Tuesday Rockpile: If you're not a Dexter fan, you are not paying attention
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 28, 2009 7:00 AM MDT
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PrintDexter Fowler is more than just an awesome name
The evolution of Dexter Fowler has reached light ludicrous Dexter speed. It has been barely a month since the Purple Row community voted that Fowler should not even be on the roster. Yet here he is, a day after tying Willy Taveras for second in SBs in a game with five as a Rockie (all in the first four innings). He could have had six if relief pitcher Glendon Rusch didn't single in front of him in the fifth.
The five stolen bases left him one short of the franchise and modern era record by Eric Young against the Dodgers. Young and Co. took advantage of the exaggerated delivery time of Hideo Nomo that day, just as Fowler and Co. took advantage of Chris Young's long delivery last night. Chris Young is an exceptionally easy target - all 44 attempted thieves were successful against him in 2007. 
The Rockies pilfered eight bags as a team last night alone. In case you're curious, that catapults Colorado from 11th in the NL in SBs to first. That's right - first. And to think speed was to be this offense's weakness...that is, until Fowler showed up. Fowler ranks second in MLB in steals, behind only Jacoby Ellsbury. The steals helped him become MLB.com's number one fantasy star of the night. ------>
Not just that, but he is hitting over .300, ranks third on the team in OPS behind Brad Hawpe and Seth Smith and is one home run away from being tied for the team lead. The world is taking notice. Fowler is featured prominently bloggers and more bloggers, Tracy Ringolsby, and Patrick Saunders.
Even the four letter network featured Fowler yesterday....seven hours before his big game. From ESPN's Jason Grey:
"They give me the green light whenever I get on base," said Fowler, who has four steals already. "If I can get a good jump, I'll go whenever I can go."
"He has the green light, but right now he trusts that I know the good situations for him to run," first base coach Glenallen Hill told the team Web site. "Pretty soon, I'm not going to have to tell him when it's a good time to run."
Pretty soon? REALLY soon.
Reasons for Optimism
The Rockies scored 22 runs in the last two days, and they did that while facing two very tough pitchers in Chris Young and Clayton Kershaw. The last time they scored at least 22 runs in consecutive double digit games was July 4 and 5 last season vs. Florida. The outburst has launched the Rockies' previously anemic offense to 4th in the NL in runs.
Despite being four games under .500, the Rockies actually have a Pythagorean win percentage right at .500, which is good for second place in the NL West. In fact, that is a better showing than the Yankees or NL East leading Marlins. And we're still waiting on Cook, Jimenez, Street, Corpas, Buchholz, Helton, Iannetta and Tulowitzki to contribute anywhere near their capability.
Brad Hawpe
After Brad Hawpe was hit in the neck by a Nick Hundley pickoff attempt, he was taken to Rose Medical Center for evaluation. Nothing has been confirmed, though rumor has it he suffered a concussion. That's all we know now, but for what it is worth, our resident medic believes he'll be just fine.
NL West Musings
Dave Cameron at FanGraphs says the Diamondbacks are "in serious trouble."
They couldn’t win the division with quality play last April, but they very well could have lost it with their struggles this April.
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Dex
I voted to put him on the roster in the poll :)
Dexter is turning the NL into his private laboratory …
Wow. Seriously, 44/44 steals against Young last year? That’s incredible.
Reviews of some great baseball sites and other cool stuff on my blog @ The Casual Observer
Just a teeny bit of (entirely justifiable) smugness in this Rockpile :)
Kosmo – Young in 2007, not 2008, according to the above.
Well played Rox! It sounds like a fantastic game to watch, and the scoring, hittingf baserunning was a joy to behold. And the pitching wasn’t too shoddy either. Man, it fair cheers a soul!
I believe you are right. Young missed a good chunk of last year after taking a comebacker to the face.
"Better move your rental cars, I am about to take BP."
-Glendon Rusch
"taking a comebacker to the face"
I feel all British and nooby reading that. And slightly dirty, though I have no idea why.
I will admit
that I was giddy like Charlie at Willy Wonka’s factory whilst writing. It was an incredible night.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 28, 2009 8:36 AM MDT up reply actions
right
yeah, I should have noticed that, because I remember the injury. Regardless of year, 44/44 seems like an almost impossible number. You’d think someone would trip on their shoelaces at some point.
Reviews of some great baseball sites and other cool stuff on my blog @ The Casual Observer
Fowler Steals
What makes the five SBs even more impressive is, as the TV guys were saying last night, Fowler often wasn’t even getting good jumps toward second or third. A couple of times he was barely leaning toward a base when he took off.
This may have as much to do with Young’s ridiculously slow delivery, but not a lot of guys – maybe Fowler, Ellsbury, Taveras, Reyes – can go from a standstill five feet off the bag to stealing five bases.
very true
wheeeels
4 down....12 to go for a repeat Go Wings!!!
by TuLoRocks2008 on Apr 28, 2009 8:04 AM MDT up reply actions
True
Fowler’s leads weren’t particularly good. Neither were his jumps. Slow pitcher delivery, not a very good throwing catcher, plus great speed from Fowler got him the 5 stolen bases. Getting timing and reads off of pitchers, and getting better jumps will come in time (usually this takes a few years), and when he does Fowler will be a force. I’m glad to give up a year a few months of Larry Walker to get Dex!
I'm glad
Renck and Ringolsby have pointed that Walker connection out multiple times. There was quite a backlash on what we got back from St Louis iirc.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 28, 2009 8:35 AM MDT up reply actions
And I was one of them
Larry Walker at the time, even in his last few declining years, was really the best player on the team besides Helton. Walker I thought had a legit shot at the Hall of Fame. I thought if he had stayed in Coors Field for his final 2 years he could have gone to the HOF as a Rockie. He still might make the HOF which is looking doubtful and could still go as a Rockie, but he was one I wanted to go out as a Rockie.
But I really didn’t realize at the time just how cash strapped the Rockies were at the time. This decision makes FAR more sense in retrospect than it did at the time
Hurdle's decision on Fowler
This was a tough decision. Hurdle went against conventional wisdom, and was right. He deserves credit.
Naw, he got lucky ;-)
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 28, 2009 8:23 AM MDT up reply actions
#1 in the NL in Stolen Bases
does not mean the team has over all blinding speed. It means we’ve had one guy that has speed. But it also means that the team has for the most part stayed aggressive on the base paths especially with average to slightly better then average speed guys. Spilborghs, Barmes, Smith, even Stewart have steals and seem a threat to run. Atkins & Iannetta have even been set on hit and run plays! This is how a team should make up for lack of total team speed. I wish the team had better speed in the traditional SS & 2ndbase spots (and better power in the corner infield spots…but that’s a different problem). But I do like how the team is being handled as far as running goes.
Naturally
No one is saying that the team has blinding speed, but no one would have predicted that we would be #1 in SB this season any day past a fluky first day after losing Taveras and Holliday. It’s true that Fowler has half of the teams’ SBs, but then again, Taveras had a hefty percentage last year too. Blinding speed, opportune timing, luck, whatever…if they are anywhere near the top 5 in SBs with the offensive skills they have at the plate, I will be very happy.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 28, 2009 8:41 AM MDT up reply actions
Yes
and that’s kinda what I was trying to say. It means the team is making speed where there really isn’t speed (besides Fowler). And that’s a good thing to make. If a team isn’t going to hit many Home Runs (and this team isn’t) it will have to manufacture runs by running…so it’s good to see the team up there in Stolen Bases.
(though my fantasy teams really wish Jose Reyes would start running)
If a team isn’t going to hit many Home Runs (and this team isn’t)
Don’t write them off so quickly on this. We might not have anyone over 3 HR, but we’re actually tied3rd in the NL despite no home runs yesterday. The pace is unsustainable, as we are on pace for 207, most since Helton’s big 2001. But then again, the ranking might be more sustainable, and the most any Rockie is on pace for is 27, so it’s not as if any one player is on a ridiculous pace, though I admit Barmes won’t reach 27.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 28, 2009 8:54 AM MDT up reply actions
And this might be very true
As steroids leave baseball, Home Runs have come down from individual highs. No longer is hitting 40 for a season by one guy going to be common place. However do to better training, etc, I think more players will hit 15 to 25 than they did in the 70s or 80s.. The Rockies don’t have anyone that will hit 40 hrs. They don’t have anyone that will hit 30 his year (besides maybe Hawpe), but they do have several player capable of hitting 15-20. (which just doesn’t wow me like it should)
So you are right, I might be dismissing the Rockies abilities to hit home runs. But, when warmer weather comes, there will be an increase in Homers hit in places like Houston, and Cincy, and Philly and Chicago, etc. and the Rockies should fall in the team totals, but maybe not be as bad as I think
Good points
I’ll also counter that the Rox have 74 more games at Coors and 70 on the road
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 28, 2009 9:57 AM MDT up reply actions
They don’t have anyone that will hit 30 his year (besides maybe Hawpe)
Troy Tulowitzki
- Hit 24 HRs his Rookie year with an avg HR/AB of 1:25, current avg 1:18, on pace for 33 if he reaches 600 ABs.
Doom Iannetta
- Averaged a HR every 18.5 ABs last year and finished with 24 in 333 ABs, might be hard for him to break 555 ABs as a Catcher.
Ian Stewart
- Averaging a HR every 14 ABs this year, will need 420 ABs to break 30 at his current pace.
Ef you baldo try Hair-Be Dere!!
I can imagine how this could change
if and when EY Jr starts playing everyday as our 2B. BTW, he is doing pretty well right now for the Sox. He hit his 1st HR last night too. I know we are all a little afraid of his defensive abilities, but I can’t wait to see those 2 at the top of our order.
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.
Personally
I’d have EY2 playing second right now for the Rockies. How bad can his defense be? it’s 2nd base, where big lumbering 3rd basemen like Stewart and Baker can pick it up and converted catcher like Biggio can have a HOF career there.
Like I was saying in the Pebble Report,
I don’t think he’s ready yet. He’s very close, though, and it’s one of those issues that he would almost instantly become a very viable option once he is. He and Fowler would give us a Willy T/Kaz duo at the top of the lineup, only better because Fowler runs laps around Taveras and EY2 doesn’t have Kaz’s health issues. On defense it probably would be a bit of a downgrade from our 2007 duo, however.
How many ABs does he need to get for the move to make sense?
He doesn’t project to be a star, so maybe starting his clock isn’t as big of a deal, but if he’s battling for ABs with Stewart, Baker and Barmes, someone would have to suffer.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 28, 2009 10:01 AM MDT up reply actions
I think his issue at the plate right now is adjusting to higher quality off speed stuff
It’s easy to lay off every breaking pitch when they’re not likely to hit the strike zone, it’s a little more tricky when pitchers can hide them well and get them over the plate. I think in Young’s case it’s an issue where he needs to see a lot of pitches to improve at this. Fowler’s got similar issues but to a lesser degree, but the team is able to find him a lot of AB’s to make his own adjustments. As you suggest, finding that quantity of AB’s for Young would be tricky at best.
I’m looking at him as needing at least another month or two of AB’s to get a solid feel of things.
If the Sox get the game in tonight
I will try to bring back a scouting report on EY Jr. That might be hard, if I get stuck too far away w/ my heckling work buddies though.
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.
I may be talking out my......
but I think he would need fairly regular at bats….and he might struggle as he adjusts to big league pitching as he was just in AA last year.
But I think Atkins will need to be moved to make room for EY2. That will allow Stewart to go to 3rd, EY2 to go to 2nd. This would make sense around the trade deadline….but if the Rockies are in any kinda playoff race (and I think they should be even with their horrendous start…it’s the NL West after all)…..is this too big a shake up to do at that point? Would that be enough time for EY2 make the step up to the bigs from AA less jarring?
Possibly, but I doubt the team would roll the dice like that.
It’s a tremendous gamble given that there’s no idea how he’s going to adjust to MLB pitching. Some players make a seamless transition, some don’t, and if he’s one that’s going to flop the team would be up a creek without a non-Barmes paddle at that point. Right now it’s looking like it would take an injury or the Rockies falling way out f contention to get EY2 on the roster before September. I think Duct Tape would be the utility tool of choice in the event of an Atkins trade, although Mike McCoy’s a solid option as well.
I still think EY2 has the brighter future long term, but right now, there just seem to be too many veterany obstacles for him to work around to be the team’s go to guy this year.
As a Rockies latecomer, I haven't seen
EY2 show anything worth getting excited about. In ST he far from excelled, and the talk is entirely of a decent player (“not a prospect”) who’s not ready for the big leagues. Sounds like the last person worth rushing, no?
These are good thoughts, and make sense
However,I fully expect to see Tulo go on the DL any day now. And the Rockies bring EY2 up for the 15 days….just to get a gauge of where he’s at, and him an idea of what he needs to work on still.
because he's batting .175 therefore terrible
I still maintain that his OBP and SLG are just fine, he’s just waiting on some more hits to actually fall in.
FREE MATT MURTON
by Andrew Martin on Apr 28, 2009 11:28 AM MDT up reply actions
Yes
but he’s not actually hurt. He’s just not hitting.
"Better move your rental cars, I am about to take BP."
-Glendon Rusch
Well bad performance
usually gets the “Oh yeah..um I have a sore pinkie” and thus need at go on the DL..and minor league rehab. It’s less time away than actually being sent down, AND less an ego blow/slam
I think with
a personality like Tulo’s they might have a hard time convincing him of this. They could option him – but as you say might not help the ego out. See Jeff Franceour 2008. Personally – I think Tulo will be fine. He has struggled in April 3 years in a row now. I’m confident he’ll bounce back.
"Better move your rental cars, I am about to take BP."
-Glendon Rusch
Not "therefore terrible"
more like “therefore has issues he needs to work on”…like moving his left foot back.
B.I.N.G.O!!!
Seriously, does he totally forget when he turned it around a while back? The whole thing was making sure he was even up with his batting stance. Gradually he moved that front foot closer and closer to home plate and his average got lower and lower.
by cocainelips99 on Apr 28, 2009 12:46 PM MDT up reply actions
I just meant it as a generality
Because God knows a lot of terrible players have hit the DL and never returned….
FREE MATT MURTON
by Andrew Martin on Apr 28, 2009 2:32 PM MDT up reply actions
I think
that the thing to keep in mind is that the team can afford to keep him in AAA to develop those pitch recognition skills further against better quality pitching. I’m all for moving Atkins and Baker/Q to make room for Stewart and EY2, but fortunately there is no need to do it this early in the season.
"Better move your rental cars, I am about to take BP."
-Glendon Rusch
I forgot to mention
The Padres have shuffled their rotation order due to Shawn Hill‘s injury. Josh Geer will get pushed from today’s start to Thursday, and Chad Gaudin will start today.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 28, 2009 8:45 AM MDT reply actions
Are we allowed to point and laugh at the DBacks misfortune
when we are half a game behind them in the standings?
Listen, this signature line is a big part of who I am.
by frightened inmate #2 on Apr 28, 2009 9:00 AM MDT reply actions
Did you make a bet with the 'Pit?
It would have been a good year to do so
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 28, 2009 9:07 AM MDT up reply actions
Just watched the SportsCenter on the game
pretty much only looked at the SBs and the Hawpe injury.
if you're reading this, it means my undying support for your team will result in its failure.
I figured as much
There wasn’t a dominating pitching performance and we had no sexy home runs.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 28, 2009 9:08 AM MDT up reply actions
Zouch
That looked like it hurt for my dear Bradley. :( Hope everything is okay and he’s not out for long… he’s one of the guys actually HITTING, after all.
I love Greg Reynolds and I may be slightly ashamed to admit it.
He has been the most consistent Rox player at the plate
and his defense has seemed less atrocious than last year so far, but that is only using the eye test so I may be wrong on that. I think it would hurt to lose him more than we’re saying, since he is the major power threat in the lineup right now. I would like to see Smith get some AB’s, but I think this hurts if he has to go on the DL.
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.
What happened to the series widget?
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 28, 2009 12:09 PM MDT reply actions
it wigs out when there's a new pitcher involved
It did this earlier in the season when the Dodgers called up Stults to pitch against us.
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