2007 Colorado Rockies Thread

[Youk Of The Nation]

Colorado Starting Pitchers' Lines.

 

 

 

IP H R ER BB SO HR

4/2 Cook 6.0 /9 /5 /5 /4 /4 /0 (Hawkins blows save, takes loss)

4/3 Francis 6.0 /7 /2 /2 /2 /4 /0 (Extra innings, BH Kim gets the win)

4/4 Lopez (W, 1-0) 7.0 /6 /2 /1 /0 /5 /1

4/6 Hirsh (W, 1-0) 6.2 /6 /1 /1 /0 /8 /1

4/7 Fogg 6.1 /6 /2 /2 /1 /3 /1 (Affeldt blows save, Corpas takes loss)

4/8 Cook 9.0 /5 /1 /1 /0 /4 /1 (Hawkins blows save, takes loss)

4/9 Francis (W, 1-0) 6.2 /5 /2 /2 /3 /6 /1

4/10 Lopez 6.0 /5 /1 /1 /2 /2 /0 (Tied in ninth, Kim allows winning run, takes loss)

 

 

So far, the Rockies are the only MLB team whose starters remain undefeated. I know its early, but last season the offense on this team started heating up around the All-Star Break. If their starting pitching can continue like this, or at least mostly like this, they have a real shot at Wild Card or better, I think. Three amazing rookies (Ianetta, Tulowitzki, Baker, two breakout stars (Atkins, Holliday), a veteran good for .300/15-20/80-100 (Helton), a speedy leadoff man (Taveras) and guys up and down the lineup who excel at pinch hitting (Torrealba, Carroll, to name a couple), all add up to a good team in a weak division. Remember, last season they were in the WC race until the All-Star break, and that was before the addition of Hirsh, Lopez, Taveras, et cetera. Kim should work out much better in the bullpen and when they get a little more work, hopefully theyll be able to preserve more wins. Even the worst bullpens cant blow every save. Their starters have given up only 5 homers in 8 games, and even better, only 12 walks to 36 strikeouts.

 

 

Its going to be a good year.

[castigs850]

i bet a bunch of my friends that the rockies would make the playoffs

[CrespoBlows]

Colorado Starting Pitchers' Lines.

 

 

 

IP H R ER BB SO HR

4/2 Cook 6.0 /9 /5 /5 /4 /4 /0 (Hawkins blows save, takes loss)

4/3 Francis 6.0 /7 /2 /2 /2 /4 /0 (Extra innings, BH Kim gets the win)

4/4 Lopez (W, 1-0) 7.0 /6 /2 /1 /0 /5 /1

4/6 Hirsh (W, 1-0) 6.2 /6 /1 /1 /0 /8 /1

4/7 Fogg 6.1 /6 /2 /2 /1 /3 /1 (Affeldt blows save, Corpas takes loss)

4/8 Cook 9.0 /5 /1 /1 /0 /4 /1 (Hawkins blows save, takes loss)

4/9 Francis (W, 1-0) 6.2 /5 /2 /2 /3 /6 /1

4/10 Lopez 6.0 /5 /1 /1 /2 /2 /0 (Tied in ninth, Kim allows winning run, takes loss)

 

 

So far, the Rockies are the only MLB team whose starters remain undefeated. I know its early, but last season the offense on this team started heating up around the All-Star Break. If their starting pitching can continue like this, or at least mostly like this, they have a real shot at Wild Card or better, I think. Three amazing rookies (Ianetta, Tulowitzki, Baker, two breakout stars (Atkins, Holliday), a veteran good for .300/15-20/80-100 (Helton), a speedy leadoff man (Taveras) and guys up and down the lineup who excel at pinch hitting (Torrealba, Carroll, to name a couple), all add up to a good team in a weak division. Remember, last season they were in the WC race until the All-Star break, and that was before the addition of Hirsh, Lopez, Taveras, et cetera. Kim should work out much better in the bullpen and when they get a little more work, hopefully theyll be able to preserve more wins. Even the worst bullpens cant blow every save. Their starters have given up only 5 homers in 8 games, and even better, only 12 walks to 36 strikeouts.

 

 

Its going to be a good year.

 

They'd be better if they got Tavarez out of the lead-off spot, but they are on the way up.

 

What do you make of Jason Hirsh?

[Youk Of The Nation]

I thought he was going to do okay, but his first start was more than Id hoped for. I think if he keeps his wits about him in a weak division, he's going to be good for 15 wins or so.

[See Red]

Tavarez has been bad lately but he's a career .280 hitter (not good for a leadoff guy, I know, but an improvement over where he's at now), so he at least should improve. He does bring speed to the table, at least.

 

I would absolutely love it if they started Jeff Baker in CF, though. They're trying to come up with a way to get 300+ AB's for Baker, so he's probably going to be spelling for guys at a lot of different positions throughout the season.

 

The Starting Pitching has been fantastic. They're 4-4 and the lineup hasn't even shown up, yet. Once they get clicking offensively they could be good.

 

Tough loss last night at LA. Dodgers brought a reliever in and a 5 pitch walk loaded the bases with one out for Holliday, he went up and swung at a bad first pitch and grounded a double play back to the pitcher.

 

I think this teams one year away from the playoffs.

[Rodney Harrison]

Colorado scares me more than SF. Arizona isn't doing too bad, either.

[CrespoBlows]

Tavarez has been bad lately but he's a career .280 hitter (not good for a leadoff guy' date=' I know, but an improvement over where he's at now), so he at least should improve. He does bring speed to the table, at least.[/quote']

 

His .333 OBP is terrible for a leadoff hitter. His 76% success rate means that he shouldn't be attempting a steal in the first place. Call me crazy, but I'd have Helton lead off, where his power doesn't mean as much.

[a700hitter]

His .333 OBP is terrible for a leadoff hitter. His 76% success rate means that he shouldn't be attempting a steal in the first place. Call me crazy' date=' but I'd have Helton lead off, where his power doesn't mean as much.[/quote']You are crazy.

[CrespoBlows]

You are crazy.

 

He gets on base 40% of the time, and the Rockies have a lot of good young power hitters that can drive him in. If you look at Atkins, and Holliday's RBI stats, each are over 110. That number would soar if Helton was in the leadoff spot. Helton would probably represent a 20 to 30 run improvement for the Rockies, as the leadoff hitter.

 

Besides, it's not like Helton's raking down in the cleanup spot.

[a700hitter]

He gets on base 40% of the time, and the Rockies have a lot of good young power hitters that can drive him in. If you look at Atkins, and Holliday's RBI stats, each are over 110. That number would soar if Helton was in the leadoff spot. Helton would probably represent a 20 to 30 run improvement for the Rockies, as the leadoff hitter.

 

Besides, it's not like Helton's raking down in the cleanup spot.

I was joking. You said to call you crazy.

[CrespoBlows]

I was joking. You said to call you crazy.

 

Oh, I'm not good at detecting sarcasm. :dunno:

[See Red]

His .333 OBP is terrible for a leadoff hitter. His 76% success rate means that he shouldn't be attempting a steal in the first place. Call me crazy' date=' but I'd have Helton lead off, where his power doesn't mean as much.[/quote']

 

If I'm Clint Hurdle, my lineup would be something like this...

 

Kaz Matsui

Todd Helton

Garrett Atkins

Matt Holliday

Brad Hawpe

Jeff Baker

Troy Tulowitzki

Chris Iannetta

Pitcher

 

That's actually a pretty formidable lineup -- or would be once they start hitting. Like you kind of pointed out, given his decrease in power, the one or two would work because his power wouldn't matter as much.

[CrespoBlows]

If I'm Dan O'Dowd, I'm looking for an upgrade in CF, and at 2B.

 

I'd probably go with Carroll to see if his hitting spike was legit. His career OBP numbers suggest that they were, and he's a tremendous asset with the glove. Compare him and Matsui:

 

WARP3: (Wins over Average Player)

 

Carroll - 7.9

Matsui - 2.1 (if you multiply by three you get a 6.3, but I'm skeptical that Matsui is a .333 hitter)

 

EQA:

 

Carroll - .264

Matsui - .300 (with the .333 hitting spike)

 

FRAA:

 

Carroll - +26 (!)

Matsui - 0

 

Matsui's probably the better bet with the bat, but Carroll's glove make him a better player to pencil into your lineup. He also manages to get on base at a decent clip. Outside trade possiblities could be Ray Durham from San Francisco?

 

As for CF, Tavarez needs to be permanently relegated to a pinch-running role. Baker is intriguing, as long as he keeps hitting HR's. I don't know how he is with the glove. Reed Johnson is probably expendable in Toronto. He got on at a .390 clip, and hit 12 HR's. He's an average glove in center, with a plus arm. My hypothetical Rockies team would be:

 

1B: Helton

CF: Johnson

3B: Atkins

LF: Holliday

RF: Hawpe

SS: Tulowitski

2B: Carroll (or Durham slide to 6 hole)

C: Ianetta

Pitcher

[See Red]

I don't think, at this point, Reed Johnson is an improvement over someone who looks to be next in the Holliday, Atkins, and Hawpe line of Rockies farm system products. If he was a starter, I think he'd be rookie of the year in the NL. I'm not sure how he is with the glove, though, either. In the games I've seen him play defense, twelve of them were spelling Garrett Atkins early last season at 3B, and then playing first base for a game this year. I think Hawpe and maybe Atkins' contract is up after this year... I hope the Monforts aren't intending to be cheap and that they actually bring them back!

 

I don't think offense is going to be the problem. Though they've struggled to this point, they'll get their act together offensively. If they're going to look outside of the organization for help, I'd prefer it be to improve the shoddy bullpen.

[Youk Of The Nation]

Fogg outpitched Webb tonight and the bullpen held up. 5IP, 5H, 3ER to Webbs' 7IP 8H 5ER.

 

The best part is, all 5 of the Rockies' RBIs were with two outs, something they lacked last year.

[See Red]

What a frustrating franchise. They won tonight, or last night, I guess it would be, but it was their first series win in quite a while and they've been struggling.

 

On the bright side, the local sports radio station, 950 The Fan, has basically dedicated the last four days to talking about the Rockies and challenging their owners, or at least one of them, to come on one of the shows and explain why they run the team as terribly as they do. Never seen so much attention dedicated to the Rockies, for better or worse. I sure do wish the Monfort's would see the team. I love thinking about what the Rockies would look like if Stan Kroenke owned 'em!

[Youk Of The Nation]

GRAAAAND SLAAAAAM for YORRRRRVIT!

[Youk Of The Nation]

Sean Barker HBP on the first pitch of his first MLB atbat.

[schillingouttheks]

Sean Barker HBP on the first pitch of his first MLB atbat.

Ruined for life!

[Youk Of The Nation]

GOD f***ING DAMN IT.

 

Three times in a week! THREE TIMES. Tulowitzki gives the Rockies a lead in the top of the ninth in Chicago, tenth in Toronto and eleventh in Houston, and the f***ing relievers give it up in the bottom. If not for that, he'd be insanely f***ing clutch.

 

Sons of BITCHES.

[schillingouttheks]

I think that does make him insanely f***ing clutch...he just has terrible relievers lately.

[lasordas speed dial]

Fuentes is a scrub.

[See Red]

Fuentes just blew another save on a walkoff HR.

 

Insane.

[Youk Of The Nation]

Youve got to be f***ing kidding me. 4 straight blown saves? Fuentes is not that bad.

[BillBuckner1986]

Rox and Giants giving the NL West a bad name.

[Youk Of The Nation]

They had the MLB's best record from May 22nd until they started the 8-game skid. This team makes me so angry sometimes.

[Youk Of The Nation]

After an 8-game skid back to 4 games under, the Rox swept the Mets, scoring 34 runs (including 17 tonight) and are 1 game under again. First team this season to sweep both New York teams.

[Mr Crunchy]

not this year

but look out down the road

their starters have been much more consistant,their pen eats it

offensively theyre good with some new faces

they need a legit #1 and they need some arms in the pen

[Rodney Harrison]

not this year

but look out down the road

their starters have been much more consistant,their pen eats it

offensively theyre good with some new faces

they need a legit #1 and they need some arms in the pen

Jason Jennings was decent in Colorado, but so far, that trade looks like a wash right now.

[See Red]

Jason Jennings was decent in Colorado' date=' but so far, that trade looks like a wash right now.[/quote']

 

Trade favors Colorado, so far, I'd say. Hirsh is going to be a good pitcher and Taveras is hitting .325 for the Rockies. I don't know very much about Bucholz, though.