Tony DeMarco

DENVER - Let's play “did you know this?” about the Colorado Rockies, because apparently, a lot of people still don't:

Did you know that since June 1 — three games after Jim Tracy replaced Clint Hurdle — the Rockies have the best record in the majors?

That's right, a sizzling 52-27 — a smidge better than the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels at 50-26. Even better, since four consecutive losses May 31-June 3, the Rockies are 52-23.

Did you know that since the All-Star break, the Rockies have made up six games on the National League West-leading Dodgers — and a deficit that peaked at 15 1/2 games on June 3 was down to two until two Dodgers wins on Wednesday and Thursday?

Did you know that the Rockies' rotation leads the majors with 77 quality starts? That's already nine more than all last season, and four off the club record. (Bonus points if you can name the five starters who have made all but four of the team's starts through Thursday).

Did you know that since June 1, Jorge De La Rosa — oops, we just gave you a little help on the bonus question — leads the majors in wins with 12? Yep, that's one more than Chris Carpenter.

And did you know that Troy Tulowitzki (23) and Clint Barmes (21) have combined for 44 homers — tied with the Phillies' Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins for the majors' highest total for a double-play combination?

Still, despite nearly three months of mounting evidence, an ESPN “Baseball Tonight” panelist recently said the NL wild card is the Atlanta Braves' to lose — never mind they were a handful of games behind the Rockies at the time.

No, the NL wild card is the Rockies' to lose, and although that remains a possibility, the standings say this: The Rockies have snuck into the NL elite, making it a foursome with the Dodgers, Phillies and Cardinals — all lying within three games of each other in late-August.

And so Tracy — 53 and in his third big-league managerial gig — is looking at an NL Manager of the Year award and the distinction of joining Cito Gaston (1989 Blue Jays) as the only managers to take teams from 10 under .500 to the postseason.

In truth, this was a fairly talented roster that was underachieving before Tracy took over. But virtually everything he has touched has turned to gold.

Slideshow   The Week in Sports Pictures A kayaker flips out, a racehorse eyes the Triple Crown and more. more photos

That has put Tracy at the center of this remarkable turnaround — yet he's so humble, grounded and sincere, he almost sounds too syrupy for a guy who earns his living in big-league dugouts.

When talking about his team, Tracy will say something like, “These guys don't know how to spell the word ‘quit.’ Well, if you went and asked them, maybe they'd make a liar out of me. But I guarantee you, they don't know the meaning of the word.” And he really means it.