PEORIA, Ariz. - Skipper Sunshine sees brightness and brilliance even on a drab-and-dreary day. Huston has a problem, but Jim Tracy, resident manager of the Colorado Rockies' Optimist Club, still puts on his Happy Face. Commendable, dependable closer Huston Street won't pitch until mid-April, maybe not until May 1, or who knows when. Late Thursday afternoon, the Rockies were waiting fretfully on the results of the MRI examination of Street's precious right shoulder. 'I'm very hopeful ...' Tracy said. Skipper Sunshine always is Captain Kangaroo hopeful. Hopeful that Street will return soon. Hopeful that, if not, the Rockies will find a replacement until he does. Hopeful that despite not having its close horse available, the team will reverse its trend of insipid starts. 'Knock on wood, I've got my fingers crossed for the Street situation,' the manager said. The leader in the clubhouse for the closer's job is Franklin Morales - a 24-year-old left-hander, a former starting pitcher, a former middle reliever, a former lefty vs. lefty specialist, a former closer (7-for-7 last season when Street was sidelined). However, the skip actually would prefer that Manuel Corpas be the closer. In baseball, the bromide is 'tie goes to runner.' In Tracy's mind, the tie goes to Corpas. 'If Manny shows the kind of effort he gave the Rockies (as closer) in 2007, and there is a tie, I'd go with him,' Tracy said. 'We could keep Franklin in his role.' Which would be as a setup man in the seventh or eighth inning. However, we have a problem, Denver. Manuel is being Manny. Some members of the organization purportedly would like to send Corpas down the highway to Colorado Springs, or down the road to anywhere else. He's overweight and has pitched poorly this spring. Three years ago, as a rookie, Corpas became the closer just before the all-star break. He finished with 19 saves and the lowest earned-run average in club history (2.08, 78 games). In 2008, he began early April as the closer and was finished as the closer by late April. In 2009, Corpas competed with the newly acquired Street, lost the job, then won the job, then lost the job - again in late April. He spent the second half of the season on the disabled list, had elbow surgery, then developed a staph infection. The chance to close is open to Corpas, again. 'He has an opportunity now. I'm hopeful he'll take advantage of it and this motivates him,' Tracy told me outside the back lot before the Rockies' exhibition game with the Seattle Mariners on Thursday. Corpas, 27, has talked a good game about being the closer, but he hasn't pitched that way. Some cynics might suggest that Corpas has become as big a project as the Panama Canal. Or Manny Corpulent. The Rockies' media guide has Corpas weighing 210 pounds. Sure. When he pitched winter ball in the Dominican Republic, Corpas weighed 235 pounds. He reported to spring training camp at 227, give or take a dozen empanadas. Corpas is not buff, unless you're thinking the University of Colorado's mascot, Ralphie the buffalo. Tracy said Corpas 'has to keep the ball down.' He might have added: '... and his weight.' Corpas has worked six and one-third innings in six games. He's 0-1 with no saves and a convenience store ERA (7.11). His fastball is riding high too often. He hasn't totally rediscovered the slider that made him nasty in 2007 and earned him a four-year, $8 million contract in the spring of 2008. At the moment, there probably isn't a tie in camp. Morales has impressed Tracy and pitching coach Bob Apodaca more than Corpas, although Franklin's numbers aren't impressive to anyone - 12 hits, 10 runs, two home runs, an 11.74 ERA in seven and two-thirds innings. But he was torched for six on two three-run homers in one inning. Then there's Rafael Betancourt, the eighth-inning setup man whom Tracy wants to keep in that role. But he hasn't thrown a business baseball yet because of tightness and inflammation in his shoulder. The Rockies can't begin the season in 18 days with both Street and Betancourt hurting and with both Morales and Corpas struggling. The Rockies bashed the Mariners 9-2 here Thursday. Maybe they won't need a closer. After the blowout, Skipper Sunshine was hopeful, full of optimism and smiling. 