This Week in Purple: Pomp & Circumstance

It’s commencement season at most colleges across the U.S., and high school graduations will follow at the end of May and into early June. That means graduates and their guests will be bombarded with Edward Elgar’s classic Pomp & Circumstance as the graduates enter their ceremonies.

While the Rockies don’t have anyone graduating this week (Ezequiel Tovar graduated from prospect status in late-April), perhaps they have “graduated” from their terrible April. Since May started, the Rox are 7-3 and have outscored their opponents 102-30. They have also won three-straight series and kicked off May with a sweep of the Brewers. Could they be turning a corner?

Here’s what our writers have to say about what’s going on with the Rox this week!

To Read

• Kenneth Weber’s Monday Rockpile focused on the source of that success. Kenneth points out the success of the pitching staff, but identifies recent-grad Ezequiel Tovar as the spark for the Rockies’ success in May. Like the team, Tovar had a rough start to 2023, but seems to be finding himself at the big-league level so far in May.

• On Tuesday, Renee Dechert argued for the Rockies to implement a home run celebration in 2023. The Rockies last had the Rally Shades in 2021, and many teams (even bad ones) have implemented them as a way to celebrate guys. How do you think the Rox should celebrate homers in 2023?

• On Wednesday, Skyler Timmins took a look on the farm at another prospect who has seemingly starting to turn a corner in May: Zac Veen (No. 2 PuRP). Veen had a strong showing in spring training, but then had a weird start to his reset in Double-A Hartford, where he spent 34 games last season. Skyler describes Double-A as Veen’s “Mount Everest” — can he conquer it this year?

• It’s no secret that the Rockies’ pitching staff is in shambles. However, on Thursday, Evan Lang profiled Connor Seabold, who was called upon to replace the injured Germán Márquez. So far, he has been solid for the Rox but is taking this opportunity to audition for a long-term role on this team. And so far, he’s been holding his own.

• Finally, on Friday, Joelle Milholm closed the week by revisiting the stats behind the Rockies 8-2 run in their last 10 games (as of Friday morning). Before April 30, the Rox had won just eight total games. In the 11 games since then, they’ve doubled that total. There are a lot of fun stats behind this sudden surge, and Joelle does an excellent job of breaking them down.

To Listen

• Affected by Altitude: Rostermania Runs Wild — This week, Skyler and Evan discuss the loss of Germán Márquez, the state of the rotation, and a surprisingly good bullpen. Meanwhile, the roster is changing and the rookies are playing well.

• Every Rockie Ever Podcast: Mr. Late Night (aka Seth Smith) — With the game on the line in the later innings, one man stood above the rest with his knack for getting the clutch hit to help the Colorado Rockies. His efforts from the 7th inning on earned him the nickname “Mr. Late Night.” Join Skyler and Dustin as they look back on the career of Rockies fan favorite Seth Smith.

Weekend Discussion Topic

What are your thoughts on the Rockies’ surge? Do you think it’s sustainable? What, in your mind, has been the biggest improvement? Sound off below!

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