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Monday Morning Rockpile: Oh my incredible!

The words for describing how improbable the sweep in San Diego was escape me. So many out of the ordinary events occurred to allow us to win yesterday and over the course of the series that you really have to wonder if the baseball gods have finally taken pity on us and are offering a direct hand in things. Whatever you call it, there is definitely another level that the Rockies have reached in this last week, and I couldn't be prouder as a fan than I am watching them play right now. There are still plenty of challenges ahead of us this week, however, so we need six more of these beautiful games to rest happy. That includes you, Mr. Monfort, wipe that smile off your face.

The Rockies have overtaken the Brewers in playoff probability -and we've cracked the 10% likelihood barrier- but we still need plenty of help this week. The good news is that by being mathematically alive, the Braves will be hungry for wins against Philadelphia, and the Brewers will need to take down the Padres to pass the Cubs. The Giants, unfortunately, haven't won a single series this season against San Diego, sporting a 3-12 record against them, including 2-4 at AT&T. Let's hope our demoralizing sweep has a carryover effect tonight.

He's made his mistakes, but Clint Hurdle deserves some credit for the way things have gone in 2007 -particularly since the rosters were expanded. That said, Chris Jaffe reminds us of one of his bigger managerial career failings, the inability to construct a lineup which gives us the best chance of scoring frequently. For three consecutive seasons, from 2003-2005, his leadoff slot had the second lowest OBP in the lineup, with only the pitcher's slot being worse. I'll give him somewhat of a pass for this season, as the higher OBP guys in slots 2-6 -with the exception of Tulo- aren't particularly suited to batting first in a National League lineup, but it is something to look at going forward.

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What a ride
this last 2 weeks have been incredible.  But, we are still 1 1/2 games out of the WC, and only a week of games left. We are still chasing the Phillies and Padres.  We need help.  We also don't need the Mets to go into a free fall either and be potentially chasing them as well.

So I hope the team can keep it's focus and killer instinct and timely hitting it's shown these last few games. Let's go to LA, give them a spanking like last week, and keep them down. (I'm worried about the revenge/spoiler factor).   Anyone want FA Jeff Kent at 2nd for the Rockies next year? hum? no?

For fans in the Denver area or going to be: Playoff tickets to the Rockies are currently on sale for the divisional round.  Available online, Rockies Dugout stores, King Soopers, and Coors Field box office (I've got mine...I feel like a Monfort shill now).  I'm not sure what happens to your money if the Rox don't make the playoffs.

Resign Kazuo Matsui! Hurdle is still an idiot!

by Redhawk on Sep 24, 2007 9:51 AM MDT reply actions   0 recs

Rox built to last
According to Ken Rosenthal, despite the likelihood we don't make the playoffs this year. He's got a good grasp on what all our issues are.

by Rox Girl on Sep 24, 2007 10:35 AM MDT reply actions   0 recs

What Excitement!!
This has been awesome!!  I'm a bit nervous about the spoiler factor in LA too.  None the less it will be the most exciting final week of the season since '95.  Regardless of what happens in LA, I would love to see a sweep of the Snakes that would knock them out of the playoffs.  It would take some help from the Pirates who have lost 8 straight on the road, but have played well at PNC the second half.

This would make it a bit easier to swallow Rox Girl having to make good on her bet.

Go Rocks!!

TGFPR!!

by jlot10 on Sep 24, 2007 10:40 AM MDT reply actions   0 recs

Yes it would...
Although I may wind up closer in my prediction for the Rockies than most, I definitely got that call wrong. If only Rodrigo had stayed healthy...

by Rox Girl on Sep 24, 2007 10:50 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Bradley out with ACL Tear
I can't find a link, but on ESPN's main MLB page it says that Bradley tore his ACL and is out for the season.

by psprowls on Sep 24, 2007 10:55 AM MDT reply actions   0 recs

As the game was starting yesterday
I wrote that winning alone might not meet my expectations for the game considering how the Rockies had been playing. What would be better than just a "W"? Probably having the Padres lose their best position player for the rest of the way in such an embarrassing fashion. So yeah, that game did live up to my expectations.

by Rox Girl on Sep 24, 2007 11:05 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

yeah yeah!
I'm having a very hard time concentrating at work today :)

by psprowls on Sep 24, 2007 11:07 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

i ditched class t
i cant concentrate i wanted to read all the articles and hightlights and everything
2008 plan for success: FIRE HURDLE

by roxfan4life on Sep 24, 2007 11:49 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Here's to San Francisco
You have a beautiful city.  You have a terrible team.  Your terrible team can make me extremely happy if you can just take out the Pads.  Feel free, we have already ripped out their heart.  Go ahead and beat the shell up a little if you don't mind.  

Seriously though, if the Giants win tonight, I'm gonna lose my freaking mind.

President of the Kazuo Matsui Fan Club

by MattTheRock on Sep 24, 2007 11:39 AM MDT reply actions   0 recs

SF/SD SERIES COULD BE CALLED........
BOCHY'S REVENGE!!!!!

by 86 wins in 07 on Sep 24, 2007 1:12 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Worth dealing with annoying Bonds fans?
LarryB303 and I were thinking about heading to the SF game tonight. Think it's worth it? Can I stomach rooting for the Giants...
Juuuust a bit outside.

by rox in october on Sep 24, 2007 1:49 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

That's a tough one
Although in their natural environment, they're probably easier to stomach.  Went to two games against them at Coors, both times I saw some of their jackass fans ejected for, well, being jackasses.  

I'd go if I were you.  I know I'm in their corner for the next three days, after that they go back on the "extreme distaste" list.

President of the Kazuo Matsui Fan Club

by MattTheRock on Sep 24, 2007 2:14 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

from espn
* In the previous 12 seasons of the wild-card era, there hasn't been a single team that was more than 1½ games out of a playoff spot with a week left in the season and came back to make the playoffs. Not one.

that makes me more excited to defy the odds even more this is an absolute blast

2008 plan for success: FIRE HURDLE

by roxfan4life on Sep 24, 2007 12:13 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

Whew!
We just barely cracked that threshold yesterday, but we're within that range with the WC now. As for winning the division, the exceptions Jayson Stark mentioned before the Wild Card Era all had head to head opportunities with the team in front that last week. The Rockies are the only playoff contender that will have that chance this year with our season ending series against the Diamondbacks, but we'll need to gain at least one game on them in these next three to have a shot at that particular miracle. Go Pirates!

by Rox Girl on Sep 24, 2007 12:43 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Clarification
Maybe I'm just slow today, but did this factoid mean no team 2 games or more behind has made the playoffs or no team 1 1/2 games or more out has made the playoffs?

BTW, I admit I'm dumbstruck by what's happened the past week. I would have thought the odds of making the playoffs were on par with those of me  landing a date w/ Jessica Biel. When was the last time the Rockies got bigger headlines than the Broncos?

I'm asking the Great Pumpkin to send the Rox into the postseason. I've been good this year.

by SpongeDan on Sep 24, 2007 2:34 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah, I'm not too bright
I see Rox Girl answered my question 2 HOURS before I asked it. My bad. I guess the excitement is getting to me.

by SpongeDan on Sep 24, 2007 2:37 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

OMG
i just found a song about the rox on itunes. search itunes: rockies baseball. its by terry cashman

its to the tune of the greatest baseball song ever talkin baseball. the song talks about 93 team and 95 team also this years team and how we desire playoffs

2008 plan for success: FIRE HURDLE

by roxfan4life on Sep 24, 2007 1:30 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

I promise, I'll shut up after this
"... my God. There's no excuse for any team to do this...."

Just when I started to think, "Maybe Hurdle isn't as bad as I think he is," I'm jolted back into reality.

I agree w/ Rox Girl that Hurdle this season has probably done as well as can be expected w/ the leadoff hitter. Injuries haven't help. And he hasn't done anything colossally stupid, like putting Alfonso Soriano at the top of the lineup.

I just heard a clip of Terry Cashman's Rockies' song. To put it delicately, it's...awful. Almost sounds like a parody. No song that references Alex Cole is fit for aural consumption. He's done the same for every MLB team. I seriously hope his career isn't in such a tailspin that he's forced to wring every cent he can out of "Talkin' Baseball." He should have left it alone after his "Talkin' Softball" for The Simpsons (which was funny).

by SpongeDan on Sep 24, 2007 3:34 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

A fun SI article
about the Rockies, and which team the NL East and Central would rather face in the playoffs.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_blogs/baseball/fungoes_blog/2007/09/nl-west-rockies-rockies-rock ies.html

I've been in this game a hundred years, but I see new ways to lose I never knew existed before. - Casey Stengel

by Behrens on Sep 24, 2007 4:25 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

Most puzzling quote from that article
"Joe Sheehan, Baseball Prospectus: San Diego by just a little bit, mainly for the edge Jake Peavy has on Brandon Webb, and their having the best offense of the three teams."- Regarding the Rockies, Pads, and D-Backs chances in the playoffs.

Uh, you care to try to back that claim up there Joey?  I'm going to assume that this was a misquote, because we all know you to be knowledgable baseball man, not usually the type to make absolutely mind-boggling claims that have no basis in reality.  And if it's not, retire immediately.

President of the Kazuo Matsui Fan Club

by MattTheRock on Sep 24, 2007 4:44 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Interesting...
When you use their stat of Team EQA, which adjusts for Park factors (hurting Arizona and Colorado, helping San Diego), the averages are:

COL:  .263
SD:   .258
ARI:  .249

For perspective, the high end average is the Yankees at .279, and the low end is .243 by the Royals, so that's still a pretty good gap between the Rockies and Padres.

by David OhNo on Sep 24, 2007 4:53 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Honestly, somebody should correct him
He seems to think the Rockies are a smoke and mirrors defense first team without pitching or offense of note. I really don't know if he's realized how much the humidor affects our hitters' numbers even though the stats make it pretty clear. As for pitching, everybody seems to be ignoring how strong our staff has been this second half. I know ERA is a flawed statistic, but unadjusted for parks it definitely doesn't favor the Rockies and yet:

COL 3.89
ARI 4.26
SD  4.30

We've taken everybody -including the typically intelligent crowd- by such surprise that they really haven't stopped to take a look at just how good our players are this season.

by Rox Girl on Sep 24, 2007 5:04 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Hating baseball at altitude
Hating baseball at altitude is like a religion for some people (and I would wager that very few of those people have ever pitched at this altitude).

I don't quite get why Coor's Field is so reviled (what can we do about it, the outfield is already huge) and people basically give the intentionally offense happy (bandbox) parks like Great American and whatever the Phillies monstrosity is called a free pass.

People who are open to facts have already recognized that Coor's doesn't play like it used to.  Both the testimony of players and the stats are strongly in support of that fact.  Some people just don't want to listen (or are too lazy to constantly re-evaluate thier opinions).

by MADness on Sep 24, 2007 5:13 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

See my diary...
I kind of went off on the whole prevailing wisdom that seems to be surrounding our guys as of late, and I did it in my trademark, hyperbole filled, colorful style.
President of the Kazuo Matsui Fan Club

by MattTheRock on Sep 24, 2007 5:49 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Sheehan
You have to love his comment that San Diego has the best offense of the three contenders (D-Backs, Padres, Rockies).

Maybe he read the question wrong.

by MADness on Sep 24, 2007 4:55 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

I dont know if it's been mentioned yet:
But Hawpe has been named NL player of the week.

Yay Bradley!

Go Giants, beat the Pads!

Ughh....I feel so dirty.

Believe!!! Ladies and gentlemen our boys can do it!!

by The Lodo Magic Man on Sep 24, 2007 4:35 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

I've got it all worked out:
We go 6-0:
 For WC:
Pads must lose two.
Phils must lose once.
 For Division:
D-Backs must lose once before the series. (4 games total)

We go 5-1:
 For WC:
Pads must lose three.
Phils must lose two.
 For Division:
D-Backs must lose twice before the series. (5 total)

And so forth.

We shall see....

by Squeaky on Sep 24, 2007 4:57 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

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