TUCSON, Ariz. -- Huston Street arrived at the emptying Hi Corbett Field wearing a light gray designer suit and carrying a Parkwood acoustic guitar Thursday morning.

Street didn't strum or break into song, even though the Rockies gave him reason. The Rockies determined that he won the competition for the closer job over Manuel Corpas. Street, one of three players the Rockies received for outfield star Matt Holliday, cautioned that it isn't time to celebrate.

"It's obviously what I wanted," Street said. "I think it's important to realize that this is just the beginning. This is the start of a huge responsibility to the team."

The closer decision was at the top of the list of important ones for manager Clint Hurdle and the club. Both remain important -- Street for obvious reasons and Corpas because he has the primary right-handed setup role. Last year, Taylor Buchholz had a career year as setup man, but he is out until at least May with an elbow ligament strain.

Both lost their closer jobs last season. Street tried to pitch through a hip flexor injury before being supplanted by Brad Ziegler with the Athletics. Corpas, whose work as closer in the second half of 2007 helped the Rockies to their first World Series appearance, struggled last April and watched the man he originally pushed out of the ninth inning, Brian Fuentes, take it and pitch well enough to earn a two-year, $17.5 million guarantee with the Angels.

Corpas had better Spring Training numbers -- 1-0, 1.00 ERA in five appearances, as opposed to Street's 5.23 ERA in 10 games. But most of Street's poor numbers came when he was affected by a strained right quadriceps muscle. After recent games, Hurdle talked about the downward movement on Street's pitches, and couched his comments about Corpas by saying he is working toward his 2007 aggressiveness. Hurdle thought both pitchers performed well this spring, but Street was sharper.

"Huston has covered a large area of ground, shown great improvement from his first time on the mound until now," Hurdle said. "Manny has gotten into a very good place. His last two times out might have been his best this spring as far as the sinker and trying to reclaim that arm slot, and he's spun the ball with much more effectiveness. That being said, for us to be the strongest team coming out of the chute, it's with Manny eight and Street ninth."

"This is good news," Street said. "It's what I worked for. But that's not taking anything away from Manny. It's a choice made by the organization. That choice can change, too. Everybody knows he's capable of succeeding in that role."

Corpas accepted the decision and vowed to continue to improve.

"I know I'm ready and I did my job in Spring Training, but it's not my decision," Corpas said. "I'm not mad. That's a teammate.

"I feel better than last year at Spring Training. My only problem is my mechanics, and I'm a little bit slow on the mound. I throw one pitch and instead of getting the ball and going boom-boom-boom, I'm taking my time. I'm working on that."

The Rockies don't acknowledge the public relations effects of baseball decisions, from the outside this one has some clear potential value.

Holliday was a three-time All-Star and the 2007 runner-up to the Phillies' Jimmy Rollins for the National League Most Valuable Player Award. When the Rockies could not sign him to a multiyear contract and decided to deal him during the winter, few teams bit because of timing. It came down to the Athletics after talks with the Cardinals died down.

Street, 25, with 94 saves over four seasons, was the most established player the Rockies received, and they received left-handed starter Greg Smith and outfield prospect Carlos Gonzalez. However, both struggled health-wise -- Smith with the flu and with left shoulder inflammation, Gonzalez with a strained rib cage muscle -- and didn't put up good numbers. They'll start the year at Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Hurdle said recently a trade has to be evaluated over a long period, but for the opening of 2009, Street is all the Rockies have to show their fans for Holliday. Hurdle and general manager Dan O'Dowd are under the scrutiny that comes with being in the last season of their respective contracts.

"We don't ever make decisions based upon that stuff," O'Dowd said. "We make the decision on how it sets up the team and what's best for the team. All that other stuff is ego-driven, and we don't operate as an organization like that."

Judgment, however, could come early with the Rockies playing 22 of their first 27 games in the NL West. The other games are three with the World Series champion Phillies and two against the NL Central champion Cubs.

Street believes he is battle-tested, not only by the success he had in helping the Athletics to the 2006 American League Championship Series, but by last year's disappointment over being replaced.

"There is no worse feeling ... than having that taken away from you, and that was the motivation this whole offseason," said Street, who learned guitar a few years ago and by all accounts is pretty good. "That was every day. That was every morning I woke up, not to be the closer but to be the best that I can be and not let that slip away.

"The biggest thing I learned last year was even when you're not in the role you want to be in, stay focused and learn how to prepare and still battle. I pitched in the fourth inning sometimes last year, but if you give up five runs in the fourth your team probably doesn't have a very good chance of winning."