Walt Weiss on Playing with a DH, Reyes, and Parra’s Recovery

Prior to the Colorado Rockies and New York Yankees squaring off at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night, Colorado manager Walt Weiss met with the media to discuss a number of topics.

During his pregame chat in the dugout, Walt Weiss touched on subjects ranging from Gerardo Parra’s recovery to reports that the New York Mets were interested in Jose Reyes in a utility position.

Here are some of his most interesting comments…

On Parra and his rehabilitation from an ankle injury suffered at Coors Field against the Yankees…

“He swung a little bit off the tee today I believe. As far as running, he’s a little ways away from that. He’s doing well. All things considered, he’s doing well.”

On yet another game where the Rockies arrived in the early morning hours from their previous destination…

“You can control your pregame routine. Sometimes you can alter that because of late-night travel but guys showed up pretty well today. They’re getting used to this. It seems like for the last month, we’ve been traveling after night games for some reason. It’s one of the challenges that the schedule can present to you over the course of a season.”

On how having a designated hitter in the lineup makes for a different feel to the game…

“It’s a different game with the DH. I’m sure they feel pretty good about getting to use their DH. We have Danny (Daniel Descalso) DHing and getting a left-handed bat in there. It’s a little different game, but we’re more familiar with the Yankees than we were a week or so ago.

“Tomorrow they have a left-hander in (CC) Sabathia so he (Descalso) probably won’t DH. It’s a little different for us. We don’t put together our roster thinking about a DH. You have somebody do it for a couple of days. Maybe they’re a little bit out of their element but most of these guys have played a little bit in the American League also so it’s not totally strange to them. It’s just different, how the rosters are built … as it should be. It’s a little different game when it comes to the two different leagues, but that’s all part of the interleague ‘allure’ I guess.”

On whether Chad Bettis should pitch differently after just facing the Yankees at Coors Field…

“You gotta let it eat when you’re out there. You can’t hold anything back. It comes down to executing pitches. They’re more familiar with him now but we also play in our division virtually half the time. You face the guys in your division all the time. You shut them down when you make pitches. That’s the key.”

On whether Reyes could be an asset to the Mets or any other team as a utility player…

“It’s probably a question he’d have to answer, but as far as the skill set, I think he’d be fine. He still has very good hands and very good feet. He’s very athletic. I think if he’s willing to do something like that, he’d be fine.

“He’s still a good player. I think he could help as a switch hitter. He’s been an elite player in this league for a long time. Maybe it’s not the 25-year-old Jose Reyes but he’s still a very talented player.

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On whether Reyes being back in New York would impact his play…

“I’m sure it does. I’m sure part of his heart is still in New York. He had some prolific years there. From a personal standpoint, I’m sure that would help him.”