Rockies fire manager Hurdle

As many expected, the Rockies have decided to fire manager Clint Hurdle. Bench coach Jim Tracy will replace him.

The last straw for the Rockies was being swept at home in a three-game series this week by the Dodgers, with the Rockies being outscored by a combined 31-13. At 18-28, the club is a season-worst 10 games below .500, last in the NL West, and trailing the first-place Dodgers by 14 games.

Hurdle, 51, went 534-625 (.461) as Rockies manager after taking over for Buddy Bell on April 26, 2002. His high point was leading the Rockies to the 2007 National League pennant before they were swept by the Red Sox in the World Series.

Hurdle managed only one good season in Colorado and some have stated that the Rockies actually one that year despite his flaws as a manager. Of course, the Monforts didn’t give him much to work with this year, trading his best player (Matt Holliday) in the offseason and not giving him a very competitive roster. Still, it was time for a change in Colorado and Hurdle’s days were numbered a long time ago.

Tracy might not be much better (he was brutal in Pittsburgh), but he probably won’t be the long-term answer anyway.

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Hurdle to be fired? Some Rockies believe so.

According to a report by the Colorado Springs Gazette, several Rockies players believe that manager Clint Hurdle will get the axe soon.

Via Rotoworld.com:

“Following another dismal showing Wednesday in an 8-6 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field, several Rockies players privately speculated that today’s off day could mark the end of Hurdle’s seven-plus-year tenure as manager,” read’s The Gazette’s report. The Rox are off to an 18-28 start and attendance numbers have plummeted. We’ll be on watch.

It’s amazing how quickly things can change in sports. Just two seasons ago, Hurdle led the Rockies to their best finish ever in the club’s 15-year history by winning the last 14 of 15 regular season contests to force a one-game tie-breaker with the Padres for the right to win the NL Wild Card.

Colorado beat San Diego and the Rockies marched right into a World Series appearance for the first time in club history. The Red Sox eventually swept them right out of the Fall Classic but still, it was quite the magical season for Hurdle and the Rockies.

And now Hurdle could be on his way out just two seasons later. Amazing.

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