Hey! Rockies! Time To Pull Some Ballplayers Out Of Your Hats!
This has not been a kind decade to the Colorado Rockies. Not since 2000 have they managed to reach the .500 level, and it doesn't look like that trend is going to break any time soon. Every year, it seems, the Rockies experiment with a new approach to winning under the extreme playing conditions that they face, and every year it fails.
My advice? Forget about the clever schemes to find the perfect players for a high altitude setting, and just concentrate on developing good ballplayers. Judging from the current roster and farm system, this is advice that has not yet been taken to heart.
Projected 2006 Lineup:
CF Corey Sullivan
SS Clint Barmes
LF Matt Holliday
1B Todd Helton
3B Garrett Atkins
RF Brad Hawpe
2B Luis Gonzalez
C Yorvit Torrealba
Playing in Fascist Brewery Field, the Rockies should always lead the league in runs scored. Last year's model finished fifth, scoring the lowest total in team history excepting the strike year of 1994. Todd Helton, slowed by some injuries in 2005, remains a first-rate threat at the plate. After Helton, the best two hitters that the franchise has are Ryan Shealy, blocked at first by Helton, and Ian Stewart, a third baseman who is about a year away. Shealy could conceivably play left field, but Holliday's big second half in 2005 will fool the Rockies into thinking that he's a quality hitter, which he really isn't.
Projected 2006 Rotation and Bullpen:
SP Jason Jennings
SP Jeff Francis
SP Aaron Cook
SP Zach Day
SP Byung-Hyun Kim or Sunny Kim or Kim Cattrall
CL Brian Fuentes
RP Ray King
RP Mike DeJean
RP Jose Mesa
RP Several other poor, damned souls
Francis is the best that they have; all they can do is hope that his development isn't completely warped by the atmosphere. The Rockies talk up Jennings and Cook as solid pitchers, but Jennings had a K/BB ratio last year of 75/62 in 125 innings and Cook fanned only 24 in 83 innings. Those aren't the kind of numbers I want to see on anyone I'm hanging my hopes on.
I can't wait to see the results of Jose Mesa pitching a full season in Coors Field.
This is a bad ballclub, and there isn't much on the horizon. Even in the weak field that is the NL West, the Rockies are far from contention.
My advice? Forget about the clever schemes to find the perfect players for a high altitude setting, and just concentrate on developing good ballplayers. Judging from the current roster and farm system, this is advice that has not yet been taken to heart.
Projected 2006 Lineup:
CF Corey Sullivan
SS Clint Barmes
LF Matt Holliday
1B Todd Helton
3B Garrett Atkins
RF Brad Hawpe
2B Luis Gonzalez
C Yorvit Torrealba
Playing in Fascist Brewery Field, the Rockies should always lead the league in runs scored. Last year's model finished fifth, scoring the lowest total in team history excepting the strike year of 1994. Todd Helton, slowed by some injuries in 2005, remains a first-rate threat at the plate. After Helton, the best two hitters that the franchise has are Ryan Shealy, blocked at first by Helton, and Ian Stewart, a third baseman who is about a year away. Shealy could conceivably play left field, but Holliday's big second half in 2005 will fool the Rockies into thinking that he's a quality hitter, which he really isn't.
Projected 2006 Rotation and Bullpen:
SP Jason Jennings
SP Jeff Francis
SP Aaron Cook
SP Zach Day
SP Byung-Hyun Kim or Sunny Kim or Kim Cattrall
CL Brian Fuentes
RP Ray King
RP Mike DeJean
RP Jose Mesa
RP Several other poor, damned souls
Francis is the best that they have; all they can do is hope that his development isn't completely warped by the atmosphere. The Rockies talk up Jennings and Cook as solid pitchers, but Jennings had a K/BB ratio last year of 75/62 in 125 innings and Cook fanned only 24 in 83 innings. Those aren't the kind of numbers I want to see on anyone I'm hanging my hopes on.
I can't wait to see the results of Jose Mesa pitching a full season in Coors Field.
This is a bad ballclub, and there isn't much on the horizon. Even in the weak field that is the NL West, the Rockies are far from contention.
posted by Jim at
3:38 PM
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