maria Romero in Norwalk, located near Studebaker Road and Alondra Boulevard. The armed man used a hammer he found in the home’s yard to smash a sliding glass door and proceeded to beat Romero with the same tool. The former LAUSD teacher suffered a fractured skull and several facial bones, a broken wrist and finger and damage to her eye socket. “I’ve had reconstructive surgery twice. I guess part of my bone I needed was found in my cheek,” she told KTLA 5’s Kimberly Cheng. “My nerves were severed; there’s no chance of me getting my eyesight back in my left eye.”  Stolen $1.5M ancient Buddha statue recovered; suspect arrested Despite fighting back against the intruder with all her strength, Romero eventually fell unconscious, and that’s when the armed robber kidnapped her a...

A healthy Kawhi Leonard critical to Clippers’ success

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:23:57 GMT

The progress that two-time NBA champion Kawhi Leonard has made during the off-season is promising for the Los Angeles Clippers as they head into training camp next Tuesday.A year ago, Leonard came back from ACL surgery and helped lead the team into the playoffs. After dropping 38 points on the Phoenix Suns in game one, Leonard tore his meniscus late in game two and would miss the rest of the series.The Clippers were eliminated in five games.KTLA’s David Pingalore spoke with Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank, who says the team, including Leonard, is healthy and ready to contend for a title.

Pedestrian Sustained Minor Injuries after Car Crash on Pendale [El Paso, TX]

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:23:57 GMT

Car Struck an Unidentified Individual Resulting in Injuries at George DieterEL PASO, TX (September 28, 2023) – A car crash, late Tuesday morning left a pedestrian suffering minor injuries at Pendale.Around 11:29 a.m. on September 12th at the intersection of George Dieter and Pendale, the crash happened.According to the authorities, they responded to a car crash report involving a pedestrian. An individual was struck by a car. Responders transported the victim to the hospital.Moreover, both directions of the roadway were temporarily shut down to allow for cleanup and preliminary duties.The circumstances that led to the crash, the identities of the people involved, and the description of the vehicles were not yet available.Thinking, reasoning, and muscle coordination are essential in operating a vehicle safely. However, alcohol and certain medications or illegal drugs impair these functions when they are in the body. Never drive while impaired as the consequences can be devastat...

4 Hurt in Pedestrian Collision on Desert Cove Avenue [Phoenix, AZ]

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:23:57 GMT

Four Hospitalized after Pedestrian Accident near Shea BoulevardPHOENIX, AZ (September 28, 2023) – Wednesday afternoon, a pedestrian collision occurred on Desert Cove Avenue, resulting in injuries to four individuals.Police were called to the scene at approximately 1:00 p.m. on September 20th, just north of Shea Boulevard.Upon arrival, officers found that the driver of a southbound vehicle had entered the intersection on a red light, colliding with three pedestrians.Emergency medical personnel promptly arrived and successfully extricated one victim who had been trapped beneath the vehicle. Subsequently, paramedics transported all four individuals to a nearby hospital, with one of them in an extremely critical condition.The injured parties have been identified as two men in their 40s and 30s, along with a man and a woman also in their 40s and 30s.As of now, no additional information has been released by the authorities, and an ongoing investigation is underway. Further details w...

Two People Dead after Tire Struck a Van on Interstate 5 [Lakewood, WA]

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:23:57 GMT

Two Men Died after a Tire Struck a Van WindowLAKEWOOD, WA (September 28, 2023) – Early Thursday morning, two people died after a tire struck a van on Interstate 5.The incident happened on September 21st, just after 5:30 a.m., on Interstate 5 near Bridgeport Way Southwest.According to reports, a tire that was being hauled on a truck came loose and flew down the road. The tire then collided with a work van with eight occupants. The collision caused several of the van’s occupants to sustain injuries.Emergency crews arrived shortly after and pronounced an 18-year-old man and a 55-year-old man dead. Meanwhile, paramedics transported one other person to a local hospital for treatment.Following the crash, crews shut down the right northbound lanes of Interstate 5 and the Bridgeport Way Southwest off-ramp. After cleanup and preliminary duties, they reopened the road around 9:40 a.m.At this time, no further information about the accident where a tire struck a van on Interstate 5 ...