Rockies 2009 Season Outlook

***Never got to finishing this blog but I thought it's funny to look back on half way through the season***

The Spring sun is shining and it's time for the Rockies prospects to shine themselves. Spring cleaning is in order and Clint Hurdle has some cleaning out to do in the Rockies locker room. Arizona is getting hot and if these young guns don't get hot then they will see themselves back in the Springs. If their bats don't get warm then they will be bench - warmers. Alright, enough of these cheesy play-on-words lines. It's that time of year when we get a good look at all the young players that the Rockies have been developing in their farm systems over the past few years. Let's take a sneak peek of who's doing what lately:

Eric Young - had a solid season in Double A and hit .290/.391/.392 with 46 stolen bases in 403 at-bats. He also walked 61 times (13.1 BB%). That's pretty sweet but that's also in Double A. Anything below .300 versus Double A pitchers is pretty bad but he can steal a lot of bases. I think the only reason we drafted him was because he shared the same name of his father and his father did a lot of great things for us back in the Blake Street Bombers days. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if the Monforts still think this Eric Young is the same as Eric Young Sr. The Monforts are very dumb and probably got very excited when they heard Eric Young was coming back to baseball. I bet they think Andres Galarraga, Vinny Castillo, and Daunte Bichette was making a comeback as well...

Omar Quintanilla - This guy just doesn't go away does he? He's like those beaten up, ugly looking slippers that you want to stop wearing but are too comfy to give up. May not have a lot of pop in his bat but he's consistent (hit over.300 last year) and is a great defender. Solid player to have around if Tulo or Barmes start getting dinged up.

Casey Weathers - the eighth overall selection in the 2007 draft. The right-handed closer prospect was having a solid 2008 minor league season before undergoing Tommy John surgery in the off-season. He’ll miss all of 2009, but "should" be ready to go in 2010 when he could make his MLB debut. Last season in Double-A, Weathers allowed 34 hits in 44.1 innings and posted rates of 5.68 BB/9 and 10.96 K/9. Obviously the control needs to improve and the time off will not help. Tommy John surgery is one of the worst surgeries that any player in any sport can have. It's death to pitchers. I am optimistic that Weathers can even make a comeback at all. The good thing is that he is still really young but it's going to take at least all of 2010 to get his groove back. Could this be another busted draft pick from the Rockies?? Let's hope not.

Dexter Fowler - the switch hitter had a breakout season in Double-A last year when he hit .335/.431/.515 with 20 stolen bases in 421 at-bats. He also made his MLB debut in 2008 and hit just .154 in 13 games with no extra base hits or walks. Some time in Triple-A will likely do him good. After stealing just 20 bases in each of the past two seasons, he could stand to run more until his power develops further (only nine homers in 2008). I hope he steals more because this kid can flat out fly. I was hoping he could have come in and replace Willy Taveras late last year but he disappointed me with his .154 average. Willy T is gone and now's his chance to show the wheels and make the roster. He's a dark horse to make the opening day lineup but you never know. Unless Podsednik or Gonzalez have a good first half, it's very likely that Fowler will be in a Rockies uniform by mid-season.

Seth Smith - after being the unsung hero in the Rockies 2007 World series run (5-for-8 in seven games) the Rockies outfielder lost his stride when called up last season (.258/.350/.435) in the 108 at-bats he posted. Now, I have never been really high on Seth Smith but he did show some potential at times. Seth Smith is that really unatheltic guy that just seems to make plays. You know that short, fat, balding guy at the gym that hits all the three pointers when you play a game of pickup. Yeah, that's Seth. I think his unathelticism will get overlooked and Hurdle will turn to the athletic studs of Gonzalez, Spilly, Fowler, and Young for opening day but you never know what's going on in the mind of Hurdle.

Carlos Gonzalez - A highly talked about prospect who has been the center peice to a lot of big trades (Holliday and Haren) but has yet to really do much. Supposedly, he can do a bit of everything and could be a 5 - tool star in this league but he looks a bit to raw right now. He has a shot at starting because our center and left field are still technically up for grabs but I don't see him beating out Spilly, Pod or Dex for palying just yet.

Jorge De La Rosa - Much like Morales, DLR has some flat filthy pitches. But can he put it together? Just like a box of chocolates, you jsut never know what your going to get. One night Jorge is throwing a gem with 10 strikeouts a no runs given up and then the next night Jorge is giving up 10 runs with no strike outs. The talent is clearly there but he needs to prove consistent.

Some intriguing prospects, none the less, but let's take a look on some players that can either make it or break it for the Rockies season:

Jason Marquis - A journey man pitcher who has had some nice years with the Cardinals and Cubs but never got passed the 3rd starter in the rotation. Looks like that's where he will slotted out this year which is fine considering we don't have much after Cookie and U-Ball. Apparently, his fast ball is sinking harder than the Titanic which would be a really nice surprised considering out Bull Pen is spotty yet again this year.

Ian Stewart - The kid can swing the bat. No doubt, but it's his defense that might merit him more playing time this year. As big as Stewart is, he can move like a short stop - big arm, quick feet, cat like instincts. The Rockies might have the most athletic infielders for their size in the league. Sure, Stewart is the future but Atkins is too consistent to bench and on a Holliday-less team, you can't afford to sit a player that has a .300+ career average and has averaged over 100 RBI's the past 4 seasons. Unless, Atkins gets traded than I see Stewart getting a number of reps at second as well.

Manny Corpas - Will he ever return to his magical '07 form? The guy went to lights out to syke out in the past year. He's just mentally not where he once was. His confidence is shot and acquiring Huston Street to be this years closer probably doesn't help him out either. The movements and velocity seems to still be there at times but he needs to prove he can stay consistent this season.

Huston Street - If his health was as consistent as his slider than he could be an All Star. He's got some filthy pitches and he has always had a low ERA but his only problem is whether the Rockies are riding him to finish games or if he is riding the pine while watching the Rockies finish games. Let's hope he can stay healthy because he would bring a much needed boost to the beatin' up bullpen.

Ryan Spilbourghs - It's time for Spilly to put down the jokes and put up some numbers. He's a good, athletic defender and a reliable hitter but I would like to see him take the next step in his hitting. Given some consistent time and a lack of true cleanup hitters, Spilly has the opportunity to break out and drive in some runs.

Clint Barmes - Much like Spilbourghs, Barmes is going to start and have a shot at proving why he deserves every day playing time. Clint isn't sexy but he's a damn good ballplayer. Very underrated defensive second baseman and a consistent hitter with a little bit of pop. Not gonna drive in 100 rune or jack 30 long balls but he can be a realiable 2-hole hitter and help out the guys who hit behind him. Clint was playing All Star caliber baseball before he got injured last year and he's going to need to revive that mentality if he doesn't want to split time with Stewart.

Brad Hawpe - What's Hawpe doing on this list? Well, he's not on this list because his playing time in in jeopardy, he's on this list because it could be a make it or break it season for Hawpe. He showed last year that he actually CAN hit against lefties and he finished the season really strong. So now with Holliday gone, he becomes the power bat in the lineup and our go to guy. I have never felt Helton or Atkins should be the 3-4 hitters and I hope Hawpe can break through because if he doesn't than our hitting might be really, really bad.

U-Ball - I think he will turn into our Ace by the end of the year. He's having a great offseason and looks to breakout. Want more? Click to the right where I already blogged about him :)

Thoughts going into the season:

The Rockies have a lot of young guys that are looking to prove themselves. The loss of Holliday hurts real bad but from the lead off to the 8th hole, the Rockies have guys that can swing the bat. Unfortunetly, their pitching is probably the worst in the division so another long season is ahead of us. Good thing Colorado has some warm summer nights in store at Coors because the wins column will be pretty cold. Let's hope I'm wrong.

By the Numbers

"With the 18th overall pick the Minnesota Timberwolves select..... Ty Lawson, guard out of the University of North Carolina. "

At first thought, I was a bit disappointed because I knew the Nugs had a really, really good shot of landing the former number 1 rated high school point guard in the nation but that all went out the door after Lawson got caught up in some trouble before last years draft. So, when the Wolves took him I thought they got really good value for the 18th pick because I think Lawson is the best overall, most NBA ready point in this draft. BUT, then ESPN announced that the Nuggets traded a future for the rights to Lawson.

Why do I like Lawson so much? Well, for one, it means Anthony "Stone Feet" Carter won't be on our team to get burned by guards half his age. But honestly, Lawson is efficient. As I looked at the numbers, I was a bit surprised that Lawson topped the list in every statistical category last year. He did play for the most potent offense but I didn’t expect him to look this good. He ranks first in a number of key categories, including overall FG% (52%), Points Per Possession [PPP](1.13), pull up jump shot FG% (47%), and %shots he was fouled on (16.1%). Though his teammates did a lot of scoring as well, Lawson functioned seamlessly as a complementary scorer. Looking past his efficiency as a shooter off the dribble, he was second in catch and shoot field goal percentage at 48%. From a purely statistical sense, no player scored more efficiently than Lawson. Not Griffin, not Harden, not Curry, not Hill, not Hansbrough, not anybody.

Again, EFFICIENT and that's all I'm looking for in a backup point gaurd. The Nuggets don't need a leader, a scorer, a game changer, an energy guy, an anything. They just need a guy who can come in and play smart, defensive oriented, efficient ball (Lawson lead the NCAA with a 3.48:1 assist to turnover ratio...). When your two games away from the finals, all you need to do it upgrade in the areas that you sucked in. Anthony Carter sucked and the Nuggets did just what they needed to do. All AC needed to do was come in, give Chauncey a break, NOT turn the ball over nor play stupid. But he couldn't do that so the Nuggets now brought in a guy who can.

Oh, and he can do things that AC simply just can't do. Exhibit A:

Vince McMahon

So it's been awhile since I have posted. My bad. I have been really busy with finals, summer hangovers, and a new job. But I'm back now and what a better way to kick off my first summer post with a "sport" blog about the WWE?

Here's the problem: The Pepsi Center originally booked a World Wrestling Entertainment "Monday Night Raw" event for Memorial Day, but with the Nuggets in the Western Conference finals, the Denver arena had to bump the wrestlers. The Nuggets and Lakers will play Game 4 of their series that night.

"I’m up the creek and I don’t have a paddle, either. I really don’t know what to do, " Vince McMahon said (chairman of WWE Entertainment). "We can’t reschedule the event. We can’t get out there as often as we would like for a television event, because we’re the second-largest traveling show in the world to Ringling Brothers. The amount of equipment we have is extraordinary." Wait. Hold on. Did he just say the Ringling Brothers?!? I honestly still didn't think they were around. I knew there were popular in the the 1920's when Charlie Chapman was headlining their shows but 2009?? Weird.

Here's McMahon's take on the whole situation.



A good business man can pronounce the name of the client his is doing business with...

A good business man settles disputes in a professional manner and doesn’t call out his business partner on live television while maucking his team...

A good business man doesn’t allow his employees to die on the job because he didn’t regulate what his employees were injecting into their bodies....

Kroenke screwed up. His fault but honestly, when you have a sold out show asking to play in your arena even though there is a chance that your basketball team might play on the same night - you take that risk! If the Lakers didn’t win or if they just didn’t take 7 games to beat the Rockets than Kroenke is looking at two back to back, sold out, national televised events at the Pepsi Center. Cha Ching! And hey, even though Kroenke messed up, McMahon said himself there will be two events that night so I guess Kroenke wins again. Plus, Kroenke owns the building and in Colorado anyone can dismiss anyone from a venue at any time (see tool, redrocks and Metallica, Fiddelers).

A good business man knows when to take calculated risks even though there is a chance of failure.....

Game... Blouses

So, it's been a while since there's been a Nugget update, but don't worry, I've been watching. The Nuggets beat New Orleans in a 4-1 rout, and now the Nuggets are in the midst of possibly sweeping the Dallas Mavericks. On saturday the Nuggs just flat out stole a win from the Mavs with Carmelo Anthony's game winning 3 pointer. Unfortunately the play will be mostly known for the controversial non-call that occurred prior to the greatest shot of 'Melo's Career. Regardless, the Nuggets are up 3-0 on the Mavs, and just need one more win to close the series out. 

So because I've been "gone," I will now reflect on how our beloved Nuggets are currently up three games on the Mavs.  First and foremost, I have to give my props to Nene. Before the series, I knew that Nene was going to have his official coming out party, and guess what, I was right. Nene, in the first two games scored a total of 49 points, going 24 in the first and 25 in the second. Dallas just doesn't have the physicality to compete with Nene. The only player on Dallas that has the size is Dampier, but the dude just can't move worth a lick. Nene's exposed this mainly on pick and rolls where he has slipped the pick, and gotten into the lane early. Dampier's bum knees haven't allowed him to keep up, and Nene has just abused the Mav's because of this. Nene has been the X-factor so far this series, and when he has played well, Dallas has had no answer. In the third game, Nene was frustrated early, and picked up a few fouls. Because of this, he never got into a rhythm, and the game was much closer than the prior two. Besides Nene's offense in game 3, his defense was flat out "Impregnable," as Mike Tyson would call it. Let's just say that Nene has been a beast all series long, and will continue to do so as long as these two teams face each other, which hopefully is only one more game. 

Now we must talk about the man of the hour; Carmelo Anthony. Melo's game winning 3 point shot in game three was unbelievable. First off, he was fouled just before he took the shot (was intentional by Dallas). Second, he was falling perpendicular to the bucket when he began his jumpshot. And last but not least, he made the frickin shot. Within the context that Melo hit that jumper is what made it so great. It wasn't just an ordinary three pointer. It was the shot that Denver needed to win a crucial playoff game in the second round. 'Melo just never fails to amaze me in crunch time. Hell, even "Mr. Big Shot" called 'Melo "Mr. Clutch," and that says something. 

Speaking of "Mr. Big Shot," he has been Denver's most valuable player so far in this offseason. Chauncey hasn't been as flashy as he was in the Hornets series, but the general has been leading his troops in every game he's played. One thing about Chauncey is that he just knows who to go to when Denver needs a bucket. With less than a minute to go in the game on saturday, and the Nuggets being down 3 points, Chauncey decided to give the ball to the struggling Nene. Of course, Chauncey made the correct decision, and Nene made a nifty layup to put the Nuggets within 1 point of the Mavs. Man, I recall many occurrences where the game was on the line, and Iverson decided that no one was more able to score than himslef. More times than not, Iverson was wrong. You could make infinite parallels with Iverson and Billups when discussing right vs. wrong. It's just remarkable that Chauncey is that far a superior player than Iverson. Without Billups, this team would be sitting on their sofas at this very moment. With him, the Nuggets are about to be in the western conference finals, and are considered to be playing the best ball in the country. Just ask Barkley who he thinks will win the title this year (Just google it). You'll be surprised.  

One of the main reasons that Denver is dominating this series is it's scoring in the paint. Denver has just destroyed Dallas in the paint in every game in this series. While Dallas can get hot with it's jumpers, Denver will always be consistent in their offense because they can get to the rack at any moment. Dallas lives, and will die with it's shooting. No team in the NBA can stay that hot throughout an entire NBA playoff game. Good teams have a blend of dominant scoring inside, and good shooting on the perimeter. Denver has both, and this is why they are being regarded so highly thus far in the postseason. 

Once again, Denver's bench has kept the team above all others. The Birdman changes the course of a game when he steps on the court. You just cannot entirely see the Birdman's value through the box score. The Birdman changes the energy, and the course of the game when he steps on the court. The paint is entirely shut down when Bird steps on the court. You come into that paint, and you step into the Bird's cage. The Bird will show no mercy, and you will not succeed. As for the rest of the bench, they have been superb. JR Smith is continuing his great play in the playoffs. One thing you can say about JR, is that he does not feel the pressure of a big time NBA game. The dude has no conscience. Anthony Carter has also been fantastic. While AC isn't our best scorer off the bench, he has surprisingly brought much needed points. AC will frustrate any fan with his erratic passes, but more times than not, he seems to make the right ones. When the Nuggets are rolling, AC is leading the fast break, and JR or Bird are flying on the wings and finishing at the hoop. The bench has been our biggest advantage thus far in the postseason. No other team can match Denver's bench production, and this is a big reason why we are 7-1 in the playoffs. 

So game 4 is on monday, and the Nuggets can close out Dallas with a win. Los Angeles is struggling against the Rockets, and the more Houston beats LA up, the better for the Nuggs. I look for Nene to come back strong, and I expect to bring out a broom shortly after (I'll find something to sweep) because the Nuggets are sweeping the Mavs.  

 

Up 2-0!

Wednesday night Carmelo Anthony surpassed one of his long bad streaks as an NBA player. He finally won more than one game in a playoff series. 'Melo played admirably, and did so in about every stat category. 'Melo had 22 points on 10 of 20 shooting, while hitting 2-5 three pointers, and had 9 assists. Cool stat of the night; 'Melo surpassed his playoff high assist mark at 5 in the first quarter! You know that you are playing well if you have pass you single game record in the first quarter. 'Melo hit his first jumper that he took, and from then on he couldn't be stopped. Shooting 50 percent by 'Melo is a very good mark for him, considering the high difficulty of shots that he takes on a regular basis. One other interesting stat; Melo didn't get to the free throw line once. Just for your information, 'Melo gets to the free throw line on average of about 4 times a game. So far he has only been there 3 times in two games, so you can see that while 'Melo hasn't been getting to the line, he has still been able to put up points at a good rate. This is a good sign for 'Melo. If he is able to knock down his jumpers at a 50 percent rate, he will open up the lane, and inevitably get layups or trips to the free throw line. Game 2 was a great game for 'Melo, and I expect this 'Melo to show up more times than not. When this happens, and other guys are knocking down shots, the Nuggets are just about unbeatable. 

But the guy that changed the game for the Nuggets was Dahntay Jones. Dude is just a pest, and he is really getting under the skin of the Hornets; especially Chris Paul. Paul is only shooting 40%, and is averaging an abysmal 4.5 turnovers a game. And not only is Dahntay playing well on the defensive side of the ball, but he is also putting up good numbers on the offensive end. In game 2 Dahntay put up 11 efficient points shooting 5-5 from the field. His production has really been valuable for the Nuggets in the first two games of the series. 

Kenyon Martin played like a stud once again. He held David West to 9 of 20 shooting, even though West sat much of the fourth quarter. I keep praying that West keeps shooting. Martin also forced West into 4 turnovers. Kenyon's defense on the pick and roll has been the most impressive for me though. Chris Paul just can't get into the paint, and when he does, Kenyon is there. The proclaimed X-factor by myself for this series has gone above and beyond my expectations. Kenyon has practically shut down the Hornets' two best players. Can't ask for anything more than that. Add to the fact that Kenyon is putting up points on the offensive end as well, and you have a force out there. 

And once again, Chauncey B-B-B- Billups came through. Mr. Big Shot is playing like a stud, and the Hornets have absolutely no answer for him. Chauncey had 31 points on 8 of 15 shooting, 4 threes on 6 shots, and hasn't missed a free throw all series; he is 19 for 19 in his FT attempts. The biggest asset that Chauncey has brought to the team in this series though is his leadership and veteran presence. I recalled a fast break last night where JR was open for a three. Billups looked at JR, looked at the clock, realized that they had the last shot of the quarter, and pulled it back. Years before, I'd expect Iverson to give JR that ball, and who knows, it might have gone in? The great thing about this though, is that even in the midst of an intense playoff game, Chauncey never losses his control of the game. Years before, that was the Nuggets' achilles heal; make bad decisions under pressure. But not anymore. Smooth is the new sheriff in town. K, I'm done with the nicknames now.

The bench as a whole played pretty good as usual, but not as good as game one. Luckily 'Melo showed up, and we didn't need the extra points. The thing that I love about this bench though, is that while they may not put up the greatest numbers all of the time, they change the facet of the game. The energy that exudes from The Birdman, AC, and JR is invaluable to the team. Birdman's dunk last night was just phenomenal. The Can just lit up, and the game shifted entirely in the Nuggets favor from that point. The Nuggets' bench is the largest advantage that the Nuggets have over the Hornets, and these first two games have proven so. 

So now the Nuggets took care of business at home court. I heard a great quote by George Karl saying that a series doesn't change until a team wins on the road. Well, it's the Nuggets' golden opportunity to put a stamp on this series in the next two games. I just ask for one win. One win in New Orleans and I'm a happy camper. Make it two in New Orleans, and I will bring out a broom and sweep for maybe the first time in my life, and have a hell of a time doing it in the process. 

Game 2 Preview

So I'm supposed to be writing a final paper that is due tomorrow, but F it. Some things are just a little more important ya know? Like... Let me think... Oh yeah, the Nuggets are playing tonight! Game 2. Hornets. Nuggets. Rocky. It's on!

So ever since the game on sunday night I have been looking at some of the press conferences given; particularly by the hornets. Apparently Byron Scott, the Hornets' head coach, was asked what he thought about the defensive pressure put on by Dahntay Jones and Kenyon Martin. He had plenty of praise for Kenyon Martin's job done on David West, and gave him all of the credit in the world. As for Dahntay Jones, Scott? "I don't give him no credit, not really." Wow, is all I have to say. I mean, I guess he praised Dahntay? It was a double negative after all, so maybe he does give him credit? No. I'm not so sure about his grammar, but I got his message. The funny thing here is that if Dahntay Jones isn't getting in his or Chris Paul's head, then why is he talking about him in the first place? Why would you even let a guy like Dahntay Jones amount to something in your press conference? So I would actually go out and say that Byron Scott did mean what he said; he actually did not give him NO credit. If you're confused, so am I. 

Aside from the grammar crap, I really think that Dahntay Jones got inside the Hornets' heads, and I love it. I will admit that I have really harped on Dahntay all year, and questioned why he even got the 4 minutes in each half that he did in the regular season, but he actually played really well. I knew that he could guard Chris Paul, but I didn't think that he could get away with some of the physicality that he used. If Chris Paul gets in the paint, I expect what Erick Dampier has said, and Dahntay to knock him on his ass. You can't let these point guards get in the paint at will, and not inflict some pain. So far the Nuggets have done that; especially Dahntay. 

Now, for what I said would be the X-factor in this playoff series; Kenyon Martin (You can see a few of his defensive possessions in the youtube clip that should be located right below this post). He was nothing short of phenomenal the entire game on the defensive end. David West looked flat out flustered and lost out there on the offensive end. In one of the opening possessions of the game, Kenyon Martin established himself. David West made a good move, beat Kenyon, and went up for a turnaround fade. Martin came down with the hammer on his wrists. A foul was called, but from that point on, David West feared Kenyon. We'll see tonight if it carries over. 

I absolutely can't wait to see this game tonight, and I just hope that the Nuggs can pull it off again. I've said this before, and I'll say it again; Melo will need to show up. If Melo puts up another performance like he did on sunday, the Nuggets could be in trouble. I do hope that Melo knows that he will not get easier shots unless he passes the ball. Let the game come to him, and I know Melo can score. 

Win or lose though, it will be a long night for your neighborhood scholarly blogger. 

' Til next time...

GIT IT!!

Game 1 Highlights

Check out these custom highlights of game 1 done on youtube. Very good stuff.  The format of this video doesn't fit the page, so just click on this link if it bugs you.