Jason Giambi

The Rockies have always been an offensively proficient team. The overlap of Larry Walker and Todd Helton makes that an indisputable statement, even while more mediocre players have occasionally filled out the roster. Coors Field is a hitter’s park, and generally speaking the scouting and development department has done a perfectly adequate job finding good hitters. So we expect our team to score runs. Still, excellence deserves recognition. On top of that, the Rockies have not had an especially excellent year. That makes those performances worthy of recognition stand out even more. Note: In some ways this was even more [...]

One full week in, the Rockies are rolling, posting six victories in eight games. And the two games they lost, they squandered some chances, meaning their six and two record could have been even better. Plenty to be happy about in Rockies country, with the Rox coming out of the gates playing solid baseball, both offensively and defensively. Rockies teams from the past have failed to meet expectations because they have struggled against NL West opponents, and underperformed on the road. Well, Colorado has made large strides trying to buck both those trends, and the proof is in the purple [...]

Jason Giambi’s first-inning three-run blast was a thing of beauty.  The swing was vintage Giambi, a powerful, whip-like stroke that sent the ball deep into the night.  At contact, everyone watching  knew it was gone.  The Giambino was a last second fill in for Todd Helton, who was scratched due to lower back stiffness — more on this in a bit.  It was only Jason’s second at-bat of the season and it was very encouraging to see the former MVP already in mid-season form.  However, Giambi’s dinger was all the offense the Rockies were able to generate last night.  In [...]

The Rox were once a non-factor in Latin America. Obviously, that has changed. Their system is loaded with prospects hailing from countries that lie south of the United States. In today’s baseball climate, teams that lack a presence in the Dominican and Venezuela have no chance. Over the past decade, the Rox have built a solid operation in Venezuela. Currently, they are working on an academy in the DR. However, they can do more. Ultimately, the checkbook carries the most weight. If they want to get even better at cultivating Latin America, they must spend more money. Clipped from: www.denverpost.com [...]

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 [...]

I’ve been more impressed with Seth Smith than any other player in Spring Training. I love the things he is saying. He is determined to become a regular player this year and is showing it on the field. He’s been taking terrific at-bats all spring, particularly against lefties. Let’s hope it carries over into the season. Clipped from: www.denverpost.com (share this clip) Smith believes last year’s failure — he asked for more playing time then promptly tanked when he got it — will make him better. Last year Smith became pull-happy, a mental approach that made no sense, given his [...]

Which Franklin Morales will show up this season? He could be the devastating lefty that has pitched so well at times or he could be Ricky Wild Thing Vaughn — before he had his eyes checked. By the way, I think that was my second Charlie Sheen reference this week. Troy Renck has a good article on the promising, but frustrating Morales. Clipped from: www.denverpost.com (share this clip) Morales has impressed teammates with his maturity and focus this spring. He understands what’s at stake. He could turn the Rockies’ bullpen from intriguing to devastating. — Troy Renck Thomas Harding sat [...]

It’s a quiet morning on the Rockies’ front. The team’s beat writers must’ve been busy last night. Regardless, the Morning Dump is here for you. Let’s talk about gambling. What do you say? The Hilton sports book predicts 86 wins for the Rox this year. I’m not a big sports bettor, but I’m thinking about taking the overs. Injuries are the only thing that can keep this team from winning over 90 games. Clipped from: www.denverpost.com (share this clip) “Maybe they’ve got a crystal ball and they’ve got somebody following us around during the year and figuring out who’s taking [...]

As an ongoing series, I’m breaking down the Spring Training roster, position by poistion. Yesterday I started on first base, but was unable to get past Todd Helton — thus the need for a part two. Aside from the Todd-father, the Rox have four first basemen in camp. Here’s the dish: Jason Giambi Last year, the Rox acquired the Giambino to fill a need off the bench, but they wound up needing him for 35 starts at first. That is a situation the Rockies would like to avoid this season. The Rox need Jason to be a clutch pinch-hitter and [...]

Every morning I scan Google Reader for the day’s most interesting Rockies headline. There was no contest this morning: Clipped from: www.denverpost.com (share this clip) So many layers here, where to begin? On a Saturday night in Scottsdale, I’m sure there were more than a few baseball players out on the town, so it’s comforting that our superstar and our guiding veteran presence took in a movie. However, I’m not sure what to make of their taste. Tulo and Giambi might be insane, but we already knew that. I’m worried about walk-up music. Now that they consider themselves “Bieber Boys”, [...]