On Thursday night, I began watching in the top of the ninth inning after returning home from a softball game. We know what happened in the bottom half of that frame. Last night, the Rockies were up 3-0 and seemingly playing well up until the exact moment that I started watching the game (which is when Chris Iannetta grounded out with the bases loaded in the eighth inning). As such, I'm officially labeling myself as a bad luck charm. However, I'm still going to watch the games this weekend so if the current trend of ffffffff-inducing crap continues through Sunday, you'll know who to blame - and it's NOT Jim Tracy.

Why six MLB clubs stay in Venezuela despite rising crime and bitter politics - CSMonitor.com
Jasmina Kelemen has a nice piece on MLB's impact in Venezuela. This is something that is starting to gain a little more attention, as being an MLB player from Venezuela comes with an incredible amount of difficulty in their home country, such as having to deal with outrageous crimes against them and their families due to the substantial amount of income these players bring in. ESPN the Magazine had a blurb about it in their most recent issue, as well.

Player Analysis: Seth Smith, OF, Colorado Rockies - Minor League Ball
John Sickels profiles Seth Smith's days as a prospect in the Rockies organization, revisiting his grades and analysis of Smith for each year since 2004 when Smith was drafted. Good read.

Former Clemson Tiger Kyle Parker has no doubts about choice | The Post and Courier, Charleston SC - News, Sports, Entertainment
Kyle Parker is putting up terrific numbers in Asheville (.326/.375/.488), all while still trying to fully recover from broken ribs.