Ian Stewart: A bust or change of scenery needed?

[Rockford]

A few days ago manager Jim Tracy called out Ian Stewart, saying, "He's either going to play his way in or play his way off the team."

Tracy calling out Stewart in such a public fashion seemed to rankle some, but I really don't get why that would be the case ... the former first-round draft pick was hitting .064, slugging .085 and had an OPS of .239 (SSS, I know), and the Rockies have essentially tried to hand him the third base job since the start of 2008. Given all of that, is it really uncalled for for Tracy to say what he did in public?

Stewart's struggles have shined the spotlight on his Southern California upbringing, and, of course, he has been slapped with the "laid-back" tag. He is also being compared to the post-2007 Garrett Atkins, another "laid-back" player from sunny Southern California.

His career OPS at home is .771 and .751 on the road. 25 home runs came at home and 29 were on the road. So he was never a product of Coors Field.

Stewart is back in the minors. At 26, is he a bust or does the cliche "needs a change of scenery" apply here?