Rox Pile » Opening Day http://roxpile.com A Colorado Rockies Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:21:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 Rockies Home Opener 2013: Live Blog http://roxpile.com/2013/04/05/rockies-home-opener-2013-live-blog/ http://roxpile.com/2013/04/05/rockies-home-opener-2013-live-blog/#comments Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:18:44 +0000 Hayden Kane http://roxpile.com/?p=6222 Welcome to the first game at Coors Field for 2013. In the murky 40 degree temperatures of Rochester, MN, I will be here all game with a live blog on the game being played in the perfect Colorado weather.

Weiss and Bichette are re-united with old teammates today as part of Opening Day at Coors Field. Image: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

To open the game the Rockies will honor members of the inaugural 1993 team. Among the confirmed attendees are Bruce Ruffin, Bryn Smith, Steve Reed, Vinny Castilla, Charlie Hayes, Armando Reynoso, and Freddy Benavides. This is great to see for a number of reasons. For one thing it is just fun to see those familiar faces again. More importantly, it is a chance to capture and remember the first moment when Denver and the surrounding region was truly captivated by the idea of having a Major League baseball team. I am not saying that the Rockies get taken for granted, but it is still valuable to remember how special it was when the team first arrived.

Is Alex Cole in the house? If he’s not, does somebody at least have his goggles?

Courtesy of the official Colorado Rockies Twitter feed, here is the lineup card for today’s affair:

Check in all afternoon for updates and thoughts on today’s game with the San Diego Padres. And be sure to hit the comments section with your own reactions. First pitch is in approximately one hour.

]]> http://roxpile.com/2013/04/05/rockies-home-opener-2013-live-blog/feed/ 0 2011 Series Preview: Rockies vs. Diamondbacks (4/1-4/3) http://roxpile.com/2011/04/01/2011-series-preview-rockies-vs-diamondbacks-41-43/ http://roxpile.com/2011/04/01/2011-series-preview-rockies-vs-diamondbacks-41-43/#comments Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:15:10 +0000 http://roxpile.com/?p=1653 It’s finally here. By it, I mean the grandest day of the entire year. The phrase “Opening Day” might as well be synonymous with hope. Every single team still has a chance to win it all — except for the Pirates and the Royals, obviously. Opening Day also marks the end of winter. Sure, there will be a few more chilly days, but, for the most part, the dark, chilly days of the season are done. Let’s discuss some meaningful baseball, shall we?

2010 Regular Season Record: 65-97, 5th in NL West (27.0 GB)
2011 Spring Training Record: 12-25, Last in Cactus League (12 GB)

2010 Regular Season Epic Melt-Down: 83-79, 3rd in NL West (9 GB)
2011 Spring Training Record: 20-11, 3rd in Cactus League (1 GB)

Pitching Matchups

Game 1 — Ian Kennedy vs. Ubaldo Jimenez

The selection of Ian as the opening day starter was somewhat surprising, but Kirk Gibson likes his presence on the mound. Kennedy doesn’t overwhelm hitters. He is most successful when he is able to spot his 88-91 MPH fastball. Ian has a decent curve and change. Last year, Kennedy was a small bright spot in a terrible D-backs rotation.

There isn’t much I can say about Ubaldo that hasn’t been said. He is a pre-season front runner for the NL Cy Young and easily the best pitcher ever to call Colorado home. Everyone expects him to start 2011 off with a bang. Shutting down an over aggressive D-backs lineup would be a great beginning.
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