Saturday Rockpile: Iannetta accepts team USA bid; Rockies Spring Training tickets on sale today

by Rox Girl on Jan 10, 2009 8:08 AM MST in Rockpile Comment 11 comments

Add Chris Iannetta's name to the list of Rockies playing in the WBC, as our catcher has accepted an invitation to participate with Team USA according to a Troy Renck blog post. Iannetta joins Brian McCann as catchers for the US so far.

If you're planning on making a trip down to Hi Corbett Field this Spring, you can purchase your tickets as of today.

Jack Etkin blogs that Carlos Gonalez is still expected to show up for the Rockies winter development program, albeit late due to his Zulia team taking part in the Venezuelan Winter League playoffs. Gonalez has hit .300 during the playoffs with one homerun and a couple of doubles after batting .291 during the regular VWL season.

2008 first round pick Christian Friedrich is already in Denver and talked to Thomas Harding about the slow starts he had in both Tri-City and Asheville this past season, as well as what he expects going forward. The Rockies are considering extending him an invitation to the big league camp in Tucson, as they have done in the past with other collegiate first rounders.

Etkin also mentions that Eric Young Jr. is not going to be at the Rockies winter development camp, opting instead to train with Dexter Fowler and Greg Reynolds among others at the CAA facility in Bradenton, Florida. Jonathan Mayo talks about Young and others participating in MLB's career development program with Vinny Micucci in a video at MLB.com.

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Forgot about this one,

Howard Megdal of the Baseball Talmud notes that with the Jason Marquis trade, the Rockies now have a chance to have two fifths of their rotation be Jewish. I like The Festival of Lights-out nickname, although his title, Marquis and Hirsh and some guys who go to church is also clever.

by Rox Girl on Jan 10, 2009 8:26 AM MST reply actions 1 recs

Lights-out?

Marquis and Hirsh? More like the Festival of Lights-outta-here!

Blast and botheration.

by Silverblood on Jan 10, 2009 10:16 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

::rimshot::

Ceci n'est pas une signature.

by DbacksSkins on Jan 10, 2009 10:23 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

The WBC

Exactly what is the benefit of players going off during spring training and playing in the WBC? Especially with someone as important as a starting catcher. I would think you would want that person at ST working with the pitchers that he will have to handle all season long. I just don’t get it.

by pedalpusher on Jan 10, 2009 8:34 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

With all the starters the Rockies are bringing to camp,

And given all the pitchers we ran through last season, maybe the idea is to give him as much exposure to different pitchers as possible…

by Rox Girl on Jan 10, 2009 8:46 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Well that's all fine and good

but I think i’d rather have him getting exposure to our pitchers. Not to mention having all these new pitchers getting used to him.

by pedalpusher on Jan 10, 2009 8:55 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I was saying that sort of tongue in cheek,

But I should add that while I think there may be some effect, I don’t think it will make too much of a difference over the long course of the season. Since there hasn’t been that much turnover, there are only a handful of pitchers Iannetta’s going to be unfamiliar with, Street, Smith, Marquis and Embree mainly, so I don’t think it will be that big of a deal for him to participate. I think the harm that could come from this for the team is overstated, and the benefit and honor to the player, particularly somebody who has yet to really make a name for himself like Iannetta, outweighs that.

by Rox Girl on Jan 10, 2009 9:18 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Isn't it obvious

the man-crush on Torrealba is alive and well…

by rockieprogress on Jan 10, 2009 10:38 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Please...

NOOOOOO! Not another season of Yorvit!!!!

Eschew Obfuscation!

by Jeff Aberle on Jan 10, 2009 6:35 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I personally think that MLB

needs to drop the WBC and find some way to get to parlay it into the Olympics. It is a much bigger stage and would do wonders for the International baseball movement by having the best players compete ala basketball. I realize that the season is an issue but the advantages outweight the current situation of not having baseball in the Olympics at all.

by PinchHitLancePainter on Jan 10, 2009 12:41 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Olympics

For whatever reason (ratings, poor attendance, low participation, whatever) the Olympics want nothing to do with baseball anymore. It’s just not going to have great international appeal at an event dominated by soccer, basketball, and other sports that attract more worldwide interest than baseball. So f them, and let baseball have a premier event that hopefully will be held in the same regard as the World Cup. The timing of the WBC should be changed though, maybe to early February instead.

by deacs on Jan 10, 2009 4:56 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs