Huston Street News

The idea that Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki would appear on an National League MVP ballot seemed preposterous on May 28.

Let's be honest; Moneyball hasn't quite worked out over the last few years. The Oakland Athletics had gone 457-353 under Billy Beane's leadership when Moneyball was published after the 2002 season.

From avid viewer to the National League's top manager - it has been quite a year for Rockies manager Jim Tracy.

Didn't agree. Not one bit. When the Rockies declined reliever Rafael Betancourt's $5 million option last week, making him a free agent, I cringed.

As much as any other position, the rankings for closera TMs see some drastic changes when you are looking at drafting for yearly leagues vs.

Salary arbitration has been collectively bargained since 1974. It has been misunderstood for nearly as long.

The Rockies are hoping to hammer out an agreement with Rafael Betancourt before Friday's deadline for the club to decide whether to exercise a $5 million option for the right-handed pitcher.

After trading away All-Star Matt Holliday and losing All-Star Brian Fuentes to free agency during the offseason, many picked the Colorado Rockies to finish near the bottom of the National League West.

In the final year of his contract, Dan O'Dowd enjoyed his finest year as the Rockies' GM.

Like most of baseball's biggest fans, Commissioner Bud Selig has followed playoff baseball mostly on television this fall, riding his personal emotional roller coaster late into the evening, night after night.

The Rockies didn't waste any time making sure they have some depth in their bullpen for the 2010 season.

Neil Devlin, The Post's mop- topped preps sports editor, grew up near Philly. He's the kind of passionate East Coast baseball fan who wears his heart on his sleeve, and on his head.

The Yankees rolled out their best possible setup option for last night's eighth inning.

The Rockies have reason to believe they will be welcoming the old Manuel Corpas back when the new season arrives.

PAT GILLICK is as grass-roots as they come. Some general managers rise through the ranks faster than an untethered weather balloon, riding the information superhighway to the loftiest perch in the sport.

Jim Tracy To understand why Rockies manager Jim Tracy will sign a multiyear deal this week, don't focus on Tracy.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The face of baseball's raucous postseason so far? Ryan Howard? Alex Rodriguez? Mariano Rivera supposedly publicly spitting on the ball, and this during a flu epidemic? No, wait.

Rockies manager Jim Tracy, who managed the team to a 74-42 finish and a playoff berth after taking over for Clint Hurdle, was named The Sporting News' 2009 National League Manager of the Year, the publication announced Wednesday morning.

Just figured it would be the Rockies ' Troy Tulowitzki , not Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins .

What we're talking about after the Phillies' 5-4 comeback win over the Dodgers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series: * Jimmy Rollins: In Game 3 of the National League Division Series, he led off the ninth inning with a single against Rockies closer Huston Street and ended up scoring the winning run.