Bleacher Report - Articles by Anthony Masterson

Rockies-Phillies: Jim Tracy's Moves Pay Dividends in Game Two

Anthony Masterson — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:51:32 -0400

Since compiling a 74-42 record since taking over the managerial position of the Colorado Rockies in late May, Jim Tracy might have felt compelled to simply stick to his guns following a lackluster Game One performance from his team, believing they would bounce back by themselves in Game Two.

After all, who needs to switch partners when you believe you've got the prettiest girl at the dance anyway?

But after their 5-1 defeat in Game One, Tracy instead decided to reshuffle his deck against Cole Hamels, taking struggling Brad Hawpe out of the lineup and putting Ryan Spilborghs in his stead, and flip-flopping Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler at the top of the batting order.

Tracy's moves worked to perfection in the Rockies' 5-4 victory, evening up the series with the Phillies as the two teams travel back to cold and snowy Coors Field for Game Three on Saturday night.

After being throttled by Cliff Lee in Game One, without too many quality at bats against the left-hander, the Rockies not only needed some better plate discipline but a shot in the arm as well.

Gonzalez provided the adrenaline right out of the gate in Game Two, singling off Hamels, stealing second on an attempted pickoff, advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scampering home on Todd Helton's 38-foot ground ball to give the Rox an early 1-0 lead.

Gonzalez, who picked up two of the team's six hits in game one, knocked three more on Thursday to make himself 5-for-9 in the series.

Who was that other guy who used to wear number 5?

Fowler, who definitely showed his age in Game One by swinging at nearly every pitch he saw without much success, slid down a spot in the batting order to offset some of the pressure on the youngster.

Boy, did he respond.

Though Fowler did finish 0-for-2 on the day, he lofted two huge sacrifice flies to bring home two important runs for the ball club. Dex battled in both instances, coming through on 1-2 counts in each of his at bats, a far cry from the weak swings he displayed in Game One.

Now this brings us to Brad Hawpe.

Hawpe is one of the big reasons the Rockies were able to begin their resurgence at the beginning of June, hitting .320 with 14 home runs and 59 RBI in the first half to earn his first career All-Star appearance.

Hawpe is a streaky hitter by trade, but his second half of the season did not inspire much confidence around the team as the lefty scuffled to a .240 batting average with just 27 RBI.

He hit just .194 in September with only two home runs, so coming into the NLDS, there were many questions about whether or not Hawpe would be the best bet for the Rockies out there in right field.

In Game One, Hawpe went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and committed a dreadful error out in right. With another southpaw on the hill in Hamels, and the fact that Hawpe hit just .243 against lefties in 2009, Tracy went with his gut and substituted Ryan Spilborghs for Hawper.

Spilly went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, scoring what turned out to be the winning run on Dexter Fowler's second sac fly.

With a righty more than likely starting on Saturday night (Pedro Martinez maybe?) Rockies fans will probably see Hawpe back in the starting lineup, and for good reason (.303 batting average against righties this season).

But should the Rockies face Cliff Lee or even Hamels again, expect Tracy to go with his best matchups rather than the guys that necessarily got the team to this point.

Tracy rolled the dice by benching Hawpe for Game Two, but the move paid dividends for a team who now finds themselves with momentum heading back home where the team is 51-30 this season.

Though it may feel like Rock-cember in Denver on Saturday, Jim Tracy has a feeling the Rockies are just getting warmed up.

Phillies-Rockies: Plate Discipline Deserts Colorado in Game One

Anthony Masterson — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:47:23 -0400

They say that sometimes you can predict the outcome of a baseball game strictly from the first batter to take his hacks.

Unfortunately for the Colorado Rockies, that saying rang true in their opening bout with the Philadelphia Phillies in Game One of the National League Division Series.

When Dexter Fowler swung at Cliff Lee's first pitch of the game, flying out weakly to right field, it was a sad portent of things to come for the red-hot Rox in their eventual 5-1 drubbing at the hands of the NL East Champions.

Though the outcome does not seem so terrible when glancing from afar, the Rockies needed a two-out ninth inning double from Troy Tulowitzki to avoid the shutout, but still could not keep Cliff Lee from tossing a complete game in his first career postseason appearance.

Through nine nearly spotless frames, Lee needed just 113 pitches to retire the Rockies while allowing just six hits.

The former Indians ace retired 16 batters in a row at one point, and 21 of 22 before Carlos Gonzalez laced a ninth-inning single.

Now, Cliff Lee is a quality pitcher, one of the best in the game judging from the 2008 AL Cy Young Award on his mantle, but the Rockies' gameplan against the southpaw left more than a little to be desired.

Think Napoleon's approach before the Battle of Waterloo.

Lee is one of the better strike-throwers in the game, racking up just 10 walks in 79.67 innings in his time in the National League, but the difference between Lee (1.67 BB/9, .261 BA against) and, say, Carl Pavano (1.79 BB/9, .294 BA against), is that Lee throws quality strikes, especially for strike one.

Though Lee might start you off with a fastball, it's not of the "get me over" variety. It's surgically placed on the corners of the plate, daring opposing batters to try to steal a base hit on his pitch.

Talk about an exercise in futility.

Lee pinpointed his fastball, cutter, and curveball all day, leaving the Rockies batters befuddled, flailing at pitches early in counts, and leaving Lee's total pitches low enough to let him finish his playoff debut.

The problem with the Rockies' swing-first-ask-questions-later approach is two-fold.

One, the Rockies have struggled against left-handed pitchers in 2009, especially on the road (an 8-16 record in the regular season), and the Phillies boast two of baseball's best in Lee and Game Two's starter Cole Hamels.

And two, the Phillies bullpen has had some major issues down the stretch, with their situation at closer continuing to be decided on a game-by-game basis.

With the Rockies fishing for Lee's first pitch on a consistent basis in Game One, the Phillies' strong suit (starting pitching) was able to supersede their glaring weakness (bullpen), thus leaving the Rockies in a hole too deep to claw their way out of.

Ubaldo Jimenez cruised through the first four frames before experiencing his usual One Bad Inning in the fifth, departing three batters into the sixth inning.

Brad Hawpe looked like a fresh-faced rookie, looking particularly uncomfortable in his at-bats against Lee, and also committing an ugly error in the fifth frame.

The Rockies need to show a more disciplined approach against Hamels in tomorrow afternoon's affair, or they might find themselves on the wrong end of an 0-2 deficit heading back to Coors Field.

A win tomorrow, and the momentum in the series shifts back towards Colorado, but a loss could nearly put the kibosh on the Rockies' hopes of advancing in the postseason.

And that's an outcome that nobody in a Rockies uniform wants to admit to after just one postseason affair.

Rocky Mountain High: Colorado's Ready to Throw A Postseason Party

Anthony Masterson — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:21:14 -0400

A brilliant scholar once said: "When it's time to party, we will party hard."

Well, for the Colorado Rockies, it is finally time to put their postseason party hats on.

Revel in it, Rockies fans.

It's time for Rocktober: Part Deux.

Exhibiting a string of successes never before seen in the Rocky Mountains, the boys in purple pinstripes have established themselves as one of the forces to be reckoned with in the National League.

Yes, those same Rockies that were 18-28 on May 27 and 20-32 on June 3 (only the abysmally pathetic Washington Nationals were worse.)

Yes, those same Rockies who fired their longtime manager who had been at the helm for much of his players' entire professional careers.

Yes, those same mid-market Rockies who are one of just two teams with a payroll below $100 million to qualify for baseball's big dance (the Rox stand at about $75 million while the Cardinals are the other at around $88 million.)

While holding striking parallels to their miraculous Rocktober run of 2007 (strong starting pitching, timely hitting, and perhaps a few fortuitous calls), this 2009 version of the Rockies have given the Blake Street faithful something to brag about.

This team, currently at 91-68, could theoretically finish the season with the best record in the NL and capture the NL West crown with a sweep of the Dodgers this weekend.

Whoa, what? Flip that track back for a hot second...

The Colorado Rockies could finish with the best record in the National League in 2009.

Normally saying such a statement would lead people to believe that I was Rocky Mountain high, but the Rox's sustained run of victories over the first four months of Jim Tracy's tenure as manager has vaulted them into the discussion as one of the best teams in baseball.

It isn't hard to find out why this team has bounced back from their stuttering start.

Their starting rotation of Aaron Cook (11-6), Ubaldo Jimenez (14-12), Jorge De La Rosa (16-9), Jason Marquis (15-12), and Jason Hammel (10-8) are the only front five in baseball to boast double-digit victories for each of the hurlers.

Yes, the Phillies have Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels while the Cardinals can counter with Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. But the Rockies have proven that they can hang with the big dogs this season.

Cook appears to be back to what has made him one of the most successful pitchers in Rockies history, Jimenez is a burgeoning talent with his four (or five) swing-and-miss pitches, and De La Rosa has harnessed his dynamic left arm (as well as his mental demons) to go an unbelievable 16-3 since June 1.

Even with Marquis' struggles down the stretch, the Rockies have enough frontline talent in their rotation to give them a healthy shot to advance through October.

On the offensive end, look no further than Troy Tulowitzki to see why the Rockies are where they are.

On June 6, Tulo was hitting a paltry .216 with just five home runs and an on-base percentage of .306.

There were grumbles that perhaps Tulo's injury-plagued 2008 where he hit just .263 was destined to be the norm for Tulo rather than his scene-stealing rookie season.

But as it has been for the majority of Tulo's tenure in Colorado, as Tulo goes so go the Rockies. Not only a true leader on the field and in the clubhouse, Tulo has the ability to put up massive numbers both offensively and defensively at a premium position.

Looking at Tulo's stats as the team heads to LA for the season's final series, his batting average stands a tick below .300 at .299 to go along with 31 long balls, 90 RBI, and an on-base percentage of .380.

Oh, and did I mention his fielding percentage of .986 as well? Or his 20 stolen bases?

By himself, Tulo's Wins Over Replacement Player (or WARP) stands at 6.3, meaning his production this year has basically been worth six extra wins for the Rockies. Six extra wins that have meant the difference between October baseball and an early vacation for the ball club.

If it wasn't for some guy named Pujols (who the Rockies might get a bit more familiar with in the Division Series), Tulo's candidacy for the NL MVP award might have gained a bit more traction.

Headlining an infield that also includes picking machine Todd Helton, Clint Barmes, and Ian Stewart, these Rockies have assembled one of the top defensive infields in the game. It's no wonder why pitchers who have come to Colorado have enjoyed their time at Coors Field.

The Rockies have made it abundantly clear that their work is not finished as they head to LA for their final three-game series.

Now that they have gotten an invitation to the postseason party, the Rockies won't head home until they've got the prettiest girl on their arm.

Though the road ahead will pose some serious challenges for the red-hot Rox, it's time to pop the champagne and toast to the most talented team in Colorado history.

Here's to you, Colorado. Let the party echo all the way to LA.

Depth of Roster Keeping Colorado Rockies Rolling

Anthony Masterson — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:53:42 -0400

For possibly the first (maybe second) time in Colorado Rockies franchise history, the team on the tips of the tongues of Denver-ites (Denver-oans?) come mid-September is not the Denver Broncos, but that team that plays on 20th and Blake.

The Rockies have just moved to twenty-one games over .500 (81-60 as of September 10) for the first time ever, and the team keeps inching further and further away from the second-place San Francisco Giants in the NL Wild Card race while at the same time nearly clipping the heels of the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers.

With nine wins on their most recent 10-game homestand (the best homestand in franchise history), the Rockies have rebounded from their five-game losing skid to once again make themselves legitimate contenders in the eyes of the national media as well as assuring themselves at least a .500 season for the fifth time since 1993.

But unlike before, the team is doing it without some key cogs in their Rocktober machine.

All-world shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, the unabashed leader of the purple pinstripers, has been kept out of the starting lineup with a lower back injury he suffered, of course, while knocking the game-tying base hit in the seventh inning of Monday's tilt with the Reds.

Same goes for all-or-nothing Ian Stewart, whose back pain flared up when he—what else—clubbed a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning of that same Monday game.

The newly annointed ace Ubaldo Jimenez also fell victim to a hamstring injury when he, you guessed it, singled and scored in Monday's contest as well. After the initial injury, Jimenez was not able to throw his fastball consistently, yet he still continued his stellar streak of 25 consecutive outings of six innings or more.

Tulo and Jimenez are being held out for precautionary measures (no sense rushing them back with a fairly comfortable lead in the wild-card race), but Stewart has not progressed as quickly as his teammates.

The Rockies are fortunate that since it is September, Major-League rosters have expanded to 40 men, so the loss of key players does not necessarily mean that the Rox have been placed behind the eight-ball.

At least from a quantitative perspective.

Talking about leadership, however, is a whole different story altogether.

The losses of the clubhouse leader and cleanup hitter Tulowitzki, as well as the emerging ace Jimenez, could have been crippling to a young team in the midst of their first sustained march towards the postseason.

But that has not been the case at Coors Field.

This Rockies team is the most complete club the Blake Street faithful have seen in 17 years of hardball in Denver.

Players, instead of showcasing all the symptoms of four-legged creatures blinded by the high beams of an oncoming Chevy, have made smooth transitions into their newly created spots in both the lineup and the field of play.

Clint Barmes, though scuffling at the dish, has played excellent defense all year and has taken over the shortstop spot while Eric Young, Jr. has displayed flashes of why the Rockies' brass view him as a big part of the new crop of golden prospects.

Hell, even the erstwhile Jose Contreras, he of leading-the-AL-in-losses-fame, came in and pitched 6 2/3 of one-run baseball in his debut to pick up a win against the Diamondbacks.

Why not throw Kevin Ritz back in there for a start or two. What's Marvin Freeman doing these days? Armando Reynoso, pick up your phone because I am pretty sure that with the good vibes coming out of Denver these days that you or I could probably toss six solid stanzas.

And I have not even mentioned the offensive juggernaut that Seth Smith has become in the last couple of weeks.

In just nine games in the month of September, Mr. Late Night is hitting .471 (16-34) with four home runs and 14 RBI to go along with an absurd 1.513 OPS.

From the seventh inning on in 2009, Smitty is hitting .358 with eight home runs and 30 RBI with an on-base percentage hovering around .450.

He is also the reigning NL Player of the Week to boot, sliding into the number three spot in the batting order in Tulo's absence. Since moving into the heart of the lineup, all Smith has done is go 7-14 with two home runs and eight RBI.

Ho hum.

Huston Street, arguably the best closer in the National League in 2009, has to take a breather for a couple of weeks due to some discomfort in his elbow, so what do the Rockies do?

Turn to their flamethrowing, 22 year old lefty who has never closed out a game in his life.

And Franklin Morales? He is just 5-for-5 in save opportunities since taking over the role.

Jason Giambi, golden thong and all, has completely forgotten his brutal beginning of the year with Oakland and is harkening back to his MVP days at the plate, especially when the game is on the line (2-2, 4 RBI with RISP in five games).

With Tulo, Jimenez, Dexter Fowler, Aaron Cook, and Stewart all on the mend, it has taken a team effort to keep the Rockies not only treading water, but gaining ground on their counterparts in the race for the postseason.

Jim Tracy's ability to put bubble gum in the leaky dam has not yet backfired because the depth of this Rockies ballclub is going to carry them into uncharted waters for a team ready to make waves in October.

Fantasy Season Making Believers Out of Colorado Rockies

Anthony Masterson — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:22:15 -0400

Throughout my travails in the Carolina League working with the Potomac Nationals (single-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals), you would think that I would find at least one person from Wilmington, DE to Myrtle Beach, SC that would be willing to shake me from my slumber and end this delightful dream that has overtaken my subconscious since the fourth of June.

The Colorado Rockies, the Colorado Rockies!, could not seriously have their sights set on a division crown, not after finding themselves 15 1/2 games back of the mighty LA Dodgers at the beginning of June.

Right?

Think again. Borrowing a phrase from Purple Row, one of the best Rockies blogs on the World Wide Web, Rockaugust has brought the Rockies into the national spotlight.

They are doing it with pitching, a far cry from the Blake Street Bomber days of the late 90s.

They are doing it with timely hitting, no more prevalent than the last 48 hours which saw one of the greatest games ever played in the Rockies' 17-year history only to be trumped the following night by another extra-inning walkoff win that sent the Blake Street faithful into a feverish frenzy.

They are doing it with a manager who had a pair of unceremonious tenures at the helm of both the Pirates and Dodgers.

But most of all, they are doing it with the assumption that every day they come to the ballpark, they are going to drive home at night with another tally in the win column.

There is definitely something to be said for positive momentum in the sense that winning breeds confidence which breeds more victories and so on.

Anybody remember September 2007?

I thought so.

Having nearly chopped down the entirety of the monumental deficit they once faced, the Rockies are clearly in control of their own destiny at this point.

No need to watch the scoreboard when every opponent you play is trudging back to their clubhouse, shoulders slumped, after another miraculous Rockies victory, mumbling platitudes about how it is only one game and there is still a lot of season left to play.

While those grumbles may have truth to them, there is no denying the Rockies have rocketed from NL West also-ran into legitimate contender in the National League.

After taking three of four from the second-place Giants, besting Tiny Tim Lincecum in Sunday's afternoon affair in addition to the most exciting regular season game in Rockies history the following evening (play-in game not included), the Rox welcomed the mighty Dodgers into Coors Field for a three-game series.

With game one's walk-off, extra-inning triumph, the Rockies announced to, not only the front-running Dodgers, but to the national media that Colorado is here to crash the party once again.

The talking heads are taking notice.

For the first time in what can only be described as a raccoon's age, the Rockies were the leadoff highlight on Sportscenter three times in the past week, even ahead of, GASP, Brett Favre's latest shenanigans.

I was looking for an amphibian downpour or plagues of locusts because I am almost positive that seeing the Rockies getting nationwide attention prior to the final few weeks of September was akin to Al Davis and Mike Shanahan sharing a frosty cold milkshake down at the ol' soda fountain.

The Rox are in the middle of their toughest stretch of the season with a seven game homestand with the Giants and Dodgers with another three-game set against the rival Giants from AT&T Park over the weekend.

Don't expect to see much offense as Ubaldo Jimenez draws Lincecum in a grudge match on Friday, Jason Marquis and Barry Zito square off on Saturday, with Jason Hammel and Matt Cain set to duel on Sunday.

Under Tracy the Rockies have been transformed into a pennant contender, posting a Major-League best 54-22 record since the skipper took control of the Rockies' sinking ship.

With just over a month left to play, the Rockies sure have the look of a team of destiny, but they have to go out and take care of business as the schedule turns soft in the season's final month.

But if the last week is any indication of what is in store for the Rockies, I'd rather just remain in a deep sleep, maintaining my trance-like state until I see Todd Helton hoist the World Series trophy.

Hey, a kid can dream right?

Jhoulys Chacin Key to Colorado Rockies Playoff Push

Anthony Masterson — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:01:59 -0400

Though the trade of Matt Holliday to the St. Louis Cardinals will dominate the national headlines as well as shift the balance of power in the National League from the west coast to the midwest, the Colorado Rockies made a couple of moves yesterday that will fortify a trouble spot for a team in the thick of a playoff race.

With a deadly offense, stellar starting pitching, and a dynamic defense, the conversation about the Rockies' major flaws as the trading deadline approached began and ended with the bullpen.

The Rockies' offense is second in the league in runs scored, the starting rotation is sixth in the league in ERA, but the bullpen ranks 14th.

Last time I checked, there were only 16 teams in the National League.

Thursday afternoon, in the midst of the first off-day of the second half of the season, the Rockies made waves by promoting their top pitching prospect Jhoulys Chacin from Double-A Tulsa to the Mile High City.

Chacin, without any Triple-A experience, will become the long man in the bullpen to begin with and possibly pick up some innings later in ballgames when he becomes more comfortable in the big leagues.

With the Drillers this season, Chacin is 8-6 with a 3.14 ERA and just returned from the All-Star Futures Game in St. Louis where he pitched a scoreless inning for the World squad.

The Venezuelan righty made waves in 2008, winning Colorado's Minor League Pitcher of the Year award after going a combined 18-3 with a Pedroia-sized 2.06 earned run average between Asheville and Modesto.

Owner of a darting fastball and a Swiss-cheese changeup, Chacin has confounded hitters from coast to coast while rocketing up every prospect hot sheet in the country.

A sinkerball pitcher, Chacin compiled a nearly 2-1 ground ball-to-fly ball ratio in Tulsa this season while inducing 13 double plays, a promising stat for the rarified air of Denver.

With one of the best defensive infields in baseball playing behind him (Stewart, Tulo, Barmes, and the incomparable Todd Helton), their ability to get to ground balls and make plays will set Chacin's mind at ease and allow him to get into a comfort zone quickly.

The Rockies are hoping that Chacin can come in and contribute right away to take pressure off a bullpen that still, somehow, has journeyman right-hander Juan Rincon pitching important innings late in ballgames.

Yes, the same Juan Rincon who owns of a 5.58 ERA over his last four seasons in the big leagues.

Changes needed to be made, especially with the unfortunate news that Manny Corpas will need to undergo elbow surgery which could possibly end his 2009 campaign.

Which is why, in addition to adding Chacin to the Major League roster, Dealin' Dan O'Dowd finally threw his name into the contender ring, trading promising pitching prospect Conor Graham to the Cleveland Indians for solid setup man Rafael Betancourt.

Betancourt, just two years removed from a season in which he was the proud papa of a 1.47 ERA which earned him the distinction as one of the best setup men in all of baseball, has bounced back from an incorrigible 2008 which saw his ERA balloon to over five.

He sat out for a full month with a right groin strain, but has since been activated and thriving with the Indians. With the full month off, and only 30 2/3 innings under his belt in 2009, it means he should be rested and ready for the playoff push.

Now I must say this with many reservations, but kudos to Dealin' Dan for realizing that this team has the opportunity to rock the boat in the ocean of usual suspects in the National League playoff race.

This team has the talent to not only hang around until September, but with the additions of Chacin and Betancourt to shore up the team's only glaring weakness, the Rockies are built to compete with the LA's and St. Louis's of the world.

Their first test begins Friday as the San Francisco Giants come to the Mile High City to face the Wild-Card leading Colorado Rockies in a three-game set, and Coors Field is sure to rocking like it was 2007 all over again.

Colorado Rockies Midseason Awards

Anthony Masterson — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:32:34 -0400

As the unending pageantry of the All-Star pregame show continues its free-fall from glitzy longing for past glories to sob story shlock, I think it's high time to take a look back at the first half of the season that was for yours, mine, and our Colorado Rockies.

On May 27, when the Rockies record stood at 18-28 and the team had just suffered through a, well, insufferable three-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers, the outlook appeared a bit grim for the boys in the purple pinstripes.

The next day, the Rockies told Clint Hurdle to get his resume ready and ended the seven-year tenure with Hurdle at the helm.

Replacing Hurdle with bench coach Jim Tracy seemed like a safe, logical move at the time, but even Dealin' Dan O'Dowd and the Brothers Monfort could not have predicted how the team would respond to Tracy's calming leadership.

Suddenly, the Rockies started pitching well, hitting for power, hitting in clutch situations, and locking down close games with a dynamite back end of the bullpen.

Under Tracy's command, the Rockies have gone from early-season afterthoughts to a team with their sights set on an October of baseball in the Rocky Mountains.

At the break, the team sits at 47-41, third in the NL West, and just two games behind the Wild Card leading San Francisco Giants.

With that being said, the Rockies have made some noise in the national scene, and here are a few of the guys who have put them in a position to surprise some skeptics in the second half.

MVP

A lot of cases can be made for many guys. Brad Hawpe certainly deserves the lion's share of the credit, putting together the top offensive season of his career which culminated in the outfielder's first career All-Star selection.

But my award goes to the man, the myth, the hero, Todd Helton.

Coming off serious back surgery in 2008 which limited Todd to a career-low .264 batting average in just 83 games, there were many people wondering whether or not Todd would ever come back to being the player he once was, or even if he would come back at all.

He has answered the critics with aplomb.

At the break, Todd is hitting .319 with 25 doubles, 10 home runs, 57 RBI, and a stellar .916 OPS, harking back to Todd's MVP days in the early years of this millenium.

If any one person is responsible for the Rockies' resurgence in 2009, my vote goes for Beltin' Helton.

Cy Young

Jason Marquis or Ubaldo Jimenez have both been crucial to the Rockies, but my vote goes to the man in the back end of the bullpen, Huston Street.

After the Matt Holliday trade, there were grumbles around baseball that maybe Street had lost his closer-mentality as well as his lights-out stuff.

Those questions have been answered as well.

Once handed the closer's job for good, Street has gone onto save 22 of 23 chances and owns a 2.75 ERA at the break while adding much-needed stability to the back end of the team's bullpen.

A .201 opponent's batting average and a 0.99 WHIP have been accomplished due to Street rediscovering his deadly slider and finding some extra giddy-up on his fastball, giving it the vim and vigor of a certain little blue pill.

The "Where did this kind of production come from?" Award

Clint Barmes (.279, 10, 44)... really.

The Mel Gibson Road Warrior Award

Jason Hammel (1-2, 7.62 ERA at home...4-2, 1.97 ERA on the road)

The Regular Gonzalez Award

Dexter Fowler because he's so fast he makes Speedy Gonzalez look like Regular Gonzalez. (Thank you, Futurama.)

Honorable Mention: Carlos Gonzalez for obvious reasons.

Anybody else have some good awards for the Rockies' first half? If you've got some good ones, be sure to leave them in the comments.

Go Rockies.

Jason Marquis Confounding Critics and Hitters Alike

Anthony Masterson — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 01:07:02 -0400

Watching Jason Marquis mow down opposing batters with the precision of a surgeon's scalpel in 2009 has brought a bit of sanity to the Rocky Mountains, while, at the same time, confounding both baseball purists and statheads from Bakersfield to Boston.

As Marquis extended his scoreless inning streak to 17 innings with eight more flawless frames against the lowly Washington Nationals en route to his Major League-leading 11th win of the season, it became apparent that Marquis' stellar season is not just a passing fad.

The right-hander has made his money with one pitch made all the more effective with a slight tweak to his mechanics in the offseason.

A sinkerballer by trade, Marquis added a bit of a pause at the top of his delivery to allow his arm to catch up to the lower half of his body in order to get biting movement on his sinker, making it akin to hitting a bowling ball with a piece of plywood.

He has relied on his bread and butter for most of 2009, churning his way to the best season of his career.

Marquis has compiled the best ground out/fly ball ratio of his career (2.35), nearly a full ground ball better than his career average (1.53). He has parlayed all those ground balls into 14 double plays and the righty is tops in the Majors in groundouts (203).

He has already won as many games as he did all of last season with the Cubs, while earning multiple complete games for the first time since 2005.

He has also served as stopper for the Rox, putting the cork back into the proverbial wine bottle, going 8-3 after Rockies' losses, including Monday's eight-inning gem against the Natties after back-to-back losses to the Diamondbacks at Coors Field.

It does not hurt that the infield defense behind Marquis has been nothing short of spectacular this season with perennial Gold-Glove candidates Todd Helton and Troy Tulowitzki.

Helton and Tulowitzki are gobbling up grounders like Hungry-Hungry Hippos with Ian Stewart and Clint Barmes making both the routine and the remarkable plays as they dive across the diamond.

The curious case of Jason Marquis this season, however, has been how his statistics are far and away superior to the rest of his career track.

Here are just a sample of how Marquis' stats compare to his career totals:

Wins: 11 (career high 15)

Ground out/fly ball ratio: 2.35 (career 1.54)

WHIP: 1.31 (career 1.42)

Opponent's batting average: .252 (career .266)

Opponent's slugging percentage: .370 (career .429)

Opponent's on-base percentage: .313 (career .335)

BB/9: 2.91 (career 3.48)

H/9: 8.74 (career 9.24)

It is not that normal for a 30-year-old journeyman starter to enjoy a Renaissance when coming to a place where hurler's have generally gone to put the finishing touches on their pitching obituary.

Marquis is a special breed who is flourishing under the tutelage of pitching coach Bob Apodaca, a welcome reprieve from the pitchers who have regressed considerably since putting on the purple pinstripes.

The prognosticators at ESPN are already proclaiming Marquis as the "feel-good" story of the first half after earning his first-ever All-Star berth on Sunday.

Marquis has been a notoriously quick-starter, compiling a career 4.20 ERA before the All-Star break compared to a 4.93 mark in the season's second half.

But, with his career success at Coors Field (7-2, 3.66 ERA) and solid support from the rest of his pitching staff, Marquis is primed for a career year.

Don't blink Rockies fans, but, with Marquis at the helm tossing shutout stanzas, this team might give the Blake Street faithful something to cheer about deep into September.

Statement Series: Colorado Rockies Look to Prove Worth Against Blue Crew

Anthony Masterson — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:48:33 -0400

In 2009—and for much of their existence—the Colorado Rockies were nothing more than a bug on the windshield of the flashy sports car otherwise known as the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Rockies are the Washington Generals to the Dodgers' Harlem Globetrotters. This comparison is made more believable by the Rockies' 1-8 season record against their West Coast rivals.

The last time these two teams faced in a three-game set, Los Angeles outscored the Rockies 31-13 to push Colorado to the brink of early season oblivion with a record of 18-28.

That train wreck of a series had the villagers—pitchforks and torches in hand—storming the windmill otherwise known as the Monforts luxury suite, calling for the head of Manager Clint Hurdle and GM Dan O'Dowd at a two-for-one, slash-and-burn special.

The Rockies faithful got their wish the next day as Hurdle got the heave-ho as head honcho of the Rockies. Bench Coach Jim Tracy was given the "interim" tag and told to resuscitate a season that appeared headed for an early demise.

Tracy has brought a calming influence to a clubhouse formerly in crisis and the Rockies have gained their second, third, and maybe even fourth winds in the month of June.

Under Tracy, the Rockies have won gone a stellar 22-7, including a franchise record 20 victories in June. Colorado is coming off a sweep of Matt Holliday's Oakland Athletics and are sitting pretty at just a half-game behind the surprising San Francisco Giants for the lead in the National League Wild Card race.

At 40-35, the Rox are playing with confidence and calmness with the heat turned up.

From top to bottom, the Rockies are clicking both offensively and on the hill. Jason Marquis, Aaron Cook, and Ubaldo Jimenez have combined for 23 wins and Jason Hammel has been a pleasant surprise for Tracy's rotation, parlaying his "Bugs Bunny" curveball and mid-90s fastball into five consecutive wins.

Brad Hawpe has set the world on fire in most offensive categories, Todd Helton is partying like it's 1999, and the young guns are getting more comfortable at the Major League level.

But all the goodwill the Rockies have built through the last month of play can all go by the wayside if the team goes out and lays an egg against the Dodgers in their three-game series starting Monday from Chavez Ravine.

In September of 2007—the last time the Rockies enjoyed such an extended streak of quality baseball—the Rockies' Rocktober run came to fruition by knocking the Dodgers from their perennial perch in the NL West.

The Rox took seven games in the last two weeks of the season from LA—including the indelible memory of Todd Helton's two-run, walk-off shot off then-untouchable closer Takashi Saito—which set the tone for the Rox' improbable run to the World Series.

It has been a reversal of fortunes against the Dodgers in 2009. Monday's starter Ubaldo Jimenez is 0-3 against the Blue Crew with an ERA over 10—not that any other pitcher has fared well as the team's collective ERA against LA is a cringe-inducing 8.08.

Brad Hawpe has been a one-man wolfpack against Dodger pitching this year, hitting at a .435 clip with two home runs and ten RBI. Unfortunately, Hawpe is the only Rockie regular hitting above .250 against LA this season.

The Rox don't need a sweep, but winning two of three would not hurt. The first-place Dodgers are just 1-4 in their last five contests and the Rockies are the hottest team in baseball.

Something has to give between these two clubs. If the Rockies can prove their scorching June is more than just a summer mirage, the boys in the purple pinstripes could stay simmering through September.

Jim Tracy Leading Rockies Back from the Dead

Anthony Masterson — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:59:02 -0400

Thankfully for the Colorado Rockies, the grave that they dug themselves through the first two months of 2009 was a shallow one. Now, as they shake the dirt from their jerseys, the team is making a charge up the standings and has turned this deceased season into a summer of the living dead.

It is hard to fathom the Rockies' recent run, which has seen them win 17 of 18 games, when for much of the franchise's 17-year history, they have struggled and strained to even muster the strength to rap their knuckles on mediocrity's door.

Even when the hits were falling and Coors Field was rocking, there was always an air of trepidation among fans as to when the other shoe was going to drop.

Before Rocktober, the Rockies had only enjoyed four winning seasons in their franchise's history. Though the run to the World Series was more fairy tale than fair assessment of the talent the Rockies had compiled on their roster, it gave Rockies fans a taste of success that sweetly stuck in their collective palates.

If you are Charlie or Dick Monfort, the Rockies' Brothers Grimm-like owners, the World Series was the worst thing to happen to their pocketbooks. It forced them to try to make the team better during every offseason instead of signing castoffs and reclamation projects in hopes of catching lightning in a bottle.

The Brothers Monfort followed their World Series offseason by making journeyman reliever Kip Wells their most high-profile acquisition going into 2008. Needless to say, the season was over before it started.

Young players like Troy Tulowitzki and Manny Corpas regressed considerably, and Matt Holliday's looming free agency was enough to put a pallor across the faces of even the most ardent of Rockies supporters.

When Holliday was shipped to the Oakland A's last November for Huston Street, Greg Smith, and Carlos Gonzalez, the message was clear from Denver to Durango that 2009 would be a rebuilding year once again in the Rocky Mountains.

With Clint Hurdle seemingly untouchable when it came to making moves within the coaching staff—he came into the season with a career managerial record of 516-597 in seven seasons in Colorado—there did not look to be much change from 2008.

Hurdle's dugout demeanor and acumen as a manager had been thoroughly questioned from players and fans alike, but he was a very intelligent man with a knack for making the media feel welcome with his wit and wisdom, so he escaped the lion's share of criticism for his team's generally poor play.

His consistent lineup changes, hot-and-cold attitude toward players, and intimidating presence eventually wore down his guys to the point where the mere mention of Hurdle's job status during interviews made players bristle.

With the team sitting at 18-28 after a three-game shellacking at the hands of the hated Dodgers, change finally came to Colorado as the hammer came down on Hurdle, paving the way for bench coach Jim Tracy to take the helm of the Rockies' sinking ship.

Not only has Tracy righted the raft, he has also calmed the choppy seas and charted a course for smooth sailing ahead.

Tracy's mild-mannered coaching style has been a welcome addition to a clubhouse that is finally gelling for the first time all season. He has given guys set positions on both the field and the lineup, and they are responding with aplomb.

According to Tulowitzki, as reported by Troy Renck in Tuesday's Denver Post, Tracy will let you know when you are not playing and explain to you his decision to give his players an off day, which is a far cry from Hurdle's constant lineup shuffling and lack of defined roles.

The proof is in the performance of the team since Tracy took over. With Hurdle, the team was tight and clammed up when the game was on the line en route to an 18-28 record. With Tracy, the team is loose, free, and having fun on the diamond, and their 19-5 record under their new manager can attest to that.

You can bet that the Rockies will (probably) not win 91 of their final 92 games in 2009, but at this point, just being in contention and seeing a confident and calm Rockies ball club is a welcome sight for fans accustomed to counting down the days to Broncos training camp by the time the calendar flips to July.

For now, the Rockies and their fans are just riding the wave.

Colorado Rockies Must Make a Move Now

Anthony Masterson — Sat, 09 May 2009 15:10:57 -0400

Here we are on May 9 and the Rockies have once again found themselves behind the 8-ball in the National League West race, doomed by a chronic case of projectile dysfunction.

If these symptoms persist for longer than four more weeks, please consult your physician, as side effects may include irritability, violent mood swings, and an early onset of Broncos fever.

At 11-17, the Rox find themselves 8.5 games behind the first place—and now Manny-less—Dodgers.

The team sits in the middle of the pack in team batting with a .256, and the squad is second in the league in home runs with 38, meaning the offense has not been the major issue with the ballclub.

Todd Helton is enjoying a renaissance, hitting .351 which is good for third in the National League.

In fact, the Rox are hitting .310 with runners in scoring position and two outs, an area in which they struggled mightily in 2008. The onus, as it always has been in the Rockies' 16-year existence, is on the pitching, and the staff has not answered the call in 2009.

Aaron Cook and Ubaldo Jimenez have started to show signs of life, though they do not have much to show for it, throwing the ball with the kind of effectiveness that made them the two best pitchers on the team in 2008.

It seems that when one facet of the Rockies attack—be it the offense, starting pitching, or bullpen—is working on any given day, one or both of the other areas of the team forgets to eat its Wheaties.

The bullpen has not shut down opposing hitters with any kind of consistency as evidenced in last night's 8-3 loss to the Marlins.

Matt Belisle is the most solid example of the pen's frustrating incongruity.

Belisle at times can look unhittable—his two-inning stint May 2 against the Giants in which he struck out three without allowing a hit, for example.

But when Belisle is bad, he is maddeningly hittable. Last night against the Big Fish, Belisle faced three batters and did not retire a soul, allowing two runs and uncorking a wild pitch.

His ERA now stands at a gaudy 9.82.

Rockies pitchers have put themselves in a hole from the get-go here in '09. Leadoff hitters are battering the Mile High pitching staff to the tune of a .358 batting average with 14 home runs. Embarrassing numbers, any way you slice it.

Baserunners beget more baserunners, which beget runs early in the ballgame, which put the Rockies in a hole that is difficult to overcome.

If the Rockies somehow find themselves on top after five innings, they have generally done enough to put another notch in the win column, with a 9-2 record when leading after five.

On the contrary, the Rox record of 2-12 when trailing after five innings tells the real story so far in 2009.

It does not take long to take the Rockies out of a game and they have not shown a great amount of fight to stage a rally in the late innings.

There is still a lot of baseball left to play this season, but with Manny now out of the equation for the next 48 games, the Rockies must make their move now if they have any hope of playing meaningful games in August and September.

The clock is ticking on 2009, and unfortunately, the Rockies might be sleeping through the alarm.

The Closer Conundrum: What in the Name of Jose Jimenez Is Going On?

Anthony Masterson — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:12:32 -0400

Amid the myriad of problems the Colorado Rockies have encountered so far in this young season, the inconsistency of a supposedly strong bullpen has to grace the top spot on the list.

Coming into the season with the additions of former closer Huston Street and veteran lefty Alan Embree to fortify a bullpen already boasting Manny Corpas, Jason Grilli, and Taylor Buchholz, the bullpen was seen to be the least of the Rockies' worries.

But the problems began before the first pitch was even thrown.

Buchholz went down with an elbow injury at the beginning of spring training and is likely out until at least mid-May.

Even with Buchholz down, it was thought that enough quality arms still remained to pick up the slack until Bucky got himself back on track.

Unfortunately, those assumptions were sorely off-base.

As I type this, only one Rockies regular in the bullpen sports an ERA of less than 5.84. Jason Grilli (0-1, 1.08) has been a beacon for a bullpen buried under a boatload of innings and a severe lack of consistency.

Alan Embree has not been able to retire anybody with any kind of regularity, Matt Belisle (1-0, 11.25) has been nothing short of atrocious, and Glendon Rusch, bless his heart, has been trotted out to the mound on numerous occasions out of dire necessity rather than because of his shut-down effectiveness.

Now, all the problems the Rockies have run into do not fall solely on the shoulders of the bullpen.

The starting rotation, with the exception of Jason Marquis, has not been able to work deep into the game, leaving the bullpen overworked and overtired so early into the season.

The Rockies are tied with the Washington Nationals in one-run losses with five. It's never good to be tied with the Washington Nationals in anything.

That brings us to the closer conundrum. Not only an alliterative title for an article on pitching, it is a serious problem for the Rockies as the calendar switches over to May.

Here is how the stats break down for each pitcher thus far:

Manny Corpas: 0-2, 6.10 ERA, 1-2 SV, 17 hits in 10.1 innings pitched

Huston Street: 0-1, 6.10 ERA, 2-2 SV, 13 hits and two home runs in 10.1 IP

Street was handed the closer's role out of camp by Skip Hurdle, though Corpas thoroughly outpitched him for most of the spring.

After a perfect debut, Street struggled a bit, and he hit the wall on a blustery day in Chicago when Hurdle gave him the quick hook after nearly blowing a four-run lead in the span of four Cubbies batters.

After his shellacking in Chicago, the closer's role was handed to Manny Corpas who did nothing to swell the pride of the Blake Street faithful in his first few chances to regain the confidence of both his team and the Coors Field masses.

Case in point, coming into today, Corpas had inexplicably worked in three consecutive games, only one being even remotely close to a save situation, the 4-3 loss to the Padres on Tuesday.

In that game, he came on in the ninth to a 3-3 affair and right away served up a triple to the opposing catcher, and the go-ahead run to a punch-and-judy pinch hitter.

With Corpas getting the day off today, the bullpen still nearly coughed up a seven-run lead, needing Street to save the day in the ninth.

Street responded with a 1-2-3 inning, picking up his second save of the season, and creating more questions about who should be taking the ball when the team needs it most.

It seems that Hurdle might have to go to a committee that sticks to the hottest hand in the ninth, even giving Jason Grilli his chances when the moment arises.

Until someone steps up when given the opportunity, the bullpen phone will be ringing as often as the wringing of Hurdle's hands.

Colorado Rockies Back to Their Old Ways

Anthony Masterson — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:59:17 -0400

Though the Rox faithful weren't brimming with optimism heading into opening day, there was talk that the pieces were in place for the Rockies to make a run in the wide-open National League West.

There were a lot of unquantifiable "ifs" involved however.

IF Ubaldo Jimenez, Franklin Morales, and Jorge De la Rosa grow up and start pitching up to their potential.

IF Todd Helton's balky back holds up.

IF the new acquisitions in the bullpen would become the shutdown bunch they were supposed to be.

But as we now sit two weeks into the season, a lot of those ifs haven't rang true for the Rockies as their record now sits at 4-7.

A strong start out of the gate was looked at as the key for a team trying desperately to get over the hump. After their magical 2007 run to the World Series and a severely disappointing 2008, the Rockies were looking to rebound, and a solid April would set the tone for the 2009 team.

The Rockies have never been known to excel early in the year. Here's a look at all their April records since 2002:

2002: 10-16

2003: 15-12

2004: 9-12

2005: 6-15

2006: 15-10

2007: 10-16

2008: 11-17

With two winning Aprils in the last seven seasons, the Rockies have been prone to digging themselves into holes that they are unable to climb out of by the time the season hits the halfway point.

Now, in 2009, the Rockies have begun to revert to their sluggish ways before the calendar turns to May.

Their offense has sputtered, their starting pitching has been shaky at best, and their bullpen has been inconsistent when given a late lead.

Though three of their four wins have come against top-notch hurlers Dan Haren, Cole Hamels, and Rich Harden, the Rox have struggled to find any kind of consistency in both their approach at the plate and their poise on the mound.

Veteran Jason Marquis has been their best pitcher, outdueling both Hamels and Harden in consecutive starts to become a stabilizing presence in an otherwise floundering rotation.

Jimenez has yet to reel in his triple-digit heat, Cook's sinker isn't fooling hitters the way it has in the past, and De la Rosa still has a FOR RENT sign between his ears.

Franklin Morales, who had a sterling debut in Arizona in the season's third game, will make his second start on Tuesday in hopes that he can re-establish his status as one of the organization's top prospects.

Morales threw a Minor League game last week, tossing six shutout innings, but walking five in the process, so who knows what to expect from the 23-year-old lefty.

The Rox have faced a gauntlet of a schedule in the season's opening month with plenty of games against playoff teams and in places like Chicago and Los Angeles where the Rox have found little success in their 16-year history.

If they survive the season's opening month with their record hovering around the .500 mark, I believe they can survive at least long enough to make games in August and September a little more interesting for the Blake Street faithful.

If they fall back to their usual April ways, however, it could be the same old story once more in the Mile High City.

Rox Weekly Recap: 4/6-4/12

Anthony Masterson — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 22:17:05 -0400

As my schedule here in Potomac starts to heat up with the start of the Minor League baseball season, my posts here on Bleacher Report may be fewer and farther between.

Never fear, my fellow Rockies' followers, as I will do my damnedest to post this weekly recap of the Rockies.

And off we go...

4/6-4/12

Record: 3-3

What Went Right

The offense, seen as the team's serious strength heading into the season, has answered the bell in the season's opening week.

When the Rockies wake up Monday morning, they will be leading the majors in home runs (12) and the National League in runs scored (39). Though it's still early, the 2009 Rockies have been evoking some of the offensive swagger once possessed by the Blake Street Bombers of the mid-90s.

Ryan Spilborghs is hitting .346 and is tied with his teammate Brad Hawpe for the league lead in doubles (5).

Tulo appears to have regained his 2007 form by mashing three home runs in his first six games. By comparison, Tulo didn't slug his third tater in 2008 until July 2. Tulo is also showing a rejuvenated discipline at the plate as evidenced by his .440 on base percentage and three-walk game Tuesday against hurler Doug Davis.

Clint Barmes is hitting .316 with a homer and three RBI.

Ian Stewart is forcing his way into the lineup with his .455 average in limited duty. He's also clubbed a home run and knocked in four in only 11 at-bats on the year.

But the real star poised to break into the national consciousness is center field wunderkind Dexter Fowler.

Not only does the kid cover more ground in center than Magellan on a Red Bull-bender, he's demonstrated both power and poise in his first real chance to perform in the big leagues.

The switch-hitter swatted a lead-off homer on the first pitch he saw from lefty Doug Davis in Wednesday's game against the D-Backs and blasted a 405-foot moonshot into the Rockies' bullpen in right-center off right-hander Chan Ho Park in Sunday's tilt with the Phils.

Fowler is hitting .385 and has also stolen a base. No disrespect to Seth Smith, but a lineup with Dexter leading off and Spilly manning left field gives the Rockies their best chance for a victory on any given day.

On the pitching side, the performances of Ubaldo Jimenez, Franklin Morales, and Jason Marquis were stellar to say the least.

Jimenez's seven inning shutout gem on Tuesday was followed by Morales' Redemption Special on Wednesday in which the southpaw twirled a beautiful six inning outing, giving up one run and striking out six.

Marquis, in his Colorado debut, threw seven innings giving up two runs and largely shut down a powerful Philly attack in the home opener on Friday afternoon.

What Went Wrong

Coming into the season, catcher Chris Iannetta was largely seen as an ideal candidate for a breakout season after his solid, if not spectacular performance last year and his subsequent selection to Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

Heading into Monday's game with the Cubbies, Netta is hitting a minuscule .071 with his one hit being a 441-foot atomic bomb off Brandon Webb in Monday's season opener.

Netta will get his chances to break out of his hitting doldrums as one week does not a season make. When he hits his offensive stride, look out.

The bullpen, seemingly fortified by the additions of closer Huston Street and veterans Alan Embree and Jason Hammel, absorbed two losses in the season's opening week. Jason Grilli took the hook on Monday night allowing Chad Tracy's go-ahead home run in the eighth inning, but he's been one of the more solid options in Clint Hurdle's opening-week arsenal.

Given a 5-3 lead in the eighth inning on Sunday, Manny Corpas, who had conjured up images of his 2007 self so far in '09, allowed a Chase Utley two-run shot to tie and Streeter gave up the go-ahead runs on a two-run blast to pinch-hitter Matt Stairs in the ninth.

Not a great way to end what was overall a successful week for Hurdle's bullpen hurlers.

Aaron Cook had one of the worst outings of his career on an Opening Day in which he allowed six runs in just 2 1/3 innings against Arizona. He rebounded some on Sunday going six innings and giving up only three runs.

Drew and George were explaining how the Rockies have stopped handling youngsters Ubaldo Jimenez, Franklin Morales, and Jorge de la Rosa with "kid gloves" meaning there will be no more coddling these players if they don't succeed. At a certain point, there's nothing more you can do as coaches. If the players can't find it within themselves to perform at a high level, you may have to cut them loose.

Jimenez and Morales responded with aplomb by giving up a combined one earned run in 13 innings.

De la Rosa unfortunately displayed the same ol', same ol'.

Rosie has worked ad nauseum to control his emotions on the mound and not let a little event like a bad call or error send him into a tailspin in which he cannot right his ship.

On Saturday, after breezing through 2 2/3 brilliant innings, Garrett Atkins made a diving stop of a ground ball by Jimmy Rollins but threw wildly to first, extending the inning.

Instead of brushing it off, the next four hitters went single, walk, three-run double, walk and the Rox suddenly found themselves in a 3-2 hole. De la Rosa never found his rhythm again, giving up five runs in 4 2/3 innings.

Another outing like his last and de la Rosa might find himself in the bullpen or, quite possibly, with another team.

Colorado Rockies Dyn-O-Mite 2009 Preview: Hurlers

Anthony Masterson — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 20:19:35 -0400

We have finally arrived on the eve of Opening Day after a grueling and seemingly never-ending offseason, punctuated by our resident superstar's departure to the Bay Area.

With Matt Holliday now wearing Athletic green, the Rockies are projected by the national media to struggle in replacing the power Holliday produced on a daily basis in the purple pinstripes.

As I wrote here, however, the Rockies could be primed to surprise the pundits with a possible abundance of reserve power.

The majority of questions concerning the 2009 Colorado Rockies are, as they always seems to be in the Mile High City, about the pitching.

A mixture of young guns and veteran poise will comprise the rotation, and a new acquisition will man the post of closer when the Rox take leads into the ninth inning.

Without further ado, your 2009 Colorado Rockies pitching staff.

Rotation

1. Aaron Cook - A 16-game winner in 2008, Big Red will look to continue the sustained success of his heavy sinker while mixing in his breaking pitches to keep the hitters from focusing solely on his fastball. A veteran leader, Cook will anchor the rotation and serve as stopper if and when the team hits the skids.

2. Ubaldo Jimenez - This 25-year-old fireballer hopes to build off a solid first full season in the big leagues where he went 12-12 with a 3.99 ERA. Nine of those 12 wins came after the All-Star break. Jimenez's youth and live arm will lead to inconsistency at times, but when he learns how to harness his immense talent, he could be as dangerous as any pitcher in baseball.

3. Franklin Morales- Bouncing back from a disastrous 2008 where the young lefty struggled through back problems and crippling ineffectiveness, Morales has shown enough of a comeback in the spring to be named the number three starter. Long seen as the second part of the double-barrelled tandem (along with Jimenez) that could lead the Rockies for years to come, Morales has his chance to prove he's been well worth the wait.

4. Jason Marquis- Acquired from the Cubs for reliever Luis Vizcaino, Marquis will be called upon to eat innings all season long. An effective back-of-the-rotation starter, Marquis has won at least 11 games in each of the past five seasons and could provide stability for a predominantly youthful rotation.

5. Jorge de la Rosa- The term "wild card" could be considered a compliment for the Mexican-born left-hander. De la Rosa won 10 games for the Rockies last year and enjoyed a solid second-half where he went 7-3 with a 3.08 ERA, but the strong-armed southpaw has more problems between the ears than Jay Cutler has enemies in Denver. If he can harness his talent, he could be a solid number five starter.

Bullpen

Closer: Huston Street - The most notable name in the Matt Holliday deal, Street entered the spring in competition with Manny Corpas for the closer's role vacated by the departed Brian Fuentes. Though Manny's stats had Street beat, Skip Hurdle chose the veteran Street—owner of 96 career saves—as his go-to guy.

Setup: Manny Corpas - A bit miffed at Hurdle's closer decision, Corpas came into spring training with a chip on his shoulder due to the fact that he kept the chips out of his mouth in the offseason, arriving at camp twenty pounds lighter. With only one run allowed all spring, Corpas combined with Street could form a top-notch 1-2 punch in the eighth and ninth innings.

Best of the Rest

Jason Grilli -The hard-throwing righty enjoyed his best season in 2008 sporting a 2.93 ERA in 60 games after coming over in a trade from Detroit.

Alan Embree - The veteran lefty comes to Denver from Oakland and will be asked to fulfill a number of roles, attacking both left and right-handed hitters.

Ryan Speier - A frequent-flyer between Denver and Colorado Springs, Speier earned a spot on the roster and will look to use his frisbee slider to its flummox hitters in 2009.

Juan Morillo - His triple-digit radar gun readings have always wowed scouts, but his command issues have sabotaged his chances at big league success.

Glendon Rusch -A southpaw who will be used mostly in long relief, Rusch gives the Rockies flexibility in the bullpen and can make a spot start if needed.

The 2009 season begins tomorrow with a matinee in the desert as the Rox look to exorcise their D-Back demons from a 2008 that saw them lose 15 of 18 against the Arizona ballclub.

I can't think of two more beautiful words in the English language than "Play Ball."

Baseball is back, my friends, baseball is back.

Colorado Rockies Dyn-O-Mite 2009 Preview: Sluggers

Anthony Masterson — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:16:30 -0400

We have entered the Twilight Zone of spring training.

This is the time where most of the players still getting time on the fields are just looking not to get injured before the season starts while still getting enough work in to earn their paychecks when the games finally start to matter.

Since we have arrived at this most agonizing of hours when Opening Day can be seen on the horizon, but five days still await the first pitch, it's about time for an official, dyn-o-mite 2009 preview of yours, mine, and our Colorado Rockies.

Let's begin with the beef of the roster, the one aspect of this ballclub that could keep the team in contention well into the dog days of summer: the offense.

If Ian Stewart is given a shot to start at second over Clint Barmes, it is not inconceivable that the Rockies could finish the season with seven starters with at least 20 home runs.

Here is the projected lineup for the Rockies:

CF Ryan Spilborghs: Finally given a chance to start after spending the last two seasons as the Rockies' super-sub, Spilly looks to turn his dynamic spring (.352, 18 RBI, 12 extra-base hits in only 54 at-bats) into a superb summer.

SS Troy Tulowitzki: Out to prove that his disastrous 2008 was a severe aberration in a lifetime of success on the baseball field, Tulo will seek to once again enter the upper-echelon of shortstops and redefine his role as the team's outspoken leader.

1B Todd Helton: If his performance in Spring Training is any indication, Beltin' Helton is well on his way back to the production Rockies' fans have come to expect from the Face of the Franchise. With 14 RBIs, eight extra-base hits, and a .515 average in only 33 at-bats this spring, Todd's back looks healthy enough to keep him slugging for 135 games this year.

3B Garrett Atkins: Though Atkins struggled through a sub-par 2008, much like the rest of the Rockies' regulars, he still managed a team-high 99 RBI. Atkins remains a right-handed rock in the middle of a lineup loaded with lefties and has crushed the ball this spring to the tune of a .462 average.

RF Brad Hawpe: Though set back by the injury bug during the majority of March, Hawpe has returned to the lineup this past week with positive results. A slugger who has averaged 25 home runs and 95 RBI the last three seasons, Hawpe looks to continue the trend he began last year with his .282 batting average against left-handed pitching.

C Chris Iannetta: Iannetta emerged in 2008 as one of the top offensive catchers in baseball, which caught the eye of Team USA executives who picked Iannetta as their second catcher to Atlanta's Brian McCann in this year's World Baseball Classic. If Iannetta isn't seen as one of the top three catchers in baseball by season's end, it will be a shock.

2B Ian Stewart/Clint Barmes: Ian Stewart should win this position, hands down, if the Rockies wish to contend in 2009. His power could not only aid in the daunting task of replacing the departed production of Matt Holliday, but also give the Rockies a Paul Bunyan-esque power in their lineup. Barmes is a fine player, but would be better used as a super-utility man coming off the bench.

LF Seth Smith: Given the shot to take over left-field duties from Matt Holliday, Smith has hit the ball well this spring (.300, nine extra base hits.) While he won't come close to Big Daddy's prodigious numbers, he could form a fine platoon with a right-handed bat (Matt Murton, Dan Ortmeier, or—fingers crossed—Dexter Fowler).

Bench: The million-dollar question as of April 1 is whether or not blue-chip prospect Dexter Fowler will earn himself a roster spot when the smart money says he could use some experience playing every day at Triple-A.

Fowler has displayed a golden glove in center-field with his gazelle-like strides while constantly flashing his thousand-watt smile that would put Smilin' Bob from those Enzyte commercials to shame.

Spilly is set in center as we speak, but he doesn't have a true center-fielder's range. Fowler could potentially win a Gold Glove within the next two years and in Coors Field's cavernous gaps could endear himself to Rockies' pitchers and fans alike with his ability to track down fly balls.

If Skip Hurdle believes that Dex needs some Triple-A seasoning to begin the year, he will likely give the fourth outfielder spot to utility man Dan Ortmeier.

Ortmeier, a right-handed bat, has had a nice camp and can also play first base, but he's not a difference-maker at the plate or in the field.

UPDATE: According to the Denver Post, Fowler has been named to the Rockies' Opening Day roster by Clint Hurdle. Now the challenge becomes getting Fowler consistent at-bats so as to continue his development into the superstar the Rockies believe he can be.

Fowler is the first Rockies player since Troy Tulowitzki to make the jump to the Major Leagues straight from Double-A.

Whoever loses out on the second base job, either Stewart or Barmes, will definitely take a roster spot with Jeff Baker probably nabbing the last position if he's not traded before Opening Day.

Yorvit Torrealba will back-up Chris Iannetta behind the plate, even though Dan O'Dowd had tried to trade the veteran catcher to give him a chance to start with another team.

With Opening Day now only five days (and change) away, I will soon tackle the '09 pitching staff in the thrilling conclusion to the preview of the 2009 Rockies.

Colorado Rockies Need To Make Room For Stewart

Anthony Masterson — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:12:58 -0400

The Colorado Rockies are facing a serious dilemma, whether they understand the dire circumstances or not.

With only a week and a half of spring training left, top-notch power prospect Ian Stewart is beginning to mash the ball in such a way that it would be nearly impossible, if not irresponsible, to keep him off the opening day roster.

The problem is, Ian Stewart remains a man without a position.

A third baseman by trade, Stewart is blocked on the big league club by Garrett Atkins, who has been one of the Rockies' most consistent offensive performers in the last four years.

When trade rumors swirled this past offseason about Atkins heading to a myriad of teams around Major League Baseball, Stewart was seen as the man who made Atkins expendable.

Ever since bursting onto the scene in 2004 with the Single-A Asheville Tourists by putting up some seriously prodigious numbers (.319, 30, 101, .398 on base percentage, 19 steals,) Stewart received an invitation to big league camp in 2006 and put on another eye-popping performance.

In twenty-two games, Stewart hit .396 and slugged five home runs on his way to being named the Rockies' spring training MVP.

Much ado was made about Stewart's potential with the big club, and while his subsequent Minor League numbers never quite approached his Asheville level, Stewart's power could not be denied.

He eventually reached the Major Leagues for a cup of coffee in 2007, and got a serious look in 2008 when Todd Helton's health became an issue.

In his first stint in 2008, Stewart struggled under the bright lights and posted a paltry .218 batting average with three home runs and five RBIs in eighteen games before packing his bags and heading back down I-25 to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

When Helton's back finally gave out on him in early June, Stewart was once again recalled, as Atkins moved across the diamond to supplant Helton at first base.

This time, the results were much more encouraging.

After striking out a whopping 28 times in his first 56 at-bats in 2008, Stewart worked diligently on improving his swing and timing at the plate. The hard work soon started to pay off.

The lefty Stewart batted .270 in the second half, including an utterly ridiculous .370 clip against left-handers, that proved to the Rockies' brass that he wasn't just a one-dimensional right-on-left slugger.

A .365 on base percentage is solid for a corner infielder, but could still be improved upon, and most of his ten home runs were of the oh-my-god-did-you-see-how-far-that-ball-went variety, including a triple decker at Coors Field against the Brew Crew in June.

His average was up around the .290 mark before a late-season slide sent him to his final stat line of .259, 10, and 41 for his first (mostly) full season in the big leagues.

With Atkins entrenched at third base for at least one more season before he becomes a free agent, Skip Hurdle and Dealin' Dan tried to find a spot for their powerful product around the diamond.

They experimented with the 6'3", 205 lb beast at second base, though his body type doesn't exactly match the stereotypical second-baseman build. In twelve games at second base, Stewart played admirably considering he'd never manned the position before, committing only one error in 55 chances.

They told him to take fly balls in left field over the winter, to which he obliged, though he didn't see much action there during the spring as Seth Smith had a hold on the job before the first pitch was even thrown, and has done nothing to lose his grip since.

Initially Hurdle said that Stewart's days as a second baseman were done with, but recently he has changed his tune as Stewart has been seen taking ground balls at second while his bat has started to heat up this spring.

He brought a .294 average into Tuesday's tilt with the Cubbies with two home runs and seven RBIs in 14 games.

Herein lies the crux of the problem for Colorado.

With Atkins at third (barring his groin injury lasting into the season's opening weeks,) a healthy Helton at first, and Seth Smith getting a shot to replace Matt Holliday in left, Stewart presumably becomes the odd man out.

Sending Stewart to Triple-A at this point would do him no good. He has already validated everything he needed to prove in the Minor Leagues and needs consistent big league at-bats to become the star the Rockies believe he will blossom into.

My solution is to allow him to start the season at second base ahead of Clint Barmes.

While Barmes is a solid player and a good fielder, he will never come close to approaching the numbers Stewart could put up with 500 at-bats in a season.

Barmes would be better used to replace Jeff Baker as the team's super-utility man since he can play every infield position and even center field if called upon.

Adding Stewart as an everyday option in the Rockies' lineup not only makes the starting nine much more dangerous, it allows Stewart the opportunity to develop his natural ability and adapt to a second base position that he proved he could manage last season.

A lineup with Ian Stewart joining Ryan Spilborghs, Troy Tulowitzki, Todd Helton, Garrett Atkins, Brad Hawpe, and Chris Iannetta gives the Rox a starting nine that has a serious shot to boast seven players with at least twenty home runs by season's end.

That's a stat that could strike fear into the heart of even the heartiest NL West hurler.

Let's hope that Hurdle and O'Dowd realize the opportunity they have on their hands to not only help in the effort to replace the production of Matt Holliday, but to make their offense one of the most potent in baseball.

Beltin' Helton Back on Track

Anthony Masterson — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:26:13 -0400

Don't worry, everybody.

Let out that breath you've been holding in.

Stop refreshing denverpost.com to check for updates on the Jay Cutler trade saga.

Everything is copacetic in Colorado.

How is that possible, you ask?

Todd Helton is back.

Though two and a half weeks remain before rosters are set for Opening Day, Helton is already partying like it's 2001 and we've all got spots on the guest list.

Since 2005, the last season in which Helton belted at least twenty home runs, his degenerative back condition had begun to take its toll on his performance.

Once a perennial All-Star and batting champion whose prodigious offensive numbers channeled those of the late Ted Williams, among others, Helton's numbers dropped considerably as the injuries hampered his mobility and his ability to drive the ball to all fields.

Last season, the pain in Helton's back became so severe that it caused numbness in his left leg, further hindering the function of his legs. His once-powerful swing became one-dimensional and he was unable to hit pitches with the kind of authority we had grown accustomed to seeing.

On July 2, with his batting average at a paltry .266 and seven home runs to his name, Helton went on the disabled list, only to return for two pinch hit at-bats in 2008.

Helton finally made the decision to go under the knife as he headed for Southern California to undergo arthroscopic surgery.

Some were wondering if this surgery could be the end for Helton, who until Albert Pujols surpassed him, had been the active career leader in batting average and had spent his entire career loyal to the one organization that had drafted him and built their team around him.

Helton, however, is not one to take news of his demise sitting down.

Months of rehabilitation both on and off the field have brought us to the present, with Helton's name being penciled in on Clint Hurdle's lineup two to three times a week.

In only fourteen at-bats this spring, Helton leads the team in home runs with three, which gives us an inkling that the once-almighty power stroke that has deserted him in recent years, might make a comeback in 2009.

Helton will most likely not take in a full week's worth of action until the season starts, and even then Skip Hurdle will be sure to keep him well-rested by giving him plenty of scheduled off-days like he has done in the past.

Will we ever see the same Helton who averaged a .337 clip with thirty three home runs, 113 RBIs, and a .434 on base percentage during his first eight seasons?

Probably not.

But if Helton's back stays in shape and he can see action in 135-140 games, there's no reason why we couldn't see a similar line to his 2007 campaign in which he hit .320 with seventeen home runs, 91 RBIs, and a .434 on base percentage.

In a year where the Rockies need multiple regulars to rebound from abysmal '08 seasons, Helton's resurgence would be the most satisfying.

A healthy Helton not only puts butts in the seats for fans who ache to root for their hometown hero, but it adds another dimension to a Rockies lineup in dire need of top-tier production to replace the departed Matt Holliday.

Helton still commands a pitcher's respect and his plate discipline remains one of the greatest in the game.

With Helton driving in Spilly and Tulo while setting the table for Atkins and Hawpe, the Rockies lineup could once again become a force to be reckoned with in the wide-open NL West.

So turn your attention from the turmoil in Dove Valley and start setting your sights on summer nights at Coors Field because Beltin' Helton is on his way back.

Franklin Morales Makes Case for Colorado Rockies' Rotation

Anthony Masterson — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:37:30 -0400

It seems the Rockies have finally remembered that while Spring Training games don't necessarily mean anything come April, it doesn't hurt to come away victorious every now and then.

After losing the first seven games in Arizona, the Rockies have now won their last six, the most recent coming Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels (redundancy alert) of Anaheim and Most Parts of Southern California not Including San Bernadino or Sea World.

Though still three and a half weeks from the Apr. 6 opener, some key players on the Rockies' roster are starting to emerge from their winter hibernation. Aaron Cook enjoyed his most impressive start of the spring yesterday against Cleveland by tossing five scoreless innings while striking out seven and walking none.

Ubaldo Jimenez, in his lone World Baseball Classic appearance, nearly set baseball in the Netherlands back a decade by striking out a WBC-record ten in only four innings.

Manny Corpas also returned from the WBC yesterday to add another scoreless inning to his spring total keeping his ERA a sparkling 0.00. It sure looks a lot better than his closer's role counterpart Huston Street who needed a spotless inning in Thursday's ballgame to get his ERA under 20.00.

But the man who's making me optimistic for our 2009 starting rotation is the man who will hopefully earn the chance to round it out: Franklin Morales.

Once a hotshot prospect in the Rockies system (and still is, I guess since he only just turned 23) Franklin aided the Rox in their Rocktober run in 2007 and made the Opening Day rotation in 2008 only to find himself in AAA a month later with a battered ego and a 6.39 ERA.

It also came to light this year that he pitched all last season with back pain, yet refused to bring it up to anyone in the organization who could have helped him, either with the pain or with his flawed mechanics caused by his adjustments to try and alleviate the stiffness in his back.

His regression in 2008 was reflected in his numbers in AAA. He never regained any form of consistency, going 10-5 but sporting a 5.47 ERA and an appalling 83/82 K/BB ratio.

This spring, however, with a clean bill of health and a clearer mind on the mound, Morales has impressed the Rockies' brass with his fastball command and presence on the hill.

Though his ERA currently stands at an unimpressive 4.85, that number is skewed from a start against the Angels where he allowed seven runs in three innings pitched.

His initial appearance of the spring showed a flash of the Morales of old as he tossed two scoreless, hitless innings against the White Sox. He also struck out two, and more importantly, didn't walk a batter.

His next start against the Angels set him back, but he responded to that awful outing with a scoreless, four inning start against the Giants where he struck out three and walked none.

Thursday, facing the Angels again, Morales made the necessary adjustments from facing the Angels previously and threw four innings, allowing only two runs on four hits. He also picked off two baserunners (for what that's worth).

In the race for the fifth spot in the Rockies' starting rotation between Morales, Greg Smith, Greg Reynolds, Josh Fogg, Jason Hirsh, and Matt Belisle, Morales has shown the Rockies what they needed to see to put their faith back in a prospect once thought to be the future of the starting five.

Three out of four nearly spotless appearances will certainly go a long way in seeing Morales' name penciled in to start every fifth day in 2009.

NL West Debate: Who Boasts the Better Bullpen—the Giants or Rockies?

Anthony Masterson — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:41:34 -0500

The MLB Community Leaders here on our beloved Bleacher Report were commissioned (ha! if only) to write pieces sparking debate between writers of rival clubs as we look ahead to the 2009 season.

My rival writer, the Jet to my Shark if you will, was a phenomenal writer named Andrew Nuschler (though I hear that's not his actual name) who wrote a fantastic piece on why he believes the Giants have the edge over the Rockies in the bullpen department.

His article really was great and I completely agree with it...except for all the parts where he showed that he's imbibed a few too many orange Jell-o shots (everyone knows that purple is a way better flavor than orange anyway.)

In his piece, he dissected, not the entire bullpen, but the pitchers shutting the door in the final three innings. His matchups went thusly:

The Giants' Bobby Howry vs. the Rockies' Taylor Buchholz

8th inning setup men Jeremy Affeldt vs. Manny Corpas

Closers Brian Wilson vs. Huston Street

So here I go to try and tackle the matchups myself and get a Mile-High viewpoint on the whole situation.

Bobby Howry vs. Taylor Buchholz

Right away, this contest is a bit, well, contested with the news breaking yesterday that Buchholz will be out 4-6 weeks with a slight tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow.

I'll give Howry the benefit of the doubt by pairing him not with Buchholz, who is coming off a career year in 2008 (2.17 ERA, 56/18 K/BB ratio, only five home runs surrendered all year playing in one of the best hitting parks in Major League history) to make it a fair fight.

Instead I'll pair Howry with the man who will more than likely step up to replace Bucky for the beginning of the season, Jason Grilli.

Howry has enjoyed a solid, steady 11-year career where he has certainly been more successful than not. Last year, however, may be an indication of a downward trend in many statistical categories for the 35-year-old right-hander.

A 5.35 ERA with the Cubs was a career high (barring the 12.46 ERA he carried in Boston in 2003 when he only pitched 4.1 innings the entire season) and he also allowed thirteen home runs, another career high.

You could say that moving to the more spacious AT&T Park (or whatever they're calling it nowadays) would behoove him, but when you look at the MLB Park Factor stat here, it shows that AT&T Park and Wrigley Field placed 11th and 8th respectively in terms of their tendency to favor hitters.

Not enough of a difference to assume that Howry's 2008 troubles will be put to bed.

With his 2008 decline in his hip pocket, I find it hard to believe Howry has the ability to bounce back to the form he's showed in past years.

Jason Grilli, on the other hand, enjoyed a career year pitching the late innings in Colorado in 2008, compiling a 2.93 ERA while only allowing one home run in his 61.1 innings after coming over in a trade from Detroit.

At 32, he still has a few years left in the tank for his mid-90s fastball and knee-buckling slider to wreak havoc on hitters as his 59 strikeouts in his time with the Rockies will surely attest to.

EDGE: Grilli

Jeremy Affeldt vs. Manny Corpas

This is a tough one for me because I was very upset when the Rockies let Jeremy Affeldt walk after his brilliant 2007 donning the purple pinstripes (3.51 ERA while only allowing three home runs in 75 appearances.)

He's got a yellow snapdragon curveball (as our pal George Frazier likes to call it) not unlike the bender that Taylor Buchholz possesses.

He's got a mid 90s fastball coming from the left side and he's definitely more than just a left-on-left guy.

Therein lies the rub against Affeldt, however as even in his phenomenal year with the Reds in 2008, opponents still hit a comfortable .323 against him.

His strikeouts increased considerably from 46 to 80, but so did his home runs allowed from three to nine.

Manny Corpas did not bask in the glory of his incredible 2007 campaign where he usurped the closer's role from Brian Fuentes en route to a sterling 2.08 ERA and trip to the World Series.

Or, perhaps, he did a bit too much basking.

Out of shape and lacking focus, he lost the closer's job in April and never regained the killer instinct that made him one of the league's most devastating pitchers two seasons ago.

His 4.52 ERA could have been much worse as his fastball flattened out and his arm slot made his once knee-buckling slider into a hanging breaking ball.

Corpas has turned a corner this spring in his quest to reclaim his post as closer as his five innings of hitless baseball between the Rockies and the Panamanian World Baseball Classic team can attest, but his ability to bounce back will be a mystery until Opening Day rolls around and his role has been defined by Skip Hurdle.

EDGE: Affeldt

Brian Wilson vs. Huston Street

This is, of course assuming Huston Street is named the Rockies' closer come Opening Day as the battle is being fiercely waged between Streeter and Corpas.

My colleague, Andrew Nuschler, wrote in his article that this matchup is no contest, believing Wilson out-classes Street in every statistical category and the thought of comparing the two was comical, nay, absurd at best.

Well, I've got news for you Nuschy, this contest is closer than you might think.

Street's down year has been well-publicized and talk of his demise began to spring up last year when his velocity dipped to the high 80s, well below his normal low-to-mid 90s range.

While fielding a ground ball in June of last season, Street's foot slipped out from under him, straining his left hip flexor. Weaker men would have succumbed to the pain, but not Streeter. He continued to pitch through the injury and his success on the hill began to falter.

Call him foolish, call him headstrong, but just don't call him washed up.

Once he made time for rest during the course of the season, his hip improved and so did his results.

In his last 17 appearances of 2008 spanning 19.2 innings, Street only allowed three runs while striking out 20 compared to five walks. And don't look now, but his fastball topped out around 95 mph.

I see no reason why we should expect nothing less than the pitcher who has saved 94 games in his first four seasons.

Onto Brian Wilson.

First of all, nice name. What, was Jim Morrison taken?

Second of all, Wilson led the National League in saves last year with 41, but with sabermetrics starting to seep their way into the minds of statisticians everywhere and VORP and OPS are seen as more important than AVG and runs scored, saves are becoming less and less magical than they once were.

A sabermetrician's viewpoint questions why holding the lead in the 9th inning is seen as more important than holding the same lead in the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings?

That being said, what I see when I look at Brian Wilson's 2008 stats are an unsightly 4.62 ERA and right-handed opponents hitting a whopping .381 off the right-hander.

This isn't disregarding the 41 saves he put up nor the 67 strikeouts in 62.1 innings, but an inability to retire right-handed hitters and a propensity to allow more than the occasional run will catch up to the flame-thrower in 2009.

However, since Street is a new acquisition and I have yet to see him perform in a Rockies uniform, I cannot make any bold predictions on how his time in Colorado will play out.

Therefore:

EDGE: PUSH.

To be honest, there are plenty of question marks with both teams, but at the end of the day, I'd rather have the Giants starting rotation, but the Rockies bullpen on my pitching staff.

We're definitely going to miss Holliday though...

Colorado Rockies Spend Winless Week in Arizona

Anthony Masterson — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 21:23:13 -0500

Since the whole saga with Jay Cutler and the idiotic move by the Broncos' new, incompetent front office to try and trade him is so ludicrous, I'm not going to dignify the story with a response.

Instead, let's take a trip down to Tucson, where the Rockies are finding wins hard to come by after their first week of Spring Training.

Wins are far from the most important aspect for a team during Spring Training. What's crucial for most teams is getting the team's starters sufficiently prepared by the time opening day rolls around.

Hitters work daily to perfect their timing at the plate, and pitchers practice throwing to big league batters as they hone their repetoire.

So in theory, it doesn't matter if you win or lose, but how you play the game...or something to that effect.

Still, the Rockies have reason to be concerned with the overall performances they've been witnessing during the first week of Spring Training games.

Only seven Rockies are hitting above .300 so far, and of the seven, three are not projected to be on the Rockies Opening Day roster (Edwin Bellorin, Omar Quintanilla, Joe Koshansky), and one will more than likely not be a starter (Matt Murton).

The others have seemed to stumble out of the gate in February, and one would hope the calendar turning to March will have a positive effect on the hitters' lumber and the pitchers' location.

To illustrate the offensive struggles of the Rockies' hitters thus far, let's take a gander at some of the early hitting numbers.

-The Rockies have scored only sixteen runs in their five games.

-They've knocked only two home runs, one by Joe Koshansky and one by roster-spot longshot Sal Fasano.

And the hitters aren't the only ones who are suffering.

The pitching staff has taken their lumps as well coming out of the blocks.

The competition for the fifth spot in the starting rotation has been more Battle of the Network Stars than Battle Royale, as candidates Josh Fogg, Greg Smith, and Jason Hirsh all own ERAs over 13.50.

The number four starter, by title alone, Jorge de la Rosa, sports a 9.00 ERA.

New bullpen acquisition Alan Embree, signed to be a calming veteran left-handed presence, has given up seven runs in 1.2 innings while new closer candidate Huston Street gave up a run on three hits in his Rockies debut.

Ubaldo Jimenez, after allowing three runs and two walks in his first outing on Wednesday, rebounded impressively in today's game against the Indians by throwing three innings of shutout baseball and not walking a batter.

The real star of Spring Training, however, has been erstwhile rotation-savior Franklin Morales who, after a lost year of ineffectiveness and back pain in 2008, showed what he is capable of when healty and mechanically sound.

In his two innings of scoreless work, Morales didn't walk a batter and struck out two, a far cry from his effort last season (99 walks in 135 total innings last year between Denver and Colorado Springs).

If he is able to step up and return to his 2007 form where he, along with Ubaldo Jimenez, spurred the Rockies down the stretch all the way to the World Series, the Rockies rotation could be in solid shape.

The Rockies will start to win ballgames in Tucson. It's only a matter of time. Hopefully they can start the regular season with a bit of momentum to try and avoid yet another abysmal April.

Colorado Rockies Stick With Trend, Fall to D-Backs in Spring Opener

Anthony Masterson — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:01:43 -0500

The Rockies are aiming to move forward in 2009. With Matt Holliday gone and new faces popping up all across the roster, there is cautious optimism as well as trepidation as to what the new season will bring.

That being said, the Rox felt it necessary, nay, imperative to continue a disturbing trend that manifested itself in 2008.

The Rockies once again lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

I'm going to preface everything I say for the rest of this article by stating that the first game of Spring Training, and most of Spring Training in general, isn't worth a gawl dang as they say in some parts of Wyoming...probably.

But it still didn't make it any sweeter that the Rox once again fell to their bitter rivals to the southwest.

The Rockies, 3-15 against the D-Backs in 2008, did exhibit a strong showing for the most part among the players on the roster who got the opportunity to hit the field.

Aaron Cook started on the mound and tallied two scoreless innings only allowing one hit in the process. Manny Corpas followed with a perfect inning of his own, an encouraging sign that he could reclaim his 2007 magic.

Then it unraveled a bit as No. 2 starter Ubaldo Jimenez took the mound to get some work before he heads to Florida to start training for the Dominican Republic World Baseball Classic team next week.

Jimenez line went thusly: 2 inn, 3 h, 3 r, 2 bb, 2 k, and one home run.

Alan Embree's spring debut for Colorado didn't go swimmingly either as he allowed what turned out to be the two deciding runs in his one inning of work.

On the offensive side, Brad Hawpe was the only Rockie to knock two hits on the day while Clint Barmes, Tulo, Chris Iannetta, and Carlos Gonzalez all rapped doubles in their limited innings.

There were definitely positives to take away from the first exhibition game of 2009, but.....come on. Can't we beat Arizona at least once if only to alleviate my nagging concerns about the upcoming season?

Is that really too much to ask?

Colorado Rockies' Soundtracks: 2009 Edition

Anthony Masterson — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:16:22 -0500

Surfing around on the Internet can show you many things. Some are informative, some are worthless, and some are definitely not safe for work.

While scrolling through some articles on www.sportstimeohio.com, a blog associated with the television home of the Cleveland Indians, I came across an article that gave me not only inspiration for a blog entry, but some belly laughs as well.

The article was written by Indians beat writer Paul Cousineau, a very intelligent and thorough journalist, about which popular songs he believes should be adopted by the 2009 Cleveland Indians' ballplayers as their batters' and pitchers' ditties for the upcoming season.

That got me thinking about the 2009 Colorado Rockies and which songs would work with which players. Each ballplayer has their own choice of song that comes over the stadium loudspeakers whenever they come to the plate or come into pitch.

Here are a few choices that I think the Rockies should seriously consider making their own personal ditties.

Todd Helton

"The Last Waltz" by the Band

Though Helton professes to be healthy thus far this spring, chronic back injuries are incredibly difficult to come back from, especially to the form Helton displayed early on in his career when he was a flirting with .400 on a yearly basis.

This beautifully intricate waltz by one of the most underrated bands of all time, The Band, closed out their Martin Scorcese-directed 1978 documentary of the same name. The Band didn't have a closing statement. They let their music have the last word as the lights slowly faded out in the Winterland Ballroom.

We can only hope Helton has a few more waltzes left in his lumber.

Troy Tulowitzki

"Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J

One only needs the opening snarl of Ladies Love Cool James to pump up even the most apathetic of fans.

"Don't call it a comeback. I've been here for years. Rockin' my peers, and puttin' suckas in fear."

If the Rockies are going to have any chance at recapturing Rocktober, they're going to need Tulo to return to his 2007 form where he enjoyed the greatest season ever by a National League rookie shortstop.

Garrett Atkins

"Unappreciated" by Cherish

Swamped by offseason rumors that he would be wearing a different uniform come 2009, Atkins has to feel a bit miffed that his name was thrown around so freely during the Hot Stove talks.

Atkins is still a Rockie, however, and what better way to show your organization how you really feel than with a teenage, girl-group r'n'b ballad?

Brad Hawpe

"Count on Me" by Whitney Houston

Hawpe has been nothing but consistent in his three years as a starter (.289 average, 25 home runs, 95 rbis in a normal season) and with Matt Holliday taking his All-Star bat to Oakland, Hawpe will be counted on to shoulder more of the offensive load.

Whitney Houston's duet with Cece Winans about accountability in turbulent times is the perfect anthem for Hawpe's role in 2009. And it'll put a stop to that gawd-awful Nickelback song he's been using for the last two seasons.

Chris Iannetta

"Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen

Iannetta entered last season as the backup to Yorvit Torrealba and emerged on the fringe of the league's upper echelon of offensive backstops (18 homers, 65 RBI, .390 on-base percentage in 104 games). As the starter this season, he's looking to keep that positive momentum going.

No word yet if he's named his bat, Mr. Farenheit.

Ryan Spilborghs

Spilly doesn't need my help. He's a batter's ditty-connoisseur.

Aaron Cook

"99 Red Balloons" by Nena

This German pop smash single would be the perfect song for everybody's favorite red-headed right-hander. Perhaps the 99 red balloons will stand for each one of Cookie's strikeouts this year (plus one to make it an even 100).

Jeff Francis

"Sunshine on My Shoulder" by John Denver

Though Francis' shoulder is going to keep him out for the season with his decision to undergo surgery, this mellow, optimistic number from the legendary folk singer-songwriter should keep his thoughts positive while he rehabs for 2010.

Ubaldo Jimenez

"The Way" by Fastball

What better band to represent the pitcher who had the highest average fastball (94.9 mph) in baseball last year than a band called, well, Fastball?

Anyone can see the road Jimenez walks on is paved in gold as he looks to build upon his solid first full season in the big leagues (12-12, 3.99 ERA, 172 strikeouts).

Jason Hirsh

"Running out of Time" by Hot Hot Heat

This poppy song by these Canadian synth-rockers can get some pep in Hirsh's step before he takes the hill.

Once a top prospect, Hirsh has never taken advantage of his chances in the big leagues and at 27, he may be running out of opportunities.

Manny Corpas

"Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson

Corpas, who was admittedly out of shape and lacking focus in 2008, has reportedly shown up to camp fit and prepared to win his closer's job back. He'll have to battle Huston Street, but it seems as if he's taken a long look in the mirror and is ready to go out and make a change.

Huston Street

"New Kid in Town" by the Eagles

Street, an acquisition brought to the Mile High City in the Holliday deal, won't know many of his new teammates before he reports to Tucson, but he'll soon be just one of the guys once he starts throwing zeroes on the scoreboard.

Ian Stewart

"Ready to Roll" by Flashlight Brown

This pumped-up anthem should prepare Stewart to excel in 2009, no matter what position he's playing, be it third base or left field.

Carlos Gonzalez

"Superstar" by Lupe Fiasco

"If you are what you say you are, a superstar, then have no fear, the crowd is here."

Gonzalez has been named the top prospect in two separate organizations (the Diamondbacks and Athletics) and has come to Colorado looking to replace Holliday. Eventually, he'll have to stop living off his potential and start leading with his production.

If you guys have your own picks, be sure to leave them in the comments. I'm going to start making a playlist.

Spring Sneak Peek: The 2009 Colorado Rockies' Infield

Anthony Masterson — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:11:05 -0500

Now that I've dissected the 2009 Colorado Rockies starting rotation and bullpen as part of my season preview (albeit the last entry being about a month ago), I feel it's time to tackle the infield prospects the Rockies will be molding as they prepare for the regular season.

Let's begin with the obvious.

Troy Tulowitzki will man the shortstop position for as long he keeps his batting average above the Mendoza Line and the splintered ends of his bats out of the flesh on his palms.

If the pain in Todd Helton's back doesn't continue to be a royal pain in his ass, you can pencil the legendary lefty into the three-spot in both the batting order and the fielding lineup.

If his back pain flares up, however, it will set in motion a shuffling of players reminiscent of an old parlor game of three card monte.

Garrett Atkins, the incumbent third baseman, will shift over to first bringing Ian Stewart in to replace Atkins. Stewart's time at third will give more playing time in left field to Seth Smith or Matt Murton or whoever wins the left field job coming out of Tucson.

Stewart's potential and production last year in his time with the Major League club should pay off in the form of a full season with the Rockies in whatever position Skip Hurdle needs him.

Hurdle has told the media that Stewart will be taking ground balls at third and fly balls in left in hopes of finding a spot for his powerful bat more games than not.

Second base will be an interesting option for Hurdle this year because of his options at both the Major and Minor League levels.

Clint Barmes will be given the chance to win or lose the position in Spring Training after a solid, if unspectacular performance (.290, 11, 44) at the position in 2008. Jeff Baker will also be given at bats to try and crack his way into Clint Hurdle's starting lineup, a feat he's never been able to consistently accomplish in his four years with the Rockies.

Coming up quickly through the Rockies' ranks are youngsters Eric Young, Jr., a familiar face around Tucson thanks to his father, and Chris Nelson, the 2004 number one pick who's finally starting to hit his stride offensively (.321, 6, 17 in 29 games in the Arizona Fall League).

Young absolutely tore up the AFL as he led the league in hitting with a .430 average in thirty-one games while knocking five home runs (one inside-the-park) and tallying twenty stolen bases in only twenty-one attempts. His coming-out party earned him an invite to Tucson and he projects to start the year in AAA Colorado Springs barring a spectacular performance in the month of March.

Omar Quintanilla will perennially provide dazzling defense and lackluster lumber while prospect Christian Colonel, former Rockie Luis A. Gonzalez, and pint-sized speedster Jonathan Herrera will also get the opportunity to prove they belong in the infield mix as well.

I'll profile the catchers in the next exciting installment of Generation Redemption: the 2009 Colorado Rockies.

Many Questions Face Colorado Rockies as Spring Training Nears

Anthony Masterson — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:28:48 -0500

With the Rockies' pitchers and catchers set to report to Tucson on Friday, and the rest of the club coming in early next week, many questions still remain as to whether or not the Rox can return to the prominence they tasted in 2007.

Personally, I think a playoff run is possible when you consider a few important factors:

The NL West is completely, totally, Wyoming-ly wide open. When you look at the rosters of each of the five teams, everyone except the Padres, who are in a cost-cutting financial free fall, are seen as possible contenders for the division title.

No team made a major addition to their rosters. Matt Holliday switching leagues would be the biggest loss for any team in the NL West, and it's a veritable staring contest to see who will blink first between the Dodgers and the Giants when it comes to the Manny Ramirez sweepstakes at this point.

The NL West is still one of the more pitching-rich divisions in the game, and with each team hacking their way through Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, Jake Peavy, Tim Lincecum, Chad Billingsley, Aaron Cook, and Ubaldo Jimenez, it's going to be tough for any team to build a sizable advantage in the standings.

Eighty-four wins, which the Dodgers earned last year to win the division, could very well do the trick again.

But back to the Rockies...

What are some of the major questions that must be answered before their Apr. 6 Opening Day showdown with the D-Backs?

How's Jeff Francis' shoulder?

The shoulder status of Jeff Francis will be monitored on an hourly basis as he tries to work through the scar tissue remaining in his pitching arm. He's supposedly going to make a decision about whether surgery is necessary soon after arriving in Tucson.

If he decides to go under the knife, it's bye-bye to 2009. If he breaks through said scar tissue during his daily bullpen sessions, he could be back on the mound around May or June.

How's Todd Helton's Back?

A majority of the lineup's daily movement will rest on Helton's balky back. If he's good to go, Garrett Atkins will man third while Ian Stewart either rides the bench or plays out of position in left field. If Todd needs a breather, Atkins goes to first and Stewart returns to his natural position at third base, opening up a spot for Seth Smith in left.

Who's Rounding Out the Rotation?

Aaron Cook, Ubaldo Jimenez, Jason Marquis, and Jorge de la Rosa have the first four spots in the starting rotation as it stands today. The real position battle for that fifth spot will be between lefties Franklin Morales and Greg Smith and righties Jason Hirsh, Greg Reynolds, Josh Fogg, and Matt Belisle.

Smith could have the upper hand as he threw nearly 200 innings with the Athletics last season with moderate success (7-16, 4.16.) Morales has the best stuff of any of the candidates, but dealt with control issues and a bad back in 2008.

Who Will Man the Outfield?

Brad Hawpe is a lock in right. The other two spots are more up in the air. Ryan Spilborghs will be given the chance to translate his super-sub skills into a starting spot in center while Seth Smith will set up shop in left, getting spelled by Matt Murton when the team faces a tough lefty.

If any of those players should fail, hot shot prospects Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gonzalez will be waiting in the wings for their chance to shine.

How Hot is Clint Hurdle's Seat?

Maybe the reason why we never see Clint Hurdle sitting down in the dugout is because his seat is hotter than my new girlfriend, Bar Rafaeli. Hurdle's been given a seemingly infinite amount of patience on the part of the Monfort Brothers in his seven year tenure as the team's head coach, but you really have to wonder how much more losing the organization can take.

If the Rockies slink out of the gate in '09, look for Hurdle to be updating his resume come June.

A Plea to the Baseball Gods

Anthony Masterson — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:32:28 -0500

Saturday's bombshell that Alex Rodriguez, arguably the best player in baseball today, had tested positive for steroids back in 2003, and today's subsequent confession on the part of the Big Apple bomber, is bound to put in motion a chain of events that will leave the charred baseball landscape with no steroid stone left unturned.

Many journalists have pontificated their opinions about how Rodriguez has completely destroyed any shred of dignity that remained of the once proud and sacred game of baseball, and since I am inclined to agree, I won't repeat their cynical sentiments.

The real issue on everybody's minds now, since Rodriguez's confession will assuage at least a part of the furor headed his way, are the names of the other 103 Major Leaguers who failed their drug tests along with A-Rod.

I refuse to even speculate which names could be on the list because in today's media world of instant gratification and a blogger to blogger rumor mill that can spread faster than the Black Death, even the mere mention of a suspected name, no matter the context, can open a Pandora's Box that could unleash a whirlwind of untruths into the blogosphere.

Instead, I'm going to make a plea.

Not to the media, or the Commissioner's office, or the players, or the organizations, or the player's union, or the player's agents, but to the gods of baseball whomever they may be.

Please, let this be the end of it.

Release the final 103 names on the list of players who tested positive back in 2003 and allow the players, organizations, and fans to put the Steroid Era in the rearview mirror, back over it a few times, and speed away, never looking back.

With the steroid testing in place right now, this list should be the last gasp from the stranglehold performance-enhancing drugs have had on the game over the last fifteen years.

With the public release of these names, it would allow the players implicated to either fight the accusations until they're up against a grand jury (see Bonds, Barry and Clemens, Roger), or to simply acquiesce and admit their wrongdoings, exonerating themselves in the court of public opinion like Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi, and now Alex Rodriguez have done.

If A-Rod's name never would have been released, the general public would never have known of the list's existence, much less the names written on it.

Now that one name, albeit one of the top superstars in the game, has been leaked, it triggers the natural human instinct to not rest until we know the identities of the other 103 culprits.

If the rest of the list never sees the light of day, I can't say that I would be too broken up about it. I don't want the possibility of some of my favorite players, athletes I have looked up to, being forced to explain to the entire baseball world how a moment of weakness or insecurity will forever tarnish the legacy they have built in the game and in their communities.

But if we must pull the curtain back on the supposedly confidential list, all I have is this one final plea.

Please, let this be the end of it.

Murton Added to Rockies' Outfield Mix, Wimberly Subtracted from Equation

Anthony Masterson — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:24:03 -0500

Unbeknownst to many baseball fans and highway architects alike, Oakland Athletics' general manager Billy Beane and Rockies' GM Dan O'Dowd went into the offseason with blueprints for a major project that could only be defined as "ambitious."

The plan? A pipeline that runs directly from McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. to Coors Field in Denver.

This proposed pipeline would transport not only automobiles, freight, and the occasional roadkill raccoon, but Major League Baseball players traveling between the two cities and teams behind the historic enterprise.

Alan Embree drew the short straw and took the initial trek from Cali to Colorado. Once Alan arrived safely in the Mile High City, both organizations knew their paved path was safe.

Then came the Matt Holliday deal, a 3-for-1 swap that sent relief pitcher Huston Street, starting pitcher Greg Smith, and hot-shot outfield prospect Carlos Gonzalez to the Rockies in exchange for the superstar slugger.

You thought they were done? Oh, no. The two trade-happy GMs had one more deal up their respective sleeves, finalizing a trade that sent reserve outfielder Matt Murton to Colorado for minor league speed demon Corey Wimberly.

The Rockies dealt from a position of strength within their minor league system. Wimberly was a solid young player and he led the Texas League in stolen bases. He could play a myriad of positions, but he also was stuck behind Clint Barmes and Ian Stewart at the Major League level and Eric Young Jr. and Chris Nelson in the minors.

Murton, a career .312 hitter against left-handed pitching, could form a productive platoon with Seth Smith, a career .314 hitter against righties. With Murton coming into the fold, he fills out the 40-man roster, but also adds to the slew of outfielders vying for a starting spot in 2009.

With Brad Hawpe fully entrenched in right field, there are now eight candidates for the other two positions. Ryan Spilborghs presumably has the upper hand in center with prospects Dexter Fowler and Gonzalez giving him stiff competition. Veteran Scott Podsednik was also invited to Spring Training as a non-roster player after hitting .253 in 93 games with the Rockies in 2008.

In left, Smith will have every opportunity to win the job in the spring, but if he falters in the Arizona sun, Gonzalez, Murton, and non-roster invitee Dan Ortmeier will push him for playing time.

In an effort to get Stewart consistent repetitions, he will also be put into the outfield mix to keep his thunderstick in the starting nine.

That is assuming, of course, that no more players will be making the trip down the Oakland-Denver pipeline between now and Feb. 17, when position players report to camp.

At this rate, it's anybody's guess.

The Dragon Slayer Returns to Colorado: Rockies Sign Josh Fogg

Anthony Masterson — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 12:24:49 -0500

In a move to try and regain Colorado's 2007 championship magic, the Rockies today dug into the pitching archives and brought back a familiar face to battle for a starting spot coming out of Spring Training.

Josh Fogg, the "Dragon Slayer," will be donning the purple pinstripes once more in an attempt to crack the 25-man roster heading into the 2009 season.

Fogg will be the eighth starting pitcher coming to Arizona competing for the final two spots in the rotation behind Aaron Cook, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Jason Marquis.

Jeff Francis would normally top that list, but reports surfaced this week stating that it appears unlikely that Francis will be ready to go come Opening Day.

In the Rockies' 2007 NL Championship season, Fogg compiled a 10-9 record and a 4.94 ERA while earning the nickname of the "Dragon Slayer" for his uncanny knack to knock off big name pitchers including Curt Schilling, Mike Mussina, Orlando Hernandez, Brandon Webb, Chris Young, and Derek Lowe.

He also started the one game playoff against San Diego opposite Jake Peavy though he only lasted four innings giving up five runs.

Fogg will be squaring off with starters Jorge de la Rosa, Glendon Rusch, Franklin Morales, Greg Smith, Greg Reynolds, Jason Hirsh, and Matt Belisle to round out the rotation.

De la Rosa more than likely has the upper hand on one of the spots thanks to his 5-2 record and 2.44 ERA over the final two months of 2008. If he struggles in March, or for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, he could leave the door wide open for anyone to push their way in.

The 2009 Colorado Rockies: Bullpen

Anthony Masterson — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:04:04 -0500

I don't know about you guys, but I'm already getting the baseball itch.

And yeah, I'm ready to talk Rockies.

Assuming that the Rockies Spring Training roster is more or less established as we set our sights on Tucson (or wherever they might be calling home nowadays), we can begin to make more concrete analysis on what the upcoming 2009 season may bring.

Having already outlined my predictions for how the starting rotation will shake out (with a regrettable omission of Franklin Morales who, now that he understands that he should TELL people when he has an injury, should be very much in the mix after a strong showing in winter ball), I'm going to take a stab at the proposed bullpen.

The Rockies' bullpen finished around the middle of the MLB pack in terms of ERA in the 2008 season (4.13.) Going into the cold, cold winter, Dealin' Dan knew he had a myriad of leaks that needed mending with this team and addressed many of them with one blockbuster deal.

In the deal that sent slugger Matt Holliday to the A's, O'Dowd acquired a late-inning arm, a back end of the rotation lefty, and a young outfielder with a higher ceiling than the Sistine Chapel.

The late-inning arm, former Athletics' closer Huston Street, will have a fair shot to earn the closer's job he lost to Brad Ziegler in Oakland last year. He'll have stiff competition, however, from a hopefully resurgent Manny Corpas who looks to bounce back with a vengeance after losing his ninth inning role in April and limping through the season to a 4.52 ERA.

The Denver Post reported that Corpas has taken a different, more workmanlike approach to his offseason training. He's trimmed down the excess baby fat he packed on last season and has already headed to Denver to start his new training program.

If he starts the season as Corpas v. 2.007, his pairing with Street in the late innings will be dynamic if not dominating.

Street also struggled in 2008, amassing a career high 3.73 ERA, leaving scouts grumbling about a supposed loss of velocity in his fastball.

Talk of Street's demise, however, may have been a bit premature. In his last 17 appearances spanning 19.2 innings, Street only allowed three runs while striking out 20 compared to five walks. And don't look now, but his fastball topped out around 95 mph.

Rounding out the rest of the bullpen will be another former Oaklander in veteran lefty Alan Embree, joining his lucky number 13th Major League ballclub. Embree can fulfill the role of both a situational lefty and a Jeremy Affeldt-type who can attack righties as well.

Taylor Buchholz came into 2008 without a role, but ended the season as one of the top setup men in all of baseball. His snapdragon curveball broke more knees than John Gotti and his 2.17 ERA was the second lowest of any reliever in Rockies' history.

Jason Grilli, like Buchholz, finally found his niche in the bullpen in 2008 amassing a 3.00 ERA in 60 appearances. His mid to upper 90s fastball flustered hitters all season and his slider improved dramatically once his role became defined in the later innings.

Guys like Ryan Speier, Steven Register, Juan Morillo, and Glendon Rusch will more than likely be asked to fill out the remaining spots with possible help from the young, hotshot starter who isn't quite ready for prime time in the starting rotation with the big club.

Next up: the infield.

The 2009 Colorado Rockies: Starting Rotation

Anthony Masterson — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:03:59 -0500

So now that the Broncos season is, ahem, over in somewhat unceremonious fashion, it is finally time to turn both our eyes to the upcoming 2009 baseball season. Don't get me wrong, I'm rooting for the Nuggets to keep on keepin' on just as much as the next guy, but to me, it's all about baseball.

The Rockies have definitely stirred the proverbial pot this offseason by making moves both major and minor in hopes of finding the correct chemistry to put a winner on the field.

They traded superstar slugger Matt Holliday for prospects, cut ties with speedster Willy Taveras, and added a bit of depth to the back end of the rotation, as well as the middle innings of the bullpen.

They are also on the verge of finalizing a deal that would send high-priced reliever Luis Vizcaino to the Cubbies for high-priced starting pitcher Jason Marquis.

Viz struggled to a 5.28 ERA in 43 games last season while never carving out a niche for himself in Hurdle's bullpen. Marquis enjoyed an up and down season with the Cubs finishing with an 11-9 record and a 4.63 ERA. His signing would raise the Rox' payroll about $5 million in 2009.

Marquis would fill in a blank spot in the rotation after Aaron Cook, Ubaldo Jimenez, and a (hopefully) rejuvenated Jeff Francis. With the amount we would be paying Marquis for the 2009 season, you would have to believe that the veteran would have the No. 4 or No. 5 spot locked up.

That would leave the other spot up for a heated competition between Jorge de la Rosa, newly acquired Greg Smith, Greg Reynolds, and Jason Hirsh when Spring Training opens.

De la Rosa overcame some early season Rick Ankiel-ness and actually ended the year in impressive fashion compiling a 5-2 record with a 2.44 ERA over the season's final two months. He has a live fastball and a biting slider with a slow curve that throws off the hitter's timing.

For Rosie to be successful, it's all just a matter of getting out of his own head. Don't think. It can only hurt the ballclub.

Smith is an intriguing piece of work we received from the A's for Matt Holliday. His stats from his rookie season will not inspire confidence in the Rockies' faithful (7-16, 4.16 ERA,) but outside appearances can be deceiving.

He's a Tom Glavine-type with a big-league cutter and curveball with a show-me changeup. His minor league numbers were outstanding as he had three times as many strikeouts as walks (309/105) compared to his banal Major League numbers (111/87.)

To me, that just shows some inexperience and rookie butterflies, and he should rebound in his sophomore season and remember what made him such a valuable commodity in the Minor Leagues. For what it's worth, he also has one of the better pickoff moves in baseball as he tallied 15 in his rookie year.

Reynolds, the No. 2 pick in the 2006 draft (six spots before Tim Lincecum), didn't make the kind of impression that one would hope. Brought up to the Majors by necessity after injuries besieged the ballclub, he made his debut in May and absorbed a loss to the Padres.

It wouldn't get much better for the kid as the season went on as he racked up a 2-8 record with an 8.13 ERA while notching more walks (26) than strikeouts (22.)

Hirsh is running out of time to prove that his extensive Minor League track record (Pitcher of the Year in both AA and AAA) will translate into Major League success. He'll be 27 when the season starts hoping to find his fastball instead of relying so heavily on his changeup and slider.

If he doesn't crack the rotation coming out of Spring Training, Hirsh may be relegated once again to the Minor Leagues where he's toiled for the majority of his career.

As I see it shaking out currently, the Rockies' rotation will look like this:

Aaron Cook
Jeff Francis
Ubaldo Jimenez
Jason Marquis
Greg Smith/De la Rosa

Of course, whichever two perform in Spring Training are going to take those bottom two spots, but I feel like Hurdle will want another lefty in the rotation. Whoever impresses most out of Smith and Rosie will take the final position.

I'll be analyzing the moves made by the Rockies as it relates to the bullpen, infield, and outfield in the coming days. I'm about to move out of Colorado to Virginia, so don't be scared if you don't hear from me for a little while.