Saturday Rockpile: Who takes Cook's rotation spot?, Matzek headed to Casper, more

by Bryan Kilpatrick on Aug 22, 2009 9:41 AM MDT in Rockpile Comment 33 comments

Cook leaves with shoulder injury against Giants : All Things Rockies Colorado
Aaron Cook just hasn't been the same since aggravating his toe injury in Philadelphia, and now he has a bum shoulder to go with it. As Troy Renck mentioned, Cook's velocity was way down and the plus control he usually shows hasn't been there. He's likely headed to the DL...who do you think should be his replacement? Vote in the poll below.

Betancourt willing to pitch through pain | ColoradoRockies.com: News
Speaking of hurt pitchers, Rafael Betancourt apparently has been dealing with a lingering groin injury, but it is not serious enough for him to miss any time. It's probably a good thing that he has been used sparingly as of late (as the article also mentions) so that he's fresh for the stretch run.

Rockies' top pick pays visit to Colorado | ColoradoRockies.com: News
Tyler Matzek is motivated to make his way back to Coors Field after visiting yesterday. His road starts today, as he'll report to Casper (also reported HERE) and may have a short stint in Tri-City as well before heading to Tuscon in the fall. How about Casper's soon-to-be 1-2 punch of Matzek and Chris Balcom-Miller? Goodnight, opposition.

Borrowed bats key to Barmes' power surge - The Denver Post
Clint Barmes partially has Todd Helton to thank for his recent power surge; he's hit 16 of his 20 homers with the Toddfather's bats.

Jorge De La Rosa vs. Joe Martinez tonight. The Rockies really need to cut down on the K's - 78 in their last 7 games - and JDLR needs to be at the top of his game. He should be able to rack up some K's of his own.

Poll

Who should take Aaron Cook's spot in the rotation, assuming he heads to the DL?

Jhoulys Chacin

78 votes

Adam Eaton

22 votes

Josh Fogg

89 votes

Franklin Morales

110 votes

Other

12 votes

Isn't Livan Hernandez available?

19 votes

330 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 33 comments |

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Comments

Can we postpone the Purps voting

Until Matzek gets in a game down there? I keed!

Leave Dexter alone! You're lucky he even performs for you!

by FooMan on Aug 22, 2009 9:51 AM MDT reply actions

Seeing Matzek last night was awesome.

I’m not sure that anyone else in section 331 really knew who he was, but I was standing and screaming at the top of my lungs!

"DAMMIT! No, calm down. Learn to enjoy losing." --Hunter S. Thompson

by PioneerSkies on Aug 22, 2009 9:53 AM MDT reply actions

My interpretation of that article

was that if Matzek pitched at all, it would be very late for Tri-City. I still doubt he makes any appearances this season, but working out with Casper and getting acclimated to minor league life is certainly a good thing.

by David OhNo on Aug 22, 2009 10:13 AM MDT reply actions

I still vote Brandon Hynick.

Even though Chacin makes a ton more sense :P

by bballrox4717 on Aug 22, 2009 10:15 AM MDT reply actions

I would vote for Frankie

As he is the one I’d most like to see in the rotation but due to his commitment to the bullpen I doubt we could get many innings in so I went with Chacin.

But next Spring I expect Frankie to get his arm strength to compete for and win a rotation spot. And I wouldn’t necessarily say it would be the #5 spot either.

As for Fogg and Eaton, I just cant get as excited about having either one on the hill, ala Kip Wells, Josh Towers, Livan Hernandez, Glendon Rusch , Redmond (should I keep going?)

But they are both (Fogger and Eats) very capable of keeping us in the game, so I don’t hit the panic button yet… But the plastic case protecting it is raised…

by El Paso Jeff on Aug 22, 2009 10:21 AM MDT reply actions

Likewise

I don’t understand how Morales is winning this poll, given that he’s been in the bullpen since early July and has thrown as much as 2 innings only twice. Only once was he stretched beyond 26 pitches. I’m all in on Chacin, but that’s obviously not what the organziation chose

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 22, 2009 10:40 AM MDT up reply actions

Morales was a starter at the beginning of the year

the bullpen for the Rockies is very rested. (to the point of under use). Morales I think could go 4 maybe even 5 innings…..turn it over to the pen at that point, which would include Eaton and Fogg, if you need multiple innings.

by Redhawk on Aug 22, 2009 10:57 AM MDT up reply actions

While that is true

Cook being on the DL necessitates 2 or 3 starts from the replacement. The pen may be rested now, but they’d be relied on heavily for at least two of them. I know Morales was a starter, and honestly, if he were stretched out, he’d be the cinch decision (especially if we claimed Billy Wagner), but I’d rather have a stretched out Chacin for 5 or 6 than a tight Morales for 4 + 3 innings of Fogg/Eaton.

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 22, 2009 11:28 AM MDT up reply actions

Cook to DL, Herges called up

Meaning that either Fogg, Eaton, or Morales (let it be the latter) are going to start. Why do i have the feeling that Tracy is going to stupidly let Eaton start? Does he know how much of a failure that will be? I’m really starting to lose faith in Tracy these days.

by bballrox4717 on Aug 22, 2009 10:28 AM MDT reply actions

Oh, I made a fanshot on it

by bballrox4717 on Aug 22, 2009 10:29 AM MDT up reply actions

But, but...

he hasn’t had Eaton start yet. You have to wait ’til after to lose faith.

"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

by Bryce on Aug 22, 2009 10:30 AM MDT up reply actions

other teams have had eaton start though

this isn’t gonna be too much of a surprise

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by Andrew Martin on Aug 22, 2009 12:40 PM MDT up reply actions

Eaton is really bad now, though. But probably not worse than Elmer Dessens, and we know how that season turned out.

by LawrenceDavis on Aug 22, 2009 12:46 PM MDT up reply actions

Morales is simply too valuable where he is

He’s bailed us out in several close games.

Would you rather have Fogg, Eaton or Herges in those tight spots (and none of them is left-handed).

No, if it ain’t borkw don’t fix it — keep Morales in the role where he’s been successful & don’t create 2 holes instead of one.

I can live w/ Fogg/Eaton as a temp. fix for the next 2 rounds of the rotation, but if they perform as expected (mediocre at best), Chacin needs to take over as of Sept. 1 call-up date.

No records in the last 10 years should count.

by Maris6161 on Aug 22, 2009 11:01 AM MDT up reply actions

*borkw = broke

nice typing/proofing on my part

No records in the last 10 years should count.

by Maris6161 on Aug 22, 2009 11:03 AM MDT up reply actions

Plus, Morales hasn't pitched more than two innings since joining the pen.

That’s simply not stretched out enough to make starts.

by WolfMarauder on Aug 22, 2009 11:49 AM MDT up reply actions

I agree fully

with everything Maris says. Don’t start monkeying with the parts more than we have to. Isn’t this basically the whole reason to have Fogg on the team? Let him start, let Eaton take long man. And I otherwise agree with the sentiment that if Fogg can’t get it done, time to go back to Chacin or consider Hynick. But Fogg gets first run.

by Teekalong on Aug 22, 2009 1:46 PM MDT up reply actions

Yup

If you put Morales, who are you going to put in to get the tough outs? Morales has been money against the Adam Dunn types. Fogg and Eaton? Not so much.

"If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough."

by Rawktober on Aug 22, 2009 3:33 PM MDT up reply actions

Livan Hernandez got 8 votes

LOL

Just an average guy with exceptional hair. Nothing more, nothing less.

by Bryan Kilpatrick on Aug 22, 2009 12:18 PM MDT reply actions

I don't know how I can seem to misread every poll

I read it as “who’s gonna end up starting” as opposed to “who SHOULD start”

so yeah, that Adam Eaton vote….yeah…..

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by Andrew Martin on Aug 22, 2009 12:39 PM MDT reply actions

Me too

I did the same thing! damn Eaton vote…

The oxen are slow, but the earth is patient.

by rockieprogress on Aug 22, 2009 12:45 PM MDT up reply actions

"Other"

5 votes so far. I wonder who the votes were intended for. I guess: 2 for Hynick, 1 for Friedrich, 1 for Matzek, and 1 for Mike McCoy.

Leave Dexter alone! You're lucky he even performs for you!

by FooMan on Aug 22, 2009 1:21 PM MDT reply actions

look just because my zombie likes MM even more than i do

doesn’t mean anything

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by Andrew Martin on Aug 22, 2009 10:32 PM MDT up reply actions

Will ZombieRockiesMagicNumber be voting for PuRPs?

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 22, 2009 11:01 PM MDT up reply actions

I don't think either of us will

I don’t feel like I have a strong enough grasp of the farm system to rationalize making a top 30 where like 2/3 of it will be guessing and just filling it out

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by Andrew Martin on Aug 22, 2009 11:32 PM MDT up reply actions

Putting Keith Weiser in the top 10 is valid whether I agree with it or not.

Tom (RFTN) brought up Tracy Ringolsby’s Top Ten from 2003 for BA:

1. Aaron Cook
2. Chin-hui Tsao
3. Rene Reyes
4. Jason Young
5. Choo Freeman
6. Jayson Nix
7. Jeff Baker
8. Zach Parker
9. Jeff Francis
10. Brad Hawpe

Seriously, you wouldn’t be any worse off than the best in the business. You never know.

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 22, 2009 11:40 PM MDT up reply actions

Ha, my Weiser heavy ballot wouldn't really have him in the top 20

given his performance this season.

Besides, it’s not the top of the list that’s trouble. It’s the back 15 that’d kill me.

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by Andrew Martin on Aug 23, 2009 8:57 AM MDT up reply actions

I voted for Hynick

I think I have a mancrush on him.

by bballrox4717 on Aug 22, 2009 10:38 PM MDT up reply actions

My Other for Hynick

Favorite player: Tulo
2nd favorite player: 10-way tie

by prettyinpurple on Aug 22, 2009 2:29 PM MDT reply actions

I guess it comes down to Fogg or Eaton

I"ll take the devil I know – Fogg

"If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough."

by Rawktober on Aug 22, 2009 3:34 PM MDT reply actions

heh

There’s some reason to believe Fogg is slightly less of a devil than Eaton. Fogg’s always been a bit below avg. Whereas Eaton’s last 3 years in the majors have really been horrible. If they choose one, though, I’m sure for the next start at least, it will be more like a tandem start.

Leave Dexter alone! You're lucky he even performs for you!

by FooMan on Aug 22, 2009 3:47 PM MDT up reply actions

Haeger the knuckler throwing 2 hitter after 6 (Dodgers 2-0)

"If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough."

by Rawktober on Aug 22, 2009 3:41 PM MDT reply actions

charlie friggin haeger

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by Andrew Martin on Aug 22, 2009 10:33 PM MDT up reply actions