Colorado Rockies Midseason Awards

As the unending pageantry of the All-Star pregame show continues its free-fall from glitzy longing for past glories to sob story shlock, I think it's high time to take a look back at the first half of the season that was for yours, mine, and our Colorado Rockies. On May 27, when the Rockies record stood at 18-28 and the team had just suffered through a, well, insufferable three-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers, the outlook appeared a bit grim for the boys in the purple pinstripes. The next day, the Rockies told Clint Hurdle to get his resume ready and ended the seven-year tenure with Hurdle at the helm. Replacing Hurdle with bench coach Jim Tracy seemed like a safe, logical move at the time, but even Dealin' Dan O'Dowd and the Brothers Monfort could not have predicted  how the team would respond to Tracy's calming leadership. Suddenly, the Rockies started pitching well, hitting for power, hitting in clutch situations, and locking down close ...