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DO NOT TRY TO DERIVE SIGNIFICANCE FROM THE RESULTS OF FEBRUARY SPRING TRAINING GAMES.
ALSO, WHEN THE TIME COMES, DO NOT TRY TO DERIVE SIGNIFICANCE FROM MARCH SPRING TRAINING GAMES.
Links after the jump.
Example A of you're doing it wrong is usually Woody Paige, although his piece today is actually somewhat okay.
Troy Renck writes that the Rockies won't be afraid to make the hard decisions when it comes to their players this year without regard to their contract status. That's refreshing if true. Renck also notes that the Rockies have scouted Dante Bichette Jr. in Orlando already this year in preparation for June's draft. With a deep draft class, Bichette should still be available when the Rockies start selecting at #20 and he could potentially be an option for their supplemental or second round picks as well.
Northern Californians tend to hold to some sort of intellectual elitism over the Hollywood types of SoCal, but the fact that former Dodgers manager Joe Torre has logic capabilities with regard to the Coors Field humidor that Giants brass seem to lack puts another dent into that theory.
For Rockies fans wanting to see the team play against the Giants this Spring, be sure to buy your tickets in advance. Please. Anything to keep their fans filling out Talking Stick when our teams play.
The AZ Snakepit's Jim McClennan, who for some reason doesn't think that Troy Tulowitzki is the greatest thing since, well, forever, is also skeptical about how much the Rockies improved this offseason. For what it's worth, he was similarly skeptical heading into 2007 and 2009, albeit I guess I have to grant that he was also similarly skeptical heading into 2008 and 2010.
The D-backs' manager Kirk Gibson is preening about Zach Duke's pickoff of Dexter Fowler yesterday, one of the few moments in the game when it looked like the Snakes were MLB competitive. Of course, in saying that I'm putting some sort of significance to February ST games.
Jason Hammel's story of going from a sophomore in high school who couldn't make a JV squad to being the dependable MLB starter he is today is really quite unique, Hammel says his "best is yet to come" and credits his dead arm and fatigue collapse at the end of last season on a cholesterol drug he had been taking. He and his wife are expecting their first child in early September.