Huston Street News: Pro Sports Daily

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October 13

InsideTheRockies.com

"Rockies closer Huston Street was standing at his locker, being very forthright about a very painful ninth inning Monday. General manager Dan O'Dowd interrupted the give-and-take, hugged Street and said, "We wouldn't have been here without you. You did a hell of a job." The Rockies and, in particular, Street weren't expecting words of solace. Not after a stunning three-run rally in the eighth gave the Rockies a 4-2 lead in Game 4 of the National League Division Series. Not with Street, who went 35-for-37 in save opportunities during the regular season, taking the mound and this NLDS seemingly headed back to Citizens Bank Park for a winner-take-all fifth game. Deflating ninth innings were ..."

Weight of world tough to bear for Rockies' Street

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October 13

Denver Post

columnist Mark Kiszla

"All lost, the one thing Rockies relief pitcher Huston Street refused to do was cry. His voice cracked. Anguish moistened the corners of his eyes. But tears? No way. A ballgame blown, Street fought to keep what little this beaten man had: his dignity. "The lazy step for me would be to walk out of here with my tail between my legs and tears coming down my face, then go home and lay in bed for two weeks," Street said Monday night, after surrendering three runs in a nightmarish ninth inning that gave Philadelphia a shocking 5-4 victory and eliminated Colorado from the playoffs. Here's what you need to know about the sudden death of Colorado's baseball season: The pain of losing a no-tomorrow ..."

Rockies closer Huston Street revels in playoff atmosphere

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October 6

Denver Post

"A slight-built, baby-faced man sits in a cold tube reading a magazine at Dodger Stadium. He weighs less than 200 pounds, and if he's an inch taller than 5-feet-10, it's hyperbole. When looking for reasons that a Phillies' repeat will meet a dead end, it starts with Huston Street. The Rockies' singular biggest advantage in the National League division series that begins Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park resides with their closer. "The thing with Huston is that you know he's going to come into the game and throw strikes," setup man Rafael Betancourt said. "It's very important for him to show he's not afraid to throw the ball around the plate. Huston goes right after guys." Street has converted ..."

Rockies' Street gets good news, sort of

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September 4

Denver Post

"Wrapped in ice, pizza in his mouth, Huston Street soothed a few stomachs when discussing Thursday's MRI. There's no structural damage in his right biceps. He has tendinitis. That's the good news. The bad news is that he won't even pick up a baseball until Sunday, leaving him unavailable to pitch until the middle of next week at the earliest. "It's not like we have four months left. We are being extremely aggressive, which is reassuring to me," the Rockies' closer said. "It's really going to be a day-to-day thing once I start throwing again." Franklin Morales, who posted his first save Wednesday, will replace him. The left-hander has been on a wild ride this season, beginning in the ..."

Street has MRI, Morales takes over as closer

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September 3

Denver Post

"Huston Street will undergo an MRI this morning on his right biceps, and said there's no timetable for his return. Franklin Morales will take over as the closer, manager Jim Tracy confirmed. Street believes he's dealing with biceps tendinitis, so he's hoping to return in a few days. "But right now, I just don't know. It's frustrating given how great this season has gone for the team and me, you want to be at your best when it matters most," said Street, who is not feeling pain in the upper part of the arm near his shoulder, which is a good sign. "I don't believe it's serious, but I don't know yet." Morales will take over as closer, leaving Rafael Betancourt in the setup role. Tracy is ..."

Street hoping waiting game helps him heal

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September 3

Denver Post

"His arm caked in ice, his right biceps tendon hooked up to an electronic stimulator, Huston Street contemplated what will become of his season. "Right now it's wait-and-see and hope the inflammation dies down a little bit," the Rockies closer said Wednesday night after biceps tendinitis prevented him from putting the finishing touches on the Rockies' 5-2 victory the Mets at Coors Field. "You sit back and hope that it gets better. That's how you have to deal with tendinitis." Street, lights out with 33 saves in 34 opportunities, said he hasn't had this injury before, at least not during the season. But he suspected something was wrong when he felt tightness in his arm before Wednesday's ..."

Street steps up after shaky start

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June 11

MLB.com

"To borrow oft-repeated wordplay surrounding the Rockies' closer, things have gone from "Huston, we have a problem" to "Easy Street" in the Rockies' bullpen. Street's slow April start, coinciding with a slow start for the entire Colorado bullpen, has been long forgotten. With a dominant ninth inning Wednesday, in which Street struck out all three batters he faced, the Rockies closer has a save in three consecutive games for the first time in more than a year. Ten of his 12 saves have come since the start of May. Street allowed seven earned runs in his first 7 1/3 innings with the Rockies following his offseason trade from the A's, meriting a brief respite from the closer's role. In 18 ..."

Street Returns to Closing

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May 2

InsideTheRockies.com

"Corpas earned a save at Arizona on April 21, his first in one year and two days. He gave up runs in three of four appearances during the just-completed 3-3 home stand, and suffered two of the losses. Street has worked in five of the last six games, and is coming off a save on Wednesday when he struck out all three San Diego players he faced. He is unscored upon in six of his last eight appearances. "Huston has made progress, Manny has not,'' said Hurdle. "What we will do with Manny is revisit what we did when we first brought him up. It won't be the eighth. We will look for some situations for him, stretching him out a little. He has to have better consistency and location for him to stay ..."

Street has the corner on 9th, officially

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May 2

Denver Post

"Huston Street politely disagreed with the notion that he's better suited to be the Rockies' closer now than when he was fresh out of spring training. "I wouldn't say I'm in a better place, because I've always been very confident out there," Street said Friday after manager Clint Hurdle officially reinstated him as the Rockies' ninth-inning stopper. "But I do think that having numerous outings, with some good results, has been good for me. But at the same time, I wasn't pitching well. I understood why the switch was made." Street is 2-for-2 in save opportunities, and five of his last six outings have been scoreless. But his 6.10 ERA and the memory of the two-run, ninth-inning homer he ..."

Street honors a Texas legend - his dad

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April 5

Denver Post

columnist Troy E. Renck

"In a sport rooted in numbers, a single one defines Huston Street: 16. It's his new jersey number with the Rockies. His father James wore it as the undefeated quarterback for the University of Texas. When Street was traded to Colorado, he wanted to honor a man he considers the best coach he's ever had. He didn't feel it was appropriate to wear it in Oakland. It was too closely associated with Jason Giambi. In Colorado, the move made sense. Chris Iannetta already had 20, Street's number with the A's. That 16 graces Street's back seems appropriate in a special spring that saw him land the Rockies' closer's job with a strong finishing kick. "I didn't tell him I was going to do it. I only told ..."

Street officially named closer

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April 2

Denver Post

"Huston Street's strong closing argument landed him the Rockies' closer's role today. "It's good news," Street said this morning. "It's what I came to camp to accomplish." Street said he believes the competition made him sharper for the upcoming season. "Competing with Manny will make me a better closer," Street said. Manager Clint Hurdle indicated he will make an official announcement later today, with all signs pointing toward Street winning the job over Manuel Corpas, who will be the eight-inning guy. The two began spring training in an open competition. Acquired from Oakland in the Matt Holliday trade, Street started poorly, but surged to the finish line. In his past nine appearances, ..."

Source: Street to defeat Corpas for closer's role

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April 2

Denver Post

"Huston Street's strong closing argument will land him the Rockies' closer's role today, according to a source familiar with the team's thinking. Manager Clint Hurdle indicated he will make an announcement today, with all signs pointing toward Street winning the job over Manuel Corpas. The two began spring training in an open competition. Acquired from Oakland in the Matt Holliday trade, Street started poorly, but surged to the finish line. In his past nine appearances, he has allowed just one run, never requiring more than 12 pitches. His improvement can be traced to a healed right quadriceps. "We have known all along there would be a decision, but it's out of my control, so I can't worry ..."

Rockies newcomer Street savors competition

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February 17

Rocky Mountain News

"Right-hander Huston Street, one of three players the Rockies acquired in the trade that sent Matt Holliday to Oakland, knows he has a spot in the bullpen. The question is whether he will be a closer or the eighth-inning setup man for Manny Corpas, who handled ninth-inning chores in the stretch run to the 2007 World Series but lost the job in late April last season to Brian Fuentes. Street is confident he can supply the answer, and he welcomes the competition. "I think competition is great," Street said. "It is about earning the opportunity. There's nothing wrong with that. The Colorado Rockies are going to be better served if we have the Manny Corpas of 2007 and if I pitch like I did my ..."

Rockies, Street agree to one-year deal

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January 19

Rocky Mountain News

"The Rockies agreed to a one-year contract Monday with Huston Street, thus avoiding arbitration with the recently acquired reliever, The Associated Press reported. Street's deal is believed to be worth $4.5 million. The Rockies likely will announce it Tuesday, when players and owners are set to exchange proposed figures in arbitration. Five Rockies players still are eligible for arbitration -- third baseman Garrett Atkins, infielder Clint Barmes, left-handed pitcher Jorge De La Rosa and right-handed pitchers Taylor Buchholz and Jason Grilli."

Street wants job back, but he can't have it

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September 1

San Francisco Chronicle

"Huston Street is pitching like his old self again. And he's itching for his old job back. Street, the A's closer most of the past three years, has retired 18 of the past 19 batters he has faced. His velocity is back up in the 93 mph range, and his slider is sharp. He believes he can be effective in save situations again. "I'm looking to hopefully get some chances," Street said. "I haven't expressed that directly to them, but that was the whole reason I was taken out of the role, to return to form. And the last nine innings have indicated I've returned to form." Street, who earned the win in relief Saturday night, might get a save opportunity or two in the final month, but manager Bob ..."

Have A's turned a corner on Street?

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August 21

Oakland Tribune

"There were lots of long faces in the A's clubhouse after Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins, and Huston Street's was among them. As the A's troubles as a team continue to mount, the individual battles within each game grow more interesting, and Street entered a whale of a situation in the bottom of the sixth at the Metrodome. He relieved Dallas Braden with the bases loaded and two outs and got Brendan Harris swinging to end the inning and keep the A's within two runs. He followed with a 1-2-3 seventh, showing some bite on his slider and keeping his fastball low in the strike zone. Street was as down as anybody after the A's fell to a major league-worst 6-25 since the All-Star ..."

Location mistakes cost A's Street closer job

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August 12

Contra Costa Times

"Huston Street was tapped as the A's full-time closer just 19 appearances into his major league career in 2005, and he made the adjustment look easy. He saved 23 games. He took home American League Rookie of the Year honors. Until recently he was entrenched as the A's ninth-inning man. Now his role is tougher to define. As he struggles through his toughest stretch as a big leaguer, Street has been replaced as closer for now by rookie Brad Ziegler, current owner of a 37-inning scoreless streak. "I understand that until I get back to pitching how I was, I'm probably not going to see the late innings," Street said. "When you've got a guy that has 37 scoreless innings, I can understand that." ..."

Street will lie awake nights after this one

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August 6

San Francisco Chronicle

"With the A's poised to end their seven-game losing streak Tuesday night, Huston Street had an outing that he expected would cost him a lot of sleep. Four days earlier, Street had been informed he might not always work in the ninth inning, partly the result of a rough stretch for Street but also because some other relievers - notably Brad Ziegler - have been pitching so well. On Tuesday, Ziegler pitched the seventh and eighth to run his streak of scoreless innings to 34, the longest ever by an Oakland reliever, but it was Street who was out there in the ninth with a 3-2 lead. Alex Rios singled to lead off the inning, and with one out, Rod Barajas doubled over Ryan Sweeney's head in left, ..."

Street's role is reduced

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August 3

Contra Costa Times

"With about two months of season remaining, the A's figure to spend the rest of 2008 giving their young players lots of opportunities. That philosophy now extends to the ninth inning. A's manager Bob Geren said Saturday that he's taking Huston Street out of the full-time closer's role for the time being, leaving open the question of who he'll send out to protect leads on a daily basis. The move undoubtedly is spurred by Street's difficulties this season salting away victories, though Geren went to great lengths Saturday to de-emphasize those struggles. Instead, he pointed to the standout work of pitchers such as Brad Ziegler and left-hander Jerry Blevins, two players he's considering as ..."

A closer who might not be used in save situations

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August 3

San Francisco Chronicle

"Manager Bob Geren said Saturday that Huston Street remains his closer, but that Street might not always pitch in save situations. One night earlier, Geren had Street warming up in the seventh inning. Street wound up pitching the 10th, but Geren said he'd considered using Street in the earlier spot had the A's taken the lead. He felt as if Street would have had good matchups there (Jacoby Ellsbury, 0-for-3 lifetime against Street; Dustin Pedroia, 0-for-1; Kevin Youkilis, 0-for-6 with four strikeouts) and the eighth might then have set up well for left-hander Alan Embree. Street said before Saturday's game that Geren had spoken to him the day before about his plans to mix up the bullpen ..."

Williams Street-talkin' A's

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July 31

Chicago Sun-Times

"When the trade deadline passes this afternoon, White Sox general manager Ken Williams might be more than a bit frustrated. But it won't be for a lack of trying. According to a source outside the organization, Williams was talking to a handful of teams Wednesday afternoon in hopes of acquiring a back-end reliever in a three-way deal. Indications as of late Wednesday were that his target was Oakland Athletics right-hander Huston Street. Street, the A's closer, would move into the Sox' setup role while veteran Scott Linebrink works his way back from the 15-day disabled list. But one-on-one talks with the A's apparently broke down over a lack of depth in the Sox' farm system. No one knows that ..."

Beane's socks on, Street is team's closer - for now

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July 30

San Francisco Chronicle

"Will Huston Street survive Thursday's trade deadline? He doesn't know for sure, but he gives off vibes that he'll still be around when the A's play in Boston on Friday. "I said awhile ago I don't want to be traded," Street said. "Billy (Beane, general manager) said all along it'll take a deal to knock his socks off for me to get traded, and that's where we stand right now. I'm very comfortable with that because I like it here." Dan Haren was traded in December. Rich Harden and Joe Blanton were dealt this month. The latest A's pitcher significantly mentioned in trade rumors is Street, and this week's talk involves the Tigers, Brewers, White Sox and, to a lesser degree, Red Sox. Thursday's ..."