Master Index of Archived Threads


Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

Gwreck Apr 10 2011 06:49 PM

2011 Rockies The Rockies have started the year hot at 6-2, including taking 3 of 4 in Pittsburgh this past weekend. The only game they lost was a 14-inning affair on Friday night. First place in the NL West. Last Year Rockies were 83-79 last year. They started September with a 69-62 record and went on a 13-4 stretch, followed by a 1-13 stretch to end the year. Rockies-Mets history The Mets are an impressive 26-7 at home against the Rockies in the past 10 years and haven't lost a home series to Colorado since 2002. The Mets won 2 of three last August in New York; the Rockies won 2 of 3 last April in Denver. Pitching matchups: The Rockies aren't throwing anyone impressive out there. Ubaldo Jimenez, who the Mets did beat last year in a 1-0 game -- one of the better second-half games for the Mets -- is on the DL with a thumb problem. Monday: Jason Hammel (R) v. Mike Pelfrey Hammel made 30 starts for the Rockies last year, going 10-9 with a 4.81 ERA in 177 innings. Aside from giving up a few more homers at Coors, his home/road splits were pretty similar and he even had a higher road ERA. Hammel faced the Mets last August, giving up 8 hits and 4 runs in 7 innings, taking the loss as Johan pitched a shutout. Beltran and Reyes each had 2 hits against him. Tuesday: Esmil Rogers (R) v. Jon Niese Rogers was a long reliever/swingman for the Rockies last year, pitching in 28 games (8 starts). 11.8 H/9 innings isn't very good but he did keep the ball in the park most of the time (only 5 HR). Lefties feast on Rogers (.919 OPS against last year) so this might be a good game to give Murphy a start. Rogers had an excellent start against the Pirates on Thursday, striking out 7 and allowing only 1 ER, 4 hits and 1 walk in 7 and 1/3 innings. Wednesday: Jorge De La Rosa (L) v. R.A. Dickey De La Rosa had ok numbers (8-7, 4.22) in 20 starts last year. He threw 121 innings with 113 Ks, 105 hits and 55 walks. He was limited to five innings in his start on Friday due to trouble with a blister on his left middle finger. De La Rosa faced the Mets last April (in Colorado) and gave up 8 hits and 4 ER in 6 innings. He gave up 5 walks, 3 of which were to David Wright. Dickey has never pitched against the Rockies. Thursday: Greg Reynolds (R) v. Chris Capuano Reynolds was a star at Stanford and the Rockies took him as the second overall pick in the 2006 draft (ahead of NL-West aces like Tim Lincecum and Clayton Kershaw, as well as Evan Longoria). He's failed to do much of anything in his professional career: 13 starts in the majors in 2008 went pretty poorly (2-8, 8.13 ERA); last year he split time between A and AA without a ton of success. He was recalled for a spot start on Saturday and pitched 6 solid innings against the Pirates, earning him this second start. Lineup: C - Chris Iannetta (R) has show some power in the past but didn't hit last year (.197 AVG; .701 OPS) and even spent 17 games at AAA. He has some power but is not much of a threat otherwise. 1B - Todd Helton (L) is clearly on the downside of his career, hitting .256-8-37 last year in 118 games (.729 OPS and 0.4 WAR). Helton originally signed a 9 year contract running through this season, but worked out an extension with the Rockies a couple of years ago that extended the contract through 2013 but deferred a lot of the money he was still owed under the original deal. This is Helton's fifteenth season with the Rockies, the longest active consecutive tenure with one team in the NL (Wakefield's been with the Red Sox since 1995). 2B/3B - Jose Lopez (R) did hit 25 homers 2 years ago in Seattle had a modest .609 OPS last year. Solid defensive player. 3B - Ian Stewart (L) put up a .781 OPS last year, with 18 homers. He strikes out a lot (110 Ks in 386 ABs last year) and struggles with lefties. He is 0-11 for the season and missed the Pirates series with the flu. When he is out of the lineup, Lopez plays third and at second is 2B - Jonathan Herrera (S), 4-9 to start the year. Had a .284 AVG last year in 222 ABs but no power (only 8 XBHs). SS - Troy Tulowitzki (R) is probably the best player in the National League not named Pujols. Despite missing some time with a broken wrist last year, he still put up 27 homers, 95 RBIs, a .949 OPS and 5.6 WAR. LF - Carlos Gonzalez (L) had a breakout year in his first full season: 197 hits (led NL); 34 doubles, 34 homers, 26 steals and .974 OPS. There was a pronounced home/road split however: 26 of the 34 homers were at Coors; road OPS was .775 and home OPS was 1.161. CF - Dexter Fowler (S) is the leadoff hitter and had a .347 OBP last year, with 40 extra base hits (led NL with 13 triples) and was 13-for-21 in steal attempts. Struck out 104 times in 439 ABs. RF - Seth Smith (L) was the fourth outfielder for the Rockies last year but now has the starting job as Brad Hawpe went to the Padres. .783 OPS in 358 ABs last year, including 17 homers (12 at home). Bench: Ty Wigginton (R) signed a two-year deal with the Rockies in the offseason and his filling in at at first, third and even got a start in left field on Sunday. Rockies are his fifth team since he gave way to David Wright and last year he hit 22 homers and drive in 76 while playing full-time for Baltimore. Jason Giambi (L), signed a minor league deal in the offseason to return to the Rockies and made the club out of spring training. Mostly just a pinch hitter at this point, although he got a couple of starts with Helton out of the lineup this weekend. Ryan Spilborghs (R), extra outfielder who had a reasonably productive year in 2010 (.797 OPS in 388 PAs). Jose Morales (S), backup catcher who hit .305 (with no power) over the last four years at AAA in the Twins system, blocked by Joe Mauer. Bullpen: Some good arms here. Huston Street (R) is the closer. 47 IP last year (missed some time with injury) and 20 saves. 3.61 eRA with 39 H, 45K and 11 BB. Matt Lindstrom (R) closed for Houston last year. Throws hard but without a lot of control. 53 IP last year, with 68H, 20 B, 43 Ks and a 4.39 ERA, getting 23 saves in 29 tries. Matt Belisle (R) threw 92 innings in relief last year (76 appearances). 2.93 ERA and only 84 H and 16 BB with 91 Ks. Rafael Betancourt (R), 62 IP in 72 games with a 3.61 ERA. Only 52H and 8 walks with 89 Ks (that's 12.9K per 9 innings). Did give up 9 homers. Franklin Morales (L), only southpaw in the pen. Not that effective last year: 28 IP in 25 appearances, gave up 28 hits (5 homers) and walked 24 while striking out 27. Rocky Injuries: SP Ubaldo Jimenez was on the DL with a right thumb injury. He comes off the DL next weekend but misses us. Shucks. SP Aaron Cook has a broken finger due to slamming his hand in a door in spring training and is out a few more weeks. Carlos Gonzalez was scratched from the lineup on Sunday with the flu that was going around the team. Helton and De La Rosa have had minor injury problems, as noted above. Ex-Mets: Ty Wigginton Matt Lindstrom Ex-Rockies: Taylor Buchholz

themetfairy Apr 10 2011 07:25 PM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

Thanks for the knowledge Gwreck!

Fman99 Apr 10 2011 08:22 PM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

Like a fastball down the middle. Nice work.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 10 2011 08:41 PM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

They've got a lot of arm when healthy-- from Ubaldo to Jhoulys Chacin to that deep pen-- and guys up and down the lineup who can punish mistakes; they've also got some real bench value there in Wiggs. They will win the West this year. Solid liner back through the box, G.

Willets Point Apr 10 2011 08:51 PM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

I just had a "holy shit, Todd Helton is still active and still playing for the Rockies" moment.

metsguyinmichigan Apr 11 2011 04:31 AM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

Outstanding!!!

metirish Apr 11 2011 06:30 AM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

Willets Point wrote: I just had a "holy shit, Todd Helton is still active and still playing for the Rockies" moment. and for years to come .....nice contract 2011 (age)37,Colorado Rockies, $19,100,000,terms of previous deal reworked into this deal; $13.1m deferred to 2014-2023 with nterest 2012 38 Colorado Rockies $4,900,000 ,terms of previous deal reworked into this deal 2013 39 Colorado Rockies $5,000,000 nice info Gwreck

Edgy MD Apr 11 2011 06:57 AM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

I hope he's not awful those last two years, but it was probably the right deal for the Rockies.

Ceetar Apr 11 2011 07:11 AM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

metirish wrote: Willets Point wrote: I just had a "holy shit, Todd Helton is still active and still playing for the Rockies" moment. and for years to come .....nice contract 2011 (age)37,Colorado Rockies, $19,100,000,terms of previous deal reworked into this deal; $13.1m deferred to 2014-2023 with nterest 2012 38 Colorado Rockies $4,900,000 ,terms of previous deal reworked into this deal 2013 39 Colorado Rockies $5,000,000 nice info Gwreck Don't invest that deferred money with Madoff and it should work out nicely.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 11 2011 09:00 AM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

You look at his stuff (which isn't Ubaldo-grade, but can make guys swing and miss), his decent walk numbers, and a few other peripherals, and Jason Hammel seems like one of those guys who should be good, or great if he can keep the ball in the park. But then, it's been, like, five or six years, and he's 28, and maybe this is what he is. (Makes cosmic sense that he's facing Pelf, then, I guess.)

seawolf17 Apr 11 2011 09:06 AM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

Todd Helton is the first baseman on my all-time Favorite Guys Who Are/Were Never Mets team.

MFS62 Apr 11 2011 09:13 AM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

Good job, grweck. Thanks, Later

TransMonk Apr 11 2011 09:29 AM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

seawolf17 wrote: Todd Helton is the first baseman on my all-time Favorite Guys Who Are/Were Never Mets team. Seconded. Nice work, Gwreck.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 11 2011 09:48 AM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

Wayne Hagin outed Helton as a "juice" user in a radio interview in 1995. Not that it was any surprise than a big-time college fb jock is loaded to the gills with the juice, but Hagin had little other than his word to stand on, he was relaying info from Don Baylor who I suspect, let it slip not thinking Hagin would go on the air with it. Instead, Helton got all puffy because what Baylor told him actually was not to use Creatine. Than hagin had to apologize and stuff. Now, Hagin irritates me because he can never tell me its the "second inning" or the "first out" but "out number one" in "inning number two" and he frequently mangles his descriptions while sounding like Ned Flanders' dorkier cousin, but one thing he does not do is sound like a guy who'd make shit up and honestly believe that when Don Baylor said juice was slowing Helton down he really meant to make the distinction that it wasn't those illegal steroids Congress is talking about but "legal protein shakes." In Hagin's radio interview, he did not use the word "steroids." But by using the slang "the juice," against the backdrop of last week's Congressional hearings on steroids, Hagin sparked controversy. "I'm going to say something that is the absolute truth, and he will be mad at me for saying it if it gets out, but Todd Helton, a tremendously gifted baseball player, he tried it," Hagin said in the interview. "I know he tried it because Don Baylor told me. "He (Baylor) said to me, 'I told him to get off the juice, that he was a player who didn't need that, get off it. It made him into a robot at first base defensively, and may have altered his swing.' He got off of it, but he is not unlike so many athletes who have tried it because they wanted to get into that level playing field." Helton recalled his conversation with Baylor about creatine. "Don Baylor warned me against using creatine," Helton said. "Back in '98, he pulled me aside in County Stadium in Milwaukee. He said, 'Don't use creatine, you don't need it.' That was exactly what he said to me and that was the conversation. That was it. You can ask Don Baylor and he'll tell you the same thing. The conversation lasted two minutes and I said, 'Yes, sir,' and went about my business."

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 11 2011 10:02 AM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

Hrm. A couple of years after he walked from the Rockies job, I'm guessing.

metirish Apr 11 2011 02:03 PM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

Rockies beat writer on with Berg saying that a move to a new Spring Training complex has played a part in the hot start.... http://www.metsblog.com/ his take on Jason Hammel sounds a lot like our own Pelfrey(or any pitcher that ever pitched)

The Second Spitter Apr 12 2011 07:26 AM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

Gwreck wrote: This is Helton's fifteenth season with the Rockies, the longest active consecutive tenure with one team in the NL (Wakefield's been with the Red Sox since 1995). I knew a guy who played with Helton in Asheville. The remark that stuck with me was that Helton struggled to get the ball out of the infield there. Gwreck wrote: SS - Troy Tulowitzki (R) is probably the best player in the National League not named Pujols. Despite missing some time with a broken wrist last year, he still put up 27 homers, 95 RBIs, a .949 OPS and 5.6 WAR. They say, the rib-eye burger at the Congregation Ale House is the best thing to come out of Long Beach since Troy Tulowitzki. Great KTE, G.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 12 2011 07:41 AM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

Rockies are a good team.

seawolf17 Apr 12 2011 08:01 AM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

The Second Spitter wrote: Gwreck wrote: This is Helton's fifteenth season with the Rockies, the longest active consecutive tenure with one team in the NL (Wakefield's been with the Red Sox since 1995). I knew a guy who played with Helton in Asheville. The remark that stuck with me was that Helton struggled to get the ball out of the infield there. Well, yeah, but that was because they built the stadium in Asheville with 500-foot baselines.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Apr 12 2011 10:24 AM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Rockies are a good team. I disagree. Rockies are a very good team.

soupcan Apr 12 2011 10:36 AM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Rockies are a good team. I disagree. Rockies are a very good team. Yes and they could have been beaten last night by an ordinary bullpen and guys that don't panic when the ball is hit to them.

Frayed Knot Apr 12 2011 10:52 AM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

seawolf17 wrote: The Second Spitter wrote: Gwreck wrote: This is Helton's fifteenth season with the Rockies, the longest active consecutive tenure with one team in the NL (Wakefield's been with the Red Sox since 1995). I knew a guy who played with Helton in Asheville. The remark that stuck with me was that Helton struggled to get the ball out of the infield there. Well, yeah, but that was because they built the stadium in Asheville with 500-foot baselines. The stadium in Asheville is actually known as a real good hitters park. Checking the records -- Helton was only there for just a half-season (his first in pro ball) and indeed didn't do a lot of slugging. He had 13 of his 51 hits go for extra-bases with only 1 HR. But the org must have liked something in what they saw because within a year he had skipped over high-A ball (Asheville is low-A) and advanced through AA into AAA. By the end of the season after that he was in Denver.

The Second Spitter Apr 12 2011 11:06 AM Re: Know Your Rockies (April 11-14)

Frayed Knot wrote: The stadium in Asheville is actually known as a real good hitters park. And as far as Single A ballparks go, a pretty awesome one.