Matt Herges Talks 2007 World Series, Secret to Pitching at Coors Field

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Aug 17, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; General view of Coors Field during the fourth inning of the game between the against the Washington Nationals against the Colorado Rockies. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

Matt Herges sat in the home dugout at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in downtown Oklahoma City, staying cool in the shade during a warm August evening on the Southern Plains.

He looked out on the field as the Albuquerque Isotopes, the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, began to stretch and get ready for their contest against the Oklahoma City Dodgers. As the pitching coach for the Triple-A Dodgers, Herges had prepared his scouting report against the next generation of Rockies.

Tonight though, Herges is ready to reflect back upon a group of Rockies who made magic happen nearly a decade ago in LoDo.

At the age of 37, Herges was a part of the 2007 Rockies that advanced to the franchise’s only World Series. He went 5-1 that season with a 2.96 ERA in 35 games. In seven postseason games for the Rockies that season, he didn’t allow a run and allowed just two hits in seven innings.

Herges appeared in three World Series games against Boston, striking out four in 3.1 innings of work.

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During our chat, we talked about a range of topics from pitching at altitude to what made that 2007 team so special.

KH: What do you remember most about that 2007 season?

Herges: “It was one of those teams that it would be hard duplicating putting a team together like that again with the character the team had, up and down. The Rockies believed that the clubhouse wins games and character is more important than talent. We had talent, but the overwhelming factor was the character of that team.

“We had a rookie (Troy Tulowitzki) who was our leader of that team. When does that happen? We had a super veteran (Todd Helton) who led by how he went about his business. We had a superstar in Matt Holliday who was a superstar and never got the memo. We also had the complementary pieces. We had a great bullpen. Our defense that year tied the Major League record in fielding percentage. We had a great leader in Clint Hurdle.

“It can happen, but there’s a lot of luck that has to happen. Ultimately, the people putting the team together have to be diligent about who they bring in. That’s what Dan (O’Dowd) did. They weren’t going to just bring in anybody. A guy might have great production but he might not fit in that clubhouse. They put together a few clowns like me and it just happened to click. Winning 21 of 22 games and we couldn’t do it any different way than we did it.”

KH: Talk about that amazing streak

Herges: “It got to the point where, the Rockies had been bad for a while, and it took probably 12 games into that streak where the mindset completely changed. It’s hard to believe you can be good. It’s hard to believe you can win and go all the way. It really is. It’s not a curse but it takes almost something supernatural to change that mindset.

“After those 12 games, we expected to win. The streak was unbelievable but we expected to win every night. The starters were giving us great games. The bullpen was lights out. The defense was unbelievable. We grew together as a team. We loved each other. Sure, there were spats like every team, but there was no selfishness. We were involved in something that was so great and it wasn’t because of you or you. It was because of everybody. The 25th man on the roster was a huge contributor.

“For me, in that play-in game (against San Diego), the hero wasn’t Jamey Carroll or Seth Smith or Matt Holliday. It was Ramon Ortiz. He came in after we gave up the homer to Scott Hairston and he shut down the rest of the inning. It could’ve snowballed and we would’ve been done but he came in and shut it down and the next inning is when the magic happened.

“The fan base in Denver is unbelievable. It’s a Broncos town but they love the Rockies. They’re knowledgeable. The way they came out in ’07, I hoped it stays like this forever because that was special. They totally bought in.”

Next: Herges Has an Opinion on How to Pitch at Altitude

Apr 8, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; General view of fans heading to Coors Field before the game between the San Diego Padres against the Colorado Rockies. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

KH: How much do you still keep up with the Rockies?

Herges: “That organization is very dear to me, and I’m a Dodger. That’s who my employer is and that’s who I want to get to in the big leagues. However, Jeff Bridich was there when I was there and I think very highly of him and every coach they have on the team. They’re bringing in Darren Holmes and Steve Foster and those are great moves. Those are character people. It starts at the top. Even at the top, they’re character people and that filters all the way down. The raw materials are there for them to be great again and I hope they do it. Not at our expense, of course, but I hope they do it. I watch them a lot and they have some players.”

KH: Is there a secret to pitching at Coors Field?

Herges: “How to pitch there is a totally different animal. I have my opinions. If you’re not completely sold out on throwing the ball over the plate consistently, you will not succeed. If there’s a sliver of doubt or anything but green light, you will fail. You’ll fall behind and then you’ll be careful or fearful of throwing the ball over the plate and fearful never works. That’s when the damage happens and things fall apart.

“They’ve tried bringing in sinkerballers or flame-throwers but it’s a mindset. We didn’t have the best arms in 2007. If you look at it up and down, our ace (Jeff Francis) threw 88 to 90 miles per hour. Our closer (Brian Fuentes) was a funky lefty. He threw hard but it wasn’t like the Royals bullpen last year. It was a mindset of our backs are against the wall. For me, it was that my life is on the line. I tell my players now that this was do or die for me. If I wasn’t out there with full conviction, my kids weren’t going to eat. I wasn’t going to have a job. It got contagious. The friendly competition amongst the starters and the bullpen was special.”

KH: What do you see as the biggest difference between the Rockies organization and the Dodgers organization?

Herges: “Honestly, I see the same type of people in place. I see next-level thinkers and forward thinkers in both. I think the difference could be money. I think the Dodgers have unlimited resources and not many others do. That’s probably the biggest difference.

KH: You’re now a pitching coach at Triple-A. What drives you?

Herges: “When I got into coaching, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew I wanted to stay in the game but I didn’t know if I wanted to be in coaching or broadcasting or the front office. For me, I’m in the right spot. I love the relationships with these guys. I love building a scouting report for the pitchers and catchers to follow. Seeing them grow and making progress is so gratifying. We have a good group of people here and, like the Rockies, it starts at the top.

“Honestly, these relationships can last a lifetime. There are guys who have been traded or released who I stay in contact with. I do my best to help them progress and fulfill their dream. Ultimately, their life outside baseball is going to be a lot longer than this. Not teaching them how to be men, but nurturing them to be a dad or a husband or a teammate, that’s something that really fires me up.”

Next: The Top 5 Shortstops in Colorado History

KH: So what’s your career goal moving forward?

Herges: “Ultimate goal is that I want to be a pitching coach in the big leagues. That’s what I want to do. We’ll see where it takes me. Ultimately, I want to be in LA and who knows if they have that in their mind or not, but that’s what I am shooting for.”

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Matt Herges Talks 2007 World Series, Pitching at Coors Field