"This is personal. No, not between Huston Street and an opponent. This is between Street and the man in the mirror.

He doesn't just want to return to the closer role for the Rockies. He needs to. For his team and, yes, for himself.

Funny thing about Street. This was supposed to be the best year of his major-league career. But he hasn't thrown a pitch for the Rockies because he threw so many trying to get ready for it.

He had the signature season of any closer in franchise history a year ago and was rewarded with a three-year, $22.5 million contract, by far the most lucrative contract ever given to a Rockies reliever. And for Street, 26, it came with an unwritten clause.

"There's such a sense of obligation," Street said. "It's a competitiveness. Very few people play the game for money. If you play the game for money, it's going to weed you out and let you go. You play the game out of love. That's what's exciting. That's what drives you.

"To finally be able to contribute to your team, to stand out there and battle together . . . that's where the love develops. To have that taken away, yeah, it's personal. It's absolutely something I take a lot of pride in. You have to honor it with every step, and that's what I'm ready to do."

Street will officially return to the Rockies' bullpen today before the start of a three-game series against Boston at Coors Field. He will be closing in the near future, but not right away, not after a four-month saga that began when he was shut down with shoulder inflammation at spring training seemingly before he unpacked his suitcase."