ROCKIES- 7/08/02

LATEST TEAM INFO: 52-61, Fifth in National League West.

Departures were Todd Hollandsworth, Mark Little, John Thomson and Dennys Reyes, and minor league pitcher Enemencio Pacheco.

Arrivals are catcher Sandy Alomar Jr., outfielders Gabe Kapler, Jay Payton and Robert Stratton, pitcher Mark Corey and infielder Jason Romano, and the promotion of Jack Cust.

We’re going to concentrate this week on the effects and aftereffects of the trade deadline on the Rockies.

Sandy Alomar, Jr

The Chicago White Sox picked up most of what remains of Alomar's $2.9 million salary, but were anxious to move him because of a backlog at the catching position that includes Josh Paul and Mark Johnson.

While Alomar will be a free agent after the season, the Rockies see him as providing veteran stability behind the plate, along with Gary Bennett. He has been bothered by injuries in recent years but is a former Gold Glove winner.

The Rockies also believe he would help the offense. He hit .287 with seven home runs in 51 games with the White Sox, and since arriving in Colorado, he is hitting .529 with 3 2B and 3 RBI. The Rockies have looked for a way to strengthen their catching since spring training, but the immediate need was heightened when they lost Bobby Estalella for the season because of left shoulder surgery.

Alomar said he has undergone 10 knee operations, eight on his left knee, but said he has had no problems with his knees this season. He admitted he knows little about the National League, where he has played eight games in his career, and has paid little attention to it. He said he wasn't aware of the Rockies' catching needs.

Alomar played in 49 postseason games with Cleveland. Manager Clint Hurdle cited that experience, which includes five division series, three League Championship Series and two World Series with the Indians, when he said Alomar will provide leadership.

Gabe Kapler

Hollandsworth and Kapler, both one-time top outfield prospects who haven’t reached the stardom expected of them, switched teams July 31st as the Rockies and Texas Rangers made a four-player trade. The trade gives the Rockies a lot of flexibility in the outfield. The Rockies probably weren’t going to resign Hollandsworth, and the trade provides depth in the outfield.

Kapler, whom the Rockies courted over the winter, has struggled this year, having hit .260 with no homers and 17 RBIs. The Rangers will pick up half of Kapler's $3.375 million salary for 2003. Kapler will play left field, eventually splitting time with Triple-A slugger Cust,

One week later, Colorado is easing Kapler into the mix, smoothing the transition for a one-time phenom who woke up this season and basically forgot how to hit. If Kapler resurrects his once-promising, he is capable of giving the Rockies a suitable defensive replacement when Larry Walker is out of the lineup, and more pop against left-handed starters, whom Colorado has a 12-19 record against this year.

In talking to those who watched Kapler this season, two things were cited for the outfielder reaching an offensive depression: a complicated swing and too much analysis. Kapler takes a long, sweeping cut, leaving him vulnerable to slumps. It got to the point where everything about his swing seemed out of sync, gears grinding with every movement. A thoughtful, intelligent player, he became overwhelmed by the doubts in his mind and the constant swirl of advice.

Jay Payton

Kapler and Payton are capable of playing all three outfield positions and provide an alternative to Todd Zeile as right-handed protection for the left-handed bats of Larry Walker and Todd Helton.

Payton, who the Rockies pursued in several trade proposals last winter, including the one that brought Zeile to Colorado, was hitting .284 with eight home runs and 31 RBI for the Mets. He hit .375 in July. Payton has been shadowed by his reputation as a five-tool wizard. He never has blossomed into a franchise player, but this season he has become a steady contributor. His most extensive playing time came in 2000, when he hit .291 with 17 home runs and helped the Mets into the World Series. Payton runs the ball down well and has good speed and pop in his bat. He likes to swing, but based on his average, he's clearly become more selective.

The key to the two trades made July 31st is Payton. If Payton becomes the Rockies' everyday center fielder next year, the deals make perfect sense. If Payton becomes nothing more than a right-handed-hitting platoon player, though, then the Rockies didn't get enough value in return for Thomson.

Of the handful of new players the Rockies added to their organization in the past week, Payton has the potential to make the biggest impact. What the Rockies see in Payton is a type of player like Ellis Burks or Jeffrey Hammonds – a line-drive hitter with power to the gaps whose run production totals will increase at Coors Field. He has batted first and second so far for the Rockies, but by next season he could wind up batting fifth, behind left-handed hitters Larry Walker and Todd Helton.

Payton was a first-round draft pick in 1994, and scouts ranked him as a better prospect than two Georgia Tech teammates who also were first-round selections - shortstop Nomar Garciaparra and catcher Jason Varitek. In the spring of 1995, while playing in the Mets minor league system, Payton suffered a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow but didn't have it repaired until after the season ended. He tried to rush back in 1996 and was forced to undergo a second operation that sidelined him the entire 1997 season.

In New York, Payton was an outsider and became a focal point in a power struggle between Mets general manager Steve Phillips and manager Bobby Valentine in the spring of 2000. Payton batted .291 with 17 home runs and 62 RBI in 149 games that season. In 2001, he slipped to a .255 average with eight home runs in 104 games, but he rebounded this season.

Robert Stratton

Stratton, the Mets' No. 1 pick and 13th player taken overall in 1993, has legitimate power. He hit 29 home runs each of the past two seasons and hit 20 home runs at Class AAA Norfolk this year, but was hitting .246 - one point below his career average in the minor leagues.

Mark Corey

Of all the players added to the Rockies' roster, none were happier than reliever
Mark Corey. Though capable of delivering nasty stuff, the right-hander spent much of his time buried in the Mets' bullpen, sometimes going eight days between appearances. At Colorado, Corey will be used primarily in the sixth and seventh innings and will get plenty of chances.

Corey, who had compiled a 1.03 earned-run average in 25 appearances at Class AAA Norfolk, had allowed five runs in 10 innings with the Mets but also suffered a seizure June 26, shortly after smoking marijuana. He since has returned to the active roster.

Jason Romano

Romano, Texas' top pick in 1997, began playing center field in addition to second base last year. He had compiled 113 stolen bases in his first four full seasons. He hit .261 in 46 games at Oklahoma this season and also spent time with the Rangers, hitting .204 in 54 at-bats.

Jack Cust

The player fans have been yearning to see arrived after four months of pounding majestic home runs for Triple-A Colorado Springs. With three new right-handed bats in the fold, Cust, a left-handed hitter, provides the Rockies with more flexibility in the lineup and off the bench. Cust hit .265 with 23
homers, 24 doubles and 55 RBIs at Triple-A. But he has also struck out 121 times in 359 at-bats.

Cust, who recently won MVP honors at the Triple-A All-Star Game, likely would have been promoted sooner, if not for concerns about his attitude. Playing at the same minor-league level in consecutive years for the first time in his career, Cust was benched on occasion for "not buying into the team concept," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle has said.

But coaches also have said Cust's effort has improved, though questions remain about his defense. He has six errors this season, but the Rockies are committed to finding out if he can play left at Coors Field during the final two months.

Cust admittedly was growing impatient with the Sky Sox, wondering if his chance was ever going to come after being passed over by the likes of Ross Gload and Ben Petrick. Rockies assistant general manager Josh Byrnes insisted the Rockies' weren't punishing Cust, but rather looking at the big picture.

The odd man out? Juan Pierre

Pierre burst on the scene in 2000 and was one of the National League top hitters last year, posting a .327 batting average with 46 stolen bases. The Rockies identified him as a franchise cornerstone in spring training, signing him to a four-year, $7.5 million contract. But this season, Pierre has struggled while adjusting to new defensive alignments and tougher pitches to hit. He is hitting .267. Even more frustrating, he has just 54 runs, leaving him on pace for 82, 26 fewer than a year ago.

Pierre's on-base percentage also has fallen this season, from .378 to .314. Pierre hasn't been able to put his finger on exactly what the difference has been, but Hurdle has a few ideas. All of them are manageable problems or bad habits.

"He hasn't been able to go deep in at-bats the way he did last year," Hurdle told The Rocky Mountain News. "He had a lot more two-strike hits last year. Many, many more two-strike hits. A lot more quick outs this year, and a lot more pulled groundballs."

Hurdle said he wanted to give Pierre a chance to watch a few games and concentrate on refining what he does well.

If power is what the Rockies need, moving Pierre may be their next step. It will not be an easy decision. Even if Pierre's batting average is down this year, he is still one of baseball's top 10 leadoff men. He has too much speed, and makes too much contact, to not hit .300 again. He is also among a dwindling group of players who are threats to steal 40 bases. Through hard work, Pierre has above-average range in center.

No doubt, Pierre is a nice player, but he may be in the wrong ballpark. Pierre lacks power in his bat and throwing arm, weaknesses that Coors Field exploits. Other parks that crave speed are more forgiving to Pierre's game. Payton can bring 15 to 20 homers a season to the center field position - or 15 to 20 more homers than what the Rockies are getting now. Pierre might be able to bring, through trade, more power to second base, third base and catcher - areas that will be addressed this winter.

The big winner? Denny Neagle

Less than 24 hours after his worst outing as a reliever, Neagle was inserted back in the rotation -- an awkward beneficiary of Thomson's trade to the Mets. Neagle had pitched well in relief, and one thing has been rediscovered – Neagle’s change-up.

That pitch aided Neagle in his impressive performance Aug. 3rd in a 2-1 victory over Chicago. In six innings, Neagle allowed just one run on two hits and no walks as he struck out six.

Though it's hard to argue with the decision to put Neagle back in the rotation, the Rockies had another option. They could have promoted Triple-A whiz kid Aaron Cook. Stalking stardom at the same pace as Jason Jennings a year ago, the right-hander is 4-4 with a 3.47 ERA at Colorado Springs. But the Rockies decided to be patient, particularly because Cook has set a career high with 1571/3 innings pitched.

ON THE FARM:

For Choo Freeman and Matt Holliday, once both signed to play baseball in the Rockies' organization after the June draft in 1998, their progress has taken them up the development ladder to Double-A this season with the Carolina Mudcats.

But five years ago, when college football was on the horizon, baseball wasn't an automatic choice. Freeman, now a 6-foot-2, 200-pound outfielder, comes from football country in Dallas, and he had signed a letter of intent to play wide receiver for Texas A&M. Holliday, also an outfielder and now 6-4, 235, grew up in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and had signed a letter of intent to play quarterback at Oklahoma State. But the Rockies took a chance on both and won.
Football was always Freeman’s favorite sport, but, eventually, baseball grew on him and, once he left high school, he convinced the Rockies that he was committed to baseball.

The decision wasn't as clear-cut for Holliday until last year. Despite excelling as an outfielder and pitcher at Stillwater High, he was an Oklahoma All-Stater at quarterback. With the poor condition the OSU quarterback situation is in, he considered leaving baseball for college football but elected to stay with the Rockies.

Freeman and Holliday are two of the organization's better prospects. Freeman has used his first season at Double-A as a breakout year. He has maintained a batting average in the .320 range, with more than 30 extra-base hits. Holliday continues his transition from third base and has more than 20 extra-base hits and a batting average near .300. They both were key players in Carolina's climb to the Southern League's first-half championship.

With the season-long offensive struggle by the Rockies' Juan Pierre, Freeman becomes an interesting candidate in center field. He's fast enough to cover the outfield, has a better throwing arm and hits with more power than Pierre. Some members of the organization compare Freeman with former Rockie Ellis Burks. Holliday could be the answer to the Rockies' problems in left field, but maybe not by next season. Both are right-handed hitters.

Freeman's climb through the organization didn't raise eyebrows until this year. In four previous seasons, his overall batting average was .265 with 109 extra-base hits and 186 RBI. Although he never wanted to return to football, Freeman faced some discouragement along the way on his climb through the minor-league system.

While football was important to Holliday, he had family ties to baseball. His father, Tom, is the baseball coach at Oklahoma State. His uncle, Dave Holliday, is a special assignment scout for the Rockies. In four previous seasons, Holliday has averaged .277, with a total of 119 extra-base hits and 211 RBIs. Holliday's seven home runs this season are a little disappointing after he hit 11 last year in Salem and 16 in Asheville in 1999.

Holliday and Freeman might be considered unusual at a time when some big-league scouts fear the better athletes are shying away from baseball. And Holliday has only one request of the Rockies: He doesn't want to be moved to first base. He feels he’s a good enough athlete to play in the outfield, and there’s the matter of the Rockies’ current first baseman: Todd Helton.

Helton is always a formidable roadblock for players of the future. But Brad Hawpe has more immediate things to worry about, as he is making an impressive run this season at becoming only the second player and the first in 53 years to win a triple crown in hitting in the Single-A Carolina League. As the minor-league season moves into its last month, Hawpe leads the Carolina League in hitting at .356, RBI with 78 and home runs with 20.

His season-long hitting, with a low point of only .351 in April, has been a hot topic around the Carolina League all year. Hawpe's chances for a triple crown might be in the hands of the Rockies' player development department – it must decide whether to remain in Salem the rest of the season or go to Double-A and play for the Mudcats before the season ends.

Hawpe was drafted by the Rockies in the 11th round of the 2000 June draft. He was an all-tournament player for national champion Louisiana State in the 2000 College World Series. The Rockies also drafted Garrett Atkins in 2000. Atkins was a three-time baseball All-American at UCLA.

Both are natural first basemen. Atkins has moved to third base this season with the Mudcats. Hawpe played the outfield last season at Asheville but has returned to first base. Hawpe figures he's a couple of seasons from Coors Field.

Right-handed pitcher Ryan Cameron at Class AA Carolina and first baseman Ryan Shealy of the Rockies rookie team in Casper, Wyo., were named minor league players of the month in July for the Rockies organization. Cameron had a 2.19 earned-run average in 24 2/3 innings pitched, and Shealy hit .360 with six homers and 28 RBI.

QUICK VIEW:

HOT:

Sandy Alomar Jr. -- .471, 2 2B, 1 RBI
Jay Payton -- .429, 4 2B, 2 RBI
Gabe Kapler -- .375, 1 3B

NOT:

Todd Zeile -- .176, 0 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI
Larry Walker -- .238, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Todd Helton -- .240, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI