Colorado Rockies

An injury-filled 2010 campaign has made Todd Helton look like the shell of his former self. Almost from the beginning of the season, Helton was dipping his back shoulder, causing him either to miss pitches or hit them weakly.

This is the offense that all of the pundits said would win the Colorado Rockies their first-ever National League West crown.

This is the offense that needed to help this Colorado Rockies team win five-out-of-six on this road trip and after five games has scored a grand total of seven runs.

It doesn't take an expert to figure out that averaging 1.2 runs per game is not going to do the job.

Sure, they may be talented. This is undoubtedly the most talented team the franchise has ever put on the field. The problem? Execution.

The Rockies lost 4-3 in 10 innings on Friday night, ensuring no fans will be champing at the bit for playoff tickets.

Huston Street blew yet another two-run save. It seems as if he has blown every opportunity he has gotten lately.

The game was impressive because the Rockies didn't quit, and, even when they failed with runners in scoring position, they kept fighting.

However, this day, for anyone who has followed the Rockies for any amount of time, was about Brad Hawpe.

Hawpe came to the Rockies in June of 2000. He has just led the LSU Tigers to a National Championship, and as an 11th round draft pick, was not the most exciting candidate from the Rockies draft class.

The deadline to sign draft picks was Monday night at midnight eastern time. The Rockies apparently got the deal done in the final minutes.

Parker, a two-sport athlete and Clemson's starting quarterback, used playing football as leverage with the Rockies, but the strategy seemed to fail. According to reports, Parker turned down the Rockies' offer last month of $2.2 million. He signed on Monday for a reported $1.4 million.

It was, without a doubt, the worst walk-off victory in the history of the Colorado Rockies.

If the Rockies would have ended up on the wrong end of the score on Sunday, there would be only one person to blame. No, not Huston Street. Not Clint Barmes, who looked like a little leaguer chasing after an infield fly ball that nearly cost the Rockies the game.

The person to blame for Sunday's meltdown at Coors Field is Jim Tracy.

The Colorado Rockies fired Don Baylor after the 1998 season. They never should have brought him back.