Monday, December 01, 2008

By BRIAN VanderBEEK
bvanderbeek@modbee.com

last updated: April 20, 2008 03:22:12 AM

On the opening day of the 2007 baseball season, Dan O'Dowd signed a contract extension that would keep him as executive vice president and general manager of the Colorado Rockies through the end of the 2009 season.

But by last October, O'Dowd -- indeed, anybody affiliated with the Rockies -- could have run successfully for mayor of Denver.

Colorado's stirring September run to the National League pennant was highlighted by a stretch in which it won 21 of 22 games. It boosted the Rockies to the front of the nation's sports sections and on the local front served to bond the relationship between the organization and fans who follow its minor-league teams, including the Rockies' High-A affiliate, the Modesto Nuts.

O'Dowd recently visited Modesto to check on the future Rockies and present 2007 National League championship rings to some of the people who helped make that achievement possible. Before that ceremony, he took the time to chat.

BRIAN VanderBEEK: Honestly, did you or anyone else in the organization see that finish coming last year?

DAN O'DOWD: I knew we had talent, and I knew we were a club with talent that was still trying to figure out how to win day in and day out. I knew we were frustrated because we hadn't played to our capabilities. But going through that streak, as I explained to people, I didn't think the players felt like they were in the midst of something historic. They just felt they were playing the way they were capable of playing. Even in the losses, it was a club that had the ability to leave the defeat behind and come to work ready to play the next day. There would be no carryover. Our organizational philosophy is very simple: We do take things one day at a time, and that worked during the streak.

BVB: One of the things we watched closely in Modesto was the contributions you were receiving from the guys who played here. After 30 years with Oakland, it was tough for many fans around here to accept a new ballclub. But once these fans saw the former Modesto players perform for the Rockies on the national stage, it did a lot to cement this relationship locally.

DOD: It has carryover effects in so many ways. When you're a scouting-and-development-based organization like we are, all of your affiliates begin to identify with the players who have come through here, and our success last year did help to cement relationships.

BVB: Many people have asked me the differences in the A's and Rockies organizations. My stock answer has been that both are great to work with. I could call the A's and they'd get back to me the second day. If I call the Rockies, someone is answering on the second ring.

DOD: Our people are our greatest assets, and how we treat people is an indication of the character of the people we have in the organization. The only reason we won last year is that we have a very team-first mentality. It's selfless. The bond between the players is significant, and the bond we make with everybody we touch has to be significant because that's the lasting impact of your work.

BVB: You came here to deliver rings. Tell me about the decision to give out so many rings within the organization.

DOD: We wanted the people out in the field -- our scouts and our development people -- to have the same treatment as our major-league staff and our front-office people. We decided to give the rings out in person to our people in Modesto, Asheville, Colorado Springs and in Tucson. We wanted them to know how special they are to this process, and we did not want them to get the ring in the mail.

BVB: It's the exact same ring you presented to your players.

DOD: It's the actual ring. The people who received rings in Modesto got the exact same ring that was presented to Todd Helton. The people here are just as important as the people performing on the field in Denver.

BVB: One of the first things I noticed when I went to Rockies spring training in Tucson was that every player at every level wore the same gear. There was no hand-me-down gear being worn by minor-league teams.

DOD: You really have to be committed to the process and even the details. Everybody has to feel a part of having an opportunity to contribute. Leadership has to come from every person who pulls on a uniform every day. We preach that within our organization. To do that, everybody has to feel a part of that process.

BVB: This is your second trip to Modesto. How do you like our town, and how does the park fit in with what you're trying to do?

DOD: This is a beautiful place, a beautiful minor-league city and a wonderful ballpark. We really feel blessed to be here. This is by far the best High-A affiliation we've had in our history.

Bee staff writer Brian VanderBeek can be reached at bvanderbeek@modbee.com or 578-2300.

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