Retro Row: The Better Angels of Our Nature
by Russ Oates on Sep 12, 2009 10:30 AM MDT
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PrintSeveral weeks ago, there was a short conversation in a post about a feature here looking at old Purple Row entries. Taken from here, look at how wrong this person was (the bold words):
Abraham Lincoln was on the right track with the closing remarks in his first Inaugural Address, but I'll change some stuff around:
[...] We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from [fans in SoCal to New York to England to Korea], will yet swell the chorus of [Rockies Nation], when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.
As I mentioned in a comment last night, I'll make a prediction on how the Rockies fare this season. They'll take the NL West with 85 wins. To borrow from Lincoln's second Inaugural Address:
With malice toward none, with charity for all [...], let [the Rockies] strive on to finish the work [of Rocktober, to prove that they should not be written off, to create the legends and myths for those fans who will come long after this season is gone, and] to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all [prognosticators].
Said person was really wrong about how many wins the Rockies would have this season. But he or she was right about the rest of it. Well . . . maybe not the lasting peace between Rockies fans and prognosticators. I still hear that the Dodgers have an insurmountable lead in the West and that the Wild Card still belongs to the Mets or that it's up to the Braves to lose it.
Oh, I predicted that? Well, hey, can't have anyone write that no one predicted the Rockies winning the West before the season started.
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Its great
to be a rockie. No longer can we take crap for just being lucky like people said after our run in 2007. E.g. Eric Byrnes. But now we are legitimately a great team, and look to be that way for a long time. 2 deep at everywhere. One of the best, if not the best bench in baseball.
agreed...
especially when you consider they’ve still managed to play winning baseball (granted many of those wins have come against sub-.500 teams) despite losing an opening day starter; lights-out closer; speedy switch-hitting CF; homerun hitting third baseman; and clean-up hitting, Gold Glove-contending SS. Only time will tell, but this team has the potential to be a machine for many seasons to come. Hopefully some years from now we’ll be able to look back in pride at all of the accomplishments of The Big Rox Machine.
by Geriatric Gerry on Sep 12, 2009 12:27 PM MDT up reply actions
Huzzah! Huzzah!
"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
My preseason predictions:
NL West:
1. Rockies 89-73
2. Dodgers 87-75
3. D-backs 83-79
4. Giants 77-85
5. Padres 64-98
NL Central:
Cubs
NL East:
Braves
Wildcard:
Dodgers
See others’ predictions here.
Eschew Obfuscation!
Gee, thanks for dredging that up.
Although everyone else should enjoy it. Hey, if you thought your picks were bad, at least you didn’t pick BJ Upton for AL MVP!
Although I might at least get the West Division winners right in both leagues… so I got that going for me.
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.
Not bad on the CY Greinke pick, though.
"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
Wow, RG may have gotten the MOY down right
MOY: Jim Tracy (kidding, sort of, I have no idea)
POSITIVE THOUGHTS!
In the comments on that link Russ gave
RG also said “you would have to be crazy to predict less than 90 wins for the Rox”
Her prophecy has almost come true.
Per our friends at McCovey Cove: The Rockies are 45604564-0 whenever they play baseball in the MLB. That just happens to be over 281509 season’s worth of baseball!
by realmenwearpurple on Sep 12, 2009 2:50 PM MDT up reply actions
DBackskins was mocking the pick too
couldn’t believe anyone expected 85 wins out of the Rox. I told my friends I expected ~84 wins from the Rox and they all made fun too. Who is laughing now, Mets fans!
Per our friends at McCovey Cove: The Rockies are 45604564-0 whenever they play baseball in the MLB. That just happens to be over 281509 season’s worth of baseball!
by realmenwearpurple on Sep 12, 2009 2:52 PM MDT up reply actions
That's exactly what I was thinking.
Wow..she’s a genius. That is insane.
by CentralCaliRox on Sep 12, 2009 2:55 PM MDT up reply actions
Thats amazing
someone needed to go put money on that at the start of the year. A bench coach winning the manager of the year.
Wow guys..it can really happen!!!!!
A repeat of 2007 but with a WS Champs RING!! Sorry..It just really hit me today..I haven’t been able to watch the games lately because of how demanding school and football is so I just read PR and the game analysis each night when I get home. This weekend though..I will be in the game threads =] GO ROCKIES! WE CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!
Don't worry Russ...
I predicted Rockies at 79-83 and missing the playoffs.
Of course, that was not long after Francis’ surgery and before Tracy, Dex, CarGo, Tulo’s bounce-back, and SethSmith/Yorvit’s hot streaks. I also didn’t think Marquis would be an all-star, and I would be a dirty liar if I said that Hammel would be a decent starter, not to mention the improvement of George of the Rose and Jimenez.
"I shoot so many 3's because I can't shoot 4's" -Antoine Walker
Revisiting my predictions:
NL West
1. Rockies, 2. Dodgers, 3. Snakes, 4. Giants, 5. Padres
Rockies clinch their first division championship in very convincing fashion after the Dodgers lineup falls victim to the injury bug after the ASG. Helton is Comebacker of the Year, U-Ball and Fowler make very good arguments for Cy Young and ROTY respectively.
Actually, aside from Arizona and San Fran, this could work.
Senior Circuit
West: Rockies
Central: Cubbies
East: Phillies
Wild Card: Dodgers
Kind of dropped the ball on the Cubbies, but everything else is right.
Junior Circuit
West: Angels
Central: Twinkies
East: Red Sox
Wild Card: Rays
I never expected the Yankees to play this well for such a sustained amount of time, and that goes double for the under-achieving Tigers.
My NLCS and ALCS picks are all still in, though: Rockies/Dodgers and Red Sox/Angels. I don’t know about any of you, but I’d enjoy watching both of those series so much more than either of the championship series’ last year.
"Admirably obsessive." - Uni Watch, March 24th, 2009
NA34 | HK | RMN
The Red Sox and Angels would play each other in the first round
And there really isn’t any way around it unless the Red Sox take the AL East or if the Tigers surpass the Angels in the standings, both of those being extremely doubtful.
POSITIVE THOUGHTS!
by bballrox4717 on Sep 12, 2009 4:29 PM MDT up reply actions
Damn, forgot about that rule
Well, it’d be an ALDS to watch at least.
"Admirably obsessive." - Uni Watch, March 24th, 2009
NA34 | HK | RMN
It's great to be a Rox fan right now
I have enjoyed reading the posts here, the informed and mature PR members, and of course the amazing 2009 team play by our Rockies. What is also exciting is the Rockies prospects for the next few years. Was looking at the scouting reports and such and aside from the 2010 and 2011 rosters we can assume may look similar to this year the 2012 potential line up could look like this:
Catcher Chris Iannetta
First Base Brad Hawpe
Second Base Hector Gomez
Third Base Ian Stewart
Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki
Left Field Seth Smith
Center Field Dexter Fowler
Right Field Tyler Massey
No. 1 Starter Ubaldo Jimenez
No. 2 Starter Aaron Cook
No. 3 Starter Jhoulys Chacin
No. 4 Starter Jeff Francis
No. 5 Starter Christian Friedrich
Closer Manny Corpas
and throw EY Jr. some vetran pick-ups, and othere key position players in there.
That’s a lot of good young talent… Of course lots of things have to go “right” but I see the Rox being very competitve for some years down the road.
Zuh?
If A) Carlos Gonzalez isn’t in our 2012 outfield and B) Manny Corpas is the 2012 closer, then something has gone horribly wrong.
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.
That was Ringolsby's projection for Baseball America in the offseason I believe.
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Sep 12, 2009 6:04 PM MDT up reply actions
Correct
A quick copy and paste from his projection, and should have changed Corpas…but
anyone could be the closer down the road. Guess the main point is the Rox prospects looking as good or better than the comp in NL West.
by GoodOleBoyCo on Sep 12, 2009 6:26 PM MDT up reply actions
/dramatic sigh
I’m afraid you have my picture.
"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
GIAMBI!
Is looking like a pretty good player isnt he? I was out with him and a few of the guys last night in San Diego and a player said this to Jason, “We are going to win the world series this year.” I dont want to say who said it but its an every day position player. He said the players have the same feeling this year as what they had a few years ago when they were in the series. Jason said this team reminds him of the old Oakland A’s when they were winning. He said this team gets along like you wouldnt believe. He also said that this team rags on eachother all day in good fun but when its game time they are locked in like you wouldnt believe. One hilarious side note……. Carlos Gonzalez’s nickname is “little pony”. No idea why.
You should take a picture with them next time.
I wish I could hang out with the Rockies
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Sep 12, 2009 6:21 PM MDT up reply actions
No wonder you had good "Giambi-to-Rockies" info.
Sounds fun.
"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
CarGo's nickname is probably
“little pwnie” because he pwns!
Gladly sharing a name with Dexter Fowler!
by ShadowPenguin on Sep 12, 2009 7:52 PM MDT up reply actions
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