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Hey, did everyone hear that the Rockies are going to play the Yankees in Yankee Stadium? The Yankees are a big draw! Did you know how storied that franchise is? This is a really big step for the Rockies, playing the Yankees. The Yankees play in New York and are the New York Yankees! Derek Jeter plays for the Yankees! Yankees!
Seriously though, this is gonna be a really good series. The Rockies own interleague play, and the Yankees...well, the Yankees are a pretty good team. Read all about them in Know Your Foe, right here on Purple Row!
In all honesty, I'm surprised we haven't heard just endless amounts of hype over the Rockies heading to New York, namely because one of our players spent a pretty significant amount of time with the Yankees.
Actually, I'll be honest, this joke kind of backfired, I was hoping we'd have a player of the likes of Luis Vizcaino so I could give you all the ol' switcheroo, because you see you were expecting me to say Jason Giambi.
So Giambi. In his small sample as the Rockies' 2011 DH, he's batted .333/.385/.750 - or in other words, 4-for-12 with a homer, 2 doubles, and a walk. And for those of you keeping score (meaning me), I totally called Giambi nailing the homer off of Carmona. I expected more of a 1-for-3, 2BB line against Mitch Talbot, but 3-for-4 with 2 doubles is pretty decent too.
Over his long and illustrious career in The Big Apple, batting .260/.404/.521 with 209 home runs, Giambi sported one of the most famous mustaches in New York since Don Mattingly.
So last time the Rockies played the Yankees, things went well. Very well. It was one of the biggest draws during the regular season outside of them Opening Day style games, for starters. The Rockies swept the series, beating 2 potential Hall of Famers and Mike Mussina who was pretty good himself. Again, KYF, read it, love it.
Much as we groan about the Yankees hype, it is kind of a good thing. Exposure is just one thing, but if the general consciousness of baseball says "Damn, the Yankees are a big deal", stepping up and having a good series would either A. Make the Rockies look like a similarly big deal, or B. Embarrass the big deal Yankees during interleague. Of course, this is pretty contingent on the Rockies winning the series. They can do it, however. I know they can. I have faith in them.
This is pretty awesome. Two of the Rockies' top prospects getting put on the national stage, gettin' recognized for being awesome? Awesome. Wilin Rosario's .263/.302/.469 line isn't miserable, good for a 94 wRC+ down in the pitching-heavy Texas League, but his 2010 line of .285/.342/.552 WAS, again, awesome, and good for a 143 wRC+.
Nolan Arenado is having a somewhat quiet 2011 thus far, batting .283/.327/.418 in Modesto, but remember that he's 20, for starters, and we've heard about a lot his defensive improvements at 3B. Last year, the word on the street was that he was a lock for 1B down the line, but it's looking like he might stick at 3B after all.
Eeeyep, exciting times.
Summer list: Best baseball movies of all time - The Denver Post
Here is a list I can get behind. Mostly because Bull Durham was on top. That and I like Patrick Saunders. I actually haven't seen Pride of the Yankees, so yes, I'm going to Baseball Hell, but it's a good list. Do you agree with Patrick's list?