Colorado Rockies: 5 Famous Star Wars Quotes and the Players They Fit

“Great, kid. Don’t get cocky.”

So maybe Han Solo was saying it to Luke Skywalker aboard the Millennium Falcon, but we’re going to use it here to refer to Trevor Story and his sophomore season.

We all know the story of how Story broke into Major League Baseball last season on a home run hitting barrage. However, this season has been a different story.

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Entering Thursday’s play, Story was hitting .170 with six homers and 13 RBI. Story hit 27 homers and struck out 130 times in 371 at-bats last season before his rookie year was cut short by a thumb injury. This year, he’s already whiffed 42 times in 94 at-bats. That’s 44.6 percent of the time and a number that simply won’t work.

Is it because he’s cocky? No, but Story does appear to have home run on his mind when he steps to the plate. He said earlier this week that he wasn’t going to change his game and “swing soft.” He’s also said that, because he swings hard, he’s going to hit the ball in the air, meaning you’ll see a lot of flyouts or homers with a hard-swinging upper cut.

No one is asking him to change his game, but it would be great to have him add some singles and doubles into the mix as well.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

So far this season (and really, throughout his entire Rockies career), this quote can apply to Jordan Lyles taking the mound.

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Lyles has never been able to find his footing in a Colorado uniform since being brought over in the December 2013 trade (along with Brandon Barnes) that sent Dexter Fowler to the Houston Astros. Each year since he arrived with the Rockies, his ERA has crept higher. This season, in eight games, Lyles is 0-1 with a 10.03 ERA. In those eight appearances, only twice has the opponent not had a runner reach base by either hit or walk.

Part of that sky-high ERA is the fact that Lyles has surrendered four homers in 11.2 innings of work. He started the season by giving up a pair of runs (including a homer) in two innings on April 5 against Milwaukee. It was a sign of what was to come.

What can the Rockies do about Lyles? The team made a strong statement about him when it chose to send Carlos Estevez to Triple-A Albuquerque on Wednesday and keep Lyles in the Colorado bullpen. Well, maybe it wasn’t as much of a statement as it was that Lyles is out of options when it comes to a potential minor league assignment. That means the Rockies are stuck with him unless they designate him for assignment.

If Lyles doesn’t improve, that’s a real possibility this season. When Jon Gray comes off the disabled list, the time may be right to pull the trigger on this move.

“In my experience, there is no such thing as luck.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi said it but Tony Wolters has lived it.

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Wolters has been one of Colorado’s best finds off the waiver wire, picking him up in February of 2016 after the Cleveland Indians designated him for assignment. In that short time, he’s earned the acclaim of coaches and players alike for his hard work and ability to learn quickly.

Not only has Wolters learned how to play catcher, he’s also done it at light speed. In his two seasons behind the plate for the Rockies, he’s established himself as one of the best pitch-framers in Major League Baseball. That’s no small feat and has been noticed and appreciated by Colorado pitchers.

This season, Wolters has also ramped up his offensive game. Before going on the disabled list with a concussion on Wednesday, the 24-year-old was hitting .346 in 52 at-bats.

He was expected to share time behind the plate with Tom Murphy this season. However, with Murphy on the shelf, Wolters has split time with Dustin Garneau behind the dish. How the split continues with Wolters coming off the disabled list and Murphy working his way back from injury remains to be seen. However, the hard work Wolters has put in to become a solid catcher has paid dividends for himself and the Rockies.

“It’s a trap!”

Oh Admiral Ackbar, if you’re known for nothing else, you’re known for this one line in the movie. However, you’ve summed up the feeling of every hitter who’s tried to hit a ball down the third base line and get it past Nolan Arenado.

There is no other third baseman in the game today who is as decorated defensively as Arenado. Four consecutive Gold Gloves. Back-to-back Fielding Bible Awards. Numerous head-shaking plays. The list goes on and on and on.

Barehanded grabs charging toward home plate and then throwing the runner out at first? Yep, he does that. Grabbing the ball in foul ground and still getting the runner by a step at first? Absolutely. Diving into the stands and sacrificing his body for the catch? You bet.

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Go ahead, hitters. Keep trying to hit the ball down the third base line. Keep trying to get it past Arenado. See how that works out for you. You may find yourself feeling just like Admiral Ackbar. Well, without the bulbous head and eyes sticking out to the site. But you get the idea.