Tuesday Rockpile: Ladies and gentlemen, your Wild Card leaders
by Andrew T. Fisher on Jul 21, 2009 8:14 AM MDT
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Once the Rockies won 11 straight under Jim Tracy, one could envision a scenario where the Rockies could climb out of their early season chasm to a playoff spot. But it's still surreal to see Colorado on top of those Wild Card standings, especially after the hole they were in.
Yet it's true. The Rockies hold the wild card. I'm not going to dwell on the lack of national attention or respect towards the feat (OMG Charlie Manuel's job is safe!) - it doesn't really matter. Though as Troy E. Renck points out, the crew from "This Week in Baseball" will be filming a show about the Rox this week. I'd like to take this opportunity to point out the magnitude of the feat just accomplished. Check out the Wild Card Standings on June 3 and compare them to the current standings in Russ' game wrap last night.
That's a leap over 11 teams, making up 9.5 games, in just 41 games played.
So with 69 games left, is it really all that improbable to make up 8 games and pass one team? I don't think that's necessarily as greedy with 6 games to play between LA and the Rox. It's certainly leaps and bounds more likely than what we've witnessed the last 41 games.
BaseballProspectus now gives us a 63% chance of making the playoffs, including 6% of winning the division. The Giants have plummeted to 15%.
Mark Kiszla points out that the Rockies' success has been their lack of fear, specifically of failure.
Drew Litton's latest cartoon also provides a good perspective. Find it at www.drewlitton.com, or below.
How sweet it is to be aligned with the man on the left.
Hop after the jump for Rockies News (latest on Embree, weekend rotation shuffle) and nerdy links.
Rox News
Rockies' Embree hopes to return this season - The Denver Post
"If I don't have any setbacks, I am hoping to be back in September," Embree said.
And if not, would he retire?
"(Heck) no. There's no way I going to end that way," Embree said. "When something like this happens, it makes me realize how much I desire I still have to pitch."
Spilborghs at wife’s side for birth of child : All Things Rockies Colorado
Ryan Spilborghs' could have gotten the start against lefty Doug Davis last night, but he was busy becoming a daddy. Congratulations to the lucky kid, who will have the coolest dad, and naturally, to the parents.
Marquis’ start moved up to Friday against Giants : All Things Rockies Colorado
Jason Marquis will slide into Friday's slot to pitch the opener of the Giants' series, despite the lingering blister on his middle finger. Jason Hammel slides back to Friday. The move keeps Marquis on four days rest, but perhaps more importantly, it pits him against Matt Cain (11-2, 2.32). Seems like they are aggressively trying to win that game, huh?
Video Library - cbs4denver.com
Jim Tracy gushes over Todd Helton in a Channel 4 video.
Put your Nerd Hat on
What's wrong with Arizona's Chris Young? Well, he's striking out too much. But why? RJ Anderson at fangraphs says "it's probably nothing more than some umpire-based luck" that he's striking out more than the likes of BJ Upton, Raul Ibanez, Evan Longoria and Matt Kemp. Hmm.
AZ SnakePit and TrueBlueLA each have Part 2 of the NLWest Roundtable.
BABIP is used to quantify luck in a way, for both hitters and pitchers. Most assuredly, you would expect some pitchers to have a lower BABIP due to skill rather than luck, however. After all, if a pitcher consistently locates his slider low and away rather than hanging it up in the zone, one would expect less hits off a weak groundball than a handing breaking ball. Alex Krowlewski posted a FanPost investigating BABIP, HR/FB, and Batted Ball Type by Pitch Location at Beyond the Box Score.
Lastly, yesterday was the 40 year anniversary of Neil Armstrong landing on the moon. They had to travel a quarter million miles to get to the moon but didn't go very far once there. Check out a map of the Apollo 11 landing site superimposed on a baseball diamond.
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Hmm,
the first question in Roundtable Part II is missing my response. Part of it was about Jason Marquis, another part of it was digging out of the hole after Clint Hurdle got the boot.
"If we never try, we shall never succeed." - Abraham Lincoln
Purple Row - Covering all your Rockies needs!
It's there in the Pit version
It was just mistakenly pasted into the answer section to a the question regarding the offensive collapse in Arizona
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Jul 21, 2009 8:25 AM MDT up reply actions
man, I was confused
although I like that prediction at the end. If that happens….wow. just, wow.
if you're reading this, it means my undying support for your team will result in its failure.
by fantasyfencing on Jul 21, 2009 10:30 AM MDT up reply actions
I think there's a better chance of Manny having a baby.
I’m not being a negative nancy, I just really think Manny is going to have a baby.
beautiful day in rockyville
after seeing what those standings looked like June 3rd and now….wow incredible…
we seem to have gotten over that HURDLE
Wow, Neil Armstrong's UZR really isn't what I thought it would be.
Funny Dog to Make Life Worthwhile
by frightened inmate #2 on Jul 21, 2009 8:55 AM MDT reply actions
Seriously?
He tracked that one ball pretty deep into right center.
Reviews of some great baseball sites and other cool stuff on my web magazine @ The Casual Observer
But for the most part it's straight up and straight back.
Doesn’t look like he can get to the gaps at all.
Funny Dog to Make Life Worthwhile
by frightened inmate #2 on Jul 21, 2009 9:31 AM MDT up reply actions
Don't forget, though, UZR is park-adjusted
So it accounts for the lack of gravity, the temperature, and the threat of tearing one’s suite and dying.
Leave Dexter alone! You're lucky he even performs for you!
That would make
the home run derby more interesting…
"DAMMIT! No, calm down. Learn to enjoy losing." --Hunter S. Thompson
by PioneerSkies on Jul 21, 2009 10:16 AM MDT up reply actions
Probably only 2 or 3 fewer home runs
than Citizen’s Bank.
Funny Dog to Make Life Worthwhile
by frightened inmate #2 on Jul 21, 2009 10:19 AM MDT up reply actions
Which explains the aliens in the stands in Philadelphia.
Check out my Rockies comic strip at:
Rock Drive 1.4
They did
In 1998.
Chris Iannetta status: DOOM
Seth Smith status: FREE SETH SMITH
Matt Murton status: Prisoner Exchanged for CarGon
Mike McCoy status: FREE MIKE MCCOY
by Andrew Martin on Jul 21, 2009 11:43 AM MDT up reply actions
Uniforms
A uniform adjustment? Really? So the White Sox with their shorts in the ’70s get a uniform adjustment?
Reviews of some great baseball sites and other cool stuff on my web magazine @ The Casual Observer
Wildcard donuts
I brought donuts into the office to celebrate the ascent into the wild card lead. No, I’m not joking. I wouldn’t joke about donuts.
Reviews of some great baseball sites and other cool stuff on my web magazine @ The Casual Observer
Well OK. Where's your office?
Funny Dog to Make Life Worthwhile
by frightened inmate #2 on Jul 21, 2009 9:08 AM MDT up reply actions
Iowa
Swing by – there are still a few left.
Reviews of some great baseball sites and other cool stuff on my web magazine @ The Casual Observer
ill tell my grandparents to swing by
And save some for me
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Jul 21, 2009 9:25 AM MDT via mobile up reply actions
Location
Corner of Blairs Ferry and Council.
Reviews of some great baseball sites and other cool stuff on my web magazine @ The Casual Observer
cedar rapids
I actually know that intersection
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Jul 21, 2009 12:25 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions
Mmmmmm. Doughnuts.
"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia
I don't expect to see Embree ever pitch again
No matter how much he wants to do it. I just don’t see him coming back this year, and I fully expect the Rockies to decline his option, and I don’t see him getting another contract after that. Sorry.
It would be a great story if he could
Happy Wild Card Day! everybody!!
Start Seth Smith! Free Eric Young Jr.!
Speaking of Wild Card Day
I still think the team that should be favored to win the NL Wild Card this year is the Dodgers.
(think about it…..have another cup of coffee, then let it sink in)
Start Seth Smith! Free Eric Young Jr.!
I see what you did there.
But I think the favorite still has to be the Mets. I don’t think the NL Worst is going to have two teams in the playoffs.
Funny Dog to Make Life Worthwhile
by frightened inmate #2 on Jul 21, 2009 9:40 AM MDT up reply actions
ESPN thinks it'll be the Cubs
who jumped from 17 to 12 in their Power Rankings after winning a whopping 4 in a row…….against the Nationals. Needless to say, they got whooped by the Phillies the next day. Sorry espn.
You call those nerdy links?
Try this on for size!
"DAMMIT! No, calm down. Learn to enjoy losing." --Hunter S. Thompson
Runner interference on Helton last night..
Jrockies asked for this in the GT so here you go:
Helton was clearly within beard distance of second base.
Check out my Rockies comic strip at:
Rock Drive 1.4
Hurdleslide.jpg?
"DAMMIT! No, calm down. Learn to enjoy losing." --Hunter S. Thompson
by PioneerSkies on Jul 21, 2009 10:27 AM MDT up reply actions
lol!
ah well you do what you can.
Actually, about that – when I was watching (muted cause I was working on something), it looked like they took the run off and sent barmes back to 3rd, where he remained, stranded. but the box score had him down for scoring on the play…? I dunno maybe Im missing something obvious here.
if you're reading this, it means my undying support for your team will result in its failure.
by fantasyfencing on Jul 21, 2009 10:33 AM MDT up reply actions
Angle
Camera angles can be deceiving. I’m sure he’s much closer to the base than he appears to be,
Reviews of some great baseball sites and other cool stuff on my web magazine @ The Casual Observer
That's a pretty good camera angle for that play.
Leave Dexter alone! You're lucky he even performs for you!
I agree...
I believe the rule states that the runner has to be able to literally touch second base in a play like this for it to be a legal slide. Clearly Helton is nowhere near close enough…ergo, it was the proper call. I’m just glad that lost run didn’t turn out to be a critical one.
definitely the right call
but an incredibly dumb rule that sends the runner back to 3rd. Give the DP, but the defense ends up with a windfall under that rule and its not a good one.
There has
to be a punitive element to the rule, otherwise teams could just do that every slide and hope that it doesn’t get called.
"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia
Since
they wouldn’t have anything to lose.
"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia
the circumstance is so remote
as to be not truly punitive, and does save the defense from the potential problems of a bad trhow, runner beating the throw, etc. The upshot is the rule is arbitrary because it achieves an artificial result that has nothing to do with the play (ie, Helton’s slide not intended to score the runner, AZ not concerned with the run scoring).
That said, at the end of the day, don’t break the rules and the run scores, so I’m not too hotheaded about it. I just think a lot of baseball rules are far too arbitrary.
I just think a lot of baseball rules are far too arbitrary.
Certainly. No argument here.
"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia
No doubt
there will always be that element in any sport, but it bugs me more in baseball because it is the crispest/cleanest sport in terms of game play. Its not like football or basketball where there is nonstop motion and many of the rules are based on judgment. In baseball the rules are almost all (intended to be) flatly objective. Moreover, each play is discrete and generally involves only one or two players, its not like football where you could have holding on a guy 50 yards from the ball or illegal off-ball screens in basketball or something. Thus, it bugs me more in baseball where a rule like this one can produce artificial results when it could easily be fixed to avoid the problem.
But your football analogy illustrates the point of the rule.
Even if there is holding 50 yards away, they would not let a touchdown stand. Same thing here, Todd was out of the baseline, so no run gets to score.
Funny Dog to Make Life Worthwhile
by frightened inmate #2 on Jul 21, 2009 4:34 PM MDT up reply actions
Yeah
Yeah, I was just being goofy. He’s clearly waaaaaaaaaay out of the baseline.
Reviews of some great baseball sites and other cool stuff on my web magazine @ The Casual Observer
Can we get a
Todd Helton/Inspector Gadget/Stretch Armstong image?
"DAMMIT! No, calm down. Learn to enjoy losing." --Hunter S. Thompson
by PioneerSkies on Jul 21, 2009 1:08 PM MDT up reply actions
Oh man
his arms stretch all the way to next week!
Chris Iannetta status: DOOM
Seth Smith status: FREE SETH SMITH
Matt Murton status: Prisoner Exchanged for CarGon
Mike McCoy status: FREE MIKE MCCOY
by Andrew Martin on Jul 21, 2009 3:07 PM MDT up reply actions
Lemme tell you what happened
In case you guys don’t know this the reason why Todd was so out of the baseline is because on a simple double play grounder, Todd ALWAYS moves out of the way of the second baseman so he doesn’t get hit. Rule says he has to either SLIDE and touch the base…or move wayy out of the baseline as to not get hit with the ball on the throw to first. I saw it happen on Sunday..Hawpe grounded into a double play and the shortstop threw to first and Helton was wayyy off the baseline to the right. Helton was simply trying to get out the way of the throw..and instead when Stephen Drew turned he went far to his left so Todd didn’t have any choice but to slide and not get hit. That’s what happened.
by CentralCaliRox on Jul 21, 2009 1:21 PM MDT up reply actions
Look where..
Drew is standing. He did that purposely to get Todd out on interference.
by CentralCaliRox on Jul 21, 2009 1:22 PM MDT up reply actions
Then
a veteran like Helton shouldn’t be falling for a wily trick like that. ;-)
"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia
Jebus Christ!
"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia
Thanks
He is clearly out of the baseline, although if you look at it frame by frame Todd is obviously trying to move in Frame 1, and Frame 2 he’s slowing down with Drew about to throw at his head with Frame 3 being the slide. He was trying to get out of the way but it became impossible and he slid thus causing interference.
"We made too many wrong mistakes." ~Yogi Berra
"The ballplayer who loses his head, who can't keep his cool, is worse than no ballplayer at all." ~Lou Gehrig
JFK
31-10
The second best team in the majors in that time has been the Angels at 26-13. The Rockies gained four games on a team that has been winning twice as much as it’s lost. It’s not like we’ve been super lucky either, we’ve scored 229 runs, given up 151 for an expected win percentage of .682. It’s less than what we’ve actually done, but still the best in the majors by a considerable margin.
Over the last three seasons:
Record through May 31:
2009: 20-29
2008: 20-36
2007: 25-29
Total: 65-94 (.408)
After May 31:
2009: 31-13
2008: 54-52
2007: 65-44
Total 150-109 (.579)
Is it just me, or does there appear to be a pattern here?
a very good pattern
we seem to have gotten over that HURDLE
by TuLoRocks2008 on Jul 21, 2009 10:37 AM MDT up reply actions
yea i'd like this team to
actually start quick and stop digging big holes
we seem to have gotten over that HURDLE
by TuLoRocks2008 on Jul 21, 2009 10:42 AM MDT up reply actions
Is it just me, or have..
The Rockies been playing a lot of road games early. It seems like the schedulemakers at MLB are trying to avoid snowouts in Colorado.
Check out my Rockies comic strip at:
Rock Drive 1.4
The Rockies have played
the most road games in the majors so far this year, if I recall correctly.
But yeah, I’m not adverse to a heavy road schedule in April, some of those April games are brutal to sit through.
by ShadowPenguin on Jul 21, 2009 10:57 AM MDT up reply actions
seems like Houston has the same trends without looking
Though they don’t have the same excuse
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Jul 21, 2009 11:11 AM MDT via mobile up reply actions
Wild Card Day is a beautiful day!
I wonder how long it’ll be before we meet Baby Spilly on Rockies All Access?
I wonder if the Spilbourghs named the baby Dinger…
Named her after his mother I believe.
"Don't tell me about the world. Not today. It's springtime and they're knocking baseballs around fields where the grass is damp and green in the morning and the kids are trying to hit the curve ball." -Pete Hamill
True Story
At the end of 2006 my wife and I found out that our second baby was on the way. We did the math and determined that the conception was sometime during a particularly long home stand. My wife worked every game so how we were able to “get er done” was a bit of a mystery but we did. My aunt heard that story and she said, you know, when that baby comes out looking like a little purple dinasour you are going to be really mad. To this day Dinger or Ding are among her many nicknames.
What if the hokey pokey is what it is all about after all????
That's very funny
Your aunt obviously has a wicked sense of humor. Thanks for sharing that.
Free Seth Smith, damnit!
So Marquis is bumped up to Friday
and Hammel slides back to Friday?
Gonna be a busy day.
Chris Iannetta status: DOOM
Seth Smith status: FREE SETH SMITH
Matt Murton status: Prisoner Exchanged for CarGon
Mike McCoy status: FREE MIKE MCCOY
the rockies are so eager to whoop on the giants
They asked for and were granted a double header Friday
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Jul 21, 2009 11:55 AM MDT via mobile up reply actions
You can
thank us for that.
"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia
No, Colorado grows most of its own weed.
What are we talking about again?
Funny Dog to Make Life Worthwhile
by frightened inmate #2 on Jul 21, 2009 1:48 PM MDT up reply actions
6:40 starts?
Although a lot of weed comes through AZ too.
"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia
let's go ahead and change the subject now
Chris Iannetta status: DOOM
Seth Smith status: FREE SETH SMITH
Matt Murton status: Prisoner Exchanged for CarGon
Mike McCoy status: FREE MIKE MCCOY
by Andrew Martin on Jul 21, 2009 2:46 PM MDT up reply actions
Which was more obvious, Helton's slide, or this one?
"If I can't live off $12-million, there are serious problems." -Larry Walker on Juan Gonzalez
Saw that story
But if you watch the video replay, it truly looks a lot closer in real time.
Blown call once you slow it down, but it was pretty bang-bang :-/
by ShadowPenguin on Jul 21, 2009 3:44 PM MDT up reply actions
Wow.
A play at the plate not involving Matt Holliday? ;-)
"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia
by DbacksSkins on Jul 21, 2009 11:54 PM MDT up reply actions
Just written to Tony Massarotti
“Hey Tony -
#4 on the “Most Hopeless Franchises” list, also known as the NL Wild Card Leader, would like to say “hi”.
In the future, try looking at a bit more than just the bottom 5 teams in the NL standings before you declare franchises as hopeless.
And now back to your regularly scheduled RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX RED SAHX "
Chris Iannetta status: DOOM
Seth Smith status: FREE SETH SMITH
Matt Murton status: Prisoner Exchanged for CarGon
Mike McCoy status: FREE MIKE MCCOY
lol
seriously ftw
we seem to have gotten over that HURDLE
by TuLoRocks2008 on Jul 21, 2009 3:17 PM MDT up reply actions
Shouldn’t the Rox be in the playoffs before we, you know, declare victory over the naysayers?
Funny Dog to Make Life Worthwhile
by frightened inmate #2 on Jul 21, 2009 3:32 PM MDT up reply actions
Are we a hopeless franchise?
Chris Iannetta status: DOOM
Seth Smith status: FREE SETH SMITH
Matt Murton status: Prisoner Exchanged for CarGon
Mike McCoy status: FREE MIKE MCCOY
by Andrew Martin on Jul 21, 2009 3:46 PM MDT up reply actions
Making the playoffs
and being hopeless are two very different things.
The mere fact that the Rox can even think playoffs means we are not hopeless.
Hopeless is Natinals and Pirates level of losing.
by ShadowPenguin on Jul 21, 2009 3:48 PM MDT up reply actions
the Padres are gonna be hopeless for a few years
Chris Iannetta status: DOOM
Seth Smith status: FREE SETH SMITH
Matt Murton status: Prisoner Exchanged for CarGon
Mike McCoy status: FREE MIKE MCCOY
by Andrew Martin on Jul 21, 2009 3:49 PM MDT up reply actions
Is the Pads'
ownership still in flux?
by J. Henry Waugh on Jul 21, 2009 3:50 PM MDT up reply actions
Nope,
but the Padres are in the process of getting Mooraded.
"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia
I'd like to see his response
Should be good for a laugh!
by ShadowPenguin on Jul 21, 2009 3:52 PM MDT up reply actions
FWIW,. he's not good on the Red Sox stuff, either
I’m surprised the Globe picked him up from the Herald. It was once such a proud sports page…
Leave Dexter alone! You're lucky he even performs for you!
Get it right, people!
"DAMMIT! No, calm down. Learn to enjoy losing." --Hunter S. Thompson
by PioneerSkies on Jul 21, 2009 5:10 PM MDT up reply actions
I SAID SIDECAR!!!
Funny Dog to Make Life Worthwhile
by frightened inmate #2 on Jul 21, 2009 5:34 PM MDT up reply actions
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