Happy Opening Day!

I like the perspective of David Martin in his recap of yesterday's game. He was pointing out the positives that took place in said game (yes, there were a few) and encouraging us all to focus on the positive, rather than beat the negative to death.

Now is a great time for that.

While thinking about it, the most obvious silver lining I could find was this.

There are still 102 baseball games to be played in 2010. That's a lot of damn baseball. A lot of good things can happen in those 102 games. We all know this.

Like I commented to David, most of that will now have to come against good baseball teams, but honestly, if the Rockies can't compete with the Toronto's, Minnesota's and Boston's, then they really had nothing to begin with.   We will just come to grips with that reality.

So my approach to tonight is this. The Rockies are sitting at 30-30 (a nice round .500). Ubaldo Jimenez is on the mound. This can be Opening Day all over again. The season is starting over. 0-0. It's what they do from now on that matters. We won't ignore the first 60 games, but there's nothing we can do to change them either.

Now's the time to rally behind this team, because even though this season has been greatly frustrating, these guys on the field have given us many reasons to celebrate in the past. If we stick behind them, chances are they will again.

PS: I still wouldn't mind a shakeup on the coaching staff somewhere (hitting coach).

PSS: I still wish Jim Tracy had taken a different road in his comments on Jhoulys Chacin yesterday.

PSSS: I could rant again after the game tonight, but it'll take a really lousy effort to get that out of me. Like I said, it's Opening Day again.

Lineup Tinkering

I was very disappointed with Jim Tracy for several reasons yesterday.

There was, however, one thing that I applaud and congratulate him on.

Moving Helton to the two spot.

That's a move I've been promoting and hoping for for over six weeks now. It's just a natural fit with his reduced power and still solid on base skills. Every manager's goal should be to maximize each player's ability. For Helton, it just makes worlds of sense at this stage of his career with his current skill set.

True, he may not possess the speed or bunting ability that most two hitters possess, but not many two hitters can or will build a resume like Helton's.

It's not just good for the physical side, it's also good for the mental side. Thinking about driving a ball out of the park or in the gap, things that used to just happen naturally for Todd, are not so important. Just finding a way on base is his main job now, and very few do that as well as Todd, no matter what his slugging percentage is. That's a load off his mind.

I'm hopeful Tracy sticks with it and let's it play out. If one day is any indication, and I think in this case it is, the Rockies are one piece closer to solving the puzzle.

NOW...

The next thing Jim Tracy needs to figure out is a way to get Carlos Gonzalez out of the leadoff spot. He's a natural run producer. Run producers flounder at the top of the order. When they don't, their damage is still minimized with solo HRs and doubles that get stranded because the pitcher made an out before him.

We need to maximize Carlos. We need to maximize him quickly.

Who leads off in that scenario? Well, probably Seth Smith/Ryan Spilborghs until Dexter Fowler/Eric Young return. I prefer the speed element in the one spot when possible, which CarGo does provide, but at this point I just want guys on base ahead of Tulo, Gonzalez, Olivo and Hawpe.

That gives the Rockies the best chance to bust out of a slump that seems like it's going on a 10 years.

Mark it down, Tracy. If it doesn't work, call me out in the press conference. At least I'll deserve it.

Rock Solid Rant: Taco Drought Reaches 12th Day

These are no longer recaps or recraps.  These are rants.

The Rockies have been reduced to a team that gets beat by Tommy Manzella (.150 vs. right-handers) bloops  and Humberto Quintero blasts.

The Rockies are in deep... trouble.

Let the players continue to tell us they're in a better position than last season.  And the season before that.  And the season before that.

Great.

Guess who else is in a better position than last season.  And the season before that.  So on.

The San Diego Padres.  The Atlanta Braves.  The Cincinnati Reds.  Oh, and don't forget about the Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers and Giants.

The National League is the deepest it's been in what... 10 years?  That's what makes this start so concerning.  Yes, you have a better record, but you don't have a better spot.  Yes, you're probably going to play better at some point, but you can just assume one good winning streak is going to do the trick it has two of the past three seasons.  Not with so many teams playing legit good baseball.

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Rockies Player Rankings

Wondering how I'm feeling about certain Rockies players?  Refer back to this list.

I'm not sure how often I'll be updating the rankings -- could be weekly, could be monthly, could be after every inning.  We'll just see how it goes.  But this is how I would rank the players currently.

Everything is taken into consideration -- offense, defense, pitching, clutchness, baserunning, consistency, awareness, intelligence. You know, all the things the Rockies don't do well as a team.

1. Ubaldo Jimenez
2. Miguel Olivo
3. Troy Tulowitzki
4. Manny Corpas
5. Joe Beimel
6. Matt Belisle
7. Carlos Gonzalez
8. Jeff Francis
9. Jason Hammel
10. Seth Smith
11. Jhoulys Chacin
12. Melvin Mora
13. Clint Barmes
14. Brad Hawpe
15. Rafael Betancourt
16. Ian Stewart
17. Todd Helton
18. Ryan Spilborghs
19. Aaron Cook
20. Matt Daley
21. Randy Flores
22. Jonathan Herrera
23. Franklin Morales
24. Jason Giambi
25. Chris Iannetta 

Top 5 Rockies not currently on the roster.

1. Huston Street
2. Jorge De La Rosa
3. Dexter Fowler
4. Paul Phillips
5. Eric Young

Lineup Card: Rockies vs. Astros 6-10-10

Win....

Please?

Rockies Lineup (30-29)

• CF Gonzalez
• 1B Helton
• SS Tulowitzki
• RF Hawpe
• LF Smith
• C   Olivo
• 3B Stewart
• 2B Barmes
• P   Chacin

Jim Tracy moved Helton up to the 2 spot?  OK... that leaves no doubt he reads the blog (still not really, but maybe someone reads it to him?)

Astros Lineup (24-36)

• CF Bourn
• 2B Keppinger
• 1B Berkman
• LF Lee
• RF Pence
• 3B Feliz
• C  Quintero
• SS Manzella
• P  Oswalt

Houston's getaway day lineup looks an awful lot like their every day lineup.  Maybe that's because they only have one lineup.   And they're bad.  And they're one win today from winning the season series 4-2.  

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