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

Originally Posted by spikerman

As cheaply as possible?

I didn't know this but I guess O'Dowd only acquired "character" guys?

Despite the owner...

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The quiet, young Rockies pitching prospect wasn't boasting, just telling it like it is.

Asked how hard he throws his fastball, Jairo (pronounced High-row) Diaz said he hurls it "97 or 98. Sometimes I go to 100."

Actually, the 6-foot, 248-pound right-hander was being modest. According to Los Angeles Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto, Diaz's fastball has touched 102 and even 103 mph on occasion. That's some serious heat. And that's exactly why the Rockies traded infielder Josh Rutledge to the Angels in the offseason to acquire Diaz. It's part of new general manager Jeff Bridich's plan to bring more heat from the bullpen.

rest - http://www.denverpost.com/rockies/ci...ly-brings-heat

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Nolan Arenado won’t turn 24 until April and he has already collected plenty of accolades, including two Gold Gloves.

The Colorado Rockies third baseman thinks he can become a star. Many agree, including his manager. But there was a Hall of Famer this week who wanted to make sure Arenado stayed grounded.

“I saw Dave Winfield and he said, ‘My third year, I thought I had it figured out. But I didn’t.’ And he’s one of the greatest hitters of all time,” Arenado said Friday. “So I’m definitely going to listen to him.”

Arenado has a history of looking up to his elders, from Todd Helton as a rookie to Troy Tulowitzki last year. But Arenado has plenty of confidence, as he should.

rest - plus video
http://denver.cbslocal.com/2015/02/2...become-a-star/

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — In a surprise move Sunday, the Colorado Rockies released veteran right-handed pitcher Jhoulys Chacin.

Chacin admitted Sunday that, although he hasn't been throwing as well as he had hoped, he was taken aback by the Rockies' decision to release him.

"I was kind of 50-50," he told The Denver Post. "I haven't been pitching well. I haven't been doing what I wanted to do. But I'm surprised. I didn't expect it at this time, but now I have a chance to find something else."

rest - http://www.denverpost.com/rockies/ci...jhoulys-chacin

:sigh:

Dick Monfort's most significant offseason acquisition was not catcher Nick Hundley ($6 million), starter Kyle Kendrick ($5.5 million) or reliever John Axford ($2.6 million).

Monfort and two partners obtained Macaroni Grill for $8 mil.

One year a party deck, the next an Italian restaurant chain.

"Get your hot dogs, cold beer, fettuccine Alfredo!"

What's next, Monfort Bros.? The Barnum & Bailey Circus performing at every home game?

Dick never ceases to astound.

rest - leave it to Woody
http://www.denverpost.com/paige/ci_2...staurant-chain

It's really too bad MLB can't force them to sell the club.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/ar...rticleid=25859

Jonathan Gray, RHP, Colorado Rockies

Some evaluators had concerns about Gray's future when dissecting his profile for the 2013 draft. Thus far, the right-hander's development has not been linear, as it seems he's taken three steps forward and two steps back. Our internal write-ups on his progress have been glowing, but some scouts that I've spoken with recently have been a bit more bearish on the former second-overall pick. These reviews are not necessarily knocking the guy, but the feedback was more 'low 3, high 4 starter' or 'I put a role 5 on him' than the front-of-the-rotation tag associated with his selection. With all that in mind, it was exciting to watch him face a major-league lineup—if you're willing to grant such a status to the Diamondbacks at present.

Gray is a big dude, standing every bit of 6-foot-4, 240 pounds with a sturdy frame. Eating innings will certainly not be a problem. After reviewing his video from college, he's made some mechanical tweaks—namely throwing much more across his body. The batter can almost see both numbers on his jersey before foot strike. This may lead to problems with glove-side command, which Gray certainly struggled with during the outing. In fact, he had trouble with command in general, leaving many fastballs up and out over the plate in the first inning. Hitters were feasting on the offering. He allowed hits to the first three batters and four of the first five. Gray's velocity was in the 92-95 range, mostly 3s and 4s, which is a slight tick down from his college days. The fastball was flat when elevated, but when he located it down in the strike zone, especially to the arm side, the pitch looked much better. His touted slider makes a hasty left turn about 30 feet from the plate—a two-plane breaker in the 81-85 mph range. It wasn't its usual preposterous self, flashing mostly plus as opposed to downright nasty. That pitch is his pacifier and the Rockies know it, so the last 18 months have been an exercise devoted to tempering its usage while making him work on the changeup. This has paid off, as the change went from unusable as an amateur to potentially big-league average. He has feel for the offering, even throwing it to right-handers with some arm-side tumble. The advent of this new pitch will help Gray turn over lineups while keeping hitters honest.

I'd lean toward the more conservative scouts sentiment, although there's nothing wrong with a quality No. 3 starter. The arsenal has taken a small step back, with the slider not quite as sharp as it was in college, and the fastball velocity backing up a tick. The changeup should help mitigate some of these concerns, but missing bats in Coors is paramount. Gray will go as far as his fastball command and consistency of the slider will take him. –Jordan Gorosh

Rockies sent Rex Brothers down.

Originally Posted by MOtorboat

Rockies sent Rex Brothers down.

The pitching staff is already in shambles. JDLR on the DL, Chacin cut, Butler getting shelled and heading to the DL, Gray not looking ready for primetime. Our bullpen is going to be anchored by a couple of 40 year olds. Your 2015 Colorado Rockies!

Originally Posted by Buff

The pitching staff is already in shambles. JDLR on the DL, Chacin cut, Butler getting shelled and heading to the DL, Gray not looking ready for primetime. Our bullpen is going to be anchored by a couple of 40 year olds. Your 2015 Colorado Rockies!

And just remember. The guy responsible for developing these pitchers just got promoted...

We still have a team?

Originally Posted by Timmy!

We still have a team?

Well, no, not really.

Originally Posted by MOtorboat

And just remember. The guy responsible for developing these pitchers just got promoted...

Who is that?

Originally Posted by Denver Native (Carol)

Who is that?

Bridich (sp?) was in charge of player development, and was heavily involved with pitching before being promoted to GM.