I may have an answer to why the Colorado Rockies continue to put together amazing second-half runs.
The answer comes in the form of one man, with one mission: get the Rockies to the playoffs.
His name is Troy Tulowitzki.
Ever the second-half player, Tulowitzki is the catalyst in the Colorado lineup. Yes, Carlos Gonzalez has been phenomenal this year, but he hasn't tied a major league record by hitting 14 home runs in 15 games here in September. Are you kidding me? I don't know about you, but I'm dying to hear Dick Vitale offer commentary on this guy. I can just hear him now: "He's unbelievable, baby!"
And he really is. The production Tulowitzki has put up in August and September since his rookie year in 2007 is mind-blowing. Wrap your brain around these numbers: in 2007, Tulowitzki came into August with twelve home runs on the season. He proceeded to hit twelve more in August and September, while hitting a cool .333 in August. In 2009, he hit .344 in the second half to push the Rockies into the wild card. This year, he's hit .351 in August and .354 in September, driving in 45 runs over that span. And let's not forget all those home runs. In 2010 he entered September with twelve and has already hit twelve this month.
Remember, in August the Rockies were down by as many as ten games in the division to San Diego. Now, they are just one game behind the Padres for the division lead after the Giants lost again to the Brewers, even with their ace Lincecum on the mound. They can thank Tulowitzki for that. They are 13-4 so far in September, and can thank Tulowitzki for that. Or for the Rockies' two playoff appearances and one World Series appearance in the last three years. All this started with Troy Tulowitzki. Here in 2010, he continues to build his legacy.
But he is just one man.
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