Tuesday Morning Rockpile: The Return of Josh Fogg?

by Russ Oates on May 6, 2008 8:22 AM MDT in Rockpile Comment 24 comments

Dave Krieger explains why we saw Yorvit Torrealba pinch hit for Scott Podsednik:

Sometimes, National League managers seem to love the double switch so much it becomes an end in itself. With Taveras having run for Iannetta earlier in the inning - a center fielder for a catcher - it was just so symmetrical to hit Torrealba for Podsednik - a catcher for a center fielder - even though Podsednik was hitting 70 points higher than Torrealba.

So much for a symmetrical move working out. A little asymmetry is not going to kill anyone.

The Rockies signed Todd Ritchie to a minor league contract and sent him to extended spring training. He last pitched in the majors during the 2004 season for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. It doesn't hurt to see what Ritchie can do, but really? Ritchie's had one good season and that was in the last century. He was a 15-game winner for the Pirates in 1999 with 3.49 ERA that season, his career low. Nice to see a guy attempt a comeback, but at 36 (37 in November) what can we expect out of him? Yes, I already know the responses to that question.

There's also a bit in the last link on Kip Wells, his surgery, and the surgery his daughter recently had.

If Todd Ritchie isn't the solution to the Rockies' pitching woes, maybe the Dragonslayer is? Or Julian Tavarez? Or Rich Harden? Or Joe Blanton? Or Kevin Millwood? The first two names are the most likely candidates to don Rockies uniforms as the club waits for Morales to show improvement, for Reynolds to be ready in a month, and for Hirsh to return from his injury. As O'Dowd says, he's looking for a guy to make a few starts between now and sometime in June. Morales makes his first Triple-A start Sunday in the meantime.

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The Hurdle management of the 8th inning was

deplorable. I can understand pinch running Taveras but the Yorvit at bat was absolutely ridiculous. Putting a non contact guy in a pure contact situation. Furthermore, why Barmes was not used then or at least when Omar was next in a lefty/lefty with two outs made no sense.

Ubaldo’s pitch management to Pinero when he is ahead 0-2 also demonstrated why he will likely join his buddy in CS soon.

by PinchHitLancePainter on May 6, 2008 8:52 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Ubaldo won't be going to the Springs

He’s out of options, and I guarantee that another club would jump on the chance to pick him up. Any demotion will be to the BP.

by Rox R Champs on May 6, 2008 8:57 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Krieger

actually had a good point in is column today about Jimenez. And that is is struggles could be over looked especially with his promise, and flashes of dominance if he were the Rockies #5 starter. But the problem is….Uballo isn’t the Rockies #5 starter.

And I’ll put it here: Also in the paper, Rockies starters lead the NL in Walks. Were #1!

2nd base....anyone? Who hasn't played there yet? Holliday @ 2nd...Spillbourghs in LF

by Redhawk on May 6, 2008 9:14 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Everyone

Watched the World Series. And what did they learn? If you don’t chase against our guys, you will get walked or you will get a 3-1 fastball right down the pipe. On the flipside, they also learned that our hitters like to go after first pitches and love to try to pull outside breaking balls. I know its probably a lot more complicated than that, but sometimes it seems like we’re playing the Sox all the time…and the guys making us look bad now are not Ortiz and Beckett.

In my humble opinion, this team and management and front office simply rested on its laurels in the offseason. No adjustments, no additions, and figuring everyone will simply get better because…well, they’re a year older. It was pure arrogance, coming from a place where the absence of arrogance was one of the primary keys to success.

I, like many longtime fans, thought last year was finally the breakthrough, where the success would start building on itself and the franchise would finally be rolling downhill. Its not too late for that, but I just don’t know how these guys can turn it around. Questions are a lot easier than answers, and I think the Good Guys are proving that in spades this year.

by Teekalong on May 6, 2008 10:00 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I take it

you think we might have some coaching issues?

2nd base....anyone? Who hasn't played there yet? Holliday @ 2nd...Spillbourghs in LF

by Redhawk on May 6, 2008 12:42 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well

If Teekalong doesn’t, I sure do. To quote Squeaky from my Vocabulary Fanpost: “Insanity: 1. Doing the same thing over and expecting different results.”

The repetitive nature of the Rockies’ mistakes sends me a strong message that Hurdle and his staff keep saying something to the effect of “Well, I’m sure he won’t do that again.” And that’s the end of it. Seems to me that there should be a whole lot more coaching going on, and whole lot less of waiting for the day when everything magically works itself out.

I’m not on any fireclinthurdle.com bandwagon by any means. But if these blunders keep happening, I might be.

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings. ~ Earl Wilson

by rockhead on May 6, 2008 1:19 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I certainly think

Coaching is a big part of it, but I also think that the complete lack of offseason maneuvering was deplorable. Think of it this way: if we didn’t come back against Hoffman in #163, I think many here still would have felt pretty good about the strides the team made. But following that, if all we did was add Kip Wells and Vizcaino, resign Yorvit, and promote Nix, would ANYONE have felt like that was enough to make the team competitive again? I can’t imagine so. Indeed, I think most of us thought the team needed substantial improvement despite the WS appearance, but its hard to be too critical in the afterglow of the magical run.

I don’t know. There are so many places to point fingers that its really not worth the time. The bottom line is that everyone is underachieving right now, and unless there is a dramatic change across the board, this summer is going to be filled with meaningless games.

by Teekalong on May 6, 2008 1:30 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

walks...

That’s impressive that the starters are first in walks, especially given that Cook isn’t walking anybody and the others rarely make it out of the 5th inning.

by DenverBears on May 6, 2008 12:18 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

ug

I actually hadn’t thought of it in that light. That makes it even worse

2nd base....anyone? Who hasn't played there yet? Holliday @ 2nd...Spillbourghs in LF

by Redhawk on May 6, 2008 12:42 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Could not agree more...

I was at the game last night and was dumbfounded at Hurdle’s moves in the eighth.

I might have missed it, but did any of the intrepid local media ask why he batted Torrealba for Podsednik, and then left Quintanilla in?

Also appropriate would have been someone asking Mike Gallego (or Hurdle) if Herrera was to blame for Pujols scoring. No doubt, it was a tough play for a rookie in his first week as a big-leaguer. Give Pujols credit, but that play shouldn’t succeed at this level.

by alex colfax on May 6, 2008 10:56 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm still fuming.

Yorvie should not have been put in right there. I don’t see putting Willy T in really does anything for defensive reasons, so I don’t even get this. The coaching staff seems to thing OBP doesn’t mean anything anymore. “I’d rather a pop-out that scores a run than a walk that scores a run with the bases loaded.”

Getting on = productive.

by roxintober on May 6, 2008 5:36 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like Fogg and all

but he hasn’t exactly pitched well for the Reds this year. And reading between the lines he may be on the verge of getting DFA’d.

by moomacher on May 6, 2008 9:06 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Sounds

like he’ll fit right in

2nd base....anyone? Who hasn't played there yet? Holliday @ 2nd...Spillbourghs in LF

by Redhawk on May 6, 2008 9:15 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

If I

had Homer Bailey, I’d DFA Fogg in order to bring him up.

"Don't give up the ship!" - Capt. James Lawrence

Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!

by Russ Oates on May 6, 2008 9:24 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Regardless of what Fogg's doing in the Great American Band Box

I’d personally love to see him back here.

Every day is a Holliday!

by free7694 on May 6, 2008 11:01 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I am curious as to your statement about Reynolds being ready in a month????
What is the deal with that?

by cdavis2488 on May 6, 2008 12:19 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

That's actually

what O’Dowd says in the linked article. Of course, O’Dowd qualifies that by saying “should be ready.”

"Don't give up the ship!" - Capt. James Lawrence

Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!

by Russ Oates on May 6, 2008 12:30 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's not that far fetched

Reynolds was awful his first few outings, but lately has been remarkably efficient. With four starters who can’t go six innings, it would be nice to have another like Cook who can go eight without tossing 150 pitches.

by Rox Girl on May 6, 2008 1:17 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't like

some of these MLBTR.com comments regarding Julian Taveras:

I don’t think Tavarez has all that much value on the market right now. Rubber arm or no, he hasn’t really pitched well since ‘04 or ‘05 with the Cards.

Take Tavarez…please.

I’m going to ahead and throw my hat into the Bring Back Josh Fogg ring.

by oo_nrb on May 6, 2008 1:48 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

He's younger

But in looking at both pitcher’s stats this year, it is a coin toss. I think I’d prefer to see Fogg back, just due to clubhouse chemistry, and the fact that he would probably come cheap, particularly if he is DFAed.

by Rox R Champs on May 6, 2008 2:29 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

O' Dowd seems to be

stockpiling pitchers other teams’ fans are happy to see leave.

by moomacher on May 6, 2008 3:25 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lots of good ideas in here

And good complaints. Against the manager, against O’Dowd, against coaching, and against all those walks.

I said it in last night’s game thread, but I’ll say it again:
I would REALLY like to see some leadership from SOMEONE, because I am NOT seeing it from Hurdle. There is no urgency, just "be patient, it will get better." With this attitude, the Rockies will be struggling all season long. Hurdle is in charge of the team and it’s his responsibility to create a winning attitude, which he doesn’t. He’s a great manager for when the team’s doing well, don’t get me wrong. He makes the right choices then and he keeps them just grounded enough so they don’t get too high and get sloppy. But when it’s not, there’s no creation of the winning attitude, but almost an acceptance of mediocrity. What this team needs right now is a strong leader to stand up and get these guys back on track.

It should tell you something that a team with this much talent is doing so badly.

I also agree with everyone who is upset with O’Dowd. Add him to the list of people who do not create a winning attitude. Buying all the other team’s castoffs and hoping people get better in the meantime is a ridiculous way to manage a team.

Someone, PLEASE, stand up and say something, because it’s not going to come from the front office or the manager.

www.notthisday.com ....coming September 26th and 27th at the Pinnacle Event Center, Denver.

by Squeaky on May 6, 2008 4:26 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Correct...

Why didn’t we pick up Torre rather than Wells/Towers/Redman/De La Rosa/Giles/..................

Could have been the biggest move.

by roxintober on May 6, 2008 5:19 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Leadership

You have it right that there is a lack of leadership on this team, but it lies as much with the players as managment.

Any team that relies on a rookie/1st year player (Tulo) for inspiration is in trouble over the long haul. Leadership is should be earned with time and experience. The odds are very long of even the best rookie/1st year player (as I believe Tulo is) maintaining the level of play necessary to speak the truth to veterans.

We have too many “quiet” leaders on this team, such as Helton, Holliday, Cook and Atkins, who would rather lead by example than be vocal and call out those who could be playing smarter or producing more (Hawpe, Torrealba, Francis, and Fuentes).

O’Dowd decided to roll the dice on maintaining the status quo. And Hurdle’s management skills are a work in progress, to be kind. Both deserve a large share of the blame.

But they don’t play the game. The veterans on this team need to draw a line in the sand and say “NO MORE! We are too good for this @#x%x”. It is way past time for our superstar (Holliday) to assert his leadership skills.

by Drewan on May 6, 2008 5:54 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs