Friday Rockpile: And now back to our regularly scheduled closer change
by Russ Oates on May 1, 2009 8:09 AM MDT
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PrintWelcome to May! As Rox Girl pointed out in yesterday's Rockpile, this month hasn't been kind to the Rockies in recent years. Before 2007's May 15-13 record, we need to go back to 2002 when the Rockies went 19-10. The guys that year got Clint Hurdle off to a nice start in his first full month as Rockies manager. But May has been more like the photo above.
In what likely won't be the last change in the closer position this season, Clint Hurdle will make Huston Street the closer again. So, what's wrong with Manny Corpas that he loses the job? Here's how the DP's article puts it:
The conflicting answers explain why Manuel Corpas is no longer the Rockies' closer. Ask Corpas why he's struggling, allowing nine hits and three runs in his last four innings, and he's succinct: "It's my slider." Ask pitching coach Bob Apodaca, and he's just as brief: "It's his fastball." Or is it that Corpas has trouble maintaining his delivery, as the article mentions, because that affects his pitches? It's certainly what's caused Ubaldo Jimenez's recent struggles. In the article, pitching coach Bob Apodaca goes on to suggest that the in-game pressure Jimenez faces results in missing his balance point. Maybe U-Ball should discuss this with Jorge De La Rosa, who corrected a similar problem. Also of note: Purple Row reached the 800,000 visit mark a few days ago and experienced its best month ever for visits.
During Rocktober we had 50,799 visits. We still need to work on the number of page views, as Rocktober had 225,646 of those.
If this trend continues, we should have our 1,000,000th visitor toward the end of the season.
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First month of Counting Rocks? January
First month of major upturn in page views? January
Coincidence? I think not.
Matt Murton status: Freed
Garrett Atkins status: Not Traded
Clint Hurdle status: Still Employed by the Rockies
Yeah
Come to think of it, that was the only change in January ;-)
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on May 1, 2009 8:37 AM MDT up reply actions
First month of PR Academy? February
Major upturn in transaction education level? February
Coincidence? Yes, probably.
Eschew Obfuscation!
No
Clearly people flocked to Purple Row to read about James McDonald :)
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on May 1, 2009 10:36 AM MDT up reply actions
The oppenents in May should't be quite as difficult
but there are only 2 off days in the 31 days, and we still play more road games than home games, thanks to a ten game trip
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on May 1, 2009 8:38 AM MDT reply actions
Which means we're gonna RAKE in June, right?
Right?
Matt Murton status: Freed
Garrett Atkins status: Not Traded
Clint Hurdle status: Still Employed by the Rockies
by Andrew Martin on May 1, 2009 8:54 AM MDT up reply actions
That's the strategy right
Be mediocre and hang around until September and then pounce?
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on May 1, 2009 8:55 AM MDT up reply actions
Crazy Prediction:
Murton gets the start tonight.
Discuss.
"Better move your rental cars, I am about to take BP."
-Glendon Rusch
It's possible since there's a lefty on the mound
so I doubt Smith will start…they were saying Hawpe would return to the lineup today. So a Murton – Spils/Dex -Hawpe is probably. Or even Murton – Dex – Spils if they want to go all right
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on May 1, 2009 9:16 AM MDT up reply actions
Yeah, I would not be shocked to see Hawpe get one more day off
as his first game back is supposed to be against a lefty.
Listen, this signature line is a big part of who I am.
by frightened inmate #2 on May 1, 2009 9:27 AM MDT up reply actions
Although is it too much to ask to have Stewart start tonight?
My crazy prediction is that he splashes down in McCovey Cove, so I need him to have all the ABs he can get.
Listen, this signature line is a big part of who I am.
by frightened inmate #2 on May 1, 2009 9:32 AM MDT up reply actions
Well Barmes' OBP dropped below .300
But yes. Far too much to ask.
Matt Murton status: Freed
Garrett Atkins status: Not Traded
Clint Hurdle status: Still Employed by the Rockies
by Andrew Martin on May 1, 2009 10:23 AM MDT up reply actions
If I were making the lineup for tonight
Dex
Spils
Helton
Atkins
Stew
Tulo
Murton
Iannetta
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on May 1, 2009 11:08 AM MDT up reply actions
Well yeah that's probably what I'd do in a vacuum
I suppose I should specify that I chose the players of the lineup and then constructed it as Hurdle would have in terms of placement
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on May 1, 2009 11:37 AM MDT up reply actions
I guess.
But still, Chris is finally starting to heat up a little, I want to move him up in the lineup and see if he can catch fire.
But knowing Hurdle, he will sit him after his best offensive game.
Don't be shocked
Yorvit has the best career line against RJ than any current Rockie
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on May 1, 2009 12:15 PM MDT up reply actions
Hawpe is 0-9 w/ 4 K's, so I think he could sit tonight as well
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.
yea community pride!
we’re here! We’re queer!…wait um…that doesn’t work….We’re great! We wear Grape! (I tried purple..just nothing rhymes with purple….We wear Purple! We like maple Syrple!…see doesn’t work at all)
If Apodaca had taught them their mechanics in the first place,
I might be more receptive to this train of thought. I’ve said this in other posts, but sometimes you just get out of whack.
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.
yeah but isn't one of the pitching coaches jobs
to make sure that the pitchers mechanics are smoothed out/fixed in spring training and to maintain that consistency throughout the year? I understand working with young pitchers is a challenge and sometimes every pitcher will get out of whack but it seems to happen to us alot more often than not. Even Cookie was all jacked up until his last start (I think he still has issues with the front foot hitch in his delivery). When is the pitching coach responsible for poor pitching?
by cocainelips99 on May 1, 2009 11:41 AM MDT up reply actions
Also
Isn’t it a little possible that a mechanical flaw led to Fracis’ injury and should have / could have been spotted by a good pitching coach?
by cocainelips99 on May 1, 2009 11:42 AM MDT up reply actions
Pure speculation
And not really worth commenting on as it pertains to the argument about Apodaca.
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.
Pitching coaches
Ding Apodaca for Corpas and U-Ball’s struggles? OK, but let’s credit him for De La Rosa’s strong start and Street’s mechanical adjustments that appear to have gotten him through a rough start at the same time if we’re going to do that.
I don’t know if Bob Apodaca is the best pitching coach alive. I do know that the two best pitching staffs in franchise history performed on his watch. I do know that he’s worked with three All-Star pitchers. I also know that guys like Morales and Corpas lost their way after promising starts to their careers.
You’ve got to look at the whole body of work, and not just ‘well this guy’s mechanics suck right now, that pitching coach must be an idiot.’
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.
And this is my issue with Apodaca
he has several pitchers that have slid, but also several that have improved. Fogg, Affeldt, Rodrigo Lopez, Bucholtz, Jason Grilli, Shawn Estes, Darren Oliver. What about those that left? Jason Jennings went from a front line starter to boarder line bullpen guy.
I’m not thrilled with Apodaca. I really am not…..but it would be easy to point out just as many or if not more that have gotten better around him. To what degree is he to be blamed, or credited?
None of those pitchers (Excepting Buchholz) are any good
I’m more impressed with how he’s handled DLR, Baldo, etc. The younger talent’s where it’s at.
It’s hard to build up or crucify a pitching coach when so many of your pitchers are all scrapheaps/reclamation projects.
Matt Murton status: Freed
Garrett Atkins status: Not Traded
Clint Hurdle status: Still Employed by the Rockies
by Andrew Martin on May 1, 2009 2:42 PM MDT up reply actions
Yeah
Leo Mazzone and Dave Duncan couldn’t really do anything with Jason Marquis. Not that he’s been great, but Apodaca’s gotten some solid work out of him so far.
Hey as long as the bullpen is awful
Let’s resign Vizcaino to a league min contract!!
Matt Murton status: Freed
Garrett Atkins status: Not Traded
Clint Hurdle status: Still Employed by the Rockies
I actually think that's an ok idea
I subscribe to the every other year a reliever will suck theory. If the Viz has anything left and not in total age decline, then due to the fact he wasn’t used much last year, he should (could?) have a bounce back year this year.
Worth a flier
you just know the FO wants to give him a 2 year deal again
Matt Murton status: Freed
Garrett Atkins status: Not Traded
Clint Hurdle status: Still Employed by the Rockies
by Andrew Martin on May 2, 2009 9:59 AM MDT up reply actions
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