Tuesday Morning Rockpile:

by Russ on Apr 8, 2008 7:59 AM MDT in News

David Ohno mentioned in yesterday's game thread that he didn't know why Cook needs to have a breakthrough season, as Troy Renck has been consistently pushing during the spring. Well, sure enough, Renck has this:

For a team playing as poorly as it did at any point a year ago, Cook established a sense of normalcy. This is the kind of outing that can define a pitcher looking for a breakthrough season.

So, is Cook going to have a breakthrough season? If he follows his own comments we'll get out of him what we always expected:

"One thing that has been a problem for me has been something happens in the first inning and gets away," Cook said. "After I gave up that run, I stepped off the mound and told myself, 'Let's get going here.' "

Breakthrough season? What we always expected out of him? Whatever you want to call it, we definitely want to see more outings like last night instead of trips to the DL.

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Troy Tulowitzki's response upon hearing about Mark Grace's remark on Manny Corpas and vaseline during Sunday's game:

"So does he say the same thing when (baseball's best sinkerballer) Brandon Webb pitches?"

Zing!

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Let's hope U-Ball will also heed the advice Cook gave himself last night and get things going tonight. Less walks, fewer hits, and an inning or two more than last outing and maybe we'll see the start of a breakout for U-Ball.

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Thank you Tracy Ringolsby

I hope this wasn't the printed version. Atleast he responds at the bottom in the replies and admits he made a mistake

by ColoroxWS07 on Apr 8, 2008 8:39 AM MDT 0 recs

Gracie

Fine, maybe the Rockies fans can start booing Grace and knock it off with the Byrnes stuff. The Byrnes booing has become something like "the wave" -- a mindless thing for a crowd to do because it seems like fun.

Byrnes didn't cheat, he didn't hurt anyone, he didn't personally disrespect anyone. He made a dumb remark that's been ridiculously overblown.

I don't know why the booing bugs me the way it does -- it just seems sort of bush league. Boo the guys who play the game the wrong way and act like jerks. Byrnes isn't one of those guys.

by BroJB on Apr 8, 2008 10:13 AM MDT 0 recs

Dude..

Byrnes is the Rockies anti-hero, and he revels in that. Why take it away from him?

There's only one Rocktober!!

by Charlie77 on Apr 8, 2008 10:27 AM MDT up 0 recs

A reason it bugs me

Is that it simply affords Byrnes far too much respect. If the Rockies and D-backs are forming a legit rivalry, than it makes sense that our fans would boo their best players -our greatest nemeses- and vice versa, but Byrnes isn't that guy. I'd rather we save our jeers for Upton or CY.

by Rox Girl on Apr 8, 2008 10:28 AM MDT up 0 recs

Well

We can boo him because he's "the Enemy" and that's cool, I certainly have no problem with that. But to me, I just get angry because he could be our CF right now and instead...well, we have our guy and our rival has him....

by Teekalong on Apr 8, 2008 10:33 AM MDT up 0 recs

speaking of our center fielder

is there anyone out there who would much rather see with spilly get the majority of the starts out there with pods as his relief. As for Willy....I wouldnt be too disapointed to see him wearing a color other than purple....

by 4atjc44 on Apr 8, 2008 5:20 PM MDT up 0 recs

About the Grace/Vaseline comment...

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like perhaps Rockies fans (and even players) are misconstruing what Grace was trying to say. "Vaseline ball" is a nigh-upon-obsolescent nickname for any sort of pitch with sharp break. Knowing Mark Grace's sense of humor, I imagine he really was probably only trying to make a joke and didn't imply that Manny cheated. I feel like the Rockies have better things to worry about right now (like, oh, say, SCORING SOME FREAKIN' RUNS, perhaps?).

by Tyler Boschert on Apr 8, 2008 10:38 AM MDT 0 recs

I love Grace

Mostly due to his Jim Rome appearances, but he definitely thinks Corpas cheats. He made some cracks during the Phillies dustup last year too.

by Teekalong on Apr 8, 2008 10:51 AM MDT up 0 recs

The first time Grace saw Manny pitch against the D-backs last season

-and I'm paraphrasing- He said there's no way he could believe a pitcher could get that kind of movement without greasing the ball, and as Teekalong asserts, brought it up again against the Phillies photos made it seem like Manny had something under the brim of his cap, and then this Spring. It's not an isolated crack, but a consistent point he feels the need to mention every time he calls a Rockies game. If it is indeed a joke, it's a worn out and tired one.

by Rox Girl on Apr 8, 2008 10:54 AM MDT up 0 recs

Cripes....

I post my reply, and then see this comment. Ugh...

Welp, I'm an idiot.

So can we Expect Gracey to call out Jake Peavy when they meet up next weekend?

by GreeleyRoxFan on Apr 8, 2008 10:59 AM MDT up 0 recs

Hmmm.

Well, that changes things. Substantially.

I wasn't aware of that, but if he was drinking the Kool-Aid (pun DEFINITELY intended) about Corpas' jersey in Philadelphia, then he needs to STFU just as badly as 90% of broadcasters.

by Tyler Boschert on Apr 8, 2008 11:21 AM MDT up 0 recs

The first time he saw Manny pitch

He said something to the effect of, because Manny throws 96 rather than 86 (or whatever Webb throws), that means he must be putting something on the ball. In other words, you're allowed to get that kind of movement if you throw in the 80s, but not if you throw in the upper 90s.

by Tom (RFTN) on Apr 8, 2008 11:22 AM MDT up 0 recs

Grace has been running his mouth

about opposing players since he was playing. I'm not surprised that he does this when someone gives him a microphone and more than 2 seconds of airtime. Grace please STFU and just call the game.

She said, hey ramblin' boy, why don't you settle down? Denver is your kind of town, there is the gold and there ain't nobody like WE, the number one fans of the man named Tulo-witzki!

by The Lodo Magic Man on Apr 8, 2008 12:36 PM MDT up 0 recs

That's the thing about TV commentators

Unlike radio commentators, who are absolutely necessary, TV commentators don't have as much to do; you can see the game for yourself so they don't have to tell you what's happening. So they insert all sorts of bizarre commentary.

by Tom (RFTN) on Apr 8, 2008 12:42 PM MDT up 0 recs

That's exactly how I took it

my biggest problem is that this type of behavior is simply irresponsible. It's not his place to determine who he thinks is and is not cheating on the air, without substantial evidence beyond a hard sinker.

What would happen to Gary Thorn if during the middle of an ESPN broadcast between the Yankees and Orioles, he made the comment that A-Rod just missed a homer because he'd been off his steroid cycle?

His job is to be opinionated, but not slanderous.

by David OhNo on Apr 8, 2008 5:46 PM MDT up 0 recs

Agreed

Mark Grace was just trying to be affable. My perception of his comments were that there was no malice, and no ill-will.

Honestly his comments remind me of Bob Eucker (Spelling) announcing during the movie 'Major League'.

Remember, Mark Grace is an employee of FSN-AZ, and former ballplayer with the D-Backs. Like most of us, he's got loyalty to his team, and employer, and thats going to come across in his call of the game. This game was a regional broadcast intended for D-Backs fans. Of course the call is going to be skewed.

Had this been a FoX game of the week and he made that comment, I'd be OK with RockiesNation getting our collective fanny-packs in a bunch. Otherwise, lets just concentrate on getting back to .500, and spoiling Arizona's upcoming homestand.

by GreeleyRoxFan on Apr 8, 2008 10:56 AM MDT up 0 recs

Except in Major League

the guy actually WAS putting stuff on the ball. :)

by Tom (RFTN) on Apr 8, 2008 11:23 AM MDT up 0 recs

A Pitcher Doctoring a baseball?

tell it to this guy:

What am going to do with all these "Jeff Baker for 2nd" bumper stickers?

by Redhawk on Apr 8, 2008 11:30 AM MDT up 0 recs

Huh-huh

"Gaylord."

by Tom (RFTN) on Apr 8, 2008 11:30 AM MDT up 0 recs

Just a short update

The red sox will recieve their rings today and the banner will also be raised, so much for not enough time huh kelli mcgregor

by ColoroxWS07 on Apr 8, 2008 11:27 AM MDT 0 recs

I think a better way to handle your ceremony

Is to wait until your biggest rival, in this case the Yankees, comes to town...Then hold a weekend long celebration tauting your previous years accomplishments. Make sure that the visiting team is up on the top stair of the dugout glaring you down the entire time.

by GreeleyRoxFan on Apr 8, 2008 12:43 PM MDT 0 recs

I think we just tried that...

It didn't get us very far....

Watching the purple row from high atop the big brown monolith on California Ave

by Mondogarage on Apr 8, 2008 1:46 PM MDT up 0 recs

Red Sox blog

From their ceremony before the first pitch. WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY out did the rox.

by ColoroxWS07 on Apr 8, 2008 3:06 PM MDT up 0 recs

Is this going to be one of those things

that you moan to your grandkids about forty years from now as they all nod and say "sure gramps" and look for ways to escape the room?

Because those are the best kinds of grudges. I've got one with Johnny Rockets where once this waitress completely ignored my friends and I and then overcharged my credit card (she added one of my friends' bills to mine) and we complained and told her to fix it, but she wouldn't and then we had the manager come out and tell us that we were at fault and while he separated out my friends' charge, he added an 18% gratuity charge to both our bills, which I guess was legal because they stated they may do so in the menu.

Anyway, not going back to that particular chain, ever, and have a good way of torturing the grandkids down the line. I think it's kind of a win.

by Rox Girl on Apr 8, 2008 4:16 PM MDT up 0 recs

Hey new to this blog

hopin the rockies start playing better...cya all later on for the game

by TuLoRocks2008 on Apr 8, 2008 3:15 PM MDT 0 recs

Welcome!

There are a LOT of 'Tulo Rox' kind of screennames, or so I've noticed...just goes to show who the next face of the franchise will be. :)

The Rockies have improved in the pitching and fielding part since the opener, and actually a bit on the hitting...so I don't think you have to worry that this will be a permanent ailment. :)

by Squeaky on Apr 8, 2008 4:47 PM MDT up 0 recs