The weekend is a great time to kick back and reflect. This Week in Purple is the place to catch up on the news from our team at Purple Row. You’ll find links to Rockpiles and other content below as well as a platform for community discussion in the comments.
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The Rockies are in the midst of a 17-game streak without an off day, which will come to an end on June 4. It is their longest stretch of the season so far, and they are 3-5 so far with nine games remaining. The Rox have won five of their last seven series since May 2 and six of their last nine since April 24 (though they were swept and clobbered by the Texas Rangers last weekend...). Hopefully they can win this Met series after dropping the opener yesterday!
Elias Díaz has been surging, hitting three home runs over his last five games. He ranks second in the majors with a .331 average and is hitting a league-leading .372 at home. Unfortunately, he went 0-for-4 yesterday, snapping a four-game hitting streak.
Bud Black is also just one win away from tying Don Baylor for second-most wins as a Rox manager. Baylor went 440-469 in his six seasons at the helm (and the Rockies’ first six seasons as a franchise). That’s not bad company to be in!
But beyond all that, here’s what are writers were up to this week!
To Read
- Three Rockies relievers rank in the top in terms of usage around MLB — Jake Bird, Brent Suter and Justin Lawrence. While the bullpen has collectively put up a quietly good season, it’s still concerning that they have been used as much as they have. Kenneth Weber dove into the numbers and what “bullpen burnout” could mean for the Rox going forward.
Jake Bird, Justin Lawrence and Brent Suter have headed an impressive bullpen performance, but it’s hard to see them holding up without more help from the rest of the staff.
— Purple Row (@PurpleRow) May 22, 2023
Plus, Ryan Rolison returns for the Fresno Grizzlies in the latest Pebble Report. https://t.co/VhcILPk1jI
- Last week, Renee Dechert wrote about the Rockies’ outfield defense. This week, she moved closer to home plate and wrote about the Rockies’ infield defense. She concluded that the infield defense is more serviceable than the outfield and there are more reasons for hope. However, as a whole, the Rockies have a lot to work out.
How good is the Rockies’ infield defense? https://t.co/oD3ztG7YbW
— Purple Row (@PurpleRow) May 23, 2023
- Skyler Timmins pulled double duty, exploring two interesting topics. On Wednesday, he wrote about Aaron Schunk (HM PuRP) and how he has been performing in the minors. Schunk struggled in 2021 after losing 2020 to COVID (who didn’t?), but has been slowly improving and seems on the precipice of the big leagues. Could he be the next Rockies call-up?
Aaron Schunk has met the challenge of each stop in the minor leagues, proving that he is capable of adapting and improving. His bat is more than ready to meet the challenge of playing for the #Rockies https://t.co/KlIcVV1GtV
— Purple Row (@PurpleRow) May 24, 2023
- On Thursday, Skyler wrote about Dinelson Lamet. The 30-year-old right-hander began his career as a starter but was sidelined with injuries. Since he’s been with the Rockies, he’s been used exclusively as a reliever but considering the rotation is in shambles at the moment, could now be a good time to try Lamet out again as a starter?
Is desperate need of starting pitching, the #Rockies are looking to Dinelson Lamet, a risk that seems worth trying out. https://t.co/6Vz7yauMdI
— Purple Row (@PurpleRow) May 25, 2023
- The Rockies are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year, but on Friday, Joelle Milholm took us waaaay back to the age of the pre-Dinger dinosaurs. She takes on a prehistoric journey through Coors Field and LoDo, including the origin story of the Rockies beloved mascot. It’s certainly a fun read!
As the Rockies celebrate the 30th anniversary of their existence, take a look back at what their stadium’s home looked like 300 million years ago when oceans covered the land. Plus, it’s about time to separate fact from myth in Dinger’s real origin story. https://t.co/HBt0zFYabQ
— Purple Row (@PurpleRow) May 26, 2023
To Listen
- Affected By Altitude: UCL Tears of the Kingdom — This week, Skyler and Kenneth discuss the Rockies’ efforts to stitch together a pitching rotation and the incredible success of the bullpen. Additionally, they discuss the progressions of rookies Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle.
On this new episode of @AltitudeEffect, @SideLine_Crowd is joined by @KDub1988 as they dive deep into the #Rockies efforts to stitch together a rotation while the bullpen continues to pick up the slack, and talk about the rookies on the squad https://t.co/dfydTXZdtA
— Purple Row (@PurpleRow) May 22, 2023
- Every Rockie Ever Podcast: Jeff Reed and Kirt Manwaring — In this episode, Skyler and Dustin look back on the Rockies’ catching tandem in the late ‘90s. First, they cover the efforts of Jeff Reed as a defensive first catcher that saw his offensive potential boom in Colorado. Then, they look at the addition of Kirt Manwaring which causes Dustin to have a mighty change of heart toward a player that he despised as a 12-year-old.
In this new episode of @EveryRockieEver, the Timmins brothers reflect on the #Rockies’ catching tandem of the late 90s w/ Jeff Reed and Kirt Manwaring. As they do so, witness one of the brothers have a mighty change of heart towards Manwaring. https://t.co/7pHGycgx4q
— Purple Row (@PurpleRow) May 24, 2023
Weekend Discussion Topic
When Dinelson Lamet returns to the Rockies, who would he replace in the rotation? What other options could the Rockies explore to help with their pitching woes? Sound off below!
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