This is what joy looks like.
At precisely 4:34 p.m. Thursday, the Rockies surrounded manager Jim Tracy as “Boom, Boom, Pow” by the Black Eyed Peas shook the clubhouse. It was time for the “Freak Dance,” a nightly ritual that features a goofy Seth Smith and Ryan Spilborghs weaving and bobbing around the star of the game.
Thursday’s choice was Tracy — for the first time this season. Players surrounded the boss, jumping and roaring their approval as Tracy fought back tears.
This is what joy feels like, four months of rolled-up sleeves to become an overnight sensation. The Rockies are going back to the playoffs, clinching a berth with a 9-2 thrashing of the Milwaukee Brewers at Coors Field.
“This is my most special moment in 33 years in baseball,” Tracy said, dripping in champagne. “Nothing can match it. No way.”
Franklin Morales’ strikeout of Alcides Escobar to the roaring approval of 38,098 fans turned players into stuntmen as they crashed onto the field. It capped one of the most remarkable turnarounds in major-league history. The Rockies were 20-32 on June 3, 15 1/2 games back in the National League West and 9 1/2 behind in the wild-card chase.
No team has erased such a huge deficit and won a division title. History beckons this weekend. With a sweep in Los Angeles beginning tonight, the Rockies would claim the West for the first time in franchise history.
That explains the “Beat L.A!” chants that rang in players’ ears as they walked a thank-you lap around the field.
“Our goal in spring training was to win the division and the World Series. That hasn’t changed,” said starter Aaron Cook, who threw bowling-ball sinkers for eight innings, allowing just one run, to cement his spot in the postseason rotation. “That’s what we want.”
Tracy faces a delicate balance, his team already in the playoffs. This weekend offers a chance to rest players who have been grinding for the better part of a month, holding off bum-rushes by the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants. Yet, his strategy is simple.
“We will try to win (the division) until we lose (a game),” Tracy said.
At this point, the Rockies wouldn’t even recognize a text message from adversity. To reach a franchise-record 91 victories, they have gone 71-36 since June 3.
“We were showing no signs of life. Absolutely nothing, when we lost that day in Houston (in early June). Talent took over to a certain extent, but this is a special group of guys,” closer Huston Street said. “We came together and created memories for a lifetime.”
The turnaround began in St. Louis with a road sweep. A sequel in Milwaukee followed, those seven consecutive road wins providing the heavy lifting in a 17-1 stretch in June. Handling prosperity proved difficult for a team that shines in the underdog role.
The biggest win, according to many players, came on Sept. 16 at San Francisco, Rafael Betancourt fanning Nate Schierholtz to end the game. Spilborghs said later it was the most nervous he’s ever been in baseball, while other Rockies admitted they couldn’t even spit in the ninth inning because of pressure’s vise-grip.
“I believed in this team since spring training, but it’s about showing up and doing it,” said first baseman Todd Helton, holding three-week-old daughter Gentry in his arms. “We kept doing the things that all good teams do: pitch, play defense, get timely hits. And we came up big when we had to.”
The Rockies arrive in Los Angeles winners of four consecutive games. The Dodgers have lost four straight, their champagne a vintage until they clinched a postseason berth Thursday when the Rockies eliminated the Braves.
The Rockies’ offense, dormant at times in recent weeks, is clicking again behind the muscle of Troy Tulowitzki and resurgence of Brad Hawpe and Helton. Their rotation is gaining traction, with Game 1 postseason starter Ubaldo Jimenez going tonight.
For weeks, the Rockies were anxious. Now, they are just dangerous, having accomplished something that existed only in their imagination.
“Nobody thought four months ago we would be in this position,” Garrett Atkins said. “We have nothing to lose.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
