Rockies vs. Nats

by sg8335aa on Jun 8, 2006 11:55 AM MDT

FYI, I live in DC and will be @ all 4 Rockies vs. Nats games next week. I'll post reports on anything of note after each game. I'll try to leave work early at least once if not twice to catch batting practice before the game.

Let me know of anything you want me to look out for, question, report....etc....

Last year at the Balimore games, I actually talked to O'Dowd and was able to get a couple questions answered (Aaron Cook injury update most noteably)

I'll be on the 1st base side (which in DC is actually the visitors side due to the "nice" clubhouse being on the 3rd base side for the home team). Monday/Tuesday I'll be between Home and 1st in 2nd row of the upper deck (prime foul ball territory) and on Wednesay/Thursday I'll be in the same area but the lower level and 25-30 rows from the field.

I'll be one of the few and proud....sporting a Helton Jersey and a Rockies batting helmet with the big 3D mountain on top (easily the greatest rockies hat ever created.....I'll have to submit a picture to Purple Row.....I got it for free at Rockies Spring Training back in 1998)

Eat. Drink. Be Merry. But the above FanPost does not necessarily reflect the attitudes, opinions, or views of Purple Row's staff (unless, of course, it's written by the staff [and even then, it still might not]).

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Very sweet

I was trying to angle for a contract with a company in Northern Virginia that would have given me a perfect excuse to be there next week, but they went another direction, I was very disappointed. Still, it's looking like I should be able to catch a couple of games in Denver later in the year, and maybe parts of either the Cinci or Pittsburgh series since I'll be in Columbus at that time. There's still a chance I'll be able to see games in either LA or NY, too.

At any rate, since you're going, I guess some of the things I'd look for are:

What is Rami doing to fool so many opponents? I'd be very excited to watch him pitch. Really, I'd be excited to watch most of our bullpen pitch, but especially Ramon and Fuego.

Matt Holliday. For some reason, I think I'd need to see him in person this year to come away convinced that he isn't just a streaky flash in the pan, but a legitimate top of the league type corner. I mean I've tried, and all these games I've watched on mlb.tv or Extra Innings and all the stat tables I've looked at haven't convinced me for some reason, even though the truth is right there. I guess I'm just a doubting Thomas on this one.

In between innings when there's nobody standing around between second and third, imagine Tulo in a Rockies uniform a bit to the left of second and Ian Stewart to his right. How is that looking right now?

Anyway, obviously you'll probably have some better ideas, but those are the things I'd be looking at. Have fun, and may you see four Rockies wins while you're at the park.

by Rox Girl on Jun 8, 2006 2:04 PM MDT reply actions

As for Holliday.....

I can answer that to some extent at least. I can give you this story to help out a little bit. I know his power is LEGIT. I was most impressed when I saw him live in NY at the Mets series in the 2nd half of 2004. I went up for two games and came early to the Saturday game to catch batting practice. Holliday regularly blasted balls out of the ballpark IN SHEA no less. That doesn't say whether he's a legit cleanup hitter......but the raw power is legit. HUGE raw power.

Then again, when I went to all 3 Nats vs. Rockies games in 2005, I saw Eric Byrnes crush balls in batting practice at RFK further than I've seen anyone hit balls at RFK.......like to the upper deck in center field.......so take the above statement about Holliday with a grain of salt.

I've seen Fuentes several times.....but I'm definitely excited to see Ramon live. I saw BK and Jennings pitch last year in Chicago over Memorial Day......I swear...BK looks about the same size as one of Jennings' thighs (and i'm not sure if that says more about BK or the size of Jennings' thighs....)

I'm most disappointed that the only starter I'll "miss" is Aaron Cook. He was still injured last year when the Rockies came to Baltimore and DC.

Carroll should get a fairly nice pop from the home crowd....he was one of the fan favorites around here, though Frank never gave him the chance to bat leadoff (sometimes #2 but mostly #7/#8)

by sg8335aa on Jun 8, 2006 2:13 PM MDT up reply actions

Ramon Ramirez

Watching Ramon live is like watching Ramon on TV with the exception of a very loud thwack when the ball hits the catcher's mitt.

In person his pitches still look very fast and powerful (much moreso than the radar gun seems to indicate) and they have that sudden movement at the end.

You keep expecting his stuff to be not as good as it looks but from the way that no one can hit his pitches I guess that it really is that good.

One difference that I notice the last few years seeing games live is just how frigging solidly and hard Luis Gonzales hits balls. I have seen him hit line drives to the warning track or a few rows into the stands that I would have sworn would have landed in the river.

He hits balls that seem harder and louder than anyone that I can remember seeing in person. He must just really square up balls because they don't go as far as you would think coming off of the bat.

by MADness on Jun 8, 2006 3:53 PM MDT reply actions

That's funny about Ramon

because I went to see him start at Tulsa last season, and his fastball looked solid, but it was fairly flat, and he was hit pretty hard in the games I see him start and relieve there. His curve, however, looked much better at Driller Stadium than what I've seen on t.v.

However, this point is a bit moot, because I believe he tweaked several parts of his motion in the spring and at AAA, and when I've watched him pitch on mlb.tv, his fastball has really been dancing, in contrast to its flatness as a starter in Double A.

I wasn't really amazed with the pop Ramirez generated, likely because at the time, I was trying to catch several of Jimenez's starts in Tulsa, and his overall stuff looked far better, he just didn't throw as many strikes as Ramon.

This year has been far different at Driller Stadium, where Miller, Morillo, Jimenez, and Corpas have all "pop" the glove at above average to plus velocity. It has been a treat having these arms to watch in Tulsa, and I hope you guys in big league cities get the chance to see these arms soon.

Morillo is by far the most entertaining, because his motion is so smooth and relaxed, the ball really explodes out of his hands, and he generates several embarrassing swings from opposing hitters. When he's on his game, he's unreal.

by David "ohno" on Jun 8, 2006 8:31 PM MDT up reply actions

Not fair!

Comparing anyone to Morillo isn't really fair in terms of velocity. ;)

by MADness on Jun 8, 2006 10:25 PM MDT up reply actions

HR's at RFK

For those watching on TV, its very hard to see the affect. However, never was it more evident than when I was able to see Preston Wilson play @ RFK both before and after the trade last year.

Other than Soriano.....very few people can regularly hit the ball out of the park at RFK. Down the lines, its actually pretty normal (if not shorter than normal)...and that's the secret. Heck, I've seen Brian Schnieder hit an upper deck shot right down the right field line @ RFK. However from power alley to power alley....especially in dead-straightaway centerfield, its very very difficult to hit the ball out. Something to do with how the air flows or the park is designed...I dunno....but its eery at times.

I watched Preston Wilson absolutely UNLOAD on several balls as a Rockie (in the Nats series) and later as a Nat....where they seemed like "no-doubters" as soon as they left the bat. I mean totally unloaded.......and the balls would end up as easy fly balls @ the warning track. I realize that Preston wasn't exactly at the top of his game last year....but he certainly still had power when he connected.

I'll be watching Holliday and Hawpe to see how they adjust to RFK over the course of the 4 game series. Especially coming off an extended homestand @ Coors. Hopefully, I'll get to batting practice on Monday so I can see their adjustment from the start. That will probably be the most intriguing underlying subplot of the series that I'll be watching for.

by sg8335aa on Jun 8, 2006 4:57 PM MDT reply actions