Saturday Morning Rockpile:

by Rox Girl on Jun 7, 2008 10:51 AM MDT in Rockpile

Record before Jhoulys Chacin became the OPRSW: 20-37

Record since Jhoulys Chacin became the OPRSW: 3-1

Concidence? I think not. Chacin may have had yet another quality start last night, but he's been terrible to the Rockies.BOO CHACIN!

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So what was the best part about winning last night? Finally backing up one of U-ball's decent starts? Brad Hawpe showing some punch? Garrett Atkins coming through in a high leverage close and late situation? Jeff Baker continuing his good run? Staying just ten games behind Arizona? I don't know, there's so much that happened on the offensive side of things last night that we've been lacking in all season that it's difficult to choose what was most important. It would have been nice if some of them happened before the eighth inning, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth on this.

If we are to rally this year, something which remains a dubious proposition at best still, we'll need everything we had last night more consistently going forward. At the very least, though, with Todd Helton's surge and Hawpe's return, it looks like we're starting to get some big run producing hits by our left handers finally. Add that to what may be another quality bat off the bench against LOOGY's in Baker, and the recipe for success seems to be coming together..

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Recognizing a Bum when you see it

Thanks to Purple Row the season may be saved yet. These Bums need to be pointed out and blamed accordingly. Another good thing here is the fact that perhaps we can keep Chacin around. We may not have to cut him loose after all. We can instead snicker at him and point fingers.

“Hey, there goes the Bum who almost blew the whole season! But we rooted him out and Blamed everything on him and it all turned out okay.”

by roxhead on Jun 7, 2008 11:08 AM MDT 0 recs

CAN WE PLEASE!!?!?!?!?

I WANT TO SEE TODD HELTON IN THE LEAD-OFF SPOT.

As the great men at FireJoeMorgan.com say, stealing bases is more important than actually getting on base.

by roxintober on Jun 7, 2008 11:55 AM MDT 0 recs

You're not

serious, right?

by rosenthal on Jun 7, 2008 12:28 PM MDT up 0 recs

I'm absolutely serious.

While Spilly is a good alternative as well, I believe speed in baseball is partially overrated. Sure a guy can steal 70 bases in a season, but what good is it when his OBP is .298?

With Helton’s great OBP (as always), but his decreased power, he’s no longer a 3-5 kinda guy, and you want to take advantage of his OBP in front of our 3-5 guys. So 1-2 in the line up is perfect for Helton.

Helton in the lead off spot would result in a batter on with 0 outs to start a game 20% more of the time.

Oh, and Helton has 5 less K, 10 more walks, and 20 more hits. I could care less about steals, as Helton has 42 more total bases.

by roxintober on Jun 7, 2008 12:38 PM MDT up 0 recs

I completely

misread your statement. I thought you were arguing for a fast guy at the top of the order.

Yes, Todd Helton would be perfect in the leadoff spot, much like Wade Boggs was.

by rosenthal on Jun 7, 2008 12:41 PM MDT up 0 recs

Oh haha.

Willy T is out of his element. If we can’t trade him, he should be used only as a pinch runner.

No body with under .300 OBP should be allowed to start ever in Coors Field.

by roxintober on Jun 7, 2008 12:43 PM MDT up 0 recs

I like the Spilly idea the best

He’s not really a run producer, but he’s a great pest, exceptional at getting on by hook or crook, won’t get DP’d as frequently as Todd would, and score more often on long doubles or singles once he moves to second.

Has anybody else been worried about how empty Atkins’ BA is this year? His ability to get on by any way other than the base hit has been going south the last three seasons, but this year, he’s been pretty terrible at seeing ball four.

by Rox Girl on Jun 7, 2008 12:57 PM MDT up 0 recs

Atkins is inching closer

to a sub .800 OPS, which is less than ideal at his position and stage of his career. He should be peaking but he’s not. The ISO is also sub .200 this year, which means too many of his hits simply fall for singles, and Coors is still a high XBH park.

What has improved over last year is his RZR, BUT it’s still way down from his first two years, and with RZR being up around the league at third, he’s still the third worst defensive third baseman in the league (among qualifiers).

There are a lot of empty numbers littered throughout his stat sheet, but they were all ignored when he was batting .330. Now that he’s not, maybe it’s time they consider shopping him, his value may not be higher…

by David OhNo on Jun 7, 2008 1:22 PM MDT up 0 recs

NOBODY UNDER....

.350 OBP!!!!

by 91 wins in 08 on Jun 7, 2008 2:10 PM MDT up 0 recs

I get to go to the game tonight

for the first time in ten months. (Yes, I got to miss all the Rocktober madness due to being on the opposite side of the country. My sister got to go to it. I hate her). In any case, I can’t wait. I figure they will lose, in which case they will either meet or exceed my expectations.

We are all dead.

by Silverblood on Jun 7, 2008 1:06 PM MDT 0 recs

Way to set the bar low!

That was what we all forgot to do before the season started, kind of like forgetting to pack a toothbrush for a trip and now that we’re a third of the way into the season we’re all scrambling to find a drugstore nearby that sells anticipation of Rockies related misery. I picked up a travel bottle at CVS for $1.99 last week, but it seems to be running out now that we’ve won three in a row.

by Rox Girl on Jun 7, 2008 1:18 PM MDT up 0 recs

I haven't been to Coors since my birthday, August 24

in which they, curiously enough, staged a late five-run comeback to win. (Against the Nats, not the Brewers, but still). Tonight is Tulo bobblehead night, so Squeaky, AtkinsandTulofan, and I are just going to enjoy the ambiance and do our damdest to get young G-Rey his first big league win (but not be TOO surprised if it doesn’t happen…) At least I kind of like the Brew Crew, mainly for all their help last season. I’m just looking forward to being back to the place that was the seat of so many good memories last year. (I shall say nothing about the current ones. Repress. Repress).

We are all dead.

by Silverblood on Jun 7, 2008 2:33 PM MDT up 0 recs

Surely you'll get to see Ianetta start

Even Hurdle wouldn’t run Yorvit out there again & miss ruining the winning streak.

Would he?

There is a bright side to the '08 season.
Barry Bonds & Roger Clemens are out of baseball.

by maris61 on Jun 7, 2008 1:16 PM MDT 0 recs

Hhahahahah!

Very funny. :)

In all honesty, I highly doubt we’ll see Iannetta catch. Which is highly annoying.

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

by Squeaky on Jun 7, 2008 2:15 PM MDT up 0 recs

It's a Denver sports thing

Nuggets: Played Anthony Carter despite the fact that he was quite possibly the worst starter in the league and that every lineup combination NOT involving him had better statistical results than the lineups involving him. The fact that he started all season instead of JR Smith is the reason the Nuggets didn’t make it out of the first round. I hate him.
Broncos: Javon Walker was inexplicably held out of just about every meaningful possession all season, despite the fact that, you know, he’s among the most talented receivers in the league. Difficult concept to master, I’m sure.
Avs: Hockey isn’t a sport anymore, so who cares?

by rosenthal on Jun 7, 2008 2:29 PM MDT up 0 recs

In all seriousness

My patience with Yorvit is at an all-time low. Especially since Iannetta, for god sakes, was one of the three players profiled on RAA as having a hot start. Everyone except our manager realizes it. (Where have I heard this before.?) Iannetta is just rounding into form and Yorvit is worse than ever… and we’re stuck with him next year as well. The win last night momentarily postponed an all-purpose angry diary I was going to write, Yorvit among one of the chief topics, but I expect it’ll come around soon enough…. (I would really, really like this to be the start of a hot streak, but of course I’m not holding my breath).

We are all dead.

by Silverblood on Jun 7, 2008 2:35 PM MDT up 0 recs

Best part about winning

is winning. Too little of that this season. Otherwise, I have to give a tie to Fankles in the clutch and Hawper’s first-pitch smash. The sound of ball-to-bat when Brad swung was the sweetest music I’ve heard in ages. You knew that ball was gone. I loved it. Reminded me of days of old. (Well, maybe not old, but of a certain time commonly known at Rocktober.)

Blame the Red Sox!

by rockhead on Jun 7, 2008 5:32 PM MDT 0 recs