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Mainly due to the last few days being slow news days for the Colorado Rockies, you are stuck with my musings on resolutions that I want the Rockies to live up to for 2014. Enjoy and Happy New Year!
Resolution #1: Walt Weiss will call for the bunt less this year: The team only gets 27 outs and giving them away certainly didn't help last year. I have no problem with bunting after a lead-off double, especially in later innings of a tie or one run game. However, bunting with anyone but the pitcher in almost every other opportunity is giving away an out. I hope to see more hit and runs, more steals, and more extra base hits to help score runners from first, but the manager needs to tell himself that he is better than the bunt, say it with me Walt, "we are better than the bunt."
Resolution #2: The front office will resolve to make moves during the season. I realize that the team has not been competitive enough in the last couple of years to be buyers at the trade deadline, but the 2013 team was doing really well in June and needed some help in the rotation and then the lineup after injuries. The front office needs to remember that they work during the season as well as in the off season and be prepared to help this team if it is needed. Also, if the team falls flat, they need to be working to make this team better for 2015-2017 by getting something for valuable players like Michael Cuddyer and Jorge De La Rosa before they become free agents.
Resolution #3: The starting rotation will pitch into the seventh inning. This is a combined resolution that includes the manager letting them and the players pitching well enough to deserve it. If Juan Nicasio is going to stick in the rotation, he needs to eliminate the 30 pitch innings from his repertoire. The bullpen will look a lot better if they don't lead the league in innings pitched, again.
Resolution #4: Our stars resolve to stay healthier. I know this is something they cannot control completely, but hopefully as the young stars get older they are learning how to play at slightly below 100% all the time to save their bodies for the long season. On a similar note, I hope that Troy Tulowitzki hires a sport physiologist for 'Camp Tulo.' I am not sure if I would accept an invitation to his workouts if I was another player just based on his history with staying healthy. Being strong is good, being fit to play 162+ games is better.
Resolution #5: The team resolves to remember the fans. The Rockies have done fairly well with this in past years, but the pressure of ever higher budgets and television deals can threaten how the game attending fans get treated. Remember us Rockies leadership, it is why you get the job of working to put on a game everyday.
My resolution: to turn in my articles to Purple Row earlier and with less errors to help our editors out. I would say to also write better articles, but I can't promise something as subjective as that.
Links
Not much out there today, although new (and former) Rockie LaTroy Hawkins did help detain someone on an airline flight. With previous Rockies luck, if this had happened in 2013, this good act would have cost him a 60 day trip to the DL.