Thursday Morning Rockpile:

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Micah Bowie	strained left forearm	4.22.2008
Jason Hirsh	strained right shoulder	3.30.2008
Ryan Speier	bruised right shoulder	5.12.2008
Troy Tulowitzki	torn tendon in left quadriceps	4.30.2008
Luis Vizcaino	strained right shoulder	4.4.2008
Kip Wells	right hand surgery	4.30.2008

Wow injuries are just killing us this year

/O’Dowd’s excuse when he gives up on the season in about three weeks.

by moomacher on May 15, 2008 9:23 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

I haven't heard this excuse

yet….but I’m waiting for it. The Rockies haven’t been hit any harder then other teams…injuries are a part of baseball. It’s why a team tries to have quality depth, cause sooner or later a guy like Barmes will be starting.

And it’s not the reason this team has been so bad. There ARE a LOT of reasons…injuries ain’t one of ‘em.

I’ve been a fan of a lot of bad teams in my past….but this one is the most heart wrenching disappointment. I really wanted a summer where the Rockies were talked about, where when I went to the ball park, we had a great chance of winning, where we had a reason to look at the scoreboard and see how the other teams did that night.

I’m still grieving. In fact I’m in #4
Stages of Grieving:
1. Denial: “It can’t be happening.”
2. Anger: “Why me? It’s not fair.”
3. Bargaining: “Just let me live to see my children graduate.”
4. Depression: “I’m so sad, why bother with anything?”
5. Acceptance: “It’s going to be OK.”

WHAT THE (expletive deleted) IS GOING ON WITH THIS TEAM? YOU ARE THE NATIONAL (expletive deleted) LEAGUE (expletive deleted) CHAMPIONS, START PLAYING LIKE IT!!! WE NOW ARE IN LAST PLACE WITH THE WORST (expletive deleted) RECORD IN THE LEAGUE! THAT IS UNAC-(expletive deleted)-CEPTABLE!! YOU GUYS HAD BETTER SIT DOWN AND TAKE A LONG LOOK AT YOUSELVES AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE (expletive deleted) IS GOING ON BECAUSE THIS TEAM IS TO (expletive deleted) GOOD TO BE PLAYING THIS (expletive deleted)! NOW, I’LL BE IN MY OFFICE IF ANYBODY FIGURES ANYTHING OUT. (SLAMS OFFICE DOOR) courtesy of free7694

by Redhawk on May 15, 2008 9:44 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm right there with you

I managed to put all my reservations about the deplorable offseason lack of action aside and get totally ramped up for this year. As an act of confidence/arrogance, in my Dodger season ticket group I drafted 4 tix to every Rockies game and then conceded the rest of my picks back to the group. (Not that I feel bad about that, as I’ve developed a simmering hatred for Dodger Stadium over the past few years).

I have been unsurprised by the failure of such moves such as: (1) Wells, Redman, Towers and Zambrano; (2) Nix/letting Matsui go; (3) refusing to upgrade CF; (4) projecting all of Morales, Jiminez and Hirsh to be legitimate rotation starters; and (5) bringing Yorvit back seemingly out of some sense of loyalty.

I have been completely broadsided by: (1) Tulo’s utter ineptness prior to the injury; (2) Corpas; (3) Francis (I never have thought he was an ace but never considered he’d be anything like this); (4) NONE of Jiminez, Morales or Hirsh being any good; and (5) Hawpe’s complete lack of improvement, and in fact regression.

Really, Cook is the only positive that I can find in this season. Long way to go, I guess, and I’ll be along for the ride. But man has this start been a buzzkill.

The fact is, there’s no answer other than “playing better.” No plausible trades will save the season, and no call-ups will have a significant impact. Long summer, indeed.

by Teekalong on May 15, 2008 10:01 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lots of "surprises"

just none of them good.

1) Wells, Redman, et al. I had no problem with this. they were going to be #5 starter, long guy 6th starter type…typical talent for this. Problem is at the top of the rotation. Francis I actually saw (not to this extent). He’s a soft throwing lefty. They have to have movement and location to be successful. Francis has never had that great of command. I said last year he had potential to be the next Mark Redman, more than the next Jamie Moyer. I didn’t think it would happen so fast.
2) 2nd base. I actually drank some of this kool-aid. I saw Nix as a bust, but I thought Barmes or Baker would be a surprise, and fill in the hole well enough that it wouldn’t be too much of a killer issue.
3) Willie T: This one is a BIG surprise for me. As a right handed hitting speedster, that has issues hitting I knew one day he would lose that 1/2 step, and really just drop off, and not be able to get on base. I expected that to happen in the future, and after we move Willie to make room for Dexter Fowler. Shocked it happened so fast. Willie is too young for it.
4) I figured out of the young trio one would be a star, one would be good, and up coming, and one would be serviceable. I was wrong on all accounts. Jimenez has looked like a star in the making, but is now just barely serviceable and he’s the best of the lot.
5) I expected a Sophomore slump from Tulo. He was too hyped to avoid it. But his was worse then feared. I hope he’s not our Angel Berroa…but with a big contract. Small sample before he was hurt. I don’t blame him for getting hurt.
2) Corpas Didn’t see that one coming.
5) Hawpe Sadly I did. I think David OhNo summed it up best last year when he compared Hawpe to Kevin Mench. I’ve always thought Hawpe was overrated by Rockies fans. But I didn’t expect him to fall THIS much THIS fast.
6) Helton. We all know a decline is coming but he hit .320 last year. Sure he has little power, but with his walks and 15 HR range, .320 hitter would be a great, especially batting 2 or 3. He looks old and his bat got slow fast. He’s having a hard time just putting the ball in play.
7) Holliday Can’t let this one slide. He looks like he has some place better to be during every at bat this year. I’m surprised by his lack of professionalism and effort. I figured he would be playing for that big Boras Contract.
8) Torrialba didn’t pass the Mets physical. He shouldn’t have pasted the Rockies’. I’ve see 6 year old girls with stronger arms.

there’s my finger pointing. I think I got just about all of ‘em. Takes a team effort to be this bad.

The fact is, there’s no answer other than "playing better." No plausible trades will save the season, and no call-ups will have a significant impact. Long summer, indeed.

quoted for truth

WHAT THE (expletive deleted) IS GOING ON WITH THIS TEAM? YOU ARE THE NATIONAL (expletive deleted) LEAGUE (expletive deleted) CHAMPIONS, START PLAYING LIKE IT!!! WE NOW ARE IN LAST PLACE WITH THE WORST (expletive deleted) RECORD IN THE LEAGUE! THAT IS UNAC-(expletive deleted)-CEPTABLE!! YOU GUYS HAD BETTER SIT DOWN AND TAKE A LONG LOOK AT YOUSELVES AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE (expletive deleted) IS GOING ON BECAUSE THIS TEAM IS TO (expletive deleted) GOOD TO BE PLAYING THIS (expletive deleted)! NOW, I’LL BE IN MY OFFICE IF ANYBODY FIGURES ANYTHING OUT. (SLAMS OFFICE DOOR) courtesy of free7694

by Redhawk on May 15, 2008 10:52 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good points

We can point fingers at O Dowd for not trading for Haren, but given how badly nearly every member of the team has been playing, I’m not sure it would have made a huge difference. I just hope that looking towards next year managment takes a rational of our team and doesn’t just “hope” everything gets better and everyone rediscovers their 2007 form.

by moomacher on May 15, 2008 11:08 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

See... the team's so bad it's spread into our counting skills.

I’m just going to comment on a couple of these as there’s a lot here that’s pretty spot on.

I thought Nix could be okay if given the chance, but like you thought we were in decent shape with depth if he wasn’t. That’s actually proven true, as Quintanilla’s been solid and Barmes has been solid. It’s Tulo’s injury and whatever it was before that which hit us hard. Second base has quickly become one of the least of this team’s issues.

The biggest issues are at the heart of the lineup and in the rotation. Holliday’s uninspired, Atkins only hits when nobody’s on, and Hawpe and Helton just aren’t really producing enough in geneeral. Without that part of the team going, everything else becomes a moot issue.

by Rox Girl on May 15, 2008 11:10 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

But just because 2b isn’t a black hole doesn’t mean its a strength either. Its sad that the fact that our platoon of AAA players just being “not terrible” is something arguably positive to look at in terms of the big picture. But yeah, the real problems are with the high end guys.

by Teekalong on May 15, 2008 11:20 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Home Runs

I know this is ludicrously oversimplistic, but the team is currently 24th in baseball in total home runs. San Diego and Washington have more. team is not going to be successful until it starts getting some easy walks around the basepaths. I’m looking at you, Holliday, Hawpe, and Helton in particular…Atkins gets a quasi-pass because he’s leading the team but he still has fewer HRs than Ryan Church. Pretty sad. We could run Vinny Castilla out there right now and he’d lead the team. Hell, Alex Cole could be in the mix with these warning-track all stars.

by Teekalong on May 15, 2008 9:49 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't really see a lot of pure sluggers on the team

especially when Hawpe isn’t hitting home runs. Holliday, Helton, and Atkins are more doubles guys. Which is awesome at Coors because it leads to big innings. But yeah, a few round trippers would be nice.

by moomacher on May 15, 2008 10:20 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hawpe

swings and misses so much that he should be more of a slugger. I am not surprised that he can’t hit for average, but I’m frankly amazed that he can’t connect on more bombs with that swing.

by Teekalong on May 15, 2008 11:07 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Helton, after 40 games.....

has a grand total of 12 RBI. Now I know that RBI is a “junk stat”, but this has to count for something. He’s on pace for 49 RBI, and yet he’s batting cleanup?

I thought Hurdle made a good move recently by putting Todd in the 2-hole, but that lasted for just a few games. Then, Hurdle goes right back to making the same mistake in thinking it’s 1999, not 2008, in putting Helton back in the cleanup spot.

It isn’t working, either. Just look at last night’s game. In the first inning, with runners on 2nd and 3rd and one out, Helton worked the count, and drew a walk. That’s what he does. He prefers to pass on the job of producing runs on to the next batter. He’s an on-base machine, and nothing more anymore. As for his slugging percentage, it’s .405. The National League average SLG is .408, and that includes all the pitchers hitting numbers!

So, in Todd Helton, you have league-average pop, but really below league-average when factoring out the pitchers’ hitting stats and considering that Coors is still a hitters’ park. Yet our manager somehow wants to think he rightly belongs as a cleanup hitter? Well, if so, someone has to be accountable for failure to produce runs. If Todd isn’t taken to task, and I mean publicly by someone in a position of authority (Charlie Monfort?), then someone has to be taken to task.

Of course, Todd isn’t the only culprit to our rotten first quarter of the season. Atkins, as well as he has hit overall, has stunk with RISP. Hawpe is looking like trade bait to me, and he’s still really just a platoon player. Taveras has been worse on offense than Juan Pierre. Torrealba has been a black hole. Nobody on the team projected as a regular is carrying his weight other than Cook and Atkins (in non-clutch situations). Maybe Holliday is, but the team seems too self-satisfied and has not responded well to its huge success last season. This doesn’t bode well for our future at all.

But Helton’s the “elder statesman” of the team, though he really isn’t THAT old. Are we sure Todd’s contract is a totally untradable?

by GoRoxGo on May 15, 2008 11:09 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Moving Todd

to 2nd makes a lot of sense. He’s becoming Tony Gwynn in the later years…always “good” ABs and on base a lot but no pop, which as you rightfully say is miserably suited for cleanup. And while RBI may be a junk stat to some, I don’ t fully buy into the whole “fortuity of men on base” argument. Maybe in the holistic, long-view sense its not that telling, but in the “did we win yesterday” argument it has a lot of meaning in my opinion.

by Teekalong on May 15, 2008 11:26 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Todd and his Contract

yes. It has an iron clad no trade clause. He would have to approve any trade. Secondly it was back loaded as far as money. He’s about to be paid a ton of money. There is no such thing as totally untradeable, but his is close.

WHAT THE (expletive deleted) IS GOING ON WITH THIS TEAM? YOU ARE THE NATIONAL (expletive deleted) LEAGUE (expletive deleted) CHAMPIONS, START PLAYING LIKE IT!!! WE NOW ARE IN LAST PLACE WITH THE WORST (expletive deleted) RECORD IN THE LEAGUE! THAT IS UNAC-(expletive deleted)-CEPTABLE!! YOU GUYS HAD BETTER SIT DOWN AND TAKE A LONG LOOK AT YOUSELVES AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE (expletive deleted) IS GOING ON BECAUSE THIS TEAM IS TO (expletive deleted) GOOD TO BE PLAYING THIS (expletive deleted)! NOW, I’LL BE IN MY OFFICE IF ANYBODY FIGURES ANYTHING OUT. (SLAMS OFFICE DOOR) courtesy of free7694

by Redhawk on May 15, 2008 12:02 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Todd is not getting traded.

This year or any year.

by Teekalong on May 15, 2008 12:05 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cook vs. Webb

Scott Van Pelt just highlighted tonight’s pitching matchup on his radio show when talking about what to watch tonight. He was talking kind of fast, so I could be mistaken, but I’m pretty sure he said he thinks Cook could take this one.

As bad as the Rockies have been playing, I’m pretty excited for this matchup. The two are a combined 14-1, have won 14 straight starts, and both have ERAs under 2.50. You don’t see a pitching matchup like that every day.

by holly96 on May 15, 2008 1:57 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Most importantly,

in keeping with the GDT discussion of last night, we get to find out exactly WHOSE red beard is better.

Max Scherzer is all out of bubblegum.

by DbacksSkins on May 15, 2008 3:22 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

i dont see why hawpe is being bagged

last year, he hit his first homer of the season the same game in may that tulo got the triple play. hawpe is a steaky hitter. when he is hot he is hot. when he isnt he isnt. he will hit dont worry

todd has been a slow starter all his career too.

Scott Podsenik for center field 08

by roxfan4life on May 15, 2008 2:34 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Tulo's triple play was April 29, 2007.

It’s 16 days after that date in the current season…and Hawpe has been a huge disappointment. He’s not alone, of course, but he’s a lot more part of the problem than the solution.

by moose14 on May 15, 2008 3:18 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs