"Huston Street's problem is that he's smart. He thinks outside the batter's box. So, last spring, he hatched a plan that, in theory, made sense.

"When I arrived, I stepped onto the mound the first time and tried to strike out the ghost hitter. The idea was to turn up the velocity early so I was even stronger going into the season," Street recalled of that costly 92 mph fastball in February 2010. "It was unquestionably a mistake that hurt me (with a shoulder injury) and hurt the team. It taught me a lot."

Street has always been one of a kind. This March, though, he followed the crowd. Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd and pitching coach Bob Apodaca instructed Street to dip his toes in the water at Salt River Fields. No cannonball dives necessary.

"We (were) looking for incremental progress," O'Dowd said. "I really believe Huston is going to have a big year."

The right-handed closer was purposeful in his preparation, taking his time to work up to full strength. The results have been promising, hinting that his every-other-year bonanza is going to play out again.

In 2009, Street was Dennis Eckersley Lite, posting 35 saves, including 26 consecutive as the Rockies clawed their way into the playoffs. Last season, he missed the first 69 games with shoulder and groin injuries. He finished with 20 saves but blew five, including crippling road losses at Florida, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles.

This spring everything is different. After using the first two weeks of games to work on specific pitches rather than focus on the hitters, Street has settled into a groove. Entering today's outing against the Mariners in the Cactus League finale, he has posted four consecutive scoreless outings."