Today and tomorrow the Colorado Rockies will play a two-game series against the Seattle Mariners in Las Vegas. If what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, that's fine as long as it's the Rockies completely bombing. But good hitting and pitching shouldn't stay in Vegas if that's what the Rockies have in these next two games.
Let's just not hear that one of the guys misses a game because he got caught up in a game of craps or blackjack. Or bets on baseball. Uh, yeah, baseball players should have learned a lesson about betting on baseball years ago.
Cashman Field will host the two exhibition games. It's the home of the Las Vegas 51s, now the Toronto Blue Jays' Triple A affiliate. The Los Angeles Dodgers had the affiliation from 2001-2008, but now send their Triple A guys to the Albuquerque Isotopes. The stadium holds just under 10K fans, but has seen over 300K fans come each season since the stadium opened in 1983. Also, you can get to know the ground rules of Cashman Field here.
So, Huston Street is the closer, and Matt Belisle can still claim a spot on the roster if management decides to send Franklin Morales to the minors after his first start in order to pitch until his services are needed again in late April. That must mean we can look at another NL West preview.
The Baseball Analysts previewed the NL West on April 1. Here's how to bullet point what's written about the Rockies:
- Chris Iannetta's going to be better than almost every catcher by the end of 2009.
- Put Todd Helton in Petco and, well, you have a different Todd.
- Nothing about second base.
- Garrett Atkins is a good bet to bounce back.
- Troy Tulowitzki is the best player the Rockies have.
- Seriously, the Rockies are starting Seth Smith and they optioned Matt Murton!?
- Ryan Spilborghs has a nice bat, but he's not a good center fielder.
- Nothing about Brad Hawpe.
- U-Ball has great upside, but Coors Field isn't a good place for young pitchers.
- Who's going to be traded by the deadline: Street or Corpas?
- Colorado has the best bench in the West with Ian Stewart and Jeff Baker!
- Fowler's the only real Rookie of the Year candidate in the West.
- The Rockies will finish either fourth or last.
Ho-hum. And how many of those did you guess before reading them?