First up for this week's RBR is the excellent work Tom and Drew have been doing at Up in the Rockies previewing the team by position:
Also this week, Purple Rox Squad compiled some of the pre-season projections and came to the conclusion that it all adds up to an 81-81 team for the Rockies. Obviously as Rockies fans, we're hoping that the more favorable projections (CHONE or THT, for instance) come to pass and that the more pessimistic projections (PECOTA) don't. One other thing we should be hoping for is that like our team in 2007 or the Dodgers last season, that the second half squad is improved on the first half squad. Rosters are liquid, and while it looks like things might flow our way again in 2009, it will be important to watch situations that could affect that outcome such as injuries or development (or lack thereof) of prospects.
Travis at the Rockies Examiner wrapped up his NL West previews and came to the conclusion that the Rockies are in decent shape heading into the season. He also continued a series of best of's around Coors Field with a "Best Places to Park" post.
Two opposing views on Todd Helton and steroids emerged at Bleacher Report this week in light of the Alex Rodriguez scandal. Sandlotkid8 says that Helton and other players' innocence should be rewarded, while Tyler Thompson presents the circumstantial evidence that Helton's innocence isn't so clear cut. I'm at odds with both writers on philosophical grounds. I think honesty rewards only foster hypocrisy. Here's the paradox: people will either be honest and good or they'll be frauds and cheats, but the more incentive there is to be the former, the more likely that people will become the latter. As for Thompson's piece, I believe a society that presumes guilt and carries mistrust will have a hard time moving forward from the past. Unless and until there are smoking guns on players, I'd rather not pass judgment or even speculate on their PED status unless I'm called onto a jury for that purpose. It's just not important to me. I think if they're caught, they will typically get the consequences coming to them in typical Day of the Locust fashion as the media frenzy around A-rod this week has indicated. There's hardly any reason for me to pile on.