A Few Rockies Predictions For 2013

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. 

Yorvit Torrealba beat out Ramon Hernandez. No surprise there.

They inked Jon Garland. Big fan of that move.

Aaron Cook is back on a minor league deal. That's fine.

The rest of the starting pitching has been all over the map. Duh.

Todd Helton looked like his old self over the past week. That's always nice to see.

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.

Wins: 73

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.

All-Stars: 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.

Team leader in wins: Jon Garland... even if he’s traded in July or August. I'm thinking 11-12.

Team leader in saves: Rafael Betancourt... again, even if he's traded in July or August.

Aaron Cook starts: Too many. Guessing 8-10. The Rockies will go through starters quickly I'm afraid.

Todd Helton's numbers: .280, 10 home runs, 55 RBI in 92 games. Wouldn't be a bad way to go out.

Wilin Rosario home runs: 27

Wilin Rosario: passed balls: 11

Date Nolan Arenado arrives: No sooner than June 15 and no later than July 15. He’ll be a breath of fresh air.

Walt Weiss status: 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.  

Public Enemy No 1 (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.

Lineup Card: Rockies @ Dodgers 8-6-12

The news from the Colorado clubhouse is not good again today. Todd Helton has been diagnosed with a torn labrum in his right hip and will be forced to undergo season-ending surgery on Friday.

The recovery time is estimated to be six months, which would allow Helton to be ready for spring training. He plans on being there, of course, because he's Todd Helton and we would expect nothing less from him. 

You can read more from the Denver Post. 

There's plenty of reason to wonder if Helton will be able to bounce back from an injury and operation of this nature at this stage of his career/life, but until I hear Helton himself say he can't or won't be there, I'm 100% confident he will be.

Get well, #17.

Lineups

Colorado Rockies (38-68)

1. Eric Young Jr. (RF)
2. Dexter Fowler (CF)
3. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
4. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
5. Ramon Hernandez (C)
6. Matt McBride (1B)
7. Chris Nelson (2B)
8. Jonathan Herrera (SS)
9. Drew Pomeranz (P)

Get ready for two months worth of spring training lineups. These will not be pretty at all.

Los Angeles Dodgers (59-50)

1. Shane Victorino (LF)
2. Mark Ellis (2B)
3. Matt Kemp (CF)
4. Hanley Ramirez (SS)
5. Juan Rivera (1B)
6. Jerry Sands (RF)
7. Luis Cruz (3B)
8. A.J. Ellis (C)
9. Chris Capuano (P)

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Rock Solid Recap: White Impressive In Latest Return, Rutledge Remains Warm

Rockies 8, Cardinals 2 (boxscore)

Winning Player: Jordan Pacheco

Paycheck keeps on hitting and producing in the Rockies lineup, going 3-for-3 with a sac fly, two RBI and a run scored on the evening. His average sits at a pretty .307, and he also continues to show steady improvement defensively. He's a real nice guy to have around regardless of where you sit in the standings.

Tyler Colvin (two doubles, RBI), Josh Rutledge (another home run), Carlos Gonzalez (two hits, one run) and Todd Helton (three walks) also had some nights at the plate. It was honestly a good solid game all the way around for Colorado, so we'll definitely enjoy the treat.

Alex White's Line: 5 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 84 pitches (50 strikes)

White looked better than ever (which might not be saying much during his Rockies tenure) through five innings, but then impacted a wall head-on in the 6th. Jim Tracy gave him a chance to work out of it (going beyond the 75-pitch something or other) but White couldn't pull it off, leaving with two runs in and the bases loaded. However, Rex Brothers did get through the inning without further damage with a double play, keeping White's line very respectable and more importantly keeping the Rockies in the game.

Overall I'd call it an encouraging outing (especially considering the opponent), but we still need to see some consistency from White before getting too exciting. Unfortunately, though, I'm not sure the paired pitching system allows for said consistency.

Read more »

Lineup Card: Rockies vs Phillies 7-13-12

The 2nd half is upon us. 

The Rockies have 77 games remaining.

Can we stomach it?

How many Colorado Rockies players/coaches will survive it?

When will we see Nolan Arenado?

Will Tyler Colvin continue pushing Todd Helton out of the picture?

I have no guaranteed answers to any of those questions... BUT... I do have tonight's lineups and roster moves!

Colorado Rockies (33-52)

1. Dexter Fowler (CF)
2. Marco Scutaro (2B)
3. Carlos Gonzalez (LF)
4. Ramon Hernandez (C)
5. Michael Cuddyer (1B)
6. Tyler Colvin (RF)
7. Jordan Pacheco (3B)
8. Josh Rutledge (SS)
9. Christian Friedrich (P)

Roster moves galore out the break. First of all, Todd Helton hits the DL with his hip injury, So yes, that will open things up for Tyler Colvin for the time being. It's also a DL situation for Wil Nieves, who's apparently suffering from turf toe. That's never fun. And Tyler Chatwood was optioned to Double-A Tulsa to make a start this weekend. 

Coming up: Prospect Josh Rutledge, who you see in the lineup, is the move for Helton. Assuming he sticks (and he should once Marco Scutaro is moved), he will start seeing extensive time at second base since that's where his Rockies future will be. Ramon Hernandez is also back, as you can see by him hitting CLEAN UP tonight. Alright then. And we also welcome right-hander reliever Mike Ekstrom. 

*Exhale*

Philadelphia Phillies (37-50)

1. Jimmy Rollins (SS)
2. Shane Victorino (CF)
3. Chase Utley (2B)
4. Ryan Howard (1B)
5. Carlos Ruiz (C)
6. Hunter Pence (RF)
7. Placido Polanco (3B)
8. John Mayberry (LF)
9. Cliff Lee (P)

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Rock Solid Recrap: Another Lesson In Losing Baseball

Phillies 7, Rockies 6 (boxscore)

Admittedly my attention was diverted as I spent most of the evening researching and writing about Troy Tulowitzki's groin, but I was 100% focused for the 9th inning.

Quite honestly, what more did one need to see to analyze the latest exhibition is losing baseball?

What Went Wrong: Right here I should be writing about Wilin Rosario, Chris Nelson and Dexter Fowler being the reasons the Rockies pulled off a thrilling road win tonight. Instead I'm writing about the same old crap as every night. The Rockies and Rafael Betancourt couldn't hold a 6-5 lead in the 9th. They were ONE out away from holding it. The first two batters in the inning were harmless outs, but that elusive 3rd (27th) out never came.

Ty Wigginton base hit... because of course Ty Wigginton would get a base hit.

Hunter Pence doubles into the corner. Wigginton was running on the pitch, so he scores easily to tie it.

Carlos Ruiz intentionally walked.

Shane Victorino follows with a groundball to Marco Scutaro at short. Marco hesitates as he contemplates running to second or throwing to first. The hesitation costs him, because Victorino is fast and he also hustles. That loads the bases.

Placido Polanco follows with another groundball to Scutaro. This one he flags down just behind second base. He again contemplates a flip to second, but D.J. LeMahieu was also en route to the baseball and had to duck out of the way. This causes Scutaro's throw to sail a little bit, but he's still on target to Todd Helton, who inexplicably is off the base and couldn't locate it in time to beat Polanco.

Rockies lose. Again.

Yes, all of that really happened. Even the part where Todd Helton was out of position (he says he expected the ball to get through the infield). It's scary, folks. Todd Helton is the one guy on the team you'd expect to never assume anything, to always pay attention to detail, yet he lapsed tonight and it happened at the worst possible time.

Needless to say, this season is wearing on everybody. Even the great Todd Helton. But unlike the man guiding the ship, Helton offered no excuses for his miscue. He should have been there. He knows he should have been there. He's probably not going to sleep well tonight because of it, but at least he owned up to it.

Hopefully a few other guys lose sleep tonight, too, because the game should have never made it to that point.

Alex White's Line: 3 2/3 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 0 K, 1 HR, 75 pitches (Damn, Jim Tracy is good at this pitch limit thing), 43 strikes

The home run allowed was the first of the season for Michael Martinez. The zero strikeouts are a season low. Umm... oh, and Rockies starters have combined for eight innings pitched in two starts under the new four-man rotation.

Bullpen's Line: 5 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K

The positive here was the three hit-free, walk-free innings from Jeremy Guthrie. I have no idea what that means, but it's a positive.

What's Next: Can the Rockies avoid a sweep on Thursday night???

Their "starter" will be Jeff Francis (0-1, 12.46). His mound opponent will be Vance Worley (3-3, 2.80). First pitch is scheduled for 5:10. Francis' last pitch is likely to come before 6:10.

Final Thoughts: The Rockies learned they lost Troy Tulowitzki for eight more weeks with an injury we've never heard of before. Then they went out and lost a baseball game in a way we've never seen before.

Somehow, someway, tomorrow will be worse.

I can almost guarantee it.

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Rock Solid Recrap: This Really Is The Road To 100

Phillies 7, Rockies 2 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: The Rockies showed up. The Phillies showed up. This game was pretty much over when those two things happened.

Turning Point: The Rockies led 1-0 (I kid you not) in the 3rd inning and Josh Outman was one out away from working three scoreless when he walked Jimmy Rollins. Naturally, Placido Polanco followed that up with an RBI double to tie the game. One inning later, Outman was again one out away from a scoreless inning when John Mayberry hit a two-run homer.

Long story short, the Phillies scored 6 of their 7 runs with two outs.

Josh Outman's Line: 4 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 72 pitches (40 strikes)

Game 1 of Jim Tracy's latest failed experiment (more on that later) went about like you'd expect. Josh Outman was, in two words, Josh Outman. That basically means a lot of baserunners, and the Phillies capitalized on their opportunities with those timely two-out hits. That said, without the new pitch count Outman likely gets through the 5th. That would have been nice for the bullpen.

Bullpen's Line: 3 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR

Adam Ottavino finally had a rough night (allowed all three runs), but I suppose we should get used to those now that he'll be overworked even further.

Read more »

Rock Solid Recrap: Here's Your Free 90 Feet, Mr. Crisp

Athletics 10, Rockies 8 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: The Rockies hit extremely well. Got a starting effort from Josh Outman that sadly probably qualifies as a best case scenario. The bridge relievers (Adam Ottavino, Rex Brothers and Matt Belisle) weren't exactly sharp, but managed to get the ball to Rafael Betancourt with an 8-7 lead.

And then it happened. The 9th inning.

Turning Point: Coco Crisp led off that 9th inning with the most Coors Field bloop single possible (a popfly that dropped between LeMahieu, Cuddyer and Fowler), and then advanced to second on Jemile Weeks' bunt. I guess it was a sacrifice(?) but it took a great play from Betancourt and Helton to get that out.

That brings us to our big turning point here.

Crisp is an aggressive base stealer. He grabbed 49 bags last season. Had a respectable eight this year despite a DL stint. So naturally Betancourt pays him no attention and Crisp takes the 90 feet without so much as an acknowledge from Rosario, because he was already high-fiving Mike Gallego when the pitch was received.

A handful of pitches later, Crisp scored the tying run on a shallow flyball to right field. Michael Cuddyer made the play close at the plate, but Crisp expertly slid around the tag. So we had some bad luck involved here that put Crisp on base in the first place. That is what it is, and who knows how the Weeks at-bat plays out in a different scenario. But that lack of attention to detail with Crisp at second is what's mind-boggling and maddening.

Read more »

Rock Solid Recrap: Meet the newest Rockies killer: Torii Hunter

Angels 7, Rockies 2 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: Somehow, Torii Hunter had never played a game in Coors Field despite a career that has spanned nearly 15 seasons. I hope it's another 15 seasons before he plays another game there after his debut resulted in two home runs (that traveled a total of 874 feet) and six RBIs.

Of course it'll really only be 15 hours between games for Hunter, and one can bet he'll be among the loudest members of the welcoming committee for Jeff Francis.

Also, C.J. Wilson was pretty filthy. The Rockies would have needed 5-6 more innings to figure him out and/or wear him out.

Turning Point: I would say everything Mike Trout (three hits, three runs) did was a turning point, because it led directly to the damage inflicted by Hunter. Trout's a damn good player. The Angels are a damn good team.

Alex White's Line: 6 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 6 K, 2 HR, 95 pitches (62 strikes)

I feel like White is turning a corner based on his win over the Dodgers on Sunday and this outing against the Angels. Yes, he was unable to keep Mike Trout off the bases. Yes, he made two critical errors to Torii Hunter. But he remained very composed throughout and didn't allow the game to get away from him. It's a good step forward.

The key now, of course, is to plant both of his feet firmly in the ground and not allow the next start to go backwards. Always easier said than done.

Highlight of the Night: Watch Todd Helton get it done with the glove... again

Screengrab of the Game

Eye of the Tulo.

One of those nights.

Where Torii Hunter's second home run landed. 

What's Next: More Mike Trout. More Torii Hunter. At least there won't be more C.J. Wilson at 2:10 on Saturday afternoon. As I've mentioned previously, Jeff Francis will be making his Rockies return in that one. He'll square off against... oh crap... Dan Haren (3-6, 3.52).

Final Thoughts: None. Good night and good morning.

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813 & @HeavenHelton

Another Rock Solid Recap? Two in a row?

Rockies 6, Reds 3 (boxscore)

The Rockies streak of impressive play improved to 15 innings on Friday night. Their streak of not being outscored by the opponent now sits at two games. That means we get to pick a winning player!

Winning Player: Todd Helton! 

This is what Todd Helton does once or twice a month. He reminds us that an elite baseball player remains somewhere underneath his beaten up body, and when he's feeling good, he can win you a baseball game at any time all by himself.

Granted, he had help on Friday from Troy Tulowitzki, Christian Friedrich and a damn solid bullpen, but it was Helton's two-run homer that set the tone, and his RBI single that provided the insurance.

This one belongs to The Toddfather.

Turning Point: The Rockies jumped up 3-0 early, then Cincinnati tied it at 3 in the 4th. It's at times like this that the Rockies have lost their focus this season. The quality of at-bats tend to decrease significantly. But that wasn't the case this time around. Rather, the Rockies continued pressuring Reds ace Johnny Cueto (who admittedly wasn't on his game), and quickly regained control of the game.

Read more »

Rock Solid Recrap: Rockies Can't Solve Chris Capuano Or Dodger Stadium

Dodgers 7, Rockies 3 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: It's Dodger Stadium. When was the last time something went right for the Rockies at Dodger Stadium?

Exactly.

And while I understand Chris Capuano has been effective so far this season, he's still Chris Capuano. One run on four hits in seven innings against him simply will not cut it for a Major League offense.

Turning Point: I would say this game turned the second Colorado let Mark Ellis walk over the winter, because just like his namesake A.J. Ellis, Mark has quickly turned into a certified Rockies Killer (Hairston Brother Level).

So there you go.

Tonight, Ellis blasted a 1st inning solo home run (1st of the season), added a flyball that Dexter Fowler misread into a two-out, two-run double in the 5th that pushed their lead to 4-0, and walked in his final plate appearance. Expect more of the same annoying production all weekend.

Read more »

Rock Solid Recrap: Rockies Run Out Of Chances (Literally and Figuratively)

Padres 3, Rockies 2 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: The Rockies fell behind early. (1-0 after one, 2-0 after two) and completely FAILED to make Edinson Volquez pay for his wildness (four walks in 5 1/3). Those failures included back-to-back walks (on eight pitches) by Volquez in the 2nd that resulted in back-to-back baserunners being thrown out at second base.

First it was Michael Cuddyer, who had the bag stole but was tagged after sliding over the base. Seriously. Next it was Wilin Rosario, who was thrown out by Nick Hundley trying to advance on a ball in the dirt.

You can't make this stuff up.

Turning Point: For the most part this was a blah game that seemed headed in San Diego's direction right off the bat. The Rockies did mount one big threat though in the 6th.

One batter after Marco Scutaro won a 12-pitch at-bat with a lead-off single, Carlos Gonzalez drove him home with a broken bat single that made it 3-2 San Diego. Troy Tulowitzki then walked, setting the stage for Todd Helton and Michael Cuddyer.

Bud Black then went to his bullpen, summoning lefty Joe Thatcher to face Helton. A battle Thatcher won with a strikeout. Next, Black called on right-hander Brad Brach to pitch to Cuddyer. Brach won that battle, also with a strikeout, to end the inning.

No Rockie would reach base in the final three innings.

Read more »

Rock Solid Recrap: Colorado Springs Shuttle Gaining Occupants

Braves 9, Rockies 8 in 11 innings (boxscore) 

What Went Wrong: Staked to a 5-0 lead in the 1st inning, Guillermo Moscoso managed to give it all back, plus one, in less than five innings of work.

Guillermo Moscoso's Line: 4 1/3, 6 ER, 7 H, 3 BB (felt like 30), 5 K, 1 HR, 83 pitches (43 strikes)

Needless to say he did not take advantage of his second start with this awful line, and will soon be heading south to Colorado Springs to join Jhoulys Chacin. Not a lot more needs to be said about it. Thanks for playing, Guillermo. 

Oh, wait, don't leave just yet. Make some room for Edgmer Escalona on the Colorado Springs Shuttle. The Rockies right-handed reliever — who always seems to find himself pitching in a critical situation —took his first official loss of the year after allowing the game-winning two-run homer to Eric Hinske in the 11th. He now sports a 10.13 ERA in six appearances.

Matt Reynolds (he can stay) was also less than stellar in relief of Moscoso (1 2/3, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K). Had he been able to shut down Atlanta's rally in the 5th, or even just pitched a clean 6th, it could have been the turning point the Rockies needed to get this win.

Instead...

Turning Point #1: Trailing 5-2, Michael Bourn lays down a bunt with one out in the 5th inning. Originally it's ruled fair, with Ramon Hernandez picking the ball up and tagging Bourn out. After a discussion with the rest of his umpiring crew (or maybe it just took three minutes to register), Tim McClelland then changes his call to a foul ball. Bourn's at-bat continues, he singles, Moscoso, who was walking the razor's edge without any assistance, promptly implodes. Braves leave the inning leading 6-5. 


Good call or not, which I think it was, you just can't let an inning get away like that. 

Read more »

April Review and Player Rankings

May 1st already. Man, the days and weeks fly by when baseball season is in full swing.

Welcome to my own odd look back at the Rockies month of April. I actually used to do a variation of these monthly reviews back when I covered the Rockies for Bugs & Cranks circa. 2007-2009, and had some fun with them, so I've decided to bring them back and have some fun again in front of my new/old audience.

Here we go.

April Record: 11-11

Swing Games: Tommy Lasorda always said "every team wins 60 games and losses 60 games. It's what you do with the other 42 games that counts." We'll call those swing games, or to break it down even further, the ones you really wish you'd won or easily could/should have lost, but didn't.

By my count, the Rockies played six of those "swing games" in April, and managed split them right down the middle.

Wins

• April 14th vs Arizona (Read the Recap)
• April 20th @ Milwaukee (Read the Recap)
• April 25th @ Pittsburgh (Read the Recap)

Losses

• April 8th at Houston (Read the Recrap)
• April 24th at Pittsburgh (Read the Recrap)
• April 29th vs NY Mets (Read the Recrap)

The win over Arizona was my favorite. I'll highlight why in a moment. All three losses were equally disappointing because they all contributed to a losing series against a team the Rockies needed to beat.

Read more »

Rock Solid Recrap: Rockies Still Can't Hit Santana, Drop Series Despite Late Heroics (Manning Face Included)

Mets 6, Rockies 5 in 11 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: First and foremost, the Rockies can't figure out Johan Santana.

How bad has it been?

Well, in 22 career innings against them — spanning three starts — his ERA remains a perfect 0.00 (with no unearned runs scored either). And I have to be honest, I don't know that they've had more than five or six runners reach second base in those outings. He simply overwhelms and overpowers them, and the only saving grace today was that Terry Collins pulled him after six to help ease his workload. Otherwise, you'd probably be tacking another inning or two on that total.

Also bad? How about 1-for-11 with RISP (mostly late). That one of course being Todd Helton's pinch-hit grand slam in the eighth inning. That, and the first four hitters in New York's lineup killed them again (10-for-21, 3 RBI, 4 Runs, 3 walks). They simply could not find an answer for any of those guys all weekend.

Turning Point: The Rockies had come off the deck to tie the game twice when Michael Cuddyer and Ramon Hernandez stepped up with a chance to put New York away in the tenth (winning run was on second). Unfortunately, neither could deliver Troy Tulowitzki home — Cuddyer struck out, Hernandez popped out — and the game continued on. The Mets would then scratch another run across against Matt Belisle in eleventh and the Rockies would go down 1-2-3 to end it.

Read more »

Rock Solid Recrap: Tracy, Bullpen fall apart in 7th inning

Brewers 9, Rockies 4 (boxscore)

What Went Wrong: The Rockies bullpen has been a strength in the early going.

Tonight, not so much.

It started in the sixth inning as Jim Tracy called on Esmil Rogers to protect a one run lead. Rogers, who had put together four scoreless relief appearances — retiring at least four batters in each — to begin the season, was greeted by a game-tying Ryan Braun home run.

That you could live with. However, Tracy elected to stick with Rogers (18 pitches in the sixth) into the seventh, and the wheels promptly fell off as three of the first four Brewers reached, including a Rickie Weeks RBI triple.

So Rogers gets the hook with Colorado now trailing 5-3. In comes Edgmer Escalona, who proceeds to throw gas on the fire beginning with a Ryan Braun RBI triple and ending with an Alex Gonzalez three-run homer.

9-3 Brewers. Game over.

Other problems: Managing only two hits and striking out nine times against injury fill-in Marco Estrada wasn't exactly inspiring. Marco Scutaro was one of those victims, striking out for the first time in 2012. Maybe he'll only strikeout against pitchers named Marco.

Oh, and remember how I was praising Wilin Rosario for his work behind the plate in his early starts? BIG step back tonight with some lousy (perhaps lazy) footwork leading to a pair of passed balls and a wild pitch. He needs to bring it every night.

Turning Point: Back to Jim Tracy's odd use of the bullpen in the seventh.

Read more »

Rock Solid Recap: The Toddfather Saves The Day... Again

Rockies 8, Diamondbacks 7 (Boxscore)

Unreal. 

Un-freaking-real. 

On another crazy, bizarre, cold (and this time rain soaked) night at Coors Field that saw the Rockies struggle (understatement) to battle the elements defensively and ultimately blow a 5-1 lead, Todd Helton came to the rescue again with a breathtakingly dramatic, bordering on Rocktoberish two-out, two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Rockies an exhilarating win over the Diamondbacks. 

How exhilarating? My heart is still thumping about an hour later and I don't think I'm having a heart attack. 

Todd Helton, ladies and gentlemen. I have a feeling he's won himself a Hall of Fame vote or two over these past 24 hours. If not, the voters can... 

Winning Player: Todd Helton. 

There are other good choices, like Tyler Colvin, Michael Cuddyer and Eric Young Jr. for example, but there's only one correct choice: Todd Helton. 

Watch Helton's walk-off home run.. now! 

Turning Point: Several in this back-and-forth beautiful mess of a baseball game. I felt like Jhoulys Chacin picking off Gerardo Parra in the first inning to end that potentially big rally was a huge play that held it's importance right until the end.

Matt Belisle limiting the damage around Troy Tulowitzki's two throwing errors in the sixth was also important.

But the turning point that directly positioned the Rockies for this win was Eric Young's two-out RBI double in the eighth that pulled the Rockies within one. That hit and that run cut off Arizona's string of six unanswered runs, and made everything in the ninth inning possible.

Read more »

Rock Solid Recap: Astros Giveth, Rockies Taketh

Rockies 5, Astros 3 (Boxscore)

Winning Player: One game in, one tough decision on who deserves to be the Rockies winning player. I thought Troy Tulowitzki had a terrific game with the early sac fly, a pair of defensive gems, and then the ninth inning home run — which you'll see later — that went over the train tracks and vacated Minute Maid Park all together.

Jeremy Guthrie had a very strong seven inning Rockies debut, and rightfully earned his National League victory.  Todd Helton and Michael Cuddyer were also important cogs with their two-out, opposite field run scoring hits in a pivotal third inning rally.

But my vote for the Rockies winning player goes to left-handed setup man Rex Brothers. After the Rockies took the lead in the top half, Brothers breezed through his first eighth inning appearance 1-2-3 with a pair of overpowering strikeouts and a weak groundout. That got the Rockies right back into the dugout feeling good, and then from there they added the insurance run that basically sealed the victory.

Many outings just like are sure to follow for young Mr. Brothers.

Turning Point: Jim Tracy's decision to pinch-run Eric Young Jr. for Ramon Hernandez after his eighth inning lead-off single paid off immediately with a stolen base. Of course, one minute later, it was on the verge of turning into a disaster when EY was caught in between second and third on a ball in the dirt that was blocked by Astros catcher Jason Castro.

Read more »

A few Rockies (and baseball) predictions for 2012

No algorhythms or computers needed for these predictions! Just my brain and a keyboard (that's attached to a computer... so I guess I needed one after all). 

Rockies Predictions 

Wins: 78 (Should keep them ahead of San Diego!)

All-Stars: Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez (A real stretch I know.)

Team leader in wins: Juan Nicasio (14)

Best starter ERA: Drew Pomeranz (3.15)

Team leader in saves: Rex Brothers (22)

Jamie Moyer starts: 14

Jorge De La Rosa starts: 19

Alex White starts: 6

Todd Helton & Jason Giambi total home runs: 25

Ramon Hernandez & Wilin Rosario total home runs: 25 (Rosario will hit at least 15 of those.)

Tyler Colvin home runs: 18 (There will be enough slumps and injuries for Colvin to carve out a significant role on this team. I think he's ready to handle it.)

Date Dexter Fowler steals his first base: April 7th (You know they'll put him in motion early and often, so getting that first one won't be a problem. But how much patience will they have if he doesn't show enough improvement of the bases? Or worse yet, if the next situation lingers on for too long.)

Date Dexter Fowler finds his swing: May 20th (This would be too long.)

Date Nolan Arenado arrives: June 4th

Date Rockies fans end their "boycott" of Root Sports: Already did.

First designation for assignment: Eric Young Jr.

Public Enemy #1: Esmil Rogers (Someone has to take over for Franklin Morales, Ian Stewart and Huston Street. I don't think it'll be Fowler, though he could contend. The maddeningly inconsistent Rogers should prove to be the easiest target though since relief pitchers are always lightning rods.)

First closed door meeting: April 23rd

Jim Tracy meltdowns: Monthly

Jim Tracy lineup changes: Weekly

Baserunning errors: Nightly

Baseball Predictions 

NL MVP: Joey Votto (Reds)

AL MVP: Robinson Cano (Yankees)

NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers)

AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander (Tigers)

NL Rookie of the Year: Yonder Alonso (Padres)

AL Rookie of the Year: Yu Darvish (Rangers)

Home Run Kings: Joey Votto and Jose Bautista

NL East: Philadelphia Phillies

NL Central: Cincinnati Reds

NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers

NL Wild Cards: Arizona Diamondbacks, St. Louis Cardinals

AL East: Tampa Bay Rays

AL Central: Detroit Tigers

AL West: Los Angeles Angels

AL Wild Card: New York Yankees, Texas Rangers

NLCS: Reds over Cardinals

ALCS: Rays over Angels

World Series: Rays over Reds (in 6)

Sleeper/Fun team: Kansas City Royals — Alex Gordon, Billy Butler, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain, Aaron Crow, Greg Holland, among others, will make them difficult to ignore. I'm not even kidding. Watch'em.

Disclaimer: These predictions — like all predictions — are intended for entertainment purposes only. Wager at your own risk.

More Rockies thoughts await you if you follow me on Twitter: @Townie813

Spring Training Hits & Misses: Game 29 vs. Texas

Hits

Old professional hitters are professional

Todd Helton and Jason Giambi combined to go 5-for-6 with a home run, two doubles, two runs and three RBI against Yu Darvish. You think they give a crap about the hype? Just throw them your best and they'll figure it out sooner or later. Usually sooner.

Misses

3-4 punchless

Yikes. We knew Darvish was going to present a challenge for the Rockies offense, but I don't think even a worst case scenario would have called for Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki to go 0-for-6 with six strikeouts.Yet that's exactly what happened.

Did I already say yikes?

Jordan Pacheco also contributed an 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and a GIDP. Not exactly the performance he was looking with the third base job now within his reach.

Got Their Work In

Jhoulys Chacin

6 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 9 H, BB, 3 K

Bad news: Chacin was roughed up a bit by a Texas Rangers lineup that has made back-to-back appearances in the World Series.

Good news: The San Francisco Giants lineup will not present this type of challenge when Chacin takes the mound against them a week from Monday in the home opener. Nor will Barry Zito present the same challenge for the Rockies offense as Darvish did tonight.

Read more »

Spring Training Hits & Misses: Game 24 vs. Cincinnati

Hits

Todd Helton

The Rockies offense struggled with Reds ace Johnny Cueto early in today's game. Well, with the exception of Todd Helton, who connected for a pair of solo home runs — a second inning shot to right and an opposite field blast in the fourth. I actually decided to go back and watch the second one a couple more times just so I could admire it some more. It really was picture perfect swing on a pitcher's pitch down and away. Every hitting coach should have that swing on tape and show it to their pupils repeatedly. It was professional hitting at its finest.

Casey Blake

Blake desperately needed a moment that not only made himself feel confident heading into the season, but the Rockies coaching staff and myself as well. He had that moment in the fifth inning when he crushed a two-run homer to left off Cueto to give the Rockies the lead.

It was a good step in the right direction, but my hope is the Rockies will continue to make Blake prove himself (health wise and on field production) before adding him to the opening day roster. I know the Rockies won't ask him to play 130 games, so that helps his cause, but they can't afford to have any dead spots on the roster like we saw for too many extended periods last season.

Alex White

Apparently White doesn't want to be overlooked in this bullpen mix. He was excellent today in his latest audition to be the bullpen's bridge guy (starter-to-late inning relievers), throwing two scoreless and striking out three. Among his victims: Drew Stubbs, Brandon Phillps and Joey Votto. All very good hitters.

Read more »