tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32661793850550539532024-03-05T01:21:37.165-06:00Heaven & HeltonMark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.comBlogger1131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-37907041680581260092013-04-02T00:09:00.001-05:002013-04-02T00:13:45.087-05:00Three Thoughts On Rockies Opening Day Loss To Brewers<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. Give Wilton Lopez a fair shake:</span></b> Denver sports fans aren’t the most forgiving people when professional athletes struggle wearing their team’s uniform or decide to skip town for greener pastures, but it’s only one outing. Ugly, horrendous and disastrous, yes, but still only one outing. The Rockies brought Lopez in to be their 8th inning guy (if you hate set roles in the bullpen, I understand but we'll have to cover that later) and one magnified bad outing on opening day isn’t going to change that. Nor should it. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>2. It wasn’t Walt’s fault:</b></span> Yes, Matt Belisle only threw one pitch in the game. (It was a damn fine pitch, too.) But when you spend all spring establishing roles you don’t just change them on opening day for no reason. Belisle did his job. The 8th inning is entrusted to Lopez. Everyone on the team knows this. Why would you then change that for the sake of changing it on opening day? There’s no logic in that. Lopez had done nothing yet to lose the role coming in, so you roll with him as planned.<br />
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Did Weiss stick with him too long? Maybe. Maybe he should have had Rafael Betancourt or someone else ready. That could have worked. And maybe next time he will. But you can’t panic and stray from the gameplan on Day 1. Especially when you're a BRAND new manager just establishing yourself. That’s not an impression you want to leave on players because they‘ll start second guessing him quickly.<br />
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When Walt Weiss feels like he needs to change a player's role, I don't think he'll hesitate to do it. It's just not going to happen in the middle of Game 1. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>3. Jhoulys Chacin:</b></span> The offense packed a nice punch. That was encouraging. Of course we also had a lot of the same lousy base running and poor execution in run scoring situations, but the potential to score runs in bunches will be there. I have little doubt about that.<br />
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As good as that was though, I think we all had to be pretty pleased and encouraged by Jhoulys Chacin’s performance. Granted, it could have ended up a lot different had Milwaukee not made three strange outs on the bases, but he looked great once he settled down and those middle innings into the 7th were fun to watch. If we could just get him to bottle that up and hold on to it, we’d had no worries at the top of the rotation.<br />
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But it’s one step at a time, so we’ll say he moved forward here and leave it at that.<br />
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-52122194137842100282013-04-01T01:00:00.001-05:002013-04-01T01:00:54.676-05:00A Few Rockies Predictions For 2013<div style="text-align: left;">
Well folks, it seems I've been busier than even I anticipated I'd be since the beginning of the year so I didn't even have a chance to weigh in on spring training. I don't think there was much to talk about anyway aside from maybe Tyler Colvin getting shipped to minors after a rough, rough March. I probably wouldn't have reacted that way, but after seeing how lost he became in 2011, I guess I see the Rockies reasoning. I just hope he gets it together quick. </div>
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Yorvit Torrealba beat out Ramon Hernandez. No surprise there.<br />
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They inked Jon Garland. Big fan of that move.<br />
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Aaron Cook is back on a minor league deal. That's fine.<br />
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The rest of the starting pitching has been all over the map. Duh.<br />
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Todd Helton looked like his old self over the past week. That's always nice to see.<br />
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But that's all behind us now. It's time to look forward, which is what I intend to do here with a few predictions. Just remember... these predictions won't matter a week from now and will likely be forgotten six months from now. Unless they're correct, of course.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wins:</span></b> 73<br />
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Some people think they can get to .500 this season. ESPN's Keith Law says 53 wins. I'm going in between with a learn towards optimism. They're going to struggle to pitch again, and they probably won't succeed within the division, but a healthier season should eliminate some of the misery.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">All-Stars:</span></b> If Dexter Fowler isn’t an all-star, we’ll all be complaining that he should have been. I think he finally breaks out. Meanwhile, Troy Tulowitzki is a given and Carlos Gonzalez should be, too.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Team leader in wins:</b></span> Jon Garland... even if he’s traded in July or August. I'm thinking 11-12.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Team leader in saves:</b></span> Rafael Betancourt... again, even if he's traded in July or August.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Aaron Cook starts:</b></span> Too many. Guessing 8-10. The Rockies will go through starters quickly I'm afraid.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Todd Helton's numbers:</b></span> .280, 10 home runs, 55 RBI in 92 games. Wouldn't be a bad way to go out.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Wilin Rosario home runs:</b></span> 27<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Wilin Rosario: passed balls:</b></span> 11<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Date Nolan Arenado arrives:</b></span> No sooner than June 15 and no later than July 15. He’ll be a breath of fresh air.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Walt Weiss status:</b></span> He'll earn a second year. I assume he'll get it, too, but I'm more certain he'll earn it than receive it. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Public Enemy No 1 </b></span>(AKA the Frankin Morales/Felipe Paulino/Esmil Rogers/Jeremy Guthrie on the team): Hands down this will be Chris Volstad. Rockies fans tend to sour on new guys quickly and I'm afraid Volstad will make himself an easy target.Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-58290062809580842472013-01-10T05:30:00.000-06:002013-01-10T05:30:01.921-06:00The Plan For 2013<div style="text-align: left;">
Stunning how little significant activity we've seen from the Rockies this offseason, isn't it?</div>
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Well, unless you consider the Manny Corpas signing on Wednesday an impact signing, which of course it isn't. But hey, I like Manny a lot and will always appreciate his efforts from the days before Jim Tracy blew his arm up, so I can't complain about it and certainly hope it ends up working out better than expected.<br />
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Anyway, the blog certainly won't be as silent as it has been during the offseason once spring training gets underway, but it also won't be as active as past seasons. That's because other writing opportunities and work assignments will require a lot of attention, making it increasingly difficult for me to write recaps - or recraps - after each game. </div>
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Honestly, I'm very proud of the fact I haven't missed a single recap since the blog opened three years ago and have been able to offer something resembling a fresh take every time, but to be at my best here and to be at my best elsewhere, I'll need to change things up and take a different approach to the site. What that means exactly is still up in the air, but you'll still read plenty of thoughts from me in one form or another. That much is guaranteed. </div>
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I look at the changes two different ways. </div>
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1) The games I am able to watch live I will actually be able to watch intently instead of half-watch and mostly listening while preparing my recaps. </div>
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2) It will allow me to be more of a fan and actually interact with other fans on Twitter during games.</div>
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I'm actually very excited about both of those things, and feel the changes will help keep my perspective fresher and my sanity more completely intact.<br />
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The former far more likely than the latter, obviously. </div>
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So that's where we are right now. </div>
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Players rankings, screen grabs, lineup cards and all the other fun things will remain. Dissecting of Walt Weiss press conferences may become a thing, too, depending on how overwhelmed he becomes by the unfortunate circumstances he's been placed into. </div>
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It will likely be another mostly frustrating, often painful season, but we'll still try to make it as fun as possible, since that's kinda the point of the game anyway.<br />
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-60867995077276454492012-11-21T06:30:00.000-06:002012-11-21T06:30:00.544-06:00Matt Reynolds Trade Thoughts & Links<div style="text-align: left;">
Regardless of size or significance, every single trade a team makes in this social media and blog driven world is met with reactions (often overreactions).</div>
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Here's mine to the trade Colorado Rockies made on Tuesday, which sent left-hander reliever Matt Reynolds to the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for 24-year-old corner IF/OF Ryan Wheeler.<br />
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*Shrug*<br />
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I always liked Matt Reynolds for his durability, versatility and the fact he attended the same high school as my cousins in St. Charles, IL. I also realize the importance of left-hander relievers, but he's totally replaceable, just as most bullpens arms are. Not that the Rockies have or will acquire upgrades, but there's a better chance of stumbling in production in middle relief (see Josh Roenicke and Adam Ottavino) than any other position.<br />
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That said, I'm not so sure we're getting a meaningful piece back here in Ryan Wheeler. It's a little frustrating, too, because it seems like Reynolds would have been more valuable in a package for something a little more significant. This one has the feel of the typical Rockies trade that doesn't maximize the value of the talent involved and ultimately turns into a throwaway, but it will certainly take time to figure that out for sure.<br />
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In the meantime, here's a little taste of the Diamondbacks perspective on Wheeler <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/NickPiecoro/173966">courtesy of the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro</a>:<br />
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<i>The Diamondbacks likely were willing to trade Wheeler in large part because of his perceived defensive shortcomings. Scouts have had concerns about the big-bodied Wheeler’s mobility at third base for years now, and Wheeler has worked hard to try to become more agile. </i><br />
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<i>But defense and athleticism seem to be turning into an enormous factors in most Diamondbacks acquisitions lately, so it’s not a big surprise that they don’t view Wheeler as their archetypal third baseman. </i><br />
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<i>The other question with him is whether he’ll be able to hit for enough power in the majors; he’s more of a natural opposite-field hitter, and the Diamondbacks’ coaches were working with him this season on pulling the ball more regularly, driving it with more authority. </i><br />
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<i>He’s headed to the best hitter’s ballpark in baseball, so we’ll see if he’ll be able to hit enough to make up for whatever defensive shortcomings may exist. </i><br />
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<i>The other thing is, he has a tremendous work ethic and makeup, so there’s little question he’ll put in the time and effort to improve.
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It sounds like there's some work to do here on both sides of the field, but based on that information I'm going to guess the Rockies will give Wheeler a long look at first base this spring.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Links</span></b><br />
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Speaking of trades, Chris Jaffe over at the Hardball Times posted a couple recent historical items on the Rockies, including the Mike Hampton-Juan Pierre deal from 2002.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/blog_article/10th-anniversary-of-a-big-marlins-rockies-trade/">10th anniversary of a big Marlins-Rockies trade</a></h3>
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He also has a post up discussing the expansion draft from 20 years ago.</div>
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<a href="http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/blog_article/20th-anniversary-nl-expansion-draft/">20th anniversary: NL expansion draft</a></h3>
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Good stuff, as always, from Mr. Jaffe and his crew. </div>
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I also came across a year old interview with Dante Bichette's wife, Mariana, where she discusses her role as a baseball wife and mom.<br />
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<a href="http://mlbreports.com/2011/12/29/bichette-interview/">Mariana Bichette Interview: Meet a Real Life Baseball Mom and Wife</a></h3>
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-41230990021697329922012-11-14T00:21:00.000-06:002012-11-14T00:21:42.220-06:00Celebrating The Hire Of Dante Bichette<div style="text-align: left;">
Dante Bichette was my favorite player growing up. There really wasn't a close second, though Vinny Castilla would have been the choice until Todd Helton came along. </div>
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With that out of the way, I've obviously been hoping for many years that Dante would be back in the Rockies fold in some capacity before all was said and done. That it's happening now as the hitting coach is really very exciting.</div>
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Forgot the fact that this coaching staff <i>could </i>be in place for just one season — that won't be the case because they will inevitably improve with better health, and ownership will be convinced things are headed in the right direction regardless of the truth — I'm just happy to have a guy in place who truly understands the unique situation he's walking into, and can draw on past experiences to aid his teaching.<br />
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But as I mentioned on Twitter after the announcement was made...<br />
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I have little doubt Dante Bichette will give great hitting advice. Who listens and how it's used is up the players. The end. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23rockies">#rockies</a><br />
— Mark Townsend (@Townie813) <a data-datetime="2012-11-13T22:33:55+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/Townie813/status/268481848840175616">November 13, 2012</a></blockquote>
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Don Baylor had experience at Coors Field, too, and seemed to struggle putting gameplans together for Rockies hitters. What that means, if anything, I honestly don't know, but he's done at least a decent job in Arizona and obviously knows hitting, The sure difference, though, is with Bichette you have a guy who has stood in that batter's box at Coors Field hundreds of times, has made his own adjustments on the road, and has his own feel for the proper mental approach.<br />
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That's a positive step up.<br />
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Despite some really ugly swings when his best guess was wrong, Bichette also had great instincts.<br />
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But Bichette's greatest quality was that he never gave away an at-bats, especially with two strikes. Bichette, for my money, is the best two strike hitter in last 20 years. As great as Helton is in the same situation I'm not sure he ever surpassed Bichette. I don't care how wrong that is, either, because it's money.<br />
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But the reason Bichette and Helton excel with two strikes is because they value each and every opportunity they get. They make the adjustments they need to on the fly just to prolong an at-bat and maybe capitalize on a mistake. That really is and was the art and beauty of their game. Now, when you hear and read scouting reports for Dante Jr. and even Beau Bichette, you know it's either in the genes or Senior is really good at getting his message across.<br />
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Bottom line, under Bichette, there will be no excuses on offense. He will have them prepared as best he can. He'll send the right messages. You can bet he's going to have them watching a lot of video. And it wouldn't surprise me if their first assignment at spring training is reading The Science of Hitting by Ted Williams.(Dante read that book countless times throughout his career.) It will be up to the players to listen, learn, adjust when necessary and execute.<br />
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Now we just need to find a pitching coach/director/instructor/whatever that can boast the same experience and success from the pitching side of things. Sadly, that guy isn't out there, but I'm feeling really good about the lineup.<br />
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Oh, and let's also trade for Dante Bichette Jr. just to cover all the bases here.<br />
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Please?<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-60770112725924675552012-11-08T00:21:00.000-06:002012-11-08T00:22:50.805-06:00A Few Thoughts On The Walt Weiss Hire<div style="text-align: left;">
I have a few thoughts already posted over at Big League Stew. You can check those out right <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/rockies-name-walt-weiss-manager-050549047--mlb.html">here</a>.</div>
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My additional thoughts on Walt Weiss being named the sixth manager in Rockies history are as follows.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Walt Weiss: </span></b><br />
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Idk if Walt Weiss will be a good manager for the Rockies, but his name isn't Jim Tracy so he's off to a great start.<br />
— Matt (@HrzMatt) <a data-datetime="2012-11-08T05:20:11+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/HrzMatt/status/266409760860037121">November 8, 2012</a></blockquote>
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I think that sums it up pretty well actually. I have nothing but respect for Walt Weiss from a baseball perspective and as a man, but he's walking into a situation that would challenge even the most savvy and experienced manager.<br />
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Unless the Rockies manage to get their young pitching talent on track over the winter, he's not going to be set up for success in the short-term, and the sad thing might end up being that Weiss is actually really good at the whole managing thing, but we never really realize it because the circumstances around him and the people looking over his shoulder hold him back.<br />
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That's a real possibility that has concerned me, still does concern me, and would have continued to concern me unless the Rockies opened their doors and offered the job to a serious outside candidate. Matt Williams got a lot closer than I honestly thought anyone would, so they could be encouraging, but it's still way too early to tell how involved the front office will be, just as it's too early to have any real meaningful opinion on Weiss.<br />
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But I will add that I feel confident Weiss won't be completely overwhelmed thanks to his past playing experience at Coors Field and his time spent in the Rockies front office. I'm also certain he'll hold himself accountable for his shortcomings and mistakes, which will be a nice chance of pace after three plus years of Jim Tracy making excuses and throwing players under the bus.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>The Process: </b></span>I can honestly say that of the candidates interviewed, Weiss would be the guy I'd have the most confidence in to lead the franchise back to... well... something other than an embarrassment. Again, no problem with him at all, but the process itself left a lot to be desired.<br />
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The Rockies never spoke to Sandy Alomar Jr., Brad Ausmus or Vinny Castilla, three guys I would have felt a lot more confident in than any of the candidates interviewed. But that's just me. Obviously I'm not on the inside, I don't know how those guys are viewed with in the Rockies inner circle, and I don't truly know if those guys will be decent big league managers, but it's disappointing none of them were given a chance or even a first thought.<br />
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From my perspective, it's almot like the Rockies went out of their way to interview guys that were never really in contention. Guys like Jerry Manuel (he's awful), Pete Mackanin and Tom Runnels to water down the field. And then at the end of the day they look pretty good going with the man that stood out to everyone as the obvious choice.<br />
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That could be over analyzing the situation, and I'm not saying Weiss is the wrong choice by any means, but I'm definitely going to reserve praise based on how I viewed the process. I'd be a lot more excited and encouraged had they given one or two of those names I mentioned an interview just to get a feel for their styles. If Weiss still stood out to them, great, but I can't help feel like they missed out on a candidate with higher upside.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>End Of The Day: </b></span>It's over. We have a new manager. His name is Walt Weiss. Despite my lack of satisfaction in the process, I'm pulling like hell for him to help get this franchise pointed in the right direction. And who knows, under the circumstances, he may just be the perfect fit.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-91598803210064675962012-11-05T05:40:00.001-06:002012-11-05T05:43:20.776-06:00Can Bud Adams Own The Rockies? Please? <div style="text-align: left;">
Here's what Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams (age 89) had to say after his squad lost an embarrassing 51-20 decision to the Chicago Bears on their home field Sunday afternoon, dropping their season record to 3-6.</div>
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<a href="http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?&Dato=20121104&Kategori=SPORTS01&Lopenr=121104016&Ref=AR">From the Tennessean:</a><br />
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<i>“In my 50 years of owning an NFL franchise, I am at a loss to recall a regular-season home game that was such a disappointment for myself and fans of the Titans,’’ Adams told The Tennessean. “We were grossly outcoached and outplayed from start to finish today." </i><br />
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<i> “At this time, all aspects of the organization will be closely evaluated, including front office, coaches and players, over the next seven games. If performance and competitiveness does not improve, I will look at all alternatives to get back to having the Titans become a playoff and championship football team.</i>”<br />
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A professional sports owner threatening to hold his players, his coaches, his front office, and basically everyone under his employ accountable for their performance? What the hell is this guy trying to do over there in Nashville? Win something?<br />
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And what's with the not making excuses here? This just doesn't fall in line with what I'm conditioned to hearing. There had to be a stiff wind in the Titans face the entire game, or maybe the football itself inexplicably felt different in their hands, causing them to turn it over five times. It had to be something beyond their control.<br />
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Meanwhile, in baseball news, the Colorado Rockies could announce a new manager this week.<br />
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If/when they do it will be one of four men: Tom Runnels, Jason Giambi, Walt Weiss or Matt Williams. Williams is the one with no previous connection to the Rockies, so unless the Monforts put him under some type of spell I doubt he'll be the guy. Runnels seems have to received the interview because he's well liked within the organization and the Monforts didn't want to spend another chunk of money flying in and entertaining someone worthwhile. I doubt he's in.<br />
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So that leaves Giambi and Weiss, and at this point who cares because there's no anger at the top, no shame felt in being the laughing stock of the National League, no accountability at any level in the organization, no direction with which to head, and no passion to be a winner.<br />
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If I offended Dick Monfort by saying that, I don't apologize.<br />
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Go talk to Bud Adams. Grow a set. Or just go away. Your choice.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-50933973754270185222012-10-03T23:27:00.005-05:002012-10-03T23:27:59.883-05:00Rock Solid Recap: Rockies Disaster Season With Solid Road Win<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 2</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Diamondbacks 1</span> (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=321003129">boxscore</a>)</b></span></div>
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The disaster season started with a win from Jeremy Guthrie (who's long gone) and it ends with a win Jeff Francis (who rose from the baseball dead). What more do you need to know about the 2012 Rockies?<br />
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The numbers 64 and 98 will now go into the books as the Rockies worst record ever. We hope (and maybe even pray) this standard of suck is one they never equal or surpass in the future.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Winning Player: Jeff Francis </span>5 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 86 pitches (53 strikes)<br />
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Tough call here, but Francis gets the nod for finishing his comeback campaign with a strong outing and a victory.<br />
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Honestly, I applaud Francis. The numbers are whatever, but we know by now that you can't look at the numbers with Rockies pitchers (especially with this year's experiment) to determine their performance. Looking beyond them, I felt like Francis gave us more than I ever imagined he could coming in, so again, a polite applause for him and an open invitation to join us in 2012 if he wishes.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Honorable Mentions: The Bullpen: </span>4 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K<br />
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The bullpen had its ups and downs this season, but they were without question the most consistently productive group on the Rockies team (not that that's a glowing endorsement but it's still a fact). I think it's fitting that both Adam Ottavino and Josh Roenicke (the two middle relief workhorses) pitched well tonight, and I think the coolest thing about the finale is the man with the bionic arm, Matt Belisle, got the final out to earn the save. Well done by Jim Tracy there.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">More Honorable Mentions:</span> Jordan Pacheco 3-for-4, run scored (All he does is get hits), D.J. LeMahieu 2-for-4, RBI (Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of all Rockies this season) and Jonathan Herrera 3-for-4 (Impossible not to love Johnny. Hope he has a big league job next season whether it's here or elsewhere).<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Turning Point:</span> The Rockies trailed 1-0 in the 4th when Chris Johnson's throwing error led directly to their first run, and opened the door for LeMahieu to drive home the winner. Yes, the Rockies actually took advantage of the opponent's error. If there's one thing they carry into next season from this game, I hope it's their ability to do that.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Highlight of the Night:</span> <b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25325063&c_id=mlb&topic_id=vtp_star_of_the_game">Watch the season's final out</a></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next:</span> People get fired?<br />
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No, I don't know if that will happen, but this is a really, really important offseason for this organization. So many things need to be fixed, and I don't think five months would be nearly enough time to get it done anyway, but we have to hope a few steps are taken in the right direction. Of course we won't have a real good idea if those right steps were taken until we resume actual baseball activity, so come on back with us in 2013 and we'll continue our baseball discussions over Twitter and other outlets.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Final Thoughts: </span>Well folks, that's a wrap on the Colorado Rockies disastrous 2012 season. Hope you had a fun time reading the blog this season despite the lousy baseball product we were served. Win or lose, I tried to keep a sensible baseball perspective here, but I also think it's important to enjoy the game first and foremost, and have a little fun as well, even if it has to come at the expense of our favorite team.<br />
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I'm not completely sure what the format of the blog will be going into the 2013 season. I don't know yet if time will allow me to continue doing recaps every night like I have for the past three seasons, but I do know the blog will still be here and my Rockies thoughts will continue to be shared in one form or another.<br />
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-21901306414930068312012-10-03T07:30:00.000-05:002012-10-03T07:30:02.675-05:00Rock Solid Recrap: Can You Imagine If They Lost Monday?<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Diamondbacks 5</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 3</span> (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=321002129">boxscore</a>)</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What Went Wrong: </span>Had the Rockies managed to lose Monday's game, this loss would have been a lot more... well... I guess I wouldn't say painful, since we're pretty much numb to it at this point, but it would have driven my anxiety through the roof with 100 losses on the horizon on Wednesday.<br />
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But since the Rockies won Monday, Rafael Betancourt's second consecutive blown save was more of a shoulder shrug moment than a blood boiler. No, I'm not happy it happened, but I'm more indifferent than annoyed, which I'm afraid will continue to be my feeling throughout the winter leading into the spring. I care, of course, I just need to see this organization give a damn too before I'll feel the normal emotions again.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Turning Point: </span>Aaron Hill's three-run walk-off is the easy call here, but Gerardo Parra's two-out single that kept the inning going was pretty important too.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Jhoulys Chacin's Line: </span>5 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 75 pitches (46 strikes)<br />
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Fabulous finish to an encouraging nine-start stretch since coming of the DL. Not much more needs to be said beyond that. As long as he maintains his health over the winter into the spring, he should be the Rockies opening day starter without any doubt.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bullpen's Line: </span>3 2/3 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 1 K<br />
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Guillermo Moscoso is a disaster that hopefully never appears with the Rockies again. And I don't feel bad saying that because unlike guys like Felipe Paulino, Franklin Morales and Jeremy Guthrie, I don't think he'll bounce back in a different atmosphere. He's just not a major league pitcher, plain and simple.<br />
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PS: It's easy to take shots at Rafael Betancourt after a couple rough outings, but this guy has been solid all year long.<br />
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Think about it... In a given baseball season, they are usually only 4-5 pitchers who truly excel in the closer's role. A couple of them are predictably dominant like Mariano Rivera, Craig Kimbrel and Aroldis Chapman. The others are randomly recycled veterans like Jim Johnson and Fernando Rodney.<br />
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Betancourt certainly didn't reach the elite level this season, but all things considered he was a big plus because the position always has instability and uncertainty surrounding it from year-to-year, sometimes even month-to-month. Betancourt at least brought those two things to his role (and in my opinion a lot more) while the rest of the pitching staff crumbled around him.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next: </span>And then there was one. The season finale comes your way on Wednesday at 5:10 and will feature a Jeff Francis (5-5, 5.75) vs. Ian Kennedy (15-11, 4.18) pitching matchup. My emotions are already overcoming me.<br />
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-90962195889874748402012-10-02T07:30:00.000-05:002012-10-02T07:30:01.977-05:00Rock Solid Recap: Road To 100 Hits Dead End<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 7</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Diamondbacks</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">4</span> (13 innings) (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=321001129">boxscore</a>)</b></span></div>
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It's over. Our season long regional nightmare is all over.<br />
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Five years to the day they <a href="http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2007/B10010COL2007.htm">defeated the San Diego Padres 9-8 in 13 innings</a> to win the National League Wild Card, the Colorado Rockies won another clincher in 13 innings with the 7-4 win over the Diamondbacks. OK, yeah, so this win was just a little bit less significant in the grand scheme, but it was still meaningful as they officially avoided to century mark in the loss column.<br />
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Whew.<br />
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RIP: Road to 100.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Winning Players: Chris Nelson & Charlie Blackmon</span><br />
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The Rockies had 13 hits in 13 innings. Seven of those belonged to Chris Nelson & Charlie Blackmon.<br />
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I think Nelson deserves top billing because he's the one who delivered to go-ahead RBI single in the 13th. That capped a night where Nelson was seeing the ball very well and had a number of good swings, including a couple drives that had home run distance but ended up just foul. Either of those staying fair would have changed the game a lot sooner.<br />
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Then again, it was Blackmon who had four hits, including the single that made it 5-3. That would actually ended up being the winning run, so you could make an argument for either.<br />
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It's kinda like the Miguel Cabrera-Mike Trout debate for the AL MVP, only not even close.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Turning Point: </span>Josh Rutledge had a really rough four-strikeout game, but he's also a big reason the Rockies stayed alive. His two-out RBI double (scoring Blackmon) in the 8th tied the game. Tyler Colvin followed with his own RBI double, so things looked pretty good at that moment. Of course that was only temporary.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Drew Pomeranz's Line: </span>5 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K, 2 HR, 80 pitches (51 strikes)<br />
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All things considered during this mostly uninspiring season for Drew Pomeranz, this was a positive note to go out on. Sure, he allowed a couple homers (both solo) and threw in a couple walks, but he stayed on track and never allowed any particular inning to escalate or become a potential disaster. That may not sound like much of achievement to my newer readers, but if you've been reading these recaps all season and looking at the pitching lines, you know how difficult that has been for Pomeranz and this entire staff.<br />
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It's a nice ending, but it's really only the beginning as Pomeranz enters this important offseason. Because of this season's results and stunted development, next year almost has to be two steps forward just to get where the Rockies wanted and needed Pomeranz by the end of this season, and maybe three steps forward to reach his potential. I'll settle for one step, as long as it's not another one sideways or backwards.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bullpen's Line: </span>8 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 8 K<br />
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Adam Ottavino and Matt Belisle combined for three perfect innings to get the ball in Rafael Betancourt's right hand. It could not have set up any better... right up until Paul Goldschmidt delivered Arizona's third solo homer to tie at three.<br />
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Hey, you never expected it to be easy, did you?<br />
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From there, Rex Brothers and Edgmer Escalona were solid. When the Rockies grabbed the lead, though, Josh Outman decided he wanted to make it interesting (or maybe he's just awful) by walking two and uncorking a wild pitch. I mean seriously, four run lead handed to you. Throw strikes, maybe?<br />
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Thankfully, Josh Roenicke's arm grew back just enough to get the final two outs for the save. I guess in a way he's the Ramon Ortiz of 2012 because he stopped the bleeding and allowed good things to happen in the 13th. That makes him a real unsung hero in my eyes.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Highlight of the Night:</span> I didn't wake up the neighbors like I did on 10-1-07, but I definitely gestured skyward.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25271331&c_id=mlb">Watch Josh Roenicke close the door</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next:</span> Sit back, relax, watch a meaningless baseball game without any stress. Jhoulys Chacin (3-5, 4.78) vs. Patrick Corbin (6-8, 4.77). First pitch is slated for 7:40 again.<br />
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PS: I wonder how disappointed the folks at ROOT Sports are about the Rockies win? The Road to 100 had to be a decent ratings grabber for them, and now it'll only be the diehards tuning in on Tuesday.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Final Thoughts:</span> If you're a Rockies fan on Twitter and you weren't following <a href="https://twitter.com/chrischrisman">@chrischrisman</a> Monday night, you missed out on reliving some great memories from that game five years ago. Here's a sample:<br />
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Jorge Julio on to pitch the 13th. Padres haven't done much for 10 innings. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23tweetsfrom163">#tweetsfrom163</a><br />
— Chris Chrisman (@chrischrisman) <a data-datetime="2012-10-02T04:09:37+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/chrischrisman/status/252983652227624960">October 2, 2012</a></blockquote>
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And shit. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23tweetsfrom163">#tweetsfrom163</a><br />
— Chris Chrisman (@chrischrisman) <a data-datetime="2012-10-02T04:12:04+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/chrischrisman/status/252984267401986048">October 2, 2012</a></blockquote>
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Hairston parks a 1-0 pitch into the Pavillion. 8-6 Padres. Might as well be 18. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23tweetsfrom163">#tweetsfrom163</a><br />
— Chris Chrisman (@chrischrisman) <a data-datetime="2012-10-02T04:12:54+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/chrischrisman/status/252984479214342144">October 2, 2012</a></blockquote>
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Josh Outman, Jorge Julio. Jorge Julio, Josh Outman.<br />
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What a night that was, though.<br />
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Now go start following Chris and relive the entire night with a guy was who in the building.<br />
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-58797932323589694982012-09-30T21:44:00.003-05:002012-09-30T21:44:27.796-05:00Rock Solid Recrap: The Rockies Scored A Run! <div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Dodgers 7</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 1</span> (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=320930119">boxscore</a>)</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What Went Right:</span> The Rockies scored a run in the 4th inning, which snapped a 26-inning scoreless streak! Thanks, Andrew Brown!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25229617&c_id=mlb">Watch Andrew Brown's home run</a></b></span> </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What Went Wrong:</span> Well, as you can imagine, only scoring one run in an entire series is a recipe for being swept. So yeah, the Rockies were swept. They were pretty much unwatchable games the whole weekend. And the road to 100 continues with three games left to go. Buckle up.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Turning Point:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>The Rockies scored their run to take a 1-0 lead. Then the Dodgers scored four runs in the bottom half to take command of the game. Those four runs came on two-run homers from Matt Kemp and the legendary Luis Cruz.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Jorge De La Rosa's Line:</span> 4 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HR, 67 pitches (46 strikes)<br />
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Four innings and done. Four innings and done. Four innings and done. These pitching lines ALL look the same, though it's always good to see De La Rosa avoiding the walks. That's a small positive that does stand out here. As does his good health to end the year. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bullpen's Line: </span>4 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 5 K<br />
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Rob Scahill was touched up for a run on three hits in the 5th. That's the first run he's allowed this season. Alex White then continued to struggle in the relief role by allowing two runs on three hits and two walks. The only clean reliever was Carlos Torres, who struck out two in the 8th.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next:</span> It's on to Arizona for the final series in this cesspool of a season. And for the second time in two weeks, we'll see the all left-handed rookie battle in that one as Drew Pomeranz (2-9, 5.01) battles possible ROY candidate Wade Miley (16-11, 3.32). I'll go on record right now and say he improves his case for that award beginning around 7:40.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Final Thoughts: </span>Congratulations to Rafael Ortega on his call-in to the big club, his immediate insertion into the starting lineup, his first career hit, and his first career stolen base.<br />
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Whew. Crazy day I'd say for the 21-year-old outfielder that <a href="http://blogs.denverpost.com/rockies/2012/09/30/rafael-ortega-joins-rockies-starts-center-field/12888/">Carlos Gonzalez says looks like he's 10</a>.<br />
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Of course it would have been great if his debut could have come under better circumstances. Ortega's presence was only requested after Tyler Colvin and Jason Giambi joined the injured, leaving the Rockies with Jonathan Herrera on their lone healthy bench player. But it's still a nice story for the kid, and it's a good story for a team that has had so few things to smile or feel good about form a baseball perspective.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25223901&c_id=mlb">Watch Rafael Ortega's first career hit</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25224211&c_id=mlb">Watch Rafael Ortega's first career stolen base</a></b></span></div>
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-77930955684750265712012-09-30T00:57:00.000-05:002012-09-30T00:57:31.595-05:00Rock Solid Record-Breaking Recrap<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Dodgers 3</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 0</span> (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/kemps-2-hrs-push-dodgers-040411590--mlb.html">boxscore</a>)</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What Went Wrong: </span>It's official, the 2012 Colorado Rockies are the worst we've seen in their two decade long existence, surpassing the 95-loss team from their inaugural season in 1993.<br />
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(Please, hold your applause. There are still four (road) games remaining on the schedule and this record in futility could still grow all the way into the triple digits.)<br />
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So it's not really about what went wrong tonight. It's about what has been going wrong for essentially three years, leading us to this dreadful season that will mercifully end in four days. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Turning Point: </span>Matt Kemp cracked a really long two-run homer in the 4th. He then added a completely unnecessary solo homer in the 8th, because the Rockies had already resigned to their fate and checked out after the first one. Typical road Rockies. Typical September Rockies under Jim Tracy. You know all the cliches and hashtags.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Tyler Chatwood's Line: </span>4 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 74 pitches (46 strikes)<br />
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Nothing to see here. Standard Rockies four-inning outing that was neither excellent nor disastrous. It was just kind of there, which is a fitting ending to Chatwood's season.<br />
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That said, I still have a decent feeling about Chatwood long term, but odds are he'll never ever sniff his potential with the Rockies. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bullpen's Line: </span>4 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR<br />
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Jim Tracy was in heaven tonight utilizing six different relievers to navigate the final four innings. Of course three of those relievers (Rex Brothers, Josh Roenicke and Matt Reynolds) faced a grand total of four hitters, retiring only one of them. But by golly, our manager was out there managing and pushing buttons and making all kinds of things happen! Shake his hand and give him another lifetime deal.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Highlight of the Night: </span>What the heck would we do without Wilin Rosario and Josh Rutledge giving us some glimmer of hope for the future? Both have been an absolute joy to watch for several reasons, including plays like this one.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25198565&c_id=mlb">Watch Josh Rutledge's incredible diving catch</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next:</span> It's the season finale against Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon at 1:10. We'll get one last look at Jorge De La Rosa (0-1, 9.45) in that one, so hopefully he'll give us something to feel good about. On the flip side, Los Angeles sends Josh Beckett (6-14, 4.76) out for his final start of his personal disaster season.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Final Thoughts:</span> Tyler Colvin was scratched from the lineup on Saturday night with an elbow issue, joining Jason Giambi on the injury list with a hernia. That leaves the Rockies with one... yes, ONE... healthy bench player in Jonathan Herrera. It's September. The rosters are expanded. And the Rockies STILL only have ONE healthy player on the bench. You can't make this stuff up.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-39094462083322792702012-09-29T01:00:00.001-05:002012-09-29T01:53:32.718-05:00Rock Solid Recrap: Ailing Clayton Kershaw Overpowers Rockies<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Dodgers 8</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 0</span> (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=320928119&page=boxscore">boxscore</a>)</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What Went Wrong:</span> On a night that featured a no-hitter and a one-hitter, I suppose things could have been worse for the Rockies. But it still wasn't pretty as a far less than 100% Clayton Kershaw (bad hip) dominated them for eight shutout innings, striking out 10 along the way. In fact, the Rockies would only scratch out four singles and a Wilin Rosario double, and never saw a runner reach third base.<br />
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Like I said... not pretty.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Turning Point:</span> They're on the road and they aren't playing the Cubs anymore. This game was over before it started.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Jeff Francis' Line:</span> 4 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 66 pitches (38 strikes)<br />
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And then Jeff Francis made sure it never got in doubt by allowing a four-spot in the 2nd. Shane Victorino's three-run homer was the big blow there. Blah outing.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bullpen's Line:</span> 4 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 4 K<br />
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All of the damage here came against Will Harris in the 8th inning. He allowed a two-run homer to Bobby Abreu, which is a really tough thing to do these days. Guillermo Moscoso (2 IP) and Josh Roenicke (1 IP) were both excellent, though, which kept this from being extremely embarrassing.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Highlight of the Night: </span>Matt McBride should not be playing the outfield for any major league team, but credit where it's due for making this difficult grab.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25172359&c_id=mlb&topic_id=vtp_blackberry">Watch McBride's tremendous grab</a></b></span> </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next:</span> The search for one more win continues on Saturday at 7:10. The pitching matchup there will be Tyler Chatwood (5-5, 5.49) against Joe Blanton (9-13, 4.86), which would certainly look like a winnable matchup at Coors Field. Not so sure that's case at Dodger Stadium.<br />
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-31581304617045610242012-09-27T22:00:00.000-05:002012-09-27T22:00:08.294-05:00Rock Solid Recap: The Jordan Pacheco Show<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 7</span>,<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> Cubs 5 </span>(<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=320927127">boxscore</a>)</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Winning Player: Jordan Pacheco</span><br />
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Real easy choice today. Pacheco was the man offensively (with the 1st inning three-run homer) and defensively (which you'll see shortly).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25131575&c_id=mlb">Watch Jordan Pacheco's three-run homer</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Turning Point:</span> Pacheco's 1st inning homer stood up the entire game, but there were moments when that seemed in doubt. That included the 5th inning when Chicago loaded the bases against Jhoulys Chacin with one out. The Rockies held a 7-3 lead there, and Chacin needed those two outs to qualify for the win. And he got them thanks to fielder's choice force play at home against Luis Valbuena and a Steve Clevenger groundout.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Jhoulys Chacin's Line:</span> 5 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 4 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 85 pitches (55 strikes)<br />
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Chacin didn't have much today, but Jim Tracy allowed him to go beyond to the 75 pitches get out of that bases loaded jam. It was refreshing to see that from Jim and just as good to see Chacin reward the faith. I guess you could call it a gritty effort, but certainly a difficult one to watch or feel overly encouraged about. He is healthy, though, so there's that.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bullpen's Line:</span> 4 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 4 K<br />
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All of the bullpen's damage came against a gassed out Matt Belisle in the 9th. That was cleaned up by Rafael Betancourt, who struck out back-to-back hitters, and then Jordan Pacheco and Josh Rutledge finished it as you'll see right now.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Highlight of the Afternoon:</span> I admit I'm a little weird, but to me there's no more enjoyable play to watch in baseball than a great pick/scoop/dig by a first baseman. Perhaps that's because I grew up playing the position myself. Maybe it's because I grew up watching Mark Grace do it expertly with the Chicago Cubs. But most likely it's because for the past 15 years I've watched Todd Helton turn it into an art form. It's just a beautiful thing to watch because it's not an easy thing to do at all, but these guys make it look so easy and so smooth.<br />
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Jordan Pacheco is certainly not the smoothest as a fill-in at first, and the entire defense suffers with a strong anchor like Helton, but to Pacheco's credit he's improved in all areas defensively with some extended playing time. That improvement show today when he completed one of the Rockies best defensive play of the season (thanks also to Josh Rutledge) with a phenomenal game-saving scoop.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25138211&c_id=mlb">Watch Jordan Pacheco & Josh Rutledge's webgem</a></b></span> </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25136269&c_id=mlb">Watch Pacheco's other nice play at first</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next:</span> With the home schedule complete, the Rockies will head out on a season-ending six-game road trip needing to win just once to avoid the dreaded 100 loss season. In other words, it's still VERY much up in the air, so I would hope/suggest they get that win out of the way right away in Los Angeles on Friday night.<br />
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Jeff Francis (5-6, 5.54) vs. Clayton Kershaw (12-9, 2.68)... 8:10.<br />
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Hmm... well, maybe they should aim for Saturday.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-70228069325688552562012-09-27T00:29:00.000-05:002012-09-27T00:29:19.111-05:00Rock Solid Recap: Charlie Blackmon Homers, Helps Rockies Preserve 7th Shutout<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 6</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Cubs 0</span> (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=320926127">boxscore</a>)</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Winning Player: Charlie Blackmon</span><br />
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Blackmon had solid day at the plate with his third career home run and another run scored.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25110437&c_id=mlb">Watch Charlie Blackmon's solo homer</a></b></span></div>
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He also had a key play in left field where he threw out Joe Mather at third base trying to advance on a flyball, which kept the Rockies 7th shutout intact as the tag was applied before Josh Vitters could touch home. Really a fantastic throw that almost had you wondering if Carlos Gonzalez was out there.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25118749&c_id=col&partnerId=aw-8312627768421490422-1027">Watch Charlie Blackmon's great throw</a></b></span></div>
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Honorable Mentions: The entire Rockies pitching staff.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Drew Pomeranz's Line: </span>5 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 K, 84 pitches (51 strikes)<br />
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The opponent has to be taken into consideration, but this is still a pretty solid performance for Pomeranz. Granted, the three walks are a bit high, but to see him work a little deeper and put up nothing but 0's overrides that. And really, any step that isn't directly backwards is a positive for Drew as he wraps up this highly disappointing season.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bullpen's Line:</span> 4 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K<br />
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Alex White handled the 6th and 7th, striking out two while allowing two hits. That qualifies as his best outing/appearance since shutting out the Dodgers for four innings back on Aug. 7. Rob Scahill then maintained his spotless ERA with two scoreless frames. He allowed two walks and had a runner reach on Andrew Brown's error, but induced two double plays to keep things clean. He's looked very impressive in five appearances.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next:</span> The home finale comes your way at 1:10 on Thursday afternoon. Well, that's assuming Mother Nature cooperates, because she's made her feelings about the Rockies and Cubs pretty clear through these first two games.<br />
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Anyway, if there's baseball we'll get one final home look at Jhoulys Chacin (2-5, 4.73). He'll be opposed by Chris Volstad (3-10, 6.22), who you'll recall broke a 24-start winless streak by defeating the Rockies in August.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Fun Fact: </span>The Rockies are bad... Thank God they aren't this bad.<br />
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That's a wrap. Cubs fall to 0-15 on road vs. NL West. Take 2-game lead on Rox for No. 2 overall draft pick in '13. Final: 6-0.<br />
— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubCub) <a data-datetime="2012-09-27T04:57:26+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/GDubCub/status/251183745737060352">September 27, 2012</a></blockquote>
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-7588505466448210682012-09-26T03:07:00.000-05:002012-09-26T03:07:00.524-05:00Rock Solid Recap: Mother Nature Says Six Innings Is Plenty<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 10</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Cubs 5</span> (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=320925127">boxscore</a>)</span></b></div>
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A win is a win, even when Mother Nature shortens the game to six innings and especially when you're hoping like heck your favorite team avoids its first 100-loss season.<br />
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The good news is this win will increase the Rockies chances of avoiding that slightly. The bad news is they still have work to do over these next eight games to make sure they don't lose six of them.<br />
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It's coming down to the wire, folks. Sit tight.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Winning Player: D.J. LeMahieu</span> 3-for-3, home run shy of the cycle, two runs, one RBI<br />
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The Rockies obviously had a lot of offense in a short period of time, but LeMahieu really led the attack with his three hits against his former team. The biggest coming in the 4th when he doubled home a run ahead of Josh Rutledge's two-run double that gave Colorado the lead. Another former Cub, Tyler Colvin, contributed two hits himself, including a two-run triple in the 3rd that cut Chicago's lead to 4-1. Also delivering were Chris Nelson (three hits, two runs), Matt Bride (big three-run 5th inning blast) and Wilin Rosario (two hits, HR #27).<br />
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In total Colorado had 15 hits and 27 total bases in the six completed innings. Not bad at all.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Turning Point:</span> This game turned the second Theo Epstein traded Colvin and LeMahieu to the Rockies for Ian Stewart and Casey Weathers. It remains Dan O'Dowd's one shining moment over the past 12 months.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Jorge De La Rosa's Line: </span>3 IP, 4 R (2 ER), 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, 67 pitches (45 strikes)<br />
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The two unearned runs came after Josh Rutledge's 1st inning overthrow that landed somewhere in Oklahoma. I mean he overshot Jordan Pacheco at first base by at least 40 feet. Perhaps the wet baseball played a factor in that. Perhaps it didn't. I don't know. I just know it was the only bad throw in the game and the conditions got much worse as it went along.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
As for De La Rosa... he left his offspeed pitches up and the Cubs made him pay with a couple home runs and some other well struck balls. Not sure if there was a grip issue in play here too or if he's just not quite comfortable yet, but there was several baseballs that ended up on a tee and were punished.<br />
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That's the baseball performance side of it. Hopefully he feels good tomorrow and the health side continues to improve. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Highlight of the Night:</span> Matt McBride! Don't you dare call him Martina!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25086775&c_id=mlb">Watch McBride's three-run bomb</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next:</span> Another riveting Rockies-Cubs comes your way Wednesday night at 6:40. Drew Pomeranz (1-9, 5.30) vs.Jason Berken (0-1, 3.27) will be your starters. They will be followed by a ton of relievers.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Final Thoughts:</span> The Rockies starting rotation is making all kinds of history and setting all kinds of dubious records this season. As Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times tells us, that will also include the fewest innings pitched a team's leader in the past 100+ years.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/blog_article/the-record-setting-2012-rockies/">Hardball Times: The record-setting 2012 Rockies </a></b></span></div>
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Yes, Jeff Francis leads the team with 104 innings. Meanwhile, reliever Josh Roenicke has 86.2 innings pitched, which is a ridiculous workload. Also, Adam Ottavino has 76 out of the bullpen and he wasn't even called up until May 6 and then spent another two weeks in the minors.<br />
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-7647776681729083762012-09-25T00:54:00.001-05:002012-09-25T00:54:27.789-05:00Rock Solid September Recap: These Are Rare<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 4</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Diamondbacks 2</span> (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=320924127">boxscore</a>)</b></span></div>
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Since starting this blog in 2010, the Colorado Rockies record in games from Sept. 15 on is 9-33. That's including Monday's win over Arizona, which broke a nine-game losing streak.<br />
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That bad. That real bad.<br />
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But Monday was good... so let's talk why they finally won one.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Winning Player: </span>Andrew Brown<br />
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Was leaning towards Tyler Chatwood here but Andrew Brown's late home run changed my mind. It was a solo shot in the 8th, but that insurance run was a big one to get for Rafael Betancourt. Brown also had a double earlier in the game and a run-scoring groundout. Productive night all around offensively, and the adventurous catch out in right field was a highlight too.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25063825&c_id=mlb&topic_id=vtp_star_of_the_game">Watch Andrew Brown's opposite field homer</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25061855&c_id=mlb">Watch Andrew Brown's nice catch</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Honorable Mentions: </span>Chatwood (more shortly), the bullpen (more shortly), along with Charlie Blackmon and Tyler Colvin who each contributed two hits.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Turning Point: </span>After Arizona scored two in the 4th to take a 2-1 lead, the Rockies battled right back with two of their own in the bottom half (Brown's RBI and a D.J. LeMahieu RBI single). Chatwood then put up a big 0 in the 5th to stabilize things, which allowed the bullpen to bring it home.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Tyler Chatwood's Line:</span> 5 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 85 pitches (52 strikes)<br />
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This was easily Chatwood's best outing since back-to-back strong outings against San Francisco (5 IP, 0 R) on Aug. 10 and Milwaukee (6 IP, 1 ER) on Aug. 14. Since he's kinda of gone back and forth between ugly and meh, so that little thing called consistency still eludes him. But he has a good chance to end 2012 on a real high with a good outing in Los Angeles.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bullpen's Line: </span>3 1/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 2 K<br />
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Josh Outman finished the 6th and record the first out in the 7th. Guillermo Moscoso then pitched 1 2/3 completely spotless innings in the setup role. That was a little stunning. But not so stunning was Betancourt pitching around traffic to earn his 30th save. Well done by all.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Highlights of the Night:</span> A double dose of Josh Rutledge dazzling on defense.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25060749&c_id=mlb">Watch Josh Rutledge range up the middle</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25058255&c_id=mlb">Watch Josh Rutledge do the Tulo throw</a> </b></span></div>
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He's a big leaguer, folks. Nice pick by Matt McBride, too.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next: </span>The 59-94 Rockies welcome the 59-94 Cubs to Coors Field on Tuesday night. First pitch is coming your way at 6:40, and it'll be thrown by Jorge De La Rosa (0-1, 12.27). The Cubs will counter with rookie left-hander Chris Rusin (1-2, 6.00). The battle for the #2 pick in the draft is on!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Final Thoughts:</span> CBS Sports' baseball writer Jon Heyman had a nice piece Monday on Wilin Rosario, calling him the best rookie in baseball that nobody is talking about. The article is a good read that includes several quotes from the humble 23-year-old catcher, and a couple quotes from the increasingly delusional and arrogant Dan O'Dowd.<br />
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Here's the link...<br />
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<a href="http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/jon-heyman/20354064/wilin-rosario-may-be-the-best-rookie-youre-not-hearing-enough-about"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Heyman: The Rockies' Wilin Rosario may be the best rookie you're not hearing about</b></span></a><br />
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Now here's a quote from O'Dowd...<br />
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<i>“It blows me away he gets criticized locally, and nationally he never gets mentioned,'' Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said, asserting that Rosario is actually the most deserving of all the position players to win Rookie of the Year.</i><br />
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I just don't understand O'Dowd anymore. Why take shots at the local media and even the fans with this quote when it's clear the Rockies front office and manager Jim Tracy that have initiated most of the criticizing. Not that they're wrong for being critical, mind you, because Rosario's defensive issues have been extensive. But own it, stand by it. Don't act like other people are blown something out of proportion while completely ignoring your own role in it.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Although the ever-loathsome Dan O’Dowd complains about local criticism of Rosario. Most of that is from the Rox themselves.<br />
— Chris Chrisman (@chrischrisman) <a data-datetime="2012-09-25T01:00:55+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/chrischrisman/status/250399449921224704">September 25, 2012</a></blockquote>
And here's another from O'Dowd.<br />
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<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><i>
“He caught one of the worst pitching staffs in the history of the game,'' O'Dowd pointed out. “There's certainly room for growth, but somebody needs to cut this kid a break.''</i><br />
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1. Whose fault is it the Rockies pitching staff is among the worst ever?<br />
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2. I don't care how true this is from a starting pitching perspective, the Rockies have thrown a lot of young, unpolished pitchers into a very tough situation and taken a Little League approach to developing them. I don't think they deserve to be bus tossed like that by their own GM. Also, the bullpen deserves a lot more credit than this quote gives them for holding up so well under an immense workload.<br />
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3. I'm more than ready for O'Dowd to go away now. He's not the root of the problem, but he's proving to be less of a realistic solution with each passing day.<br />
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i>Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-77379142586221665682012-09-24T03:42:00.000-05:002012-09-24T03:42:13.871-05:00Rock Solid Recrap: Make That Nine Straight Losses<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Diamondbacks 10</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 7</span> (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=320923127">boxscore</a>)</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What Went Wrong: </span>Well, for starters, I benched Andrew Luck for Michael Vick in my fantasy football league. That backfired spectacularly. I also went a disgusting 4-10 against the spread in my NFL picks. But the plus side to that is I reminded myself again why I don't gamble. Nothing gained. Nothing lost.<br />
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As for the Rockies, it appears they had no problems offensively — 7 runs on 16 hits — but the bullpen faltered late with Rex Brothers, Matt Belisle and Will Harris combining to allow seven runs over the final two innings. This is where I tell you these guys are all wearing down... especially Matt Belisle as he closes in on 80 innings as a set up man.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Turning Point: </span>That would have to be Aaron Hill's two-out three-run homer off Belisle in the 8th that broke the 4-4 tie. What a heartbreaker that must have been for the "32,448" in attendance.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Jeff Francis' Line: </span>4 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 0 K, 75 pitches (45 strikes)<br />
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Even without a walk or strikeout, Francis hit 75 pitches in four innings. But it's not like he got knocked around the park either based on the numbers. Kinda just shows again how silly a pitch-limit that low is. Let a man do his work and let those reliever catch a break. Geez.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bullpen's Line: </span>5 IP, 8 ER, 11 H, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 HR<br />
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As referenced above, these guys had a rough go of it in the later innings which cost the Rockies a chance to steal one. Belisle is the one who took the loss... which was his 8th if you can believe that. On the plus side for Jim Tracy though... he got to use six relievers, and the one whose numbers stand out the most are Rob Scahill with 1 2/3 scoreless. His ERA remains 0.00 through four appearances.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Highlight of the Afternoon:</span> Welcome back Wil Nieves! Big RBI single!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25024255&c_id=mlb">Watch Nieves' RBI single</a></b></span></div>
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Oh, crap, I forgot he's with Arizona now. Strike that highlight from the record and find me a Ramon Hernandez highlight... quick!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next:</span> This isn't a sweep quite yet. The Rockies have one more with Arizona Monday night at 6;40. The pitching matchup there will be Tyler Chatwood (4-5, 5.73) vs. Trevor Cahill (12-11, 3.89), and I will be watching. I promise. I just can't promise I'll watch it intently or provide a better recrap. Maybe if the Rockies motivate me with more watchable baseball that will change.<br />
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-10294365509139485032012-09-23T01:12:00.001-05:002012-09-23T01:12:53.356-05:00Rock Solid Recrap: D-Backs 8, Rockies 7. So Close.... Yet Not Really<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Diamondbacks 8</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 7</span> (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=320922127">boxscore</a>)</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What Went Wrong:</span> The Rockies were done in by two big offensive innings. The first was the 1st, which has been a problem for Rockies starters all season. Arizona scored three there against Jhoulys Chacin on a triple, two doubles and a single.<br />
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Arizona then put up a five-spot in the 5th against Carlos Torres, Josh Outman and Edgmer Escalona. That inning included four walks (none intentional) and was the turning point in the game. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Jhoulys Chacin's Line: </span>4 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 84 pitches (51 strikes)<br />
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Chacin rebounded from the rough start for a strong finish, but of course that early pitch count cost him the opportunity to work deeper in the game. I don't know for sure that he could have given Colorado another decent inning or two, but I long for the days when a professional pitcher in Colorado was given that chance. Don't you?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Highlight of the Night:</span> Between Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez, we're likely to see a number of Todd Helton's records fall over the years. But it was Wilin Rosario who moved past his mark for home runs as a rookie with his 26th on Saturday night. Congrats to Wilin!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25004569&c_id=mlb">Watch Wilin Rosario go yard again</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next: </span>Well, it'll be Jeff Francis (5-6, 5.58) vs. Ian Kennedy (14-11, 4.08) Sunday at 1:10. But I don't mind telling you I'll be watching football. Too many good games going on for me to dedicate 10 minutes to this mess. So if tomorrow's recrap is a little more off-the-wall than usual, you'll know why, because I'm just going to wing it.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Final Thoughts:</span> Also, have you noticed how these recraps get shorter and less focused on actual baseball thoughts? It's amazing how much awful, uninspired baseball can zap a bloggers' energy and enthusiasm. Especially when I'm writing about other teams like the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds clinching division titles over at Big League Stew. It's almost depressing to step away from that for a few moments to piece these craps together. But hey, it's for a good cause known as our sanity. I need to vent. You need to read it (or should need to). At the end of the post, it's always worth and somewhat therapeutic.<br />
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-39188066157294118442012-09-22T03:27:00.000-05:002012-09-22T03:27:29.487-05:00Rock Solid Recrap: Rockies Embarrassed By D-Backs 15-5<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Diamondbacks 15</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 5</span> (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=320921127">boxscore</a>)</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What Went Wrong:</span> In case you haven't noticed, the Rockies pathetic September play is no mirage... it's a trend. A really ugly, inexcusable, unacceptable trend.<br />
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Well, I should say unacceptable to us. It's perfectly acceptable to the Monforts and the people they trust to make baseball decisions.<br />
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I don't care who's hurt or how little this team has to play for in the standings, there's no excuse for not competing. But that's exactly what's going on right now. The Rockies are getting trounced and run in circles by playoff teams, mediocre teams, and it wouldn't surprise me next week if the awful Cubs did the same. At least they're competing. At least they're going at a team like the St. Louis Cardinals and making their life difficult.<br />
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I just want to feel like they're going to win a game. I'm not even sure if I care whether or not they actually do win, I just want to feel like they could. Would that be too much to ask for?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Drew Pomeranz's Line:</span> 3 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 5 BB, 4 K, 85 pitches (50 strikes)<br />
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Please, just shut the kid down already. His confidence appears to be shot... again. It's painful to watch. He's not giving the team a chance to win. Let him go sit and watch somewhere and let's pray we have people in place next season that can fix him and keep him fixed.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Alex White's Line: </span>1 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 1 K, 41 pitches (21 strikes)<br />
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Ditto.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Highlight of the Night: </span>Congratulations to Bill and Barbara Ormsby on being the Rockies 60th million fan (I guess they count as one) and winning season tickets for 2013.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="224" src="http://mlb.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=24978969&width=400&height=224&property=mlb" width="400">Your browser does not support <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">iframes</span>.</iframe>
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Or maybe condolences would be more appropriate.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next:</span> I'm over this one. The next one is Saturday at 6:10. That will feature Jhoulys Chacin (2-5, 4.58) against Patrick Corbin (6-7, 4.02), so I guess it'll be worth checking out while Chacin is active.<br />
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-61648731875725432852012-09-20T19:35:00.001-05:002012-09-20T19:35:55.645-05:00Rock Solid Recrap: Rockies Swept In De La Rosa's Return<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Giants 9</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 2</span> (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=320920126&page=boxscore">boxscore</a>)</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What Went Wrong:</span> We always go into these west coast series (especially in San Francisco) half-jokingly and half-seriously expecting the Rockies to get swept, but this wasn't even close or competitive on any level. What a lousy, embarrassing series that saw the Rockies outscored 24-7 over the four games.<br />
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But perhaps the worst thing we saw or heard today were these pregame comments from manager Jim Tracy.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Rockies">#Rockies</a> Jim Tracy: "Let's be honest, I've been managing a rookie ballclub, a club loaded w/rookies, for the better part of over 3 months."<br />
— Janie McCauley (@JanieMcCAP) <a data-datetime="2012-09-20T20:58:35+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/JanieMcCAP/status/248888911865200640">September 20, 2012</a></blockquote>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>I understand the comments likely didn't come in the context of 'can you explain why your team is limping to the finish line again', but come on, I'm tired of the excuse-making and bus-tossing from Mr. Clownshoes. It's old, it's tiresome, and it just shows again that he's not willing to accept responsibility for his own short-comings, of which they are many.<br />
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Were the 2010 and 2011 teams loaded with rookies too? Why did those teams completely mail it in in September? The way this team finishes (or doesn't finish) really has little to do with experience, but at some point has to begin reflecting on a manager that can never keep his team focused for 162 games, and also consistently puts his team in a position to fail. That includes over-managing and running his relievers into the ground setting them up for a brutal finish.<br />
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I'm so, so, so over this guy as the Rockies manager. Play the hand your dealt and make the team better. But this guy just isn't capable of doing either.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Turning Point: </span>The Giants scored six runs with two outs in the 4th. The first of those runs scored on a wild pitch, which is maddening enough. Then came the walk to Angel Pagan. Then came the RBI single from Marco Scutaro. Then came the Pablo Sandoval three-run homer (off Edgmer Escalona) followed by Buster Posey's home run (off Edgmer Escalona).<br />
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What a fitting disaster inning for such a disaster series (season).<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Jorge De La Rosa's Line:</span> 3 2/3 IP, 6 R (5 ER), 7 H, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 70 pitches (44 strikes)<br />
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It's just nice to write Jorge De La Rosa's name again in a recap. Yes, he was certainly rusty, but that's to be expected, but he was out there and he survived it. I'm pleased with that and hopeful we see more encouraging results his next time out.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Highlight of the Night: </span>De La Rosa did have one highlight though... his RBI single in the 4th.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24932179&c_id=mlb">Watch De La Rosa single home Andrew Brown</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next: </span>The Rockies final homestand begins Friday at 6:40 as they welcome in the Arizona Diamondbacks. It'll be Drew Pomeranz (1-9, 5.06), who many of us hoped would be in contention for National League Rookie of the year, against Wade Miley (15-10, 3.10), who stands a very good chance of being the Rookie of the Year. I'm calling a seven-game losing streak.<br />
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-38643741556556178122012-09-20T00:37:00.003-05:002012-09-20T00:41:51.857-05:00Rock Solid Recrap: Cained Again In San Francisco<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232;">Giants 7</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 1</span> (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=320919126">boxscore</a>)</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What Went Wrong:</span> The Rockies were playing the Giants in San Francisco. The Giants starting pitcher was Matt Cain. The odds of anything going right were slim and none, and slim left the building about three batters into the Giants half of the 1st. Clearly he or she had more important things to do.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Tyler Chatwood's Line: </span>4 IP, 3 ER, 8 H, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 84 pitches (56 strikes)<br />
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Coming into this game Tyler Chatwood's 1st inning ERA was an even 9.00 over his first nine starts. That number actually goes up after Pablo Sandoval's three-run homer. From there Chatwood had to work very hard and deal with constant traffic to limit the overall damage and keep the game close. To his credit, he accomplished that (and didn't walk anyone), but it's clear he has to do a better job coming out of the gate sharper and more focused so the team isn't always in comeback mode immediately and so he can finally start working deeper into games.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bullpen's Line:</span> 4 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 5 K<br />
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Rough go again for Adam Ottavino as San Francisco touched him up for three runs in the 5th. That means he's now allowed 10 earned runs over his last 1 2/3 innings, raising his ERA from a very respectable 3.56 to 4.68. It's a damn shame, too, because along with Josh Roenicke and Matt Belisle he's been about as reliable as one can expect for a middle or setup reliever. He's just plain out of gas right now and his numbers are going to suffer for it.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Matt Cain's Line: </span>8 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 8 K, 116 pitches (74 strikes)<br />
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Even on a night when he doesn't have good command, Cain makes the Rockies lineup like they belong in Modesto. Dominant to the point where it's unfair and slightly embarrassing. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Turning Point:</span> Sandoval's three-run homer was the point of no return, but the Rockies did mount a little rally against Cain in the 5th when they scored the lone run and then loaded the bases with two outs. They even had the ideal man at the plate in the returning Carlos Gonzalez, but after a good battle he rolled over a grounder to second base and then Ottavino's rough 5th finished the game off.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Highlight of the Night:</span> I didn't know what to expect from Carlos Goznalez tonight but he looked pretty healthy while making this fantastic running catch.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24910969&c_id=mlb">Watch CarGo's Catch & Flip</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next:</span> Finally a game to look forward to! The return of Jorge De La Rosa will finally happen Thursday afternoon at 1:45 at AT&T Park. According to Troy Renck and others it will be the first of at least two starts for Jorge, which likely depends on how good he looks here. But here's to hoping he just looks healthy. Good pitching results would also be nice, but good health and clear confidence in his stuff outweighs that in my eyes.<br />
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Oh... yeah... he'll be opposed by Barry Zito (12-8, 4.21)<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Final Thoughts:</span> It was my duty once again this season to write the Rockies eulogy for Big League Stew. This year our theme was concession speeches, so for the first time ever I dabbled in something political and hopefully came up with something you'll enjoy and maybe even agree with while fitting within the guidelines.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/concession-speech-2012-colorado-rockies-153847333--mlb.html">Concession Speech: 2012 Colorado Rockies</a></span></div>
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-44483523830138338562012-09-19T02:21:00.000-05:002012-09-19T02:22:07.029-05:00Rock Solid Recrap: Giants 6, Rockies 3. 15 To Go.<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Giants 6</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 3</span> (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=320918126">boxscore</a>)</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What Went Wrong:</span> If you've seen one Rockies-Giants game from AT&T Park, you've seen them all. Misplayed flyballs into triples, wild pitches, caught stealings, former Rockies that stunk getting big hits and once great baseball players grounding into double plays for the Rockies. It's all there for you, but it's just a small portion of the usual problems.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Turning Point: </span>7th inning. Giants leading 3-0. Rockies loaded the bases with one out. In comes Jeremy Affeldt from the Giants bullpen. In comes Jason Giambi from the Rockies bench. One pitch. 4-6-3 double play. Rally dead. Baseball game essentially over.<br />
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So the question I ask you now is the one I sarcastically (I think) asked on Twitter: How long before the Rockies ink Giambi to that next one-year contract?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Jeff Francis' Line:</span> 5 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 78 pitches (53 strikes)<br />
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Speaking of one-year contracts, I'd give one to Jeff Francis in a heartbeat. Francis has shown he has plenty left in the tank to be an above average bottom of the rotation guy, and as we've seen repeatedly over the years, you can never have enough starting pitching depth in New York, Detroit, Atlanta, anywhere, and that's especially true in Colorado.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bullpen's Line: </span>3 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K<br />
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Really could have used one of those lights out nights from the bullpen, but instead we got a shaky Carlos Torres (1 ER), a sputtering Josh Roenicke (1 ER) and the usual Josh Outman (2 ER).<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Highlight of the Night:</span> I'll give you two again this evening. The first...<br />
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<b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24884663&c_id=mlb"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Watch Wilin Rosario tie Todd Helton with his 25th bomb</span></a></b></div>
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And here's Dexter Fowler using his head...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next: </span>Tyler Chatwood (4-4, 5.65) vs. Matt Cain (14-5, 2.93) at 8:15 on Wednesday. We're going to lose again, and I'm thinking this one will be the 9-0 game where the Rockies don't get their first hit until the 8th inning.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Final Thoughts:</span><br />
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Every time I think about how brutal these west coast meaningless late games are, I remind myself it's an hour later for @<a href="https://twitter.com/townie813">townie813</a>. Brutal.<br />
— David Martin (@RockiesReview) <a data-datetime="2012-09-19T05:17:12+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/RockiesReview/status/248289617823023105">September 19, 2012</a></blockquote>
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Thanks, Dave. It's always nice to be thought of and it's also nice to know I'm not suffering alone.</div>
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-50939467554777724902012-09-18T01:14:00.000-05:002012-09-18T01:14:37.147-05:00Rock Solid Recrap: Giants 2, Rockies 1. Just Like Always.<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Giants 2</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 1</span> (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=320917126">boxscore</a>)</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What Went Wrong: </span>One day after allowing 12 runs to the San Diego Padres at Petco Park and only losing by one run, the Rockies hold the mighty San Francisco Giants to two runs... and again lose by one run.<br />
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Bet nobody saw that coming.<br />
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And by nobody I mean everybody.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Turning Points: </span>What makes a loss like this one all the more frustrating though is Madison Bumgarner walking five batters in six innings and the Rockies not making him pay for it.<br />
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<li>Dexter Fowlers starts the game with a walk... and then he's caught stealing. </li>
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<li>Chris Nelson leads off the 2nd with a walk. Andrew Brown follows with a single. But that rally dies on a D.J. LeMahieu double play. </li>
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<li>Fowler and Josh Rutledge walk with one out in the 4th. Jordan Pacheco and Wilin Rosario fail to drive them in.</li>
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<li>Andrew Brown walks in the 6th... caught stealing (picked off). </li>
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Turning any single one of those walks into a run would have changed the entire outlook. Instead, Bumgarner gets off the hook repeatedly and the Rockies get absolutely nothing going against San Francisco's tough bullpen. Same result we've seen seemingly 1,000 times over the past few seasons against those guys.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Jhoulys Chacin's Line:</span> 5 IP, 1 ER. 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 80 pitches (50 strikes)<br />
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Solid outing that very likely would have stretched out to an excellent outing with a couple more innings of work. But I'm just happy to see Jhoulys throwing this well and looking healthy because that's all that truly matters right now.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bullpen's Line: </span>3 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 3 K<br />
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Guillermo Moscoso takes the loss after allowing a run in the 6th, which actually could have been a lot worse for him since he faced a first and third with no outs. Edgmer Escalona and Josh Outman then finished the game out, so basically we saw the three worst pitching options on the September roster and they didn't turn this into a laugher. Back pats and backhanded compliments for them!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Highlight of the Night:</span> The bright spot, again, was Josh Rutledge. After breaking out of a long slump on Sunday with a game-tying grand slam, the Rockies rookie continued showing signs of improvement and maturity by lacing a game-tying RBI triple to the opposite field. Just a gorgeous piece of hitting. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24858557&c_id=mlb">Watch Josh Rutledge's RBI Triple</a></b></span></div>
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And a bonus highlight for Andrew Brown since he doesn't make many of those.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24858753&c_id=mlb">Watch Andrew Brown's strong, strong throw</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next:</span> Didn't we just see Jeff Francis (5-5, 5.68) vs Tim Lincecum (9-14, 5.09) a couple days ago? Is this entire series going to be a repeat? I hope not, but tune in at 8:15 on Tuesday just to make sure.<br />
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266179385055053953.post-24822041813771904042012-09-16T21:07:00.000-05:002012-09-16T21:07:50.301-05:00Rock Solid Recrap: Well, At Least They Outscored The Cowboys & Jets<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">Padres 12</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rockies 11</span> (<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=320916125">boxscore</a>)</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What Went Wrong:</span> Listen, anytime you score 11 runs and lose, it's obvious what went wrong. However, anytime you score 11 runs and lose at Petco Park, you've taken wrong to a whole new level of rotten. Eesh.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Alex White's Line: </span>4 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, 3 BB, 2 K, 81 pitches (41 strikes)<br />
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Lather. Rinse. Four innings. Nearly 50-50 strike-ball ratio. Repeat. Nothing to see here that you haven't already seen a dozen times.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Adam Ottavino's Line:</span> 2/3 IP, 7 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 1 K<br />
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Ottavino just didn't have it, and when you're married to this piggyback system you're pretty much screwed in this scenario. I mean where do you turn? The other piggybacks can't go today. You can't extend one of your late guys. As <a href="https://twitter.com/Stars5Steve">@Stars5Steve says on Twitter</a>, you're managing to a system that creates little flexibility, not the game flow.<br />
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I couldn't think a dumber way to approach baseball than what the Rockies have been doing this season, and will do in an updated form next spring.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Turning Point: </span>This one took some really wild turns: The Rockies scored five straight early to take a 5-1 lead. Then San Diego scored ten straight, including the eight-run 5th against Adam Ottavino and Matt Reynolds. And then in the 8th Colorado rallied for six thanks largely to Josh Rutledge's first career grand slam.<br />
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Twists, turns, big innings and a very unlikely road rally all led to the 9th inning. That's where the Rockies put runners on first and second with nobody out, and then Wilin Rosario, Jason Giambi and Charlie Blackmon all struck out. That was their chance right there to steal what would have been a very good win, and of course they never got another chance after because San Diego walked off in their half on Yonder Alonso's RBI single. Quite disappointing to say the least.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Highlight of the Night: </span>There's no better way to break an 0-for-the week slump than...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24840637&c_id=mlb">Watch Josh Rutledge's game-tying grand slam</a></b></span></div>
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I'm telling you, this kid has the look and traits of a seasoned major leaguer. I still don't know what his true upside will be, but I'm just happy to be along for the ride on this one.<br />
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Oh, and Alex White homered AGAIN.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24828777&c_id=mlb">Watch Alex White's three-run jack</a></b></span></div>
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The hell got into him lately?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What's Next: </span>Up the coast the Rockies go to San Francisco on Monday night for a 8:15 first pitch. The pitching matchup will actually be a rematch of last <a href="http://heavenandhelton.blogspot.com/2012/09/rock-solid-recrap-rockies-start-and.html">Tuesday's 9-8 Giants win</a> at Coors Field: Jhoulys Chacin (2-5, 4.86) vs. Madison Bumgarner (14-10, 3.32). If you recall, Bumgarner jacked a three-run homer on his own in that weird game. <br />
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<i>More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Townie813">@Townie813</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/HeavenHelton">@HeavenHelton</a></i></div>
Mark Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265652923869365181noreply@blogger.com0