A Trade Request To Dan O'Dowd

Mr. O'Dowd,

I'm not one to discuss or dream up trade rumors because I think it's a waste of time and energy for people with little knowledge of the inner-workings of trade talks to pretend like we have that knowledge.

This is just me pitching the name of a player out there that I like.

Jhonny Peralta -- IF -- Cleveland

He's 28.  By all accounts he has a reasonable contract.  Most importantly, the Indians sound willing to part company with him.

He's topped 20 HRs three times since 2005.  He averages roughly 80 RBI a season over that period of time.  He also plays two positions the Rockies currently need assistance at.

SS is his primary position.  He's no Troy Tulowitzki, very few are, but he could help the Rockies withstand the loss of Tulo for a number of weeks.

When that time passes, and maybe even before then, Peralta is a fine candidate to get ABs at 3B from Ian Stewart.  Let's face it, you need better production from the hot corner offensively.  A platoon there involving those two could maximize some production there.

What happens to Melvin Mora?

Well, we've seen he can play a little LF.  He could get ABs there, but the ultimate use for Mora is a platoon with Helton at 1B, while serving as a PH.  Jason Giambi would be the odd man out of this scenario.

I just wanted to throw Peralta's name out there.  Aaron Hill, Dan Uggla, Kelly Johnson, Craig Counsell are all names that intrigue me.  Names like Ryan Theriot, Cesar Izturis, Kaz Matsui, Julio Lugo and Adam Everett do not interest me.  In fact, I never want to hear those names linked to the Rockies again.

I like Peralta better than all of them.  Where he plays makes sense.  The money seems to make sense.  I don't know if they talent would match up, but you can always dangle Franklin Morales, right?

Thank you for reading, Mr O'Dowd.  I appreciate your time.

Mark R. Townsend
Heaven & Helton

Rock Solid Recrap: Don't Blame Manny

I came into today's game never once expecting to hear Manny Corpas' name. Manny had pitched the previous three days, earning saves in the first two, and then laboring badly through the third appearance. No way he could be counted on to pitch a 4th straight day unless the most extreme circumstances arose was my thinking.

Apparently 1-1 in the 9th inning qualifies as extreme circumstances.

Brewers 6, Rockies 1

Not surprisingly, Corpas had nothing in the tank. He faced five hitters. All five hitters reached. All five hitters scored. And Corpas was booed off the mound by a large number of fans that probably didn't realize the circumstances or aren't baseball educated.

It wasn't Manny's fault.

There was a lot wrong in this one, just as their usually is when the Rockies drop games to bad teams.

The offense is this team's achilles heel. Has been all season. They sucked again today. In fact, I think the season's low point came in the 8th inning today. They went down 1-2-3 to Trevor Hoffman in that 8th inning. No one goes down 1-2-3 to Trevor Hoffman in 2010.

Hell, the Rockies never used to go down 1-2-3 to Trevor Hoffman even when he was still at his peak Hall of Fame level.

The offensive fails didn't surprise this fan a whole lot, though, when he saw a lineup not including Miguel Olivo, Todd Helton or Seth Smith, in addition to CarGo still nursing the sore knee.

However, the ultimate bottom line today is Jim Tracy was going to use Corpas again if the game was close, and Corpas was still going to have nothing on the mound. To me it boils down to a manager looking at the game at hand, and making a decision that gives his team the best chance to win that game.

Jim Tracy failed. Jim Tracy failed miserably. Jim Tracy let his team down. Jim Tracy also let his pitcher down.

Go to Juan Rincon. Go to Rafael Betancourt. Go to somebody that isn't running on fumes. Someone that gives your team a chance to get a zero on the board, and then give your offense a chance to get one run.

There's no guarantee that works either, but it's the common sense factor. It's not even baseball logic, it's the logic of physics. Manny Corpas clearly needed a night off last night. He was gassed. You can't use him again today after seeing that. You can't, that is, unless your name Jim Tracy.

I'm glad that's not my name.

But hey, the Rockies do win a series this weekend. That's a positive.

Aaron Cook pitched a GREAT game today. He deserved a better result than a no decision.

Jonathan Herrera has shown to be a little more than servicable.

Meanwhile, Dexter Fowler hit for the cycle today at Colorado Springs... by the 5th inning. He might be nearing a return.

Can't let the one bad inning damper a good weekend of baseball. And above all that, can't let anything related to baseball put a damper on Father's Day. Hope you all have or had a good one.

Be on the look for updated Rockies player rankings sometime tomorrow.

Lineup Card: Rockies vs Brewers

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.

Rockies Lineup (6-2)

• 2B Herrera
• LF Mora
• CF Spilborghs
• 1B Giambi
• RF Hawpe
• C   Iannetta
• 3B Stewart
• 2B Barmes
• P   Cook

Tracy didn't like my idea of Herrera at third I guess.  We'll wait at least two more days before Chris Nelson gets start #1.

Once again Aaron Cook gets Jason Giambi behind him defensively.  If you recall Aaron's first start of the season in Milwaukee, Giambi's defense cost him a win.  We'll hope this goes better.  

Brewers Lineup (28-40)

• 2B Weeks
• RF Hart
• 1B Fielder 
• LF Braun
• 3B Counsell
• CF Gomez
• C   Kottaras
• SS Escobar
• P   Wolf

Craig Counsell must have insane numbers against Cook to be hitting 5th.

We saw how quick the offense can strike for the Brew Crew late last night.  Cook and what's available of the pen today have their work cut out for them.  

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Rock Solid Life-Shortening Recap

How did we live through 10 years of games like that night after night?

Rockies 8, Brewers 7

That one has to rank at or near the top of the wackiest, weirdest, craziest games played in Denver.

Oddly enough, it may not have been the craziest in baseball today. Rays/Marlins and Phillies/Twins make a strong case for that title.

What made this particular game a little extra crazier was the incredible struggles of the Rockies offense coming in. No one would blame you if you sensed the game was at 4-1. Even when they scored the three to tie in the 7th, I wouldn't have blamed you for feeling like they were going to find a way to fall short. The Rockies just don't win games like this in 2010.

On the other side, when the Rockies put four more on the board in the 8th, no one would have blamed you for feeling like the Rockies were secure with a four run lead. We should know better than that by now, but you just can't help but feel that way.

Then Manny Corpas comes in. I don't know what it is about closers in non-save situations, but once a closer is in that role for awhile, they simply can't succeed in non-save apeearances. That is among the biggest anomalies in baseball since the save stat came into play. No one can explain it or understand it.

Another anomaly (Denver only) is Jim Tracy going to Franklin Morales with the game on the line. Was Tracy afraid to use Joe Beimel because Prince Fielder doubled against him last night? If so, Tracy is a moron. Have your best guys ready regardless. Morales is not your best guy.

In fact, Morales should never touch a baseball in a 9th inning again this season. He just can't handle the pressure. It's even past the point where it's fair to question why he's even on the 25 man roster. He doesn't offer anything. I still think he could somewhere down the line, but that time is not now or anytime soon.

Co-Winning Players: Seth Smith and Jonathan Herrera

There's a reason Smith was given the nickname "Mr. Late Night". He's earned it in the past and he put a trademark on it tonight. Obviously his HR that tied the game was important, but the 2-out hit in the 8th was even more so. If that rally had died with only one run scored, chances are pretty good this game ended a lot differently.

That leads into the other Winning Player.

Jonathan Herrera's hit right after that ended up being the difference in the game. It's amazing how important those two out hits can be, even when they don't seem to be. Herrera's excellence wasn't just limited to one AB, he was fantastic all evening, collecting four hits, and playing a level of defense that is consistent with Tulowitzki and Barmes up the middle.

I was excited by the possibility of seeing Chris Nelson (don't overlook his bunt in that 8th inning) start tonight, but credit Jim Tracy for not only sticking with Herrera, but batting him leadoff. That made a big difference.

I still want to see Chris Nelson play, but I also don't see how you can sit Herrera after tonight. How about Herrera at third tomorrow, Nelson at short, Barmes at second, and Ian Stewart riding pine against a lefty? Write that one down, Jim.

One last thing...

The offense still needs to do a better job of putting the ball in play.  I think tonight was a good example of the many good things that can happen when you simply put wood on baseball.  That said, the strikeouts against Gallardo weren't great, but the overall patience and extending of the pitch count won this game for Colorado. If Gallardo goes one more inning, again, chances are this ends differently.  So credit there.

I'm exhausted again just thinking about the game. Be back with you again tomorrow. Let's pull for back-to-back weekend sweeps and the Rockies going five games over for the first time in 2010.

Lineup Card: Rockies vs Brewers

Rockies Lineup (5-2)

• 2B Herrera
• 1B Helton
• CF Spilborghs
• RF Hawpe
• LF Mora
• 3B Stewart
• C  Olivo
• 2B Barmes
• P  Francis

CarGo's out until Tuesday with the sore knee.  He tweaked the knee when he slipped fielding a ball Wednesday at Target Field.  I hate Target Field.  Melvin Mora plays LF tonight.  Something tells me he's going to have a busy night out there.  That's just how baseball works.  

All the speculation of Chris Nelson starting tonight was untrue, though Jim Tracy did say during his pregame yesterday that he didn't want to throw Nelson right into the fire.  I guess facing Yovani Gallardo counts as the fire.  

Brewers Lineup (28-39)

• 2B Weeks
• RF Hart
• LF Braun
• 1B Fielder
• 3B McGehee
• C  Lucroy
• CF Gomez
• SS Escobar
• P  Gallardo

Same lineup that was shutout by Hammel, Beimel, Betancourt and Corpas last night.  Doubt they'll be shutout again.  Need some offense!

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