Colorado Rockies 10, Arizona Diamondbacks 3: Todd Helton, Brad Hawpe hit the way to victory, Jason Marquis equally impressive on mound

by Russ Oates on Mar 30, 2009 7:32 PM MDT in Game Wrap Comment 61 comments

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jason Marquis warms up to pitch the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during a spring training baseball game in Tucson, Ariz., Monday, March 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

10 months ago: Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jason Marquis warms up to pitch the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during a spring training baseball game in Tucson, Ariz., Monday, March 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

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Did this game come with an asterisk? You know, that this game will count in place of next Monday's game if the Rockies lose the season opener. Jason Marquis was on today, minus the two-run homer by Josh Whitesell. He went five innings and struck out five. Now that's what we wanted to see out of Marquis in his previous outings. As we learned a few days ago, some of Marquis's teammates voiced concerns over his performance to date, but today hopefully quieted those doubts:

"It definitely feels good,’’ said Marquis. "It can erase away any doubts the coaches and my teammates had. I got back to basics and let my athletic ability take over.’’

Please repeat this performance when you start the home opener, Jason!

Todd Helton's back and ready to rock. He went 4-for-4 with two RBI and two doubles. Brad Hawpe chimed in with a three-run blast in the four-run first inning.

Todd "I'm Back" Helton

#17 / First Base / Colorado Rockies

Height: 6-2

Weight: 210

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Aug 20, 1973

Big Question: WIll we see today's versions of Todd Helton and Jason Marquis during the regular season on a consistent basis?

Miscellaneous News: Give early congratulations to Seth Smith and his wife on the birth of their first child, expected on Wednesday. Josh Fogg was reassigned to minor-league camp. There should be a news alert at the top of the page about SBN going down at 5:30 am EST. We'll be down for two hours, but when we come back we should have some new stuff for y'all to enjoy.

Thanks to DbacksSkins, Tom (RFTN), Jabberwocky, pedalpusher, frightenedinmate#2, RoxnSox09, Hizilla, Mondogarage, Silverblood, jrockies, Rox Girl, Chacinisthefuture, holly96, RockiesDave, biondino, muzia02, TuLoRocks2008, RockiesMagicNumber, Rockie4Ever, holliday5, mkorpal, blooming rock, Redhawk, smokinRox, pierzynskirules, rockiesfan4ever, Klingb00, and Poseidon's Fist for setting a spring training record of 845 comments (and still rising) in two game threads.

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Congrats of reaching the 11000 mark

by RockiesDave on Mar 30, 2009 8:02 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Seconded!

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 30, 2009 9:02 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks.

"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln

Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!

by Russ Oates on Mar 30, 2009 9:16 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

And I'm

only 79 away from 10K posts just on Purple Row after posting this.

"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln

Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!

by Russ Oates on Mar 30, 2009 9:19 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hmmm.....

I’m still at 27K+ at the ’Pit, but coming up on 4K at PR.

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 30, 2009 9:30 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow....

next highest is Hogs Haven, at 610….

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 30, 2009 9:31 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's nothing!

1588 total, 1542 at PR….oh wait

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Mar 30, 2009 9:32 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

And like

3 at Hogs Haven

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 30, 2009 9:36 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd like to answer that question

Yes, Todd Helton will bat a perfect 1.0 throughout the season. It will do things like make the Rockies reach the playoffs and make my Todd Helton rookie card increase substantially in value (sadly, my Mo Vaughn rookie card will still remain valued at less than a dollar).
Things Todd Helton batting 1.0 will not do: get him into the Hall of Fame due to the widespread belief that a 1.0 at Coors approximates to a .245 average anywhere else.

As for Jason Marquis, he’s just teasing, he’ll be all over the place this season…

by Resolution on Mar 30, 2009 8:31 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

how about my Todd Helton Bobble head

With the added sharpie goatee. Wil that increase in value

by RockiesDave on Mar 30, 2009 8:44 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ooo, I just scored mine off eBay.

$8.50 baby, and no shipping, due to me picking it up in Arvada. Dude also had the Tulo for $12.75. Sadly, the only bobblehead game I could get to last year was the Holliday game. Tulo and the Toddfather are sitting on my mantle now, awaiting the first pitch next Monday.

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

by Mondogarage on Mar 30, 2009 9:06 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sharpie goatee?

Mine has some legit hair

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Mar 30, 2009 9:26 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Poor cat.

Dex knows.....

by The Lodo Magic Man on Mar 30, 2009 9:27 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sharpie goatee?

What about sharpie Saddam Hussein mustache?

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 30, 2009 9:47 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah this one is older

so during rocktober one of my friends remedied the problem of the missing facial hair

by RockiesDave on Mar 30, 2009 10:05 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

acctually looks pretty good though

for a sharpie

by RockiesDave on Mar 30, 2009 10:05 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

If Toddfather is really back

I think we may be in pretty good shape this season. I’m in Peter Gammons’ corner for once, in that I just don’t think we’ll be nearly as bad as most prognosticators believe. Todd’s had a tremendous spring. Like everyone else, I just hope he carries it forward into the regular season. I tend to side with Resolution on Marquis, but hey – we can always dream.

That picture of Todd has to go, however. Love him though I do, the man has no chin and should only be pictured with the goatee. (imho)

On a side note, how perfect it is that baseball begins on the same day as college basketball ends. The last remnant of winter giving way to the promise of spring. You gotta love the symmetry.

I cannot say whether things will get better if we change; what I can say is they must change if they are to get better. -Georg C. Lichtenberg:

by rockhead on Mar 30, 2009 8:51 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

That picture of Todd isn't THAT odd...

Now this one kinda is:

Dex knows.....

by The Lodo Magic Man on Mar 30, 2009 9:22 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't know why, but that pic reminds me of

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Mar 30, 2009 9:28 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

The Replacements, ftw!

Dex knows.....

by The Lodo Magic Man on Mar 30, 2009 9:31 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes!!

GO SENTINELS!

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 30, 2009 9:42 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

And that pic reminds me of

this one: (RIP)

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 30, 2009 9:43 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's not that the picture is odd

It’s just a bad picture. No chin and a facial expression that says “I’d rather being doing anything else than having this picture taken.” Now the pic from Sweet T is a hair odd. Don’t know that I’ve ever seen him in football gear. Great find.

I cannot say whether things will get better if we change; what I can say is they must change if they are to get better. -Georg C. Lichtenberg:

by rockhead on Mar 30, 2009 10:42 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well

every off season he says he can’t wait to go hunting, and this last one was particularly disappointing because he had surgery and couldn’t go out. So it is possible there is something he would rather be doing when the picture was taken.

Nice Tennessee Pic, I have a draft card of him in a Vols Uniform.

"A great catch is like watching girls go by; the last one you see is always the prettiest." ~Bob Gibson
JFK

by jrockies on Mar 30, 2009 10:57 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!

NOOOOOOOO!!!! Don’t remind me that Todd was a Vol!

by Tom (RFTN) on Mar 30, 2009 11:14 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm trying to drive the nail in further here

"Better move your rental cars, I am about to take BP."
-Glendon Rusch

by Hizilla on Mar 30, 2009 11:38 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Uhhh... yeah

What does Eli Manning have to do with anything?

by Tom (RFTN) on Mar 30, 2009 11:57 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Seth Smith was his backup

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Mar 31, 2009 12:03 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know.

I don’t hate Ole Miss, however.

Funny story, another one of Eli Manning’s former backups sits next to me in one of my classes.

by Tom (RFTN) on Mar 31, 2009 12:05 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Whoa..... really??

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 31, 2009 12:05 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes. We'll have the Manning brother's college backups batting 2-3 Opening Day

I guess technically, Todd Helton was the starter and Peyton Manning was the backup freshman until Helton got hurt and lost the job for good. But Smith was a legit backup.

Also, I agree with you.

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Mar 31, 2009 12:14 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

You're free to comment there, you know.

Just keep it non-trollish.

I assume you’re agreeing not with my prediction that the Dbacks win 87 games, but rather with my comment that for Jim to set the minimum option at “80 or less” was a bit presumptuous?

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 31, 2009 12:39 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Precisely

Though I wouldn’t be shocked if the DBacks hit 87

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Mar 31, 2009 12:44 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know, right?

It should be “80 or fewer”. As a Brit, I expected better of him. ;-)

No but seriously, he wrote the article with the mistaken belief that we won 84 last year. We won 82. I think that’s where some of the confusion lies. (He doesn’t usually make mistakes like that)

I made the admittedly optimistic prediction that the Dbacks win 87 this year…. but I wouldn’t be shocked if we won over 90, nor would I be too surprised if we won 79 or fewer. (Although I WOULD be very disappointed)

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 31, 2009 1:31 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

The caption

said that it was Smith – hard to see what the number on the jersey is though.

"Better move your rental cars, I am about to take BP."
-Glendon Rusch

by Hizilla on Mar 31, 2009 9:38 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well that QB is definitely not Smith

unless he is the most talented ambidextrous athlete on record.

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Mar 31, 2009 9:46 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Was gonna say

That quarterback is clearly right-handed; Smith’s a lefty.

by Tom (RFTN) on Mar 31, 2009 10:16 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not that this is the case this time,

But photos do sometimes get published in reverse, so right handers look like left handers and vice versa.

by Rox Girl on Mar 31, 2009 10:27 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Now that I think about it

The quarterback in that picture is probably the guy that sits next to me in ethics class. Heh.

by Tom (RFTN) on Mar 31, 2009 10:33 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hah

I didn’t think it was Eli…

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Mar 31, 2009 11:10 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't have a photo, but I saw Todd Helton pitch in college.

I went to grad school at Clemson. Tennessee came in for a non-conference game with a pitcher who also played first and was batting over .400…
http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/Baseball20Archived20Stats/1995/199520Baseball20Div%20I.pdf
Clemson had a great team when I was there. Kris Benson and Billy Koch were in the rotation.

What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it's all about?

by Fiftytwoeighty on Mar 31, 2009 8:47 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

What about

Benson’s wife?

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 31, 2009 9:08 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm assuming he met her later.

Benson looked to be about 120 pounds soaking wet in college and somehow was throwing 95.

What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it's all about?

by Fiftytwoeighty on Mar 31, 2009 9:38 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tim Lincecum

approves.

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 31, 2009 10:07 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's the last time a Ubaldo will ever hit .398

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Mar 31, 2009 9:29 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

And there's a former Rockie on that list, #6

I believe he’s the second highest on that list to reach MLB.

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Mar 31, 2009 9:31 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Colorado Rockies 10, Arizona Diamondbacks 3: Todd Helton, Brad Hawpe hit the way to victory, Jason Marquis equally impressive on mound

By the way, Russ, nice job following SBN’s new headline guidelines.

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 31, 2009 8:21 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Those guidelines

are actually a few months old.

"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln

Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!

by Russ Oates on Mar 31, 2009 9:54 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know,

but in the grand scheme of SBN, they’re still “new” — the same way Windows Vista is still the “new” Windows until Windows 7 comes out.

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 31, 2009 10:07 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Like how it's the New Testament

and not the Most Recent Testament?

by Tom (RFTN) on Mar 31, 2009 10:18 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

An excellent example.

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 31, 2009 10:52 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hahaha!

That makes me laugh, because as a Mormon, we refer to the Book of Mormon as “Another Testament of Christ,” but it never occurred to me that now we have Old, New, and Another. Not exactly intuitive.

by holly96 on Mar 31, 2009 11:59 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

How bout we think more positively?

Get people excited about the Hebrew scriptures too…. call them the New, Newer, and Newest Testaments, respectively.

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 31, 2009 12:09 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Or you could go conversely...

Oldest, Older, Old.

by holly96 on Mar 31, 2009 3:54 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I recommend against it.

I don’t think the young people these days like old stuff.

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 31, 2009 4:25 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

There's a lot of babymaking going on this year

Clearly, that must be what will lead the resurgence.

I love Greg Reynolds and I may be slightly ashamed to admit it.

by Silverblood on Mar 31, 2009 9:31 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Well, in honesty,

it led to Valverde becoming more mature in 2007 and having a career year.

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by DbacksSkins on Mar 31, 2009 9:36 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

As WolfMarauder said recently

it appears many Rockies coped with the end of Rocktober by “having lots of unprotected sex”

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Mar 31, 2009 10:11 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Uhh... I don't know

I don’t know how much you know about human reproduction, but they would have had to have that unprotected sex last June to be having all these kids now.

by Tom (RFTN) on Mar 31, 2009 10:18 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs