Thursday Rockpile: The 2009 Rockies story begins to develop
by Rox Girl on Apr 9, 2009 8:57 AM MDT
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PrintWith yesterday's win over the Diamondbacks the 2009 Rockies are already better than the 2008 squad by one measure, being over .500 after game three of the regular season beats last year by two whole games for the last time in the season we achieve that distinction.
Starting depth getting deeper?
The Rockies quiet building up of an arsenal of starters could be continuing if Chad Gaudin signs and accepts an assignment to start in AAA. Tracy Ringolsby writes that Gaudin is leaning to signing with Colorado because the Rockies want him as a starter rather than a reliever.
There was some hand-wringing after Spring training that the team's starter depth was being stretched thin, that doesn't appear to be the case at all anymore. These are the possible fifth starters we could be seeing at some point in 2009, some will flop miserably, but counting on all of them to seems a bit pessimistic :
- Jason Hammel (MLB)
- Matt Belisle (MLB)
- Franklin Morales (AAA)
- Greg Smith (AAA)
- Greg Reynolds (AAA)
- Jason Hirsh (AAA)
- Brandon Hynick (AAA)
- Jhoulys Chacin (AA)
Gaudin would add to that list and present an interesting challenge for the Sky Sox to keep everybody on a regular throwing schedule.
Remember, when you are looking at player projections that they are done on a curve and the number you see will be the middle point. The actual projection shows that there's a possibility for that player to perform anywhere in a given range and the further from the middle the player gets in that range, the less likely the performance will happen. So while some players will perform at the bottom of their ranges, others will move to the top and this is where the strength in quantity of pitchers is really important, as it increases the likelihood of the Rockies finding an overachiever.
Miscellany
Patrick Saunders says that the Rockies are a joy to watch this season, and I couldn't agree more. This team just greatly impresses me, I like the way all the parts work together like a machine so simple even our manager could run it.
It's a touching story that Troy Renck shares of Franklin Morales performing in honor of his father, on the 18th anniversary of the tragedy that took his life.
Dagnab it, Everth Cabrera performed well with the Padres last night. By reading Jack Etkin's article about him you can see why he was my favorite everyday player to watch from Asheville last season. So while I wish him all the success in the world, I was sort of hoping that success would come with the Rockies.
The Rivalry Develops?
Chris Young getting tagged in the back in the ninth inning of last night's game by Ryan Speier was speculated to possibly be some sort of retaliation. I don't know about that, but Young did play a prominent role in the last regular season game these two teams played, hitting a solo homerun off of Manny Corpas to tie the game at one in the eighth inning, and then collecting the bases loaded walk-off walk from Luis Vizcaino to win it in the ninth. Was he disrespectful, overly dramatic while doing so? It could be I suppose. At any rate, it may be interesting to see what happens the next time these rivals face each other in a couple of weeks.
The problem with calling it a rivalry thus far is that clearly Rockies fans put more stock in it than Diamondbacks fans. Part of this is due to the fact that the D-backs have pretty much owned this series except for 2007 (this will change this season), part of it has to do with there seemingly being more Cubs fans in the Phoenix area than D-backs fans, but something's clearly amiss when only 18,000 fans show up to a game with two quality teams from the same division with the kind of history that's already developing between them. Let's hope Rockies fans will have a better understanding of what's at stake the next time these two clubs meet.
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Minor league starters tonight
Colorado Springs: Greg Reynolds
Tulsa: Jhoulys Chacin
Modesto: Connor Graham
Asheville: Robinson Fabian
I'll have the roster overviews for Asheville and Modesto done today
Colorado Springs will have to wait until Saturday, as Friday will be a busy day here with the first Pebble Report and home opener as well as another Rockies Retro column coming.
no rush
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by Andrew Martin on Apr 9, 2009 9:26 AM MDT up reply actions
I don't mind grabbing Gaudin
But I really hope that we have a realistic view of what to do with him and what to expect from him.
He isn’t very good.
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By the way
is anyone else laughing at the ads for the Cleavage Fantasy Empire ads that are popping up all over?
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No doubt
Some of the Lisa Dergan pictures were more work friendly.
Listen, this signature line is a big part of who I am.
by frightened inmate #2 on Apr 9, 2009 9:44 AM MDT up reply actions
I'm hating the ads...
And have sent an e-mail to our higher ups saying as much. It’s with our switch to this BRASH network thing that started them.
In a related note, both BRASH and our last ad server target ads based on your web history, and I was shocked the other day when mine apparently flipped from a lot of Ann Taylor Loft and woman oriented ads to these scantily clad women and male oriented ads. I think it must be a sign that baseball season’s here, and my web history of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs, Baseball Prospectus, ESPN etc.., is now saying I’ve become a guy.
I'm reeeeallly wondering what history it's going through for me
Because I have no dreams of ruling over a kingdom of scantily clad women
…
/eyes dart nervously
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by Andrew Martin on Apr 9, 2009 9:53 AM MDT up reply actions
All I ever get on those ads
Are the MLB Network and the cleavage lady. BRASH couldn’t have gotten that more on the nose if they’d sent somebody to live with me for a week.
Staying on the sunny side of Blake Street since 1993.
The Shawn Chacon Experience - Life as a Rockies fan, one day at a time: Because we're all still recovering from those nine blown saves.
Remarkably,
I have seen absolutely no offcolor ads at any SBN site. Makes me wonder what Rox Girl’s been doing…
Insert witty and/or humorous signature here.
The really bad one was for some "energy" product...
…that apparently required the use of thong wearing women in see through miniskirts. I’m guessing it was drawn up by all of my google searches for “energy products requiring transparent clothing” or maybe just all those visits to Icanhazcheezeburgerz I’ve been making. I can’t decide which.
Oh? "Energy" product?
Is it endorsed by Bob Dole?
And Icanhascheezburger? Really now, Rox Girl. I’m ashamed. Cat porn?
Insert witty and/or humorous signature here.
I make my own lolcats
but they’re typicaly lolbaseballplayerz
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by Andrew Martin on Apr 10, 2009 6:57 AM MDT up reply actions
they'll just wind up with the same conclusion soon enough anyway,
I don’t know if it’s worth the bother until the season’s over.
I'd do the exact same thing
but I want to see what’s being put on Purple Row for this very reason. If there’s something that I’m uncomfortable with, I figure I (or Russ) should be able to get it fixed quicker than anybody else.
Probably a good idea
Hopefully you can at least use it elsewhere. It really made my Internet experience better.
I block all the ads also,
so members should e-mail me about offending ads.
"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln
Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!
I'm offended..
that I’m not seeing the same ads as RG. My ads all have cute little puppies in them.
It's opening day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I screenshotted one of them, russ
So if it’s still there when i get to work, I’ll send it to you.
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by Andrew Martin on Apr 10, 2009 6:58 AM MDT up reply actions
On a serious note
Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart died in a car accident last night
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/09/nick-adenhart-angels-pitc_n_185133.html
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Shocked and saddened.
"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln
Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!
Apparently a hit and run by a woman in a minivan who blew through a red light
http://your4state.com/content/fulltext/?cid=60432
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by Andrew Martin on Apr 9, 2009 9:45 AM MDT up reply actions
I'm gonna make a fanshot in the interest of this not being the most depressing rockpile ever
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by Andrew Martin on Apr 9, 2009 9:51 AM MDT up reply actions
Will Arizona get squeezed by the economy?
Something to look for this season if the Diamondbacks start slowly and continue to see poor attendance (they only had one game all of last season with less than 20,000 fans, it’s not a good sign at all that they had their first of the season yesterday) is that it might deal a heavy blow to their ability to keep players. The most likely players to be dealt if they have to pare salary this season would be starters Jon Garland and Doug Davis, but it might make things tough on them in arbitration with players like Stephen Drew and Young as well. A Brandon Webb extension seems remote at this point, even if he does return and pitch well.
It’s an issue that could effect the Rockies as well, it’s part of the reason why a strong start would be a great benefit to the team this season.
There
was a note on MLBTR this morning about them pulling the extension offer to Webb last summer when they couldn’t get the contract insured. I could see a scenario of them trading Webb if they REALLY fall out of it – which would probably take some pretty bad luck/injuries on their part.
I’m going to the Dbacks game on Monday night, interested to see how many show.
"Better move your rental cars, I am about to take BP."
-Glendon Rusch
it's also interesting to keep in mind for those that feel the Rockies should have held onto Holliday
until this July. For subscribers, Baseball Prospectus has an article today about how much leverage the teams willing to take on salary this summer will have over teams trying to pare it. High priced players could be going for pennies on the dollar in terms of talent. Jake Peavy may be the first good test of that theory.
I also think that Webb could be vulnerable, but a cloudy health situation has to be eroding his value, and I don’t see the Diamondbacks dealing him under those circumstances until the off season. If he rebounds quickly and effectively, that no longer applies, however.
Well perhaps a bid for HALLADAY
will be feasible if the Rocks are leading the division and packing them in at Coors come July
Oh I hope not
The price will not be cheap and will start with Chacin
Not under a scenario where they're trying to pare $$$ bigtime
The whole point is, if teams are seriously going into the tank, $$$-wise, their demands in terms of return talent will have to be scaled back, because they’ll be dealing from real weakness
Watching the purple row from high atop the big brown monolith on California Ave
Dumping Players
If the worst case scenarios all fall into place (bad start, worsening economy, no attendence… etc), which Rockie players are in danger of being sold off on the cheap?
Certainly Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe.. How about Cookie?
Dumping those three would drop the payroll into the $55-60 million range. Is that far enough?
(nobody is going to take the contracts of Helton, Marquis or Torrealba so don’t include those)
Marquis' contract is a bit more moveable now than it was with the Cubs
Since they have eaten the Viz’s salary for us and tossed in a million, the Rockies may be able to eat even more and deal him on to his next stop, especially if he pitches decently for us. We’ll see if that’s the case starting tomorrow.
I don’t think the club would move Cook yet so I’d trade his name with Marquis, and I definitely see scenarios where Atkins and Hawpe get moved this summer, even in those of the best case variety (Fowler and Stewart performing like they did yesterday for the next two months, for instance).
I would think $60 million would be the target for this season in a crash scenario, with further cuts in the fall/winter.
Atkins
hasn’t really done you guys any favor thus far in terms of driving up his trade value…
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The bigger problem is going to be – who needs a 3B?
"Better move your rental cars, I am about to take BP."
-Glendon Rusch
Fish?
Emilio Bonifacio is NOT a long term answer at 3B, trust me….
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Garrett Atkins would immediately become their 2nd highest paid player.
It’ll be interesting to see how both situations pan out. Bonifacio’s 2 big hits this week were on badly misplayed balls by Lastings Milledge – I passed on picking him up in my league.
"Better move your rental cars, I am about to take BP."
-Glendon Rusch
I love Bonny.....
but he had an ITP homer. He doesn’t have another home run in his major league career, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he never did again. He’s Willy Taveras, minus the power.
This is definitely a “sell high” opportunity in terms of fantasy.
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I forgot he was until recently a DBack.
He’s Willy Taveras, minus the power
You mean Willy Taveras of the career .338 SLG? Seems tough to have less power than that.
"Better move your rental cars, I am about to take BP."
-Glendon Rusch
I'm guessing that's the point
that he indeed has less power than Willy
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 10, 2009 1:01 AM MDT up reply actions
So who gets the start at 2B with Marquis on the mound?
Based on Hamels being our opponent, I lean toward Stewart
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Lot of lefty pull hitters in the Philly lineup
So they might want to go defense and play Barmes – but good God Almighty, did he look atrocious at the dish in his at-bats.
Staying on the sunny side of Blake Street since 1993.
The Shawn Chacon Experience - Life as a Rockies fan, one day at a time: Because we're all still recovering from those nine blown saves.
I would think Barmes, too
Don’t really know if we want another lefty in the lineup against Hamels
The 2009 Colorado Rockies: Expect the Unexpected
stewart beats lefties
career line v lefties .338/.403/.631
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by Andrew Martin on Apr 9, 2009 11:53 AM MDT up reply actions
he was swinging like a rookie
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by Andrew Martin on Apr 9, 2009 11:51 AM MDT up reply actions
Is it just me
or has he always looked like that?
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 9, 2009 12:41 PM MDT up reply actions
he has
but when he’s inexplicably hot, it looks like he’s really good or something
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by Andrew Martin on Apr 9, 2009 1:02 PM MDT up reply actions
That's pretty much what I figured
If I were a scout, I’d close the book on him the first day. His results defy logic.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 9, 2009 1:30 PM MDT up reply actions
Pretty much
There’s really no in-between with him – he’s got three swings:
1) A two-handed flail at a fastball that’s by him on the inner or upper half.
2) A swing in which his ass ends up in the third base dugout and the ball ends up popped to second or rolled to short. (Or rolled to second and popped to short.)
3) A good, smooth swing that drives the ball into the right center field gap and out of the park (WARNING: May only appear sporadically).
Staying on the sunny side of Blake Street since 1993.
The Shawn Chacon Experience - Life as a Rockies fan, one day at a time: Because we're all still recovering from those nine blown saves.
The Difference Wearing Purple Tinted Glasses Makes:
MLB Headline: Hamels ready, relaxed for Friday
Rox Girl’s alternative: Hamels’ velocity still down, not 100%
I actually think this is a pretty decent scenario for the Rockies, I’d rather be facing him now than when he’s really ready.
Could be we're facing..
A Brandon Webb scenario, part deux.
It's opening day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm running this into the ground, but
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check the game thread from yesterday
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by Andrew Martin on Apr 9, 2009 6:15 PM MDT up reply actions
....yes?
It’s Jimmy Rollins. Making a ridiculous face.
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by Andrew Martin on Apr 9, 2009 7:08 PM MDT up reply actions
Hmmm....
Strange…. I couldn’t see it on my toughbook at work, but I can see it on my Asus.
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Woot! The Rockies are now by themselves in the division.
As long as San Francisco loses tonight, that will still be true tomorrow, too.
One of the best parts to our three game season thus far is that our pitchers have allowed the fewest walks in the NL thus far. Let’s keep that up, please.
I was going to say
we all knew we were geographically remote, but that’s driving loneliness into the ground :)
Another thing to note….the other four teams will be playing each other this weekend, so the opportunity is there to create a little early space
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 9, 2009 5:54 PM MDT up reply actions
Oh, c'mon....
your subconscious mind obviously realizes that it ain’t gonna last….. ;-D
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SI
Jonah Freedman of SI wrote an article on the NL West concerning payroll in a tough economy and typed the word ‘Colorado’ once.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jonah_freedman/04/08/nl.west.money/index.html
Rox-Dbacks rivalry......
Chris Young getting tagged in the back in the ninth inning of last night’s game by Ryan Speier was speculated to possibly be some sort of retaliation. I don’t know about that, but Young did play a prominent role in the last regular season game these two teams played, hitting a solo homerun off of Manny Corpas to tie the game at one in the eighth inning, and then collecting the bases loaded walk-off walk from Luis Vizcaino to win it in the ninth. Was he disrespectful, overly dramatic while doing so? It could be I suppose. At any rate, it may be interesting to see what happens the next time these rivals face each other in a couple of weeks.
I was at that game, and I certainly don’t recall CY doing anything that stood out as unsportsmanlike, but I suppose it’s possible. CY always seems to do well vs. the Rox.
I don’t really think that a benches-clearing brawl between our two teams (in the MLB sense, where nobody actually fights) would necessarily be the worst thing in the world — or at least, Scherzer or Haren plunking one of your batters in retaliation.
The problem with calling it a rivalry thus far is that clearly Rockies fans put more stock in it than Diamondbacks fans. Part of this is due to the fact that the D-backs have pretty much owned this series except for 2007 (this will change this season), part of it has to do with there seemingly being more Cubs fans in the Phoenix area than D-backs fans, but something’s clearly amiss when only 18,000 fans show up to a game with two quality teams from the same division with the kind of history that’s already developing between them. Let’s hope Rockies fans will have a better understanding of what’s at stake the next time these two clubs meet.
In the same way, you’ll notice that, until recently, Yankees fans didn’t care nearly as much about beating the Red Sux as Sox fans did about beating the Wankees. I’m honestly wondering if, in the odd chance ;-) that the Dbacks don’t take the division this year, it might not be better for both of our teams for the Rockies to go 15-3 against us this year. (Okay…. maybe 13-5 instead) To further develop an organic rivalry could certainly do something for the Dbacks fan base, and probably for the Rox fan base as well.
Maybe next year, Phoenicians wouldn’t consider Dbacks-Rox games to be “boring”. Or whatever those idiots think.
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Ok hangon here
"the Arizona D-Bags" isn’t acceptable and then you trot out "Red Sux" and "Wankees"?
hypocrite ;-P
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by Andrew Martin on Apr 10, 2009 7:01 AM MDT up reply actions
Calling them Red sux and Wankees
is just being socially responsible
It's opening day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And that's another thing
What’s up with your avatar, it changes from post to post it seems
My guess is you changed it and then further commented on things.
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by Andrew Martin on Apr 10, 2009 7:02 AM MDT up reply actions
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