By TRACY RINGOLSBY, Scripps Howard News Service

Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle is looking for reasons -- not excuses -- for the team's recent slide.He admits there are moments, however, when he has to wonder if the problems the Rockies and Padres have faced the past three weeks have been in some way a residual effect of the Rockies' 2-1, 22-inning victory that began April 17 and ended April 18.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Juan Pierre was at the park early, in uniform, on the field.He was waiting for early batting practice, a chance to work on his bunting game -- and to track some flyballs off the bat.Some things never change -- until the game starts.

The most shocking news in Wayne Krivsky being fired and Walt Jocketty hired as Cincinnati Reds general manager was Krivsky's claim he was shocked."I did not see this coming at all," he was quoted as saying.Really?

Troy Tulowitzki has company in his misery.Not that it makes the Colorado Rockies shortstop feel any better.Tulowitzki has struggled through a two-week funk that is unlike any funk he has endured on a baseball field, but he's not alone.

Detroit as the least surprising of the early-season surprises.Sure, with the Tigers' lineup, it's difficult to believe they lost their first seven games. But talk about the Tigers winning a championship seems a bit far-fetched this year, even with their high-priced payroll and fancy lineup.

Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox is in the final year of his contract. Nobody is concerned, though.

With the signing of closer Joe Nathan to a four-year deal, the Minnesota Twins should put to rest the mistaken belief they were purging their roster of salaries.Yes, they lost Torii Hunter and Carlos Silva to free agency and dealt Johan Santana to the Mets, but it's not as if they made no effort to keep them.

Barry Bonds says he wants to keep playing.Agent Jeff Borris said Bonds has done everything to be ready except face live pitching.Joe Klein, former general manager in Texas, Detroit and Cleveland and current president of the independent Atlantic League, has a solution to Bonds' dilemma.

Checking out the odds and seeing the Chicago Cubs at 10-to-1 to win the World Series -- that's second among National League teams to only the Mets' 6-to-1 -- underscores just how thin the talent is on major league teams.

The Oakland A's have undertaken a massive makeover.They have told their fans to be patient.But the real message is the A's are vulnerable to misjudgments, just like every other team in baseball.