Buchholz to the pen; new Rockies announcer down to three

by Russ Oates on Mar 13, 2007 5:54 PM MDT in Rockpile

Today we saw Buchholz pitch the final two innings of the game and now it's official: he's been moved to the bullpen. Going by the article the bullpen should look like this:

CL Brian Fuentes
RHP Taylor Buchholz
RHP LaTroy Hawkins
LHP Tom Martin
LHP Jeremy Affeldt
RHP Manny Corpas^
RHP Ramon Ramirez^

^ - Spot still up for grabs

That's shaping up to be a reliable bullpen.

Update [2007-3-13 20:16:53 by Russ]: Thomas Harding at the Official Site chimes in on B's move to the pen. To no surprise, Buchholz could also be the spot-starter, and U-Ball is still in the running for a spot in the rotation. The way Harding phrases it makes Jimenez place last in that race as of now.

*****

The Rockies are giving the fans a chance to have a say in the next announcer. You can vote here. I voted for Conor McGahey. Reed Saunders didn't sound all interested in what he was doing so it came down to McGahey and Jim Hudson. McGahey had a more distinctive voice that Hudson. Still, he's no "Voice of God."

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Martin

I don't know why his spot seems to be set in stone. I'm not sure why Hurdle seems to like him - he didn't show a whole lot last year or in Spring.

For some reason I have the feeling Corpas will not make the opening day roster, for some unknown reason.

by avsfan4ever33 on Mar 13, 2007 7:07 PM MDT reply actions

Martin

Veteran - check
Lefty - check

Other than that, I don't see any other reason Hurdle would want him around.

by Russ Oates on Mar 13, 2007 7:26 PM MDT up reply actions

He's the platoon king

he loves the short outing that taxes the rest of the bullpen arms...

by David OhNo on Mar 13, 2007 7:42 PM MDT up reply actions

PA Announcer

I voted for McGahey as well. I thought he was the most energetic when announcing our Rockies, and I thought he had the best voice out of the three.

by avsfan4ever33 on Mar 13, 2007 7:09 PM MDT reply actions

Re:

McGahey sounded like somebody doing a Roach impersonation, and not well. But I didn't like the other two guys, either. There's at least a chance McGahey can get some advice and improve (he's only 22 after all) so he got my vote, but seeing these three auditions only served to make me miss Roach even more (and wish I had applied for the job myself).

Die-hard Rockies fan. On the bandwagon since 4/2/93. Not giving up my seat. EVER.

by Franchise26 on Mar 13, 2007 7:43 PM MDT up reply actions

This is the very reason

that we cannot bank on even a winning season this year. The article shows that once again, the Rockies are far too concerned with platoons for platoon's sake, and place experience afead of talent level.

O'Dowd is still considered a britght guy in many circles, both stat and scout oriented. He's shown he's willing to to try new ideas, and his recent combinations of GB pitchers and solid defense appears to be a good approach. Yet the last few years, he's really hurt the team (along with Hurdle) by putting too much stock in past-there-prime-but-pricey relievers, and bargain basement veterans. This problem is coupled with the erratic use of young pitchers, as we as an overuse of platoon pitching without typical results of a good platoon.

This year looks no different. Putting Buchholz in the pen isn't a problem, but could be a positive, should he perform as he has lately AND the team use him in more than mop up. The problem lies in the insistence of Martin on the staff as the early inning lefty, and Hawkins in the eighth inning role despite a clear degradation of skills over the last three years.

Why must Corpas and Ramirez have their roles in doubt? After Fuentes, they are our two most recently proven relievers, who just happen to have even more upside.

Using Martin for early inning lefties and Affeldt for later inning lefties is rediculous. Those with an understanding of leverage situations know that games are won and lost in the sixth just as much as the eighth, should a critical situation arise, and having an inferior pitcher like Martin in a designated role means the team is always vulnerable to losing games before reaching the strength of the bullpen. If you actually have a lefty that can dominate lefties, use him whenever (okay, we won't use Fuentes like that, but you get the idea). Having a plethora of platoon guys is not only dumb, it taxes the bullpen by having too many short outings. Heaven forbid we just put the best pitchers in the pen that get hitters out regardless of their hand, and if we have a guy that just so happens to be death on left handers than we have our LOOGY.

At least the bullpen has breakout candidates like Buchholz, and to a much smaller degree, Affeldt. Corpas and Ramirez should defeat all comers, but we can't expect them to see meaningful innings until it is plane as day they are superior.

There's a lot to be excited about this season, but as these articles hint at, a well managed bullpen is not one of them. Let's hope the coming mismanagement doesn't kill the contention efforts of this team as it did to last year's...

by David OhNo on Mar 13, 2007 7:42 PM MDT reply actions

Understandable concerns

Hawkins in the eighth sounds like a bad idea, just as Martin in the pen at all sounds like a bad idea. You make great points in pretty much all of your post there. My biggest hope, and unfortunately has to be a hope, is that they will allow there to be open competetion for the 8th inning role and that Hawkins isn't the arbitrary decision for the entire season, the way Mesa was last year. I can't say that I've seen anything to back that logic up, but we'll see. Hopefully, if someone like Corpas or Ramirez is lights out in April, they will start getting the chance to push Hawkins out of the role. Regardless of anything, Hawkins is a one year player, maybe two if he performs passably.

I have a bit more optimism in my pick for our record (over .500), but we'll see...

by MattTheRock on Mar 13, 2007 8:00 PM MDT up reply actions

Hawkins will have to implode

Mesa wasn't stellar, and at times certainly wasn't solid, but with an ERA hovering between three or four, he kept his job. I expect Hawkins to do the same.

Hawkins would have to just be be incapable of holding a lead for a long stretch to leave that role. We're talking old dogs here, and I can't say they took much from last season if Martin is still a cinch to make the bullpen.

by David OhNo on Mar 13, 2007 8:18 PM MDT up reply actions

Hawkins

reeks too much of Mesa in the eighth-inning role from last season. Somebody needs to explain why he is a better option in that role than Corpas.

The Coors Effect... thinking about changing the name to The Humidor Effect.

by Rox Fan in TN on Mar 13, 2007 8:06 PM MDT up reply actions

oh, and plain, not plane...

by David OhNo on Mar 13, 2007 8:20 PM MDT up reply actions

I didn't get to watch the game live

but I did get to watch the replay in (almost) of its entirety thanks to FSN Rocky Mountain. It was fun to watch the game and know what was going to happen, and I was so starved for baseball that it was a beautiful sight for me. The crack of a wooden bat on a ball is truly one of the most wonderful sounds in the world. :)

I'm also excited that the Thursday A's/Rox game will be televised. I get to watch two of my favorites at one go. Ahhh... baseball is good for the soul.

Sparks of Dementia Rockies, A's, and Cards coverage by an amateur if very enthusiastic blogmistress, myself.

by Silverblood on Mar 13, 2007 10:01 PM MDT reply actions

HUH?

Some times I think Ringlesby and his "who's in/who's out" predictions are just way off.....like he's drinking or sleeping, or something too much to actually watch the games.

Listing the best 2 relievers not named Fuentes as having jobs up in the air is just nonsense. Giving a certain job to Martin is just nonsense as well.

I see one open spot in the bullpen (unless Corpas or Rameriz showed up to camp fat and/or lazy...hey it happens) and it's Martin's, which would be nice to go to a lefty...but not neccessarily so. Keppel, Veres, Herges have all done well this spring but all would require making a spot on the 40 man roster...which is going to have to make one with Finley. Any move with Veres, Herges, Gallo, or Keppel means some one is cut from the 40 man rostaer Fogg/Kim looser, Martin, Denny Bautista, Quentinnella, and Gomez are all possible cuts from that 40 roster. So I don't see the Rockies getting too crazy here.

Some times the Cowboy writes out his but..and rides his reputation so that everyone will buy it as knowledgeable. When in fact it's half assed crap.

by Redhawk on Mar 13, 2007 10:04 PM MDT reply actions

One spot on the roster

Since Lopez was cut, there is an opening on the 40 man roster already. The Fogg/Kim loser could create a second.

by lgh77 on Mar 13, 2007 10:29 PM MDT up reply actions

I don't think it's Ringolsby, so much as its

the decision makers on the team, as David OhNo points out. I think Ringolsby just relays the word he's given, and he's usually more accurate than others in the Denver media.

I'm not sure why there's so much love for O'Dowd and Hurdle for Martin either, and my best hope is that the very limited number of innings he's likely to pitch also limits the damage done to the team's chances of winning. I still think the position of most concern that's open is the fifth starter slot, because there you are talking about a lot of innings, and a lot of impact on the team's chances.

So far, Jimenez seems to me to be the best option for that job, but he's #3 on the team's list right now.

by Rox Girl on Mar 14, 2007 12:40 AM MDT up reply actions

This Morning's RMN Hard Copy

The morning copy of the RMN did not include this Ringlesby arcticle. It included Bulcholtz move to the bull pen in a Notes colomn.

It stated this:
Right-hander Taylor Buchholz was officially moved into the bullpen, working the final two innings of the Rockies game. Buchholz joins La Troy Hawkins as the only right handers set with bullpen jobs. Manny Corpas and Ramon Ramirez have the inside tradk fo the two other jobs, but Matt Herges, Bobby Keppel and Dave Veres have had impressive spring starts.

"The Big thing is learning to get ready quicker, " Buchholz said. "I think I will be a good fit. I can go Three , four innings, spot start or come in to get a hitter in a situation."

No mention of the Left hander spots (assumed to be 2), or the closer spot

by Redhawk on Mar 14, 2007 6:57 AM MDT reply actions