Sunday Rockpile: Alan Johnson tries to become Rockies next surprising rotation fill-in

by Rox Girl on Apr 17, 2011 7:59 AM MDT in Rockpile

No joke, my image search for Alan Johnson instead came up with a horse named Wishful Thinking...

Dave Krieger says that the Rockies best pitching in 2011 is yet to come, as the only starter without a win thus far is this Ubaldo Jimenez guy, who's apparently pretty good. Even better then, must be the two guys that pushed him back from the day he was able to come off the DL (today): Alan Johnson and Esmil Rogers. Today, by the way, marks the one year anniversary of Jimenez's no-hitter against Atlanta.

According to FanGraphs, Ian Stewart has seen the fewest fastballs among Rockies position players, just 48.3% of all pitches seen, while Jonathan Herrera has seen the most at 76.5%. Stewart continues to get fooled and put off balance by off speed stuff, striking out more than 40% of the time he steps to the plate thus far, while it seems opposing pitchers haven't yet developed a working pitch plan for Herrera, preferring to instead just try and blow fastballs past him and avoid the walks he's been so good at collecting. Not far behind Stewart on the lack of fastballs seen list is Jose Lopez, who also has seen the fewest change-ups among Rockies hitters. Pitchers are avoiding the plate by giving him a steady diet of sliders and curves. Until Stewart and/or Lopez adjust or develop better pitch recognition, the Rockies will continue to get minimal levels of production from their third basemen.

Nestled between Stewart and Lopez in second on the least fastballs seen chart is Carlos Gonzalez, who rested his back and bat yesterday and has been slumping against LHP's this year. As the notes indicate, Todd Helton also got some time off last night.

Jim Armstrong has more notes, including the interesting tidbit that the Rockies are 9-1 when Lopez starts. I think that's almost entirely coincidental given the degree to which he's struggled this season, and there's certainly little to no reason to put him in front of the red hot Herrera right now at second. Third's another question, though, and it will be interesting to see who breaks their slump first.

Tyler Kepner at the New York Times features Greg Reynolds along with the White Sox's Phillip Humber in a profile of the long strange journey the two former high draft picks have taken to the major leagues.

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JFK's Quote of the Day:

“You should enter a ballpark the way you enter a church.” ~Bill Spaceman Lee

"There have been only two geniuses in the world. Willie Mays and Willie Shakespeare." ~Tallulah Bankhead
"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too." ~Greg, age 8
JFK

by jrockies on Apr 17, 2011 8:07 AM MDT reply actions

I will take

this into account on the Sunday I am skipping my regular church service to get a chance to see Alan Johnson make his MLB debut.

by jrockies on Apr 17, 2011 8:08 AM MDT up reply actions

How so, with your head covered in shame because of your sins from the night before?

"We have done everything possible to be set for this day, for this season. It's time to go. We are ready. I can promise you that." - CarGo

by Mondogarage on Apr 17, 2011 8:52 AM MDT up reply actions

Silently and awkwardly

Worried that your under dressed and hoping that no one will notice that you weren’t there last week?

by Rockie4Ever on Apr 17, 2011 10:45 AM MDT up reply actions

Where are the fonts of holy water?

Or do you bless yourself out of your first cup of beer?

Altar Boy in the Church of Santo Ubaldo
"...buffalo chicken is a fine anti-depressant, after all." -UZ

by Yokel on Apr 17, 2011 11:25 AM MDT up reply actions

no matter what happens today

Alan Johnson can know that he made his debut against the opening day starter for a team with a $134mil payroll…..and was favored

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

by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 17, 2011 8:08 AM MDT via mobile reply actions

And Dempster's share is nearly $15 mil

Not that he’s a horrible pitcher, but that still boggles the mind.

by Northsider1964 on Apr 17, 2011 8:54 AM MDT up reply actions

He's actuall still decent, but declining

Just hope we can continue his tendency to give up lots of gopher balls.

"We have done everything possible to be set for this day, for this season. It's time to go. We are ready. I can promise you that." - CarGo

by Mondogarage on Apr 17, 2011 8:58 AM MDT up reply actions

Oh he's definitely decent

But I just never could figure out that contract. Even the Cubs don’t usually throw that kind of money at a guy based on one good season. Not as if the rest of the league was beating down the door to get him.

by Northsider1964 on Apr 17, 2011 9:19 AM MDT up reply actions

Who'da thunk it

The 2011 Rockies are a better road team (7-1) than a home team (4-2).

"We have done everything possible to be set for this day, for this season. It's time to go. We are ready. I can promise you that." - CarGo

by Mondogarage on Apr 17, 2011 9:42 AM MDT reply actions

I thought the new batting coach was brought in to fix Stewie's hitting

pretty sad when a guy with so much power is reduced to bunting just to get a base hit.

by Cheeseheadroxfan on Apr 17, 2011 10:06 AM MDT reply actions

Curveball, bats are afraid

Showing extreme symptoms of Rocky Mountain Baseball Fever since 1993.

by WalkInRight on Apr 17, 2011 10:42 AM MDT up reply actions

Stewart is still playing catch-up from half of a missed spring training.

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by Andrew Martin on Apr 17, 2011 12:36 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions

alan Johnson day !!!!!

At long last. Been years in the waiting.

DOD to secretary: “Clear all the wires and make sure my cellphone has two fully charged batteries. The offers will start rolling in any time now.”

The Big Purple Machine will make a believer outta you!

by El Paso Jeff on Apr 17, 2011 10:08 AM MDT reply actions

Roy Halladay's bags are packed.

"We have done everything possible to be set for this day, for this season. It's time to go. We are ready. I can promise you that." - CarGo

by Mondogarage on Apr 17, 2011 10:15 AM MDT up reply actions

So just what was Justin Verlander doing

with this pitch(?)

"I think I speak for everyone in here when I say it's playoffs or bust"- J. Hammel
Toddfather, Tulo, CarGo plus The Answer - Rox 2011 NL West Crown
Orig.Thugget Loyalist #4, UNugg #4, QPU Emeritus, Proud member PR Gynocracy

by SDcat09 on Apr 17, 2011 10:41 AM MDT reply actions

Has anyone wondered how much better the Rockies can get when

CarGo gets hot, Ubaldo comes back and the pitching gets better, Tulo being hot, and the timely hitting coming together with the pitching? This will trully be a scary good Rockies team if this were to happen. When it does, the rest of the league better watch out.

by tulo92 on Apr 17, 2011 10:48 AM MDT reply actions

I have a hard time believing all of those pieces are going to come together at the same time.

@CentralCaliRox

by CentralCaliRox on Apr 17, 2011 12:46 PM MDT up reply actions

I have a hard time believing all of those pieces are going to come together at the same time – before the playoffs.

FTFY

Altar Boy in the Church of Santo Ubaldo
"...buffalo chicken is a fine anti-depressant, after all." -UZ

by Yokel on Apr 17, 2011 12:52 PM MDT up reply actions

HELL YES

I got a bobblehead

Baseball is FINALLY here. That old ballpark, man, it's back in gear. Haven't seen it in a while. Man, it makes me smile.

by The Lodo Magic Man on Apr 17, 2011 11:04 AM MDT via mobile reply actions

I'm sure you were first in line.

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

by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 17, 2011 11:05 AM MDT via mobile up reply actions

Yippee!!

Does it even look like Ubaldo?

by SDcat09 on Apr 17, 2011 11:05 AM MDT up reply actions

No

In fact, the facial features look more like a young Jim Tracy.

Maybe they just copied the 2001 Chad Tracy bobblehead or something.

/did not stop me from getting one, tho

"We have done everything possible to be set for this day, for this season. It's time to go. We are ready. I can promise you that." - CarGo

by Mondogarage on Apr 17, 2011 6:37 PM MDT up reply actions

Lucky duck!

What’s it look like?

by Rockie4Ever on Apr 17, 2011 11:06 AM MDT up reply actions

I haven't opened it yet, but I put a photo on my Twitter

Baseball is FINALLY here. That old ballpark, man, it's back in gear. Haven't seen it in a while. Man, it makes me smile.

by The Lodo Magic Man on Apr 17, 2011 11:15 AM MDT via mobile up reply actions

I'm betting the over today

Over 9.5 runs, hoping dumpster has his usual Coors field game

by Britbronco22 on Apr 17, 2011 11:07 AM MDT reply actions

Dempster

Funny how predictive text can be appropriate when wrong :)

by Britbronco22 on Apr 17, 2011 11:08 AM MDT up reply actions

I call him dumpster too. Not that I hate the guy, but It’s just gift wrapped

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by Andrew Martin on Apr 17, 2011 12:38 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions

I got a bad feeling ... I think we made a big booboo this week in dealing with the DH

Sorry if this was discussed in the game thread. We don’t really carry a true long man, which has its pros and cons, but I think bringing Johnson up as our only response to the six games in five days problem already cost us a marginal shot at last night’s game. Suspect it will cost us today’s game too, as well as (god I hope not) a rested bullpen for the Giants. What we should have done is bring up two guys — Mortensen and Johnson — for the weekend and carried the extra pitcher (sending Stewart down for a while). That way Belisle could have pitched the 7th last night instead of the last guy in the bullpen, and we might have actually pulled it out. Now we got today, and although I’m hoping my ass off, I’d really be surprised if AJ survives 4 innings with us still in the game. Cubs can hit a little (they can’t pitch) and AJ really has nothing.

Speaking of which, at what point does it become impossible to justify keeping Paulino on the 25 man over Daley? And yes, I know Paulino doesn’t have an option. But I doubt he’ll even be with the organization by the end of the season. I don’t believe in change of scenery miracles, and I think he’s pretty much what he was for the Stros: A guy with good stuff who blows up, like, a lot.

by BostonTransplant on Apr 17, 2011 11:58 AM MDT reply actions

Paulino was nails before last night

He will get a much longer leash

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

by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 17, 2011 12:06 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions

An ERA of 9.00 and WHIP of 2.0 is "nails"???

And before last night his WHIP was an uninspiring 1.40. He’s had traffic in most of his appearances but it was only last night when it got cashed in. Pretty much like his last couple years. And Daley has been ridiculous. At some point, you can’t keep him in AAA in favor of guy a bad team traded to us for our worst position player, just before we were going to release him! Sorry, Cargo not withstanding, DoD is not that much smarter than other GM’s!

by BostonTransplant on Apr 17, 2011 12:14 PM MDT up reply actions

His era wasn’t 9 before last night. He had a 6:2 k:bb.

Sometimes you just get beaten. Castro’s homer was off of his shoetops and the barney double was on an up and in pitch – and it was barely fair at that.

Sub-7ip isn’t really a great way to judge a guy. He’s had the one bad outing this season.

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by Andrew Martin on Apr 17, 2011 12:42 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions

ahem....that's why I said BEFORE LAST NIGHT

One poor outing in April kills all stats for a reliever. Paulino has a much higher ceiling than Daley, so he needs explored to see if he can reach it. Like…more than two weeks. That’s how we found our #2 starter, lest you forget. It’s the GMs job to balance the current roster with the potential future one. Most criticisms of GMs focus on overweighting one side.

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

by Andrew T. Fisher on Apr 17, 2011 12:44 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions