We're talking about practice! Black enjoys Rox preparation

MESA, Ariz. -- When you have games like the Rockies’ 5-0 Cactus League loss to the Cubs on Saturday afternoon at Sloan Park, you’re reminded that what you’re participating in is an exhibition.

During a spring in which Colorado’s offense has been among the Major League leaders -- the club entered Saturday with the highest team batting average (.293) and most hits (138) while tied for the lead in doubles (31) and total bases (221) -- it managed only three hits.

It’s a good thing manager Bud Black enjoys practice.

“I really love the practice part,” Black said while standing on one of the back fields at the Rockies’ Spring Training facility in Scottsdale on Saturday morning. “The practice part is so important, right?”

Before you present your best Allen Iverson impression: Yes, we’re talking about practice. That’s because even though Saturday’s loss might appear uninspiring to the untrained eye, there were many elements of interest to Black.

What he said earlier in the day is instructive as to why.

“It’s the focus and the effort to improve that I love,” Black said as he stood in foul territory during batting practice. “The devotion to get better. Not only in baseball, but anything in life.”

As he was about to continue his thought, Black’s voice abruptly rose several decibels.

“Hey! Atta baby!” he yelled in response to a leaping grab at shortstop.

“I love baseball,” Black said, immediately transitioning back to his earlier stream of consciousness as if he never left it. “I always have. Since I was a kid.”

As he spoke, Black wore a first baseman’s glove on his right hand. It’s an odd sight to the uninitiated since the left-hander was a pitcher during his 15-year Major League career. But he played first while growing up in Washington state and later while playing college ball at San Diego State.

Something third baseman Ryan McMahon said the day before rings true with his manager.

“Position players always want to be pitchers,” McMahon said. “And pitchers always want to be position players.”

“Yeah,” Black admitted. “I also loved wearing the old flip-down glasses. You don’t see that much anymore.”

Something else you don’t see much is the level of participation Black engages in during the spring. On any given day, you’ll see him throwing batting practice or taking throws at -- you guessed it -- first base. He’ll even run the bases during catcher throwing drills.

After a few minutes of talking about practice, it was time for Black to head to another station. Perhaps he’d go and observe pitchers fielding practice or some of the Rockies’ hurlers throwing a bullpen.

“I’ll be bouncing around,” he said.

Black’s bouncing around, as well as his overall temperament, seem to be well-suited to his ballclub. The Rockies are in transition, looking to the future with high hopes for their young players -- players who need a baseball father figure to guide them as they seek a foothold in the big leagues.

Much like Nolan Jones and Ezequiel Tovar emerged last season, Colorado wants to see more prospects stake their claim to prime real estate in what the organization hopes will become the ground floor from which it builds for the next competitive window.

Given the composition of the roster and the nature of the Rockies’ current epoch, games like Saturday’s are important when you see them through Black’s eyes.

“Every day is a test,” he said. “And I tell the guys that. In a game like today’s, we saw that. Peter Lambert [three scoreless innings] pitched well. Aaron Schunk played shortstop for the first time, made a nice back-hand play -- we’re looking at him at short, just to expand his horizons a bit.

“Jacob Stallings caught six innings for the first time this year, building stamina. Julio Carreras had a good at-bat, down 0-2. He got Alan Trejo to third after Trejo’s double. Sean Bouchard had a man on third with one out, didn’t get him home. It’s all these little things that we watch.”

The little things are big in the grand scheme. And it’s that minutiae that Black relishes.

“I love seeing something that you practice, practice, practice,” he said, “and then it shows up in a game. Like a fielder who works on his backhand for years, then makes a big backhand play in a game. Or a pull hitter working on staying inside the ball and then he singles the other way to score a run late in a game.

“I love the process. People talk about the journey, and I love that.”