Wednesday Rockpile: The Colorado Rockies can't escape Livan Hernandez

by Russ on Sep 17, 2008 7:17 AM MDT in Rockpile

Seriously, Livan Hernandez gets kicked out of the rotation after his struggles, to put it lightly, only to be put back in after the Rockies announce Jeff Francis won't pitch for the rest of the season? That's just the way the season has gone. Livan Hernandez says, "I am going to throw everything and give us a chance to win." I believe I wrote this once before: Sometimes throwing your best just isn't good enough. Sometimes your best sucks. Let's hope Francis returns to form in 2009, since we don't need the Rockies bringing in more pitchers to patchwork a rotation, if you can call it that.

Garrett Atkins wants to forget this season, put the possibility of a trade in the off-season aside, and just play ball for the Rockies. How true will Atkins's last supposition be years from now?

The RMN obtained a copy of the Rockies' 2009 schedule. I'm looking forward to that four-game series at Citi Field at the end of July. May Citi Field be kinder to the Rockies than Shea Stadium has over the last few years.

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Ok.

I’ve always been on the fire Hurdle bandwagon partially, but never really screamed about it.

But this is the last straw…

Don’t let one of our young guns get everything together to finish the season and get that head on his shoulders straight. Let Livan start, he needs his reps.

I’m sure you all get my point, so I’m not going into detail. This is outrageous. The guy does not belong on our team [Hurdle and Livan].

by roxintober on Sep 17, 2008 7:53 AM MDT 0 recs

Sorry for the double post...

This is exactly what is wrong with the Rockies. They want to get a good look at young players to finish out the season, but they have Livan starting instead. Just like they had Redman and Towers starting at AAA all year and just clogging things out down there. The guy is clearly a failure, and there isn’t the upside there that Reynolds/Hirsh have, due to his age.

I’m just kind of upset, can you tell?

And wait, Fowler won’t get back to back starts I suppose.

by roxintober on Sep 17, 2008 7:56 AM MDT up 0 recs

I agree

that it makes no real sense in terms of the goal of player development, I guess I’m just not that upset about it because Hirsh and Reynolds have had a full year to earn some reps, and they have utterly failed to do it by any measure other than the fortuity of being younger. We gain nothing by starting Livan, but maybe we are actually finally putting in some sort of standards of performance here by telling the kids that they won’t start unless they earn it (and I know its a contradiction because certainly Livan hasn’t earned it—but we don’t care about teaching Livan any lessons). Whatever. Just stay out of 4th place, please.

by Teekalong on Sep 17, 2008 10:52 AM MDT up 0 recs

I have no problem

with guys like Redman and Towers getting starts at AAA when they’re not blocking any prospects. On a certain level, you need guys like that down in AAA who you can call up for a spot start if they’re needed, and you don’t have a prospect who’s ready. I’d have had a problem if Brandon Hynick were having a good season and deserved a shot in AAA, but as it was, he didn’t have too good of a year and so it wasn’t hurting anybody to have three-fifths of the Colorado Springs rotation consist of Redman, Towers, and Koronka.

Where you are correct, and where I also have a problem, is in giving starts to a guy like Livan Hernandez right now. In some situations, throwing Livan out there every fifth day is fine: if you’re in the middle of a pennant race and somebody gets hurt, and you can’t afford to take any chances; as a stopgap at the beginning of the season when you have a prospect who’s not quite ready. This is not one of those situations. The Rockies are going nowhere in 2008, and unless they are seriously considering placing Livan Hernandez in the starting rotation in 2009 (in which case I’ll probably shoot myself), there is no point in doing this. Unless there’s some unstated reason, like that they’re afraid Franklin Morales will hurt his confidence even further, this is absolutely pointless.

by Tom (RFTN) on Sep 17, 2008 11:41 AM MDT up 0 recs

Went to the game last night…last one for me on the season. Great weather, great stadium, nice to see a good performance from the team. I’ll miss baseball, Rockies Dogs, Ultimate Nachos, and Tornadoughs until next year.

I know this isn’t a real goal to care about, but I really want to finish ahead of the Giants and in 3rd place.

This off season, I hope the correct moves are made to put a better product on the field next year.

Thought Clint Hurdle should be fired before it was cool.

by Redhawk on Sep 17, 2008 8:09 AM MDT 0 recs

Here's a thought

Reynolds clearly has no business throwing at major league hitters right now, and threw 46 pitches two days ago. Hirsh should get a shot, but just threw 44 pitches the day before yesterday — he simply can’t start today.

Shelving Francis is definitely the right thing to do. He’s not 100%, and there is absolutely nothing gained in throwing him out there today, risking injury. But why bitch at Hurdle about throwing Livan? Who else are you going to give today’s start to, aside from possibly Rusch (which gets the team nothing more long term over starting Livan).

Seriously, if not Livan, who would you throw today?

I see the Livan start as the Rockies lining up a rotation to give Hirsh (and probably even Reynolds) one start next week on something akin to normal rest.

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

by Mondogarage on Sep 17, 2008 11:58 AM MDT 0 recs

This is a good point

It must be noted, though, that unlike Livan, Rusch at least has several good starts in a Rockies uniform.

by Tom (RFTN) on Sep 17, 2008 12:02 PM MDT up 0 recs

From a performance standpoint

I’d have rather seen Rusch start toda, no doubt. I just don’t see it making any difference in the grand scheme of things. Given that the season is lost, I suspect Hurdle’s letting Livan have one more chance to audition for other clubs for next season (because he sure ain’t coming back here). Say what you will about Livan, but at least half the managers in the game would do the same thing for a long time vet, when there’s actually nothing at stake for your team.

He wouldn’t do that in the games against the Dodgers or D’Backs, but it makes him no better or worse a manager in the present circumstance.

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

by Mondogarage on Sep 17, 2008 12:32 PM MDT up 0 recs

Thanks for saying

what I’ve been thinking the whole time in reading that angry post directed at starting Livan. Although no one is excited to see Livan pitch, and we all hope he is not a part of the Rockies’ future, what other choices are there? Morales is not an option either since he is already headed for the instructional leagues. So in short, our 3 young gun options of Hirsh, Reynolds, and Morales, none of the 3 are available to pitch today.

I am glad to see the team get smart and start thinking about next year by shutting Francis down early. Obviously his workload last year was a lot more than he was used to, and may have contributed to shoulder troubles this year, so shutting him down and getting ready for next year is smart. I wish Hirsh was available today, cause I would like to see him pitch, but by pitching in Reynolds’ blow up game he is not available. And as said above, I think it is setting the rotation to give both another start this year.

by smokinRox on Sep 17, 2008 12:30 PM MDT up 0 recs