Aaron Cook

Aaron Cook holds a special place in the hearts of many Rockies fans. He is a significant player if you trace the arc of the Rockies’ road to relevance in the National League. With the news that he has signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox, it is appropriate to acknowledge his continued importance to the Rockies moving forward.

Though the Rockies took home the ‘W’ in the first game of the doubleheader yesterday, they ended up losing big. Jorge De La Rosa, who has been pitching like the staff ace this season, left the game in the third inning with pain in his left elbow. An MRI after the game revealed a completely torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament, and will require season-ending Tommy John surgery to repair. It will be at least June of 2012 before we see De La Rosa in a Rockies uniform again. It’s ironic that this devastating injury comes on one of the few days [...]

Jason Hammel hasn’t had his best fastball all season, but the results have been decent. In fact, Hammels has done pretty much what we should expect from him. Two of his three starts qualify as “quality starts”. I’m not sure that six innings and three runs should be defined as “quality”, but it does speak to Jason’s ability to compete. When he left last night’s game the Rockies were still in it. In years past, that’s all that was asked of Rockies’ pitchers. However, things have changed. The Rockies starting rotation is off to a torrid start and Jhoulys, Esmil, [...]

The race to become the Rockies’ fifth starter is being finished under the caution flag. None of the candidates have stepped up. The eventual winner is anyone’s guess. Felipe Paulino was once considered the front runner, but he melted down last week, causing the team to move him to the bullpen. Esmil Rogers has great stuff, but no consistency. Greg Reynolds has pitched admirably, but he’s been far from impressive. That leaves John Maine. Maine is a competitor with decent stuff. He is also injury prone. Still, he is making a push. Clipped from: www.denverpost.com (share this clip) “I am [...]

I apologize for my silence over the last two days. I was living hard in Scottsdale — all play, no sleep. Honestly, I still feel like crap, but it was worth it. I gained some great perspective, especially about the Rockies’ prospects. I am starting my rankings this week. For better or worse, my set is going to look decidedly different than most of what’s out there. Since I last posted, Aaron Cook broke his finger by slamming it in a door. The competition for the fifth starter spot is now between Esmil Rogers, Greg Reynolds, and John Maine. I [...]

It didn’t take long for the Rockies to make a decision on Felipe Paulino’s role. One day after he failed to impress the team’s brass in a start, they announced the decision to move him to the bullpen. Felipe has an overpowering fastball, but struggles to be consistent. So far this spring, he has shown the ability to shut down hitters for one inning and that’s it. The race for the fifth starter now comes down to Esmil Rogers, John Maine, and, of course, Aaron Cook. Clipped from: www.denverpost.com (share this clip) “They said I have an opportunity to be [...]

For better or worse, Chris Iannetta will be the starting catcher this season. However, his backup is still undecided. Just to be honest, if the Rockies have to rely on one of these guys, they are probably screwed. Jordan Pacheco can hit, but would be a defensive liability. He’s only been catching for two seasons and it’s doubtful he can adequately run the team’s pitching staff. Pagnozzi, McKenry, and Moeller are not realistic options for a variety of reasons. That leaves Jose Morales. He can swing the bat a little bit, but he is unpolished defensively. With that said, no [...]

Remember when Zack Morris delivered Mr. Belding’s baby in the elevator? I didn’t think so. Trust me though, it was awesome. Preppy was always so good under pressure. Anyway, that scene had nothing on some real events for Ty Wigginton. Clipped from: www.denverpost.com (share this clip) I told her to lay down. I had time to call 911 and give them our address. Then the baby pops out and I basically just caught him. I get back on the phone and they told me to tie the umbilical cord with my shoestring. Yesterday, Domingo Ayala spent the day with the [...]

Reportedly, Aaron Cook’s recent MRI showed no sign of structural damage in his shoulder, but this doesn’t make me feel any better. I assume that Cook has been examined for a possible labrum tear — the most common shoulder injury for pitchers. Unfortunately, labrum tears are very difficult to diagnose. It’s a delicate piece of cartilage deep down in the shoulder joint and the tiniest tear can cause significant pain. It’s virtually impossible for doctors to find a labrum tear through physical examination. To obtain a correct diagnosis, an MRI is almost always necessary. However, when it comes to labrum [...]

I’m starting out today over at Fangraphs, where Chris Cwik takes the Rox to task for drafting poorly over the last decade. I think this article is a little short-sighted. Chris failed to acknowledge the team’s success in 2007 and 2009. Furthermore, he barely mentions the Rox Latin America efforts, which have been outstanding as of late. According to Cwik, Colorado has only developed one superstar in the last decade, Troy Tulowitzki. He forgot about Matt Holliday. Not only was Holliday a homegrown MVP candidate, the Rox were able to trade him for another one. There is also this guy [...]