More photos » Gene J. Puskar - AP

9 months ago: Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle watches from the dugout during the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Browse more photos »

Okay, not really, but we have to keep the drama for meaningless games somehow. Actually, these two teams have made these familiarity storylines a running theme in their Cactus League contests the last couple of years, as Jim Tracy's son Chad hit a big home run for the Rangers in one of last year's contests.

GAMEDAY

The Rockies lineup:

1. Dexter Fowler CF
2. Mike Paulk 1B
3. Melvin Mora 2B
4. Brad Hawpe RF
5. Chris Iannetta C
6. Ian Stewart 3B
7. Ryan Spilborghs LF
8. Omar Quintanilla SS
9. Aaron Cook P
10. GO ROCKIES!

More photos » Tony Dejak - AP

2 days ago: Colorado Rockies' Paul Phillips, top, is congratulated by teammates after scoring on a sacrifice fly by Omar Quintanilla in the seventh inning in a spring training baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday, March 9, 2010 in Glendale, Ariz. The Rockies won 12-0. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Browse more photos »

The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner faces the red-hot Rockies and recovering starter Jeff Francis. I wish this was televised.

Zack Greinke

#23 / Pitcher / Kansas City Royals

Height: 6-2

Weight: 190

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Oct 21, 1983

That's one mean look, Zack.

Jeff Francis

#26 / Pitcher / Colorado Rockies

Height: 6-5

Weight: 205

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Jan 08, 1981

You still look 21, Jeff.

3B Eric Young Jr.
CF Carlos Gonzalez
SS Troy Tulowitzki
LF Seth Smith
C Miguel Olivo
2B Clint Barmes
1B Paul Lo Duca
RF Jay Payton
LHP Jeff Francis

GO ROCKIES!!!

More photos » Ed Andrieski - AP

Browse more photos »

Rockies lead 3-0 6-0. Greg Smith is pitching. Keep it going, Rox!

It's been a while since I've done one of these. Anyway, the Rockies will start Ubaldo Jimenez, with Greg Smith, Justin Speier, Matt Reynolds, and Al Alburquerque to follow. Hiroki Kuroda starts for LA, while Charlie Haeger, Hong-Chih Kuo, Jonathan Broxton, and George Sherrill will also see action.

Ubaldo Jimenez

#38 / Pitcher / Colorado Rockies

Height: 6-4

Weight: 200

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jan 22, 1984

VS.

Hiroki Kuroda

#18 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Dodgers

Height: 6-1

Weight: 210

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Feb 10, 1975

Pay a visit to True Blue LA and have some fun with the Dodger faithful.

Also, Gameday Link.

OVERFLOW THREAD

Lineups:

Rockies-

Gonzalez, C, RF
Fowler, CF
Mora, 2B
Smith, S, LF
Iannetta, C
Stewart, 3B
Spilborghs, DH
Barmes, SS
Kindel, 1B

Dodgers-

Furcal, SS
Kemp, CF
Ethier, RF
Ramirez, M, DH
Loney, 1B
Belliard, 3B
DeWitt, 2B
Paul, LF
Ausmus, C

GO ROCKIES!

More photos » Ed Andrieski - AP

4 days ago: Janeen Hale, left, of Phoeniz, Sharon Widener of Denver and Elizabeth Thorson of Casper, Wyo., huddle in the rain at a Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies spring baseball game in Tucson, Ariz., on Sunday, March 7, 2010. The game was called in the seventh inning with the Rockies ahead 4-1. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

Browse more photos »

Today we can follow Jorge De La Rosa, scheduled to start the game, and Jason Hammel. We should also see Yorvit Torrealba with the Padres. NO BLASTERS! NO BLASTERS!

Jorge De La Rosa

#29 / Pitcher / Colorado Rockies

Height: 6-1

Weight: 210

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Apr 05, 1981

Kevin Correia

#29 / Pitcher / San Diego Padres

Height: 6-3

Weight: 200

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Aug 24, 1980

GO ROCKIES!

More photos » Ed Andrieski - AP

"Oh no, not these guys again."

Browse more photos »

Game Discussion has moved here

It's Split Squad Sunday, with the Rockies visiting Arizona, while Colorado faces the Diamondbacks across town.  Let the reign of terror continue.

Game 1

At 1:05 MT, former Yankee Ian Kennedy will throw the first pitch at Tucson Electric Park against the Rockies, with Franklin Morales earning the the "start" for Colorado.  The full lineup:

We will also see Juan Nicasio, Andrew Graham, Juan Rincon, Justin Speier, Matt Reynolds at TEP.

Game 2

Five minutes later, Aaron Cook will take the mound at Hi Corbett Field, faced by 5th starter hopeful Kevin Mulvey.  Here is the lineup for the Rockies' home game:

Samuel Deduno, Christian Friedrich, Manuel Corpas, Randy Flores are also slated to pitch.

Arizona is winless and has a worse run differential than any team except the Nationals.  Naturally, this will continue.

More photos » Winslow Townson - AP

Is it a bad thing that I chose this photo of Redding?

Browse more photos »

The Rockies begin their last season in Tucson with their Spring Training home opener today against a split squad of the Milwaukee Brewers. We finally get to see Tim Redding don a Rockies uniform. Hopefully we don't see Redding do anything comparable to his action in the photo to the side of this. Am I already complaing about Redding too much? I did that quite a bit with Josh Fogg over 2006 and 2007. But Redding's depth for the rotation at this point. Oh well, we'll find someone else to have a problem with as time goes by. 

Tim Redding

#44 / Pitcher / Colorado Rockies

Height: 5-11

Weight: 225

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Feb 12, 1978

Yeah, maybe we'll get a new picture of Redding later on this season.

Anyway, his opponent is Chris Narveson.

Chris Narveson

#38 / Pitcher / Milwaukee Brewers

Height: 6-3

Weight: 205

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Dec 20, 1981

Narveson, for those who don't remember was in the Rockies' farm system for a brief period. As part of the deal that sent Larry Walker to the Cardinals in 2004, Narveson and Jason Burch went west to Denver. Narveson made four starts for Tulsa in 2004, but at the end of March 2005 he was sent with Charles Johnson to the Red Sox for Byung-Hyun Kim. Eventually, BK Kim turned into Jorge Julio in May 2007.

And just to continue this history lesson. Burch stayed with the Rockies through the end of the 2006 season, reacing Double-A Tulsa. In January 2007, Burch and fellow reliever Jim Miller headed east to Baltimore in exchange for Rodrigo "I couldn't win Rox Girl's bet with Jim from the Snakepit" Lopez.

Gameday Link

1. Dexter Fowler, CF

2. Paul LoDuca, 1B

3. Ryan Spilborghs, RF

4. Troy Tulowitzki, SS

5. Melvin Mora, LF

6. Clint Barmes, 2B

7. Paul Phillips, C

8. Darin Holcomb, 3B

9. Tim Redding, P

GO ROCKIES!

More photos » Ed Andrieski - AP

7 days ago: Colorado Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez, left, signs autographs prior to a Cactus League spring baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Tucson, Ariz., on Thursday, March 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

Browse more photos »

This place is going to be a madhouse as we follow two games at once. Ubaldo Jimenez, Greg Smith, Matt Daley, Matt Reynolds and the king of ragball himself, Matt Belisle, are expected to get work in Tempe, while Jeff Francis, Esmil Rogers, Chaz Roe, Justin Speier and Jimmy Gobble go up against the Giants in Scottsdale.

I'm not expecting much from Francis today, in fact, I'm sort of expecting him to get hit pretty hard as he works the kinks out of his delivery after missing a year. Much as I'd like to beat the Giants, I'm just not sure it's going to happen, especially at half strength, and of course, it doesn't really matter either way. The same's true in Tempe as Jimenez faces the Angels. Getting the win's not nearly as important as getting a read on where the pitchers are at in their preparation for the season.

The Rockies AAA pitching depth also comes into prominence today, Smith and Rogers are two important sixth starter options, with Roe an intriguing wild card in that category, while Reynolds, Speier and Gobble could all potentially appear out of the Rockies bullpen at some point this year. Reynolds in particular merits watching as a potential Randy Flores replacement, or he could take Franklin Morales' projected role should the latter have to take over closing or set-up duties for Huston Street or Rafael Betancourt early in the season if either of the two start April on the DL.