Morning Dump — Thursday, March 17th

I know it’s just spring and we can’t panic over one start, but Jason Hammel looked like crap last night. His pitches were elevated and out over the plate. He gave up eight runs in three innings — three were earned. Hammel himself caused a lot of damage when he air-mailed an Ian Kinsler bunt attempt into right field. Jason said he wasn’t worried about last night’s performance, blaming it on some old habits. All I know is that he can’t pitch like that when the regular season begins.

Clipped from: blogs.denverpost.com (share this clip)

"“Basically I just took a step backwards to last year. All the stuff I did last year when things got in trouble. I tried to start throwing harder … a very, very rookie mistake. It wasn’t going the way I wanted, so from there I decided to try and overpower it with more aggressiveness and basically complicated the matter. A small step back, but I’m not going to get frustrated. It’s only one outing. … I’m not going to roll the snowball bigger.” — Jason Hammel"

CarGo — Rockies’ ambassador of good will and welcoming new players.

Dexter Fowler hurt his quad last night. It sounds minor, but the situation should be monitored closely.

The Rox are pleased with Chris Iannetta’s ability to handle the pitching staff and call games, but they want him to be more vocal with his leadership.

Clipped from: colorado.rockies.mlb.com (share this clip)

"“Catching is adapting to the individual needs of his pitchers. One thing I-Man is willing to do is hear suggestions. He’s not trying to be cookie-cutter. That’s the real role of the catcher. Ubaldo Jimenez is one of the best pitchers in the National League, but some days his breaking ball isn’t going to work, or maybe his split is great. I-Man is great at adjusting on the fly.” — Huston Street"

The worst contract in baseball? I think it’s possible.

Joe Posnanski loves George Brett — as do I.

Can you believe that Jamey Carroll is the same age as Todd Helton? The Dodgers see him as a valuable piece.

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