Rockies

You know Chris Nelson. He’s the guy that stole home in that amazing 4-game sweep of the Reds in September 2010, when it really seemed like the Rockies had a shot at the postseason. It was only Nelson’s 7th game in a Rockies uniform, and he made sure he left a mark. Since then, Nelson has shown a few flashes of brilliance but many more flashes of still needing some development. His defense at third base is stellar, but at second and short he’s below average. That’s unsettling since he was scouted as a middle infielder, but at least he’s [...]

Welcome to February, we are now roughly one month away from real fake baseball being played, and two months away from actual games that mean something. For most teams pitchers and catchers will report in around two weeks giving us our first glimpses of new players in their new uniforms with the warm backdrops of Arizona and Florida, reminding us in colder climates that winter does actually end. We will also have some actual baseball information to digest other than rumors about the few remaining free agents and roster fodder minor league signings.

On the Tuesday of Super Bowl week, the NFL holds its now infamous media day. In recent years it gets most of its attention for antics, nonsense, and questions that have nothing to do with the actual football game. As reporters from non-sports outlets such as TMZ have inserted themselves and sparked a number of non-football topics and sound bites, players and coaches are forced to prepare for questions that have nothing to do with their professions (and also people in wedding dresses and other costumes). The Colorado Rockies will find themselves in a similar situation as their season gets started. [...]

I’m not going to lie to you, I really can’t name all the pitchers on the Rockies’ roster right now. There are just too damn many, and a whole lot of them are new. A girl only has so many memory devices to call on. One I haven’t given a whole lot of thought to yet is Guillermo Moscoso, one of the guys who came over from the A’s in exchange for Seth Smith. I guess part of me just doesn’t want to get too attached. After all, Kevin Slowey was gone almost as soon as he arrived. Can my [...]

Stuff to read.   Purple Row’s Rox Girl really likes the Marco Scutaro trade. I don’t know if I’m quite as giddy as she is, especially considering how old some of these guys are, but it’s true that things are looking much brighter than they did in October. Well, the Mariners got Kevin Millwood. I would really rather have had him back than signed Jamie Moyer but Dan O’Dowd never texts me back, so I have no idea if he even got my advice on that. Apparently the Rockies were eliminated from the bidding war over Prince Fielder because they [...]

A slightly belated wrap-up of all the goodies we published here on Rox Pile this week. Check it out – there are three of us now! Monday I continued the Rockies Retread series with a look at the Rockies first game against the Astros in 1993. You might be surprised at who came out on top in that one. Tuesday In my never-ending quest to untangle the mess that is the Rockies’ utility infielder situation, I considered the worth of Jonathan Herrera and whether he’ll be necessary to the team in 2012. Wednesday In the latest installment of our Conversations [...]

While reading Troy Renck’s article on the next Rockies player to receive a long term deal, I noticed the mention of the decision to not install a humidor in Security Service Field, home of the Rockies Triple-A affiliate, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. In October of this past season it seemed like it was decided that they would in fact install a humidor in Colorado Springs to mimic the conditions of pitching in Denver. I am not sure what happened between October and today to change the minds of Dan O’Dowd and company, but I seriously hope they reconsider.

The 2007 Colorado Rockies won the National League and reached the World Series for the first time in franchise history. The following pitchers started at least one game for the team that season: Josh Fogg, Jason Hirsh, Rodrigo Lopez, Mark Redman, Elmer Dessens, Denny Bautista, and Byung-Hyun Kim. With most names on that list it would be an unfair representation of the season to say they played significant parts in the team’s success. But this group does show us with relative certainty that the Rockies did not enter the season with a wealth of so-called “proven” starting pitchers. We thought the [...]

With the acquisition of Marco Scutaro over the weekend the regular starting nine for the 2012 Colorado Rockies should be established. The only real questions left for position players in the back-up spots. There will probably be only two spots open for middle infielders, with a second catcher, Jason Giambi and a forth outfielder taking three of five bench spots. That means a maximum two spots open for a combination of Eric Young, Jr., Chris Nelson, Jonathan Herrera, DJ LeMahieu and Jordan Pacheco with Thomas Field and Hector Gomez as long shot options.

That’s what Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd said the team lacked in 2011 in this article by Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci: an “all-for-one” mentality. So what is the big takeaway from this offseason for O’Dowd? “We will play better as a team.” From a young age we learn to value playing well as a team. Don’t be selfish. Pick up your teammates. Always remember what is best for the team. But what exactly does that mean in baseball? There is no questioning the importance of team chemistry. Among the problems from last year, O’Dowd notes that players did not hold each other [...]