Once again, what I wanted to write and post by this morning is turning out to be a much more in depth project than I initially thought, so expect a post about what to expect from our left-handed starters in 2009 later tonight or early tomorrow, but for a preliminary discussion on the topic in the meantime, a common theme in KC threads about this week's Ramon Ramirez for Coco Crisp trade, was that the Royals basically got a steal by turning Jorge De La Rosa into Crisp with a year of effective relief in between. The point of any trade is to be better going forward, past performance quickly becomes irrelevant after the deal's been done, but here is what the three provided in 2008:

Given that, who do you see as most valuable to their team in 2009?

Ooh now you've gone and made me really really mad. You won't like it when I'm angry...

via www.weeklyreader.com

The Rockies are now peeved that Ramon Ramirez made good on his threats to give Yorvit Torrealba some high heat, and so like so many comic book fans who sadly think that they too have some inner hulk that's waiting to be let out, they've vowed that this aggression won't stand. And they'll make sure of it by writing a strongly worded letter after leaving Kansas City with another series loss and possible sweep. Mmm hmm, paint me impressed.

Let me be succinct: if a team can't win on the road against other bad teams, they are themselves a bad team. If a team can't win more than four games in a row, they are not going to the playoffs. Fourteen games under .500 with seventeen to go before the All-Star break means we'd have to go I'd say at least 13-4 before then to leave the door to a comeback open, but there's been nothing in the team's performance to date that says the Rockies are capable of such a run this year. Aaron Cook will get four of those starts, so maybe we can go 3-1 or even 4-0 in them. Ubaldo Jimenez has been pitching well lately, so I can even see a 3-1 in his four with a little luck. The other six or seven wins, however, in three starts each by Reynolds, Francis and JDLR, just won't come without an offense that we simply don't seem to have this season.

via images.ucomics.com

Exchange a word in the above caption and that would have helped last night.

Jeff Francis admitted he "made bad pitches" and that he has no idea how to solve his first inning problems.

"I write things down in pencil," Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca said. - From Jim Armstrong's column on how bizarre a season the Rockies have had so far. Apodaca also said the team was fortunate for having a Plan B. . . .

Ramon Ramirez received his championship ring before yesterday's game, and Glendon Rusch and Mark Redman appear to be receiving more attention than others for another stint with the Rockies.