Thread: The Official Colorado Rockies thread--Now with extra awesome!!

Hudson ain't happening now that we've signed Mora, according to the Post.

Many fans have openly wondered why the Rockies didn't sign Hudson. O'Dowd said Hudson was looking for a guaranteed starting job for more than $3 million, which wasn't happening with Colorado.

http://www.denverpost.com//ci_14313148

Originally Posted by Buff

Hudson ain't happening now that we've signed Mora, according to the Post.

I didnt expect it either...he's asking for way too much. Neverthless...I think Cabrera is still on the radr for you guys

Originally Posted by CoachChaz

I didnt expect it either...he's asking for way too much. Neverthless...I think Cabrera is still on the radr for you guys

Cabrera signed with the Reds.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14410924

TUCSON — An upbeat and noticeably slim Eric Gagne threw during a tryout session for the Rockies on Tuesday morning at Hi Corbett Field.

The Rockies are closely watching the 2003 Cy Young Award winner to see if it's worth offering the reliever a minor-league deal. Rockies manager Jim Tracy, who was on the bench in Los Angeles with Gagne, was behind the mound Tuesday, watching Gagne throw.

There are still no assurances that Gagne will end up with the Rockies, even if they are impressed by what they saw today.

"I'm just hoping that everything will work out, but we will see how it goes," Gagne said. "I'm just hoping to get a chance to show what I can do."

After dealing with shoulder problems for the better part of the last four years, Gagne said he feels good again.

"I'm finally healthy again," he said.

Gagne credited training sessions with a martial arts instructor in Scottsdale, Ariz. for his arm strength and fitness level.

Francis returns

Lefty starter Jeff Francis, coming off shoulder surgery a year ago, stopped by Hi Corbett on Tuesday. Looking fit and ready to go, Francis said he was pleased with recent batting practice sessions he threw in the Dominican Republic and said he will enter camp later this week with no limitations to his throwing schedule.

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_14414209

TUCSON — Jeff Francis' left shoulder should come equipped with Google Alert. In a Rockies spring training lacking drama and with few roster battles, his health qualifies as breaking news.

The left-hander's long road back to the big leagues became shorter Tuesday as he walked across the crisp green grass at Hi Corbett Field. His surgically repaired shoulder has responded well to every test, leaving him to answer the question posed by many Rockies fans: What is his primary goal this spring?

"I am looking to get my command back. My delivery still feels a little foreign after the year off, so I am trying to get on the mound as much as I can," Francis said as he leaned over a fence outside of the Rockies' clubhouse on a
sun-bleached 75-degree day. "Even if I am not throwing full on, I will bring the catcher up to 50 feet to practice my motion. I need to get more comfortable with it."

That's why, for the first time in his life, the 29-year-old Francis spent nearly two weeks in the Dominican Republic prepping for spring training. He played catch in the warm weather. He threw side sessions. And he even fired all his pitches to teenage hitters, albeit with a screen on the mound for protection. Those watching saw a higher arm angle and improved velocity.

"My delivery just feels much stronger. It's like the (surgery last spring) never happened," said Francis, who last threw a pitch in a big- league game on Sept. 12, 2008. "I have to get the ball to the glove. That's my game, move the ball all around the strike zone. I am not worried at all about getting hurt again."

Francis, who has thrown off the mound at Hi Corbett with no issues, is a taller version of Tom Glavine. He can go Picasso, painting the corners with fastballs before mixing in a maddening changeup. But in 2008, with his shoulder aching, Francis lost his fastball.

The good news is that the Rockies aren't expecting Francis to resume the ace role he held in 2007. That belongs to Ubaldo Jimenez. Francis will fill either the second or fourth slot, depending on how he progresses. Trainer Keith Dugger has told manager Jim Tracy that while Francis has some extra rest days built into his work schedule, if needed, he has no limitations.

"You may catch me with cotton in my ears early in spring training. I want to give him some opportunities to feel this out and get his feet underneath him," Tracy said. "He's coming in here to compete. He's hungry."

Francis is at a crossroads. He has a $7.5 million club option for next season that, if declined, would make him a free agent.

Starter Aaron Cook, who spent much of the winter as Francis' throwing partner, has no doubt that Francis will make a successful return.

"He looks great. He's determined," Cook said. "I know how much it means to him to get back out and contribute."

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingne...ssimplepiehome

TUCSON — They gathered around the batting cage Friday for sunshine and an illuminating peek at the future. Owners Dick and Charlie Monfort, president Keli McGregor, general manager Dan O'Dowd and assistant GM Bill Geivett watched intently as Jeff Francis threw live batting practice.

Typically a mindless calisthenic, there was genuine interest in how the left-hander's surgically-repaired shoulder would respond. The verdict?

"You notice that they are there, but we have played in front of 50,000 people so it's not a big deal," Francis said. "I kept the ball down, and that was my goal. And I didn't even think about my shoulder. But I rushed my delivery so that leaves me less than satisfied."

Francis hasn't thrown a big league pitch since Sept. 12, 2008, so the road back had to start somewhere. In this case it was a controlled environment with Francis protected by an L screen. He faced Troy Tulowitzki, Clint Barmes and Dexter Fowler, telling the hitters what pitch was coming.

"I thought he looked really good. I am sure he's not where he wants to be yet, but he made some really solid pitches," Barmes said.

Though no radar gun recording was available, the fastball was jumping out of Francis" hand. He purposely threw down the middle, rather than on the corners. His changeup was his best pitch, fading away from right-handers, while drawing praise from catcher Miguel Olivo. His curveball lacked bite.

Francis, who will throw again Sunday, admitted he is still ironing out wrinkles in his delivery. He draws a line on the mound as guide of where to step his lead foot, and he consistently over shot the mark.

"The ball was coming out of his hand, and it was free and easy. I liked what I saw," manager Jim Tracy said.

Big attraction

Charlie Monfort surveyed the practice fields, and made an observation echoed by players and executives alike. "I have never seen a crowd this back here," Monfort said. There were fans at all four practice fields, and they surrounded players for autographs as they switched stations.

Monfort said the team is "very encouraged" by ticket sales through the first month.

Footnotes

Top prospect Christian Friedrich stopped between drills Friday to watch Francis throw a bullpen session. Friedrich, a left-hander, has learned to incorporate tips from Francis into his own delivery.

... The Rockies will play an eight-inning intrasquad game Monday at Hi Corbett Field. Only the young pitchers will be used, save for veteran Jimmy Gobble.

... Tim Redding broke Chris Nelson's bat with a slider during live BP. "I gotta do something to impress, right?" Redding said with a smile.

I am getting an up close look at the Rockies April 2nd and 3rd as they will be playing a two game set at Isotopes Park against Seattle.

I am going to try and interview Todd Helton (main goal), and just chat with all the players I can depending on the media accsess. Stoked!

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_14481213

TUCSON — Never. That's how many times the Rockies have made consecutive playoff berths.

Never. That's how many times the Rockies have won the National League West Division.

The pursuit of both goals officially began Friday at 10:46 a.m. as manager Jim Tracy emerged from the conference room at Hi Corbett Field. The boss had just given his state-of-the-team address to his players. The message was simple: To accomplish big things, no detail is too small.

"I told them how good they are, to embrace the expectations," Tracy said. "There are a lot of teams that think they are good. The Yankees, the Phillies, the Tigers, the Angels, the Twins. What is the separator? We have to do the little things well."

If this sounds familiar, it's because it is. The Rockies talked of the importance of executing fundamentals before the 2008 season and again last spring. The difference is the leader, Tracy having replaced Clint Hurdle. Tracy has created focus and accountability, which were lacking as the Rox imploded following their lone World Series berth in 2007 and early last year before Hurdle was fired.

"Whatever he says to you, that's who he is and what he means. He doesn't lie. He tells you straight how it is," shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. "If he tells me I am the No. 4 hitter and playing 162 games, I believe it, and you know he believes it."

In short, the Rockies trust their manager. That hasn't always been the case. It is a bit ironic that the Rockies have never had higher expectations yet have never seemed looser.

"(Tracy) definitely creates a calming influence, no doubt about that," first baseman Todd Helton said. "You saw how it translated last season. We have all the confidence in the world in him and his leadership."

The Rockies didn't respond to Hurdle's sense of urgency last spring and pressed through the first two months before his firing. Tracy made his mark by using a consistent lineup, pushing his starting pitchers harder and demanding more aggression in every facet of how the Rockies played. It fostered strong loyalty.

Tracy has been demanding this spring in his own way. He doesn't raise his voice, and Girl Scout troops curse more. But he will stay on a back field and work with a pitcher on comebackers for 30 minutes. And his fingerprints were present when Franklin Morales repeated a pickoff drill to second base several times Friday.

"I don't want us to be surprised by anything," Tracy said. "It's early now, but when it's (opening day), it's not early anymore. That's just an excuse when you get off to a slow start. We need to be ready with the same intensity from the first pitch to the last."

Tracy can ask that of his players because they see it in him. Jason Giambi has played for three organizations and a potential Hall of Fame manager in Joe Torre. And he insists he's never seen a manager influence a game like Tracy did last season.

"It's incredible how far he can think ahead in a game. He would tell me, if this happens, Seth (Smith) is going to hit here, and then that will set you up to hit in the ninth against this pitcher when we get a guy on. He would set it up like a chess game, and then I would watch it transpire."

Hang around this team for a few minutes and it's clear the players buy what Tracy's selling. General manager Dan O'Dowd has praised the team's quiet confidence this spring and how they no longer fear the hype. The key for Tracy will be navigating bad patches. Because, in four months on the job last year, the team was 74-42 and, other than a few pitching injuries, never was clobbered by adversity.

"The difference is that he doesn't quit on you if you make mistakes," second baseman Clint Barmes said. "It's hard to put into words how much it means when you know your manager is going to back you, push for you, but also tell you exactly what he wants. He's a big reason we got to where we were last year and why we expect bigger things this year."

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_14648158

TUCSON — Ubaldo Jimenez heard the whispers. He read the papers. And yet being told he was the Rockies' opening day starter still came as a surprise. At least the way it unfolded.

Jimenez was called into manager Jim Tracy's office at roughly 12:15 this afternoon. He found Aaron Cook there. Cook, in a sign of leadership, wanted to be in the room to symbolically pass the baton to the Rockies' new ace.

"I had a lot of respect for Cookie before. I have even more now," said the 26-year-old Jimenez. "As a pitcher you dream about this. It is an honor."

It's been understood that Jimenez would get the ball April 5 in Milwaukee where he will likely face the Brewers' Yovani Gallardo. Jimenez went 15-12 last season with a 3.47 ERA, and started the Rockies' division series opener against the Phillies. And even more impressively, he worked six or more innings 25 straight times from May 1 to Sept. 7 and opponents hit just .229 against him.

"He could win 20 games easily," catcher Miguel Olivo said. "He can be an ace."

The timing of Tracy's announcement was no coincidence. He wanted to tell the right-hander after a dominant performance. Jimenez mauled the Dodgers on Monday, and followed Tracy's mandate of using his fastball more to set up his other pitches.

"I didn't want to tell him after a game when he got there late and sat in traffic without his wheels making a revolution," said Tracy of Jimenez's debut against the Angels last Friday that resulted in him pitching in relief. "This is who he is. This is the guy we want him to become."

As Jimenez and Cook exited Tracy's office, Cook, who has started two opening days, including last season, began offering advice.

"He said to treat it like any other game," Jimenez said. "But it's going to be hard."

http://blogs.denverpost.com/rockies/...e-on-april-26/

TUCSON — What I wrote about a few weeks ago is now official. The Rockies are honoring Dante Bichette on April 26, marking the 15-year-anniversary of his christening of Coors Field with a walk-off home run.

Bichette, a four-time all-star, hit .299 with 274 home runs and 1,141 RBIs in his career. He was a fan favorite, attracting a cult following with his movie-star good lucks and goofy personality.

This move makes perfect sense. It’s nice to see the Rockies finally embracing their past.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring...rry&id=4989509

Mostly homegrown Rockies built to last

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By Jerry Crasnick
ESPN.com

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Before Seth Smith emerged as a slugging outfielder with the Colorado Rockies, he was perhaps best known for backing up Eli Manning at quarterback at Ole Miss.


On most major league teams, this might earn a guy some stature, but the Rockies had already been there and done that with first baseman Todd Helton, who played behind Eli's older brother Peyton at Tennessee.

So what's a jock to do? As a high school basketball player in Mississippi, Smith once finished first in a slam-dunk contest. During the All-Star break last July, he tracked down the video and brought it back to show his teammates in the clubhouse. They had to be impressed by that display of athleticism, right?

"We all assumed he was either jumping off a trampoline or the rim was at eight feet," said Rockies outfielder Ryan Spilborghs, who admittedly delights in tormenting Smith. "We're never going to give him any more credit than he deserves."

Said Smith, "I got a little more respect out of it, but it's fleeting. I have to find something else now to get my cred back up."

Baseball players are athletes -- contrary to John Kruk's feelings on the subject -- and no current team makes the point more emphatically than the Rockies, who keep coming at opponents in waves. Barring a rash of injuries or some other unforeseen meltdown, they'll leave the Cactus League as a very fashionable pick to win the National League West.

"They're the type of club that can distract the hell out of you," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "They can beat you in a lot of ways."

After getting off to a 18-28 start last season and costing manager Clint Hurdle his job, the Rockies posted a 74-42 record under Jim Tracy and made the playoffs as a wild-card team. Best of all, they thrived behind a young, mostly homegrown nucleus of players.

Of the 14 position players who appeared on Colorado's 25-man roster against Philadelphia in the Division Series, 11 were drafted and developed by the Rockies. Colorado's farm system also ranked 10th among the 30 big league clubs this year in Baseball America's ratings.

Combine those two elements with a strong presence in Latin America and scouting director Bill Schmidt's impressive track record, and the Rockies have the underpinnings of an extended run.

"I told our kids when we got beat by Philadelphia, 'We're not going to go away,'" Tracy said. "You don't want to disappear and take four years to reappear. We re-established the identity we had lost. Now let's hold onto it."

Like many teams, the Rockies have a lithe, athletic profile in mind for their middle infielders and their outfielders. But their success in developing position players is just as attributable to the synergy between scouting and player development. Schmidt drafts good players, and the organization nurtures them from one stop to the next.

"The thing you have to remember is, this didn't happen overnight," general manager Dan O'Dowd said. "It's been a long, long time in coming."

LINING UP THE ROCKIES
The Rockies' projected lineup for the 2010 season:

Dexter Fowler CF
Carlos Gonzalez LF
Todd Helton 1B
Troy Tulowitzki SS
Brad Hawpe RF
Ian Stewart 3B
Clint Barmes 2B
Chris Iannetta C


Football isn't the only sport the Rockies have covered. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki averaged 22.6 points per game as a high school senior and was a second-team all-state basketball player in California, and second baseman Clint Barmes played baseball and hoops in junior college in Illinois. If they're not the best defensive middle-infield combination in baseball, they're close.

The same standard applies in the outfield, where center fielder Dexter Fowler and left fielder Carlos Gonzalez chew up big patches of ground. Gonzalez, a legitimate five-tool player, was billed as a future star several years ago before bouncing from Arizona to Oakland to Colorado in trades. Now he's 24, and it's hard to find a scout or talent evaluator who doesn't consider him an All-Star-in-waiting.

When Gonzalez arrived from Triple-A Colorado Springs last June, his strike zone extended roughly from his helmet to his shoes. The Colorado beat writers asked Tracy how long he planned to stick with him, and the Rockies' manager kept giving the same calm reply.

"I gave them the old Felipe Alou answer: 'Until he figures it out,'" Tracy said.

Gonzalez appeared to figure things out in August, when he hit .371 with a .714 slugging percentage. He finished the season with 13 home runs and 16 stolen bases and attracted as much attention for his glove and arm as his bat.

"He's as graceful an outfielder as I've ever seen," Tracy said. "He can be one of the better players in either league, if that's who he wants to be."

Gonzalez's biggest challenge this year will be taking a fly ball or two away from Fowler, an aggressive-minded defender who has elicited comparisons to seven-time Gold Glove winner Devon White for his range in center.

Fowler did not grade out well in some of the new defensive metrics last season, but that's no surprise given his lack of experience and the huge spread he has to cover at Coors Field. "We have a cavernous outfield, and it can make a lot of people look pretty bad at times," O'Dowd said.

Fowler is still just a pup. Not counting his stint with the U.S. Olympic team in Beijing in 2006, his minor league experience consisted of a 337-game whirlwind tour of Casper, Wyo.; Asheville, N.C.; Modesto, Calif.; and Tulsa, Okla. That's all it took for the Rockies to summon him to the big leagues and hand him a heaping plate of responsibility.

"He had never seen a pitch in Triple-A," Tracy said. "And we told him, 'Now Dexter, all we want you to do is play center, lead off, take pitches and have a high on-base percentage. Other than that, enjoy yourself at the major league level.'"

Fowler, whose attempts to grow a beard can't mask his youthful profile, leaves no doubt that he's enjoying himself. When he's not on the field at 6 a.m. practicing his bunting -- a la Juan Pierre -- he's working hard to dispel the notion that teammate Eric Young Jr. might give him a serious challenge in a 60-yard dash.


"I think E.Y. is the quickest," Fowler said. "In short distances, he's got me. But I'm probably the fastest in a 60. Everybody asks us, but we've already discussed this. It's set in stone. We both know."

Of course, speed alone won't make for an elite base stealer. Fowler succeeded on 27 of 37 attempts last season, and the Rockies ranked 27th in the majors with a success rate of 66 percent (106 steals in 161 tries). Tulowitzki, for one, has been prone to mistakes of aggression while trying to steal, advance from first to third, or stretch singles into doubles.

The Rockies also ranked a mediocre 17th in Baseball Prospectus' team defensive efficiency ratings in 2009. But they've upgraded at third now that Garrett Atkins has departed for Baltimore and Ian Stewart will log more playing time at the position, and the other kids are a year older and more knowledgeable. Ubaldo Jimenez, Aaron Cook and the other Colorado pitchers will be the prime beneficiaries.

It's also impossible to measure the confidence and insights that Colorado's young players gained from those four high-pressure games with Philadelphia in October. Gonzalez hit .582 (10-for-17) in the Division Series and carried that sense of accomplishment with him all through the winter.

Many of the Colorado players were together in the minors, and the clubhouse is starting to develop a Minnesota Twins-like sense of continuity. The young Rockies feel like caretakers to a burgeoning tradition and understand their responsibility to maintain it. Prima donnas, slackers and disruptive influences need not apply.

"Even guys who are a year into the minor league system with the Rockies see they have a chance to make the big leagues and grow with this organization," Spilborghs said. "It's not just statistics -- how high your on-base percentage is or how many home runs you hit. It's what else you bring to the team. Do you make the guys around you better?"

Talent, athleticism, synergy and drive make for a potent combination. The Rockies took considerable pride in making the World Series in 2007 and earning another playoff spot in 2009. It's been so much fun that they hope to make a habit of it.

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_14763893

TUCSON — Based on the pitching schedule posted today in the clubhouse, the Rockies' rotation has been ordered with Jeff Francis following opening-day starter Ubaldo Jimenez.

The schedule is set for Jimenez, Francis and Aaron Cook to throw in Milwaukee in the opening series, leaving Jorge De La Rosa to start the home opener April 10 against San Diego Padres and Jason Hammel following him.

Multiple starters said today that they hadn't been told of their regular-season schedule, but admitted that they are operating under the premise that Francis will be in the second spot. Francis, who has continued to make progress this spring following shoulder surgery, starts today against the Indians in Goodyear.

Manager Jim Tracy had toyed with the idea of flip-flopping Francis and De La Rosa. He has always preferred to alternate his right-handers and left-handers.

The only roster decision remaining of consequence is the final bullpen spot. Justin Speier, Joe Beimel and Tim Redding are in the mix. Redding will pitch Saturday, Speier will pitch Sunday and Beimel, who is racing against the clock, makes his spring debut Monday against the Rangers.

Footnotes

Top pick Tyler Matzek will begin the season in extended spring training. The left-hander is not injured, rather the team wants to keep him on a regular schedule with predictable weather. He's expected to join Class-A Asheville in early May. Speier on pitching against the Reds with his father Chris, a Cincinnati coach, watching, "He had them up there hacking against me. It was great to see him because our schedules don't allow it much."

I would really like to see Spirer step up. Has that funky delivery with some decent stuff if he has control. Redding just screams OMG what? Joe B or Spirer please step up.

Last night on SportsCenter, the two baseball analysts were talking about the NL West division, and one guy (can't remember his name), picked the Dodgers to finish 1st, and his reasons why, and then Buster Olney picked the Rockies to finish 1st, and his reasons why, and then he stated "in fact, I am picking the Rockies to win the World Series". WOW - I hope he is right

Originally Posted by Denver Native (Carol)

Last night on SportsCenter, the two baseball analysts were talking about the NL West division, and one guy (can't remember his name), picked the Dodgers to finish 1st, and his reasons why, and then Buster Olney picked the Rockies to finish 1st, and his reasons why, and then he stated "in fact, I am picking the Rockies to win the World Series". WOW - I hope he is right

I think it was Krieger or Saunders who wrote a piece in yesterday's post about how the Rockies are suddenly national media darlings--and they referenced Olney's pick... Hopefully it's not the kiss of death.