Rockies Week in Review (8/16-8/22)

What happened:

Another underwhelming road trip, as the Rockies went 2-4 for the week. The offense continued to make pedestrian starters look like all stars, striking out too much and leaving runners on base. They played 6 road games and scored 8 runs total.

What went right:

1. Eric Young Jr. and Dexter Fowler were consistently on base and disrupting opposing pitchers. E.Y. did a nice job of working the count and making good contact, and Dexter's situational hitting was outstanding. He moved E.Y. from 2nd to 3rd more than once by pushing the ball to the right side of the field, then took advantage of an RBI opportunity to drive in the winning run today against Arizona. They also both shined defensively, each with plays that appeared as 'Web gems.' If they can sustain their production, it should give the rest of the hitters plenty of chances to work out of their respective funks.

2. The starting pitching was mostly solid once again, leaving the Rockies with plenty of chances to win close, low-scoring games in Los Angeles and Arizona. Jorge De La Rosa was a tough luck loser when the team was shut out by Ted Lilly and Ubaldo Jimenez once again pitched well but could not get the required help to get his 18th win. Esmil Rogers ended up with a no decision after working a career high 6.2 innings and striking out a career high 6 batters on Friday night, and Jhoulys Chacin rounded out the week with a gem, pitching 8 shutout innings. If Chacin and Rogers can continue to eat up innings, they can be difference makers. Chacin especially can have an impact for a team needing a jolt; when he has his fastball command, he has devastating swing-and-miss stuff. Here's the game summary from Sunday's victory.

The Rockies will come home hoping to string together wins. 

What went wrong:

1. The Rockies continue to be pathetic on the road. Their record away from Coors Field now stands at 25-40. With only 16 road games remaining, they would have to run the table to finish above .500 on the road. We can still hold out hope for a big run, but it's hard to imagine a playoff team that plays below .500, and for that matter well below .500, in away games. The hitters strike out way too much in general, but especially on the road. See the 11 strikeouts against Ted Lilly, a good but not overpowering pitcher, or the 9 strikeouts recorded by Daniel Hudson, an unproven pitcher. Even Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki got in on the mediocrity, stranding Eric Young Jr. on 3rd with less than two outs twice in the same game Tuesday night.

2. Huston Street. It's now just a matter of trying to find different ways to say the same thing: he is in a bad place. In the heartbreaking loss Friday night, Street's inability to put hitters away was magnified. He had 2 strikes on every hitter, including Miguel Montero when he hit the game tying 2-run double. Street did record the save in today's victory, but it is hard to understand how a pitcher can continue to work ahead 0-2 and 1-2, placing all the pressure on the hitter, and still surrender crucial hits and walks. Going into Sunday's appearance, Street's ERA in August was 7.83. Jim Tracy insists Street will stay the closer.

What's next:

A 6 game homestand, with the Braves in town for 3 games followed by the Dodgers over the weekend. The stumbling offense faces tough tests early in the week, with Cy Young hopeful Tim Hudson going Monday and Derek Lowe Tuesday for Atlanta.

Division update: 

San Diego Padres - They continue to show they belong in first place. The Padres started the week with a 4 game sweep in Wrigley Field against the Cubs, and salvaged one game against the pesky Brewers to go 5-2 for the week. They will take their 6 game division lead home for 3 games against the Diamondbacks and an engaging weekend match-up with the Philadelphia Phillies.

San Francisco Giants - The Gigantes got bloodied up a bit this week, dropping road series against the Phillies and the Cardinals. They were able to mostly tread water, as they now sit 2 games back in the wild card, but the gap between them and the first place Padres looks more and more daunting by the day. Perhaps most concerning was the struggles of their rotation's big 3: Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, and Matt Cain went a combined 0-4. The Giants come home for a tough 3 game series against the first place Cincinnati Reds followed by 3 at home against the Diamondbacks.

For what it's worth, the Rockies sit 11 back of the Padres (it's about time to call that out of reach) and 7 back of the wild card leading Phillies.

Other thoughts...
...is Clint Barmes next? The Rockies have not waived the white flag (yet), but they certainly appear to be transitioning the focus to getting their younger players experience. With Jonathan Herrera taking the roster spot vacated by Randy Flores, it is worth watching whether the Rockies bring up another arm. Fans might have to suffer through more Franklin Morales adventures if the team falls any further out of contention, and with Barmes being a veteran guy who could help teams at SS and 2B, he would seem to be the natural fit to make space. It would also free up at-bats for both E.Y. Jr. and Herrera. Troy Renck points to the Cardinals and Braves as teams that would be a fit. @TroyRenck: As I write in blog, teams like Braves and Cards waiting for Barmes to be placed on waivers. He could get claimed and traded. No doubt


...it will be a lot easier to cheer for Brad Hawpe if he lands somewhere like the Texas Rangers. It's a team with fun personalities, including Clint Hurdle as the hitting coach. Also, they are far away from any conflict of interest for Rockies fans. The idea of Hawpe on the Phillies or Giants is hard to stomach. Maybe the Padres would be OK...

...if the Rockies are going to make another Rocktober type run, it will be riding the momentum of Jason Giambi's mustache. That is a professional 'stache. If I was his teammate, I would be inspired.

...no more tantrums? It's hard to get a read on Lou Piniella's status, as he says he is now retired after the Cubs got blown up 16-5 by the Atlanta Braves. It feels a bit like he's not necessarily done for good and is just running out of a burning building, but I have no evidence to back that theory. Regardless, enjoy this shot of a classic ejection in honor of Lou.

Farewell, Randy Flores. You won't be missed.

The week's links
http://www.denverpost.com/paige/ci_15782965?source=rss
http://www.denverpost.com/rockies/ci_15854094
http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=col
http://twitter.com/EYJr

Thursday Tidbits 8/19/10

A Quote

Recently, LeBron James said he was taking note of anybody who "took shots at him." As it often happens, Charles Barkley said what it seems a lot of people were thinking (quoted here in the Huffington Post):

"I want him to make sure he puts my name on that list. I thought that his little one hour special was a punk move."

Charles also called the WWE-esque introduction of the Miami Heat's big three a "punk move." This is refreshing because others who covered this saga, especially ESPN, have not been straight-forward with their criticism of LeBron. They will happily acknowledge that the one hour special "The Decision" was not the best way to handle things, but they will not call it what it is: a punk move. It seems to me that they don't want to be that blunt with their comments because they have a stake in James. He is constantly going to be the story, so they want to play nice so that he does not shut them out later.

It's the same reason they tiptoe when they criticize Tiger Woods or Brett Favre. It's not that they say only positive things about these figures; however, they leave themselves a significant buffer by using blanket statements and vague criticisms. So hat's off to Sir Charles. He may step in it now and then with his mouth, but he got this one right.

A Video

Eric Young Jr. made a sweet play Wednesday night, and showed us the excitement that he can bring with his athleticism and speed. The time may be coming soon where we watch the Rockies for these flashes from the organization's young players, as the playoffs look all but out of reach. Check out E.Y.'s play here: Behind the back.

A Photo

Oh, Roger. Mr. Clemens was indicted for allegedly lying to Congress when he testified in 2008. But he seemed so sincere when he said, "Let me be clear. I have never taken steroids or HGH." He had to be telling the truth, right? Regardless of the outcome, he's a slimy guy and now we all see him as such. Here's a fitting picture of Clemens, courtesy of SI.com. Also, here is their full Clemens story.

A Tweet

Courtesy of the Dan Patrick show: @dpshow: Which do you believe was a last minute decision...LeBron choosing to take his talents to Miami or Favre taking his cargo shorts to Minnesota

If you want intelligent talk from guys who always remember that sports are supposed to be fun, tune into the DP show. They're the best show going.

A welcome change from Coach McDaniels

As the cries to fire Josh McDaniels added up last year, one of the big criticisms was that he was trying to be Bill Belichick Jr. These observations were valid ones; presumably Josh had seen Bill Belichick's methods work in New England, and tried to bring all of it with him. As Broncos fans, we should be happy to see some of these similarities.

While the results have not come yet, we should be happy that McDaniels looks for "system" players, who have good attitudes and play for the team first. Tom Brady and a bunch of no-names won three rings, and meanwhile the Cowboys are always entertaining but have no recent results to show for it. As hard as it was to stomach at times, McDaniels has been very consistent in showing that no player is bigger than the team, and if one thinks he's bigger than the team, he's gone. Not everybody agrees, but to many analysts, coaches, etc, that is the way to win in today's NFL. Hopefully McDaniels finds some success with those methods that he learned in New England.

It's all the other Belichick stuff that needed to go. It was the secrecy of injuries, simply listing a player as out with a "lower extremity" or "upper extremity" injury. It was all the short, curt "I don't know" or "I can't comment on that situation" answers. It was interrupting reporters, talking to them like they were stupid, and guarding every last bit of information to seemingly not give anything away to other teams. That was how he truly alienated himself from fans and reporters. Bill Belichick gets a pass for being a jerk because he's a "genius" and he's just kind of quirky. Nobody else is going to get that pass, and it was extra frustrating from McDaniels because you got the sense it wasn't who he really is. One example of this was his interview after a Brandon Marshall dust-up last training camp. He blitzes reporters with "I don't know" answers, and even says to one, "even if I did (know), I wouldn't tell you." McDaniels interview 8/2/09.

Now McDaniels seems to be showing some of his own, genuine personality. It is a welcome change, and he may prove to be an engaging coach when he's himself. We saw somewhat of a transition out of the Belichick Jr. behavior when he celebrated a victory over the Patriots last season by pumping his fist up and down the sidelines and high-fiving fans. As training camp continues this year, McDaniels is much more open and candid, and in doing so, he is not completely shutting out reporters and fans. In this interview after yesterday's practice, he explained that special teams coverage would be a point of emphasis in the coming practices because of the over pursuit in the Bengals preseason game. He then went through the wide receivers, referring to each by name, and said what they do best. McDaniels described Jabar Gaffney as crisp and efficient, Brandon Lloyd as smoothe and sneaky fast (if you say so, Josh) and Eddie Royal as great in the slot and quick. What is perhaps the most noteworthy is that he has ditched the "what a stupid question" tone in his answers.

To compare, Bill Belichick gave this interview after a recent Patriots practice. To be fair, he is much more friendly with the local media than he is national reporters in interviews we see on ESPN during the season. But the answers are still blanket answers that make the reporter look stupid for asking in the first place. When asked about an emphasis in practice, Belichick cut off the reporter and said "Just trying to get better. Every phase of the game." He later answered a question about Wes Welker, who is coming off a very serious knee injury, by simply saying "Wes is here. Yep. Wes is here."

There are those of us who have always been on the Josh McDaniels bandwagon. For others, there have been a number of reasons to shout, join facebook groups or create websites about why McDaniels should be shown the door. Whether those fans are right that McDaniels is a bad coach remains to be seen (one season isn't enough. Sorry). Regardless of where you stand on McDaniels with x's and o's, we should all find his departure from the Bill Belichick persona refreshing. Now he just needs to lose that hoodie.

Please just trade him

Here's hoping the Nuggets don't let themselves get jerked around by Carmelo Anthony like the Raptors and Cavaliers just did by Chris Bosh and Lebron James. The Cavs were especially naive in thinking that one great season with a run at the title would persuade Lebron to stay. He clearly was going to take his talents to South Beach all along. If Carmelo does not sign his extension, and if he starts giving the same elusive answers we saw from the free agents of this past summer, he's gone. He's an east coast boy and it appears he has always wanted to move closer to home. If he plays out this last season in Denver before his free agency summer, it does not matter how far the Nuggets go; he will leave. And by the way, this Nuggets team is not going anywhere. Al Harrington doesn't answer any questions unless you're asking "who else can we get who shoots first and worries about defense and rebounding later (or never)?"

None of us should be fooled by Carmelo's half answers. These guys are PR saavy enough to know that they cannot say outright "I'm leaving." Anything short of 'Melo signing his extension and saying "I'm a Nugget for life" means he's gone, sooner or later. So please, make it sooner and get something for him.

Favre Watch!

Not. He's back. Whatever.

Links to good reads around the Web

1. Don't be fooled by Ric Bucher. He may have "confirmed" the rumblings about Carmelo Anthony, but Chris Dempsey had the story first for the Denver Post: http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_15790008

2. Mark Kiszla on how the Nuggets should approach the 'Melo situation: http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_15800179

3. Dave Krieger with another Carmelo take (hey, it's the news in CO right now): http://www.denverpost.com/krieger/ci_15810611

4. Tom Verducci says that Josh Hamilton is the best all-around player...since Mickey Mantle (!): http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/tom_verducci/08/17/josh.hamilton/index.html

5. Jeff Passan from Yahoo! on concussions: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AqpoSN2MIVcRiVq_8hyQnZ45nYcB?slug=jp-concussions081710

Rockies Week in Review (8/9-8/15)

What happened:

The offense continued to disappoint on the road, and the team had to scratch out a series win against the Brewers at home for a 3-3 mark on the week.

What went right:

1. Starting Pitching. It was not by any means dominant, but the starters kept the Rockies in every game. Of their three losses, two were by one run and the other was a 4-0 shutout at the hands of a brilliant Johan Santana. Jim Tracy recently pointed to the starting staff as a part of the team that must be more consistent (article by Jim Armstrong in the Denver Post), but if their job is to give the team a chance to win, they were solid for the week that just passed. Their efforts were book-ended by two brilliant outings from Ubaldo Jimenez. Sadly, neither start got him a franchise record 18th win.

2. Tulo. For the second week in a row, Tulo raked from the clean-up spot and continued to thrive batting behind CarGo. One could argue that he single-handedly salvaged the week for the club; his 3-run home run in the 8th inning off Kameron Loe on Friday night was the difference in a 5-4 victory, and he had a walk-off single to bail out Clint Barmes and Huston Street on Sunday (more on this later).

3. Rafael Betancourt and Matt Belisle. The duo of set-up men combined for 0 earned runs for the week, all in high pressure appearances. Belisle's only run was unearned, and Betancourt worked a scoreless week. Betancourt came up especially big on Sunday, striking out Ryan Braun with men on the corners to end a disastrous top of the 9th and set up Tulo's walk-off single.

What went wrong:

1. Huston Street. Again. His command issues continue, and he has become a real question mark as time continues to run out on the Rox. He was the losing pitcher in the 10 inning loss to the Brewers, and was a train wreck again on Sunday. To run down the series of events: Dexter Fowler robbed Chris Dickerson of a home run to lead off the inning with a loud out. Huston then had 2 outs and a 1-2 count on George Kottaras (.195 BA) and surrendered a single. With 2 strikes on former Sky Sox great Craig Counsell, he issued a walk. With 2 strikes on Ricky Weeks, he hit him. Street appeared to be out of the inning when Clint Barmes inexplicably missed a fly ball. But the point is this: with all of those 2 strike counts, they should never have been in that position in the first place. He has no command and cannot put away hitters. It's easy to say the Rockies need to make a change at closer; it's a lot harder to say who, because seemingly everybody tried to close games and failed when Street was on the DL.

2. Road offense: Mike Pelfrey had allowed 5 runs in consecutive starts and was almost pulled from the Mets rotation before his start against the Rockies Tuesday night. He outdueled Ubaldo and threw 7 shut-out innings. Johan Santana had a filthy change-up on Thursday afternoon, so it's harder to be critical of that hapless offensive effort. However, the Rockies scored 6 runs the entire Mets series, all in two innings Wednesday night. That is, quite frankly, pathetic.

3. Seth Smith. He is hitless in August, so this is more an observation of his month than this week alone. His struggles against left handed pitching are becoming more glaring, and his lack of production has led to a series of starts for Ryan Spilborghs and even one in left field for Eric Young, Jr.

What's next:

The Rockies head west to play three at the Dodgers, a thought that should make any fan cringe since they seemingly never score when they play at Chavez Ravine. They then travel to Arizona to play 3 at the Diamondbacks. At this point in this season, they must win both series to stay relevant.

Division update:

San Diego Padres - Their torrid play continued, as they swept the Pirates and took 2 of 3 at the Giants. Remember how huge it was for the Rockies that all 5 starters finished with 10 wins or more a year ago? The Padres are mirroring that success, with Kevin Correia winning his 10th and Wade LeBlanc sitting at a somewhat misleading 7-10 (3.46 ERA) and still having a realistic chance at 10. The Fathers play 4 at the Cubs (already won the opener) followed by 3 at the Brewers. They are 4 games up in the division and have a chance to run and hide this week.

San Francisco Giants - They took 3 of 4 from the Cubs and dropped 2 of 3 to the Padres, leaving them 4-3 on their homestand. Maybe Jonathan Sanchez should keep his mouth shut next time. His smack talking ("...we're going to beat them three times. If we get first place, we're not going to look back") did not appear to provide any kind of spark for the Giants, and the Padres continued to quietly win games and play good baseball. The Giants were active in acquiring help for the stretch run as they added middle infielder Mike Fontenot and troublesome slugger Jose Guillen. The Gigantes head out on a brutal road trip this week, playing 3 at Philadelphia and 3 at the Cardinals. They are currently in a 3 way jostle for the wild card with the Phillies and Cardinals, so their games this week are huge.

The Rockies sit a staggering 9 games back of the Padres in the division and 5 back of the bunch at the top of the wild card standings.

Other thoughts...
...what about Jonathan Herrera? Eric Young Jr. is going to get a long look as lead-off hitter to try and spark the offense as the team embarks on its road trip. Clearly the difference here is E.Y.'s game-changing, electric speed. But Jonny still seems to have been slighted, as he was a consistent contact hitter on a team that continues to strike out too much.

...for now, the roles of the Rockies catchers need to be reversed. Miguel Olivo, to a fan's eye, looks so uncomfortable at the plate that it's uncomfortable to watch. Iannetta, for now, is a steadier presence who works longer at-bats, and he came up with two situational RBI's this week: a sacrifice fly on Wednesday night and a hard groundball on Saturday night. We aren't going to pretend those are season changing moments, but they are the kind of situational at-bats this team needs if they're going to score more runs on the road.

...it will be sad to see Brad Hawpe go, but it's time. The Rockies placed him on waivers, where he will presumably go unclaimed. Whether they work a trade for him now or buy him out in the offseason (rather than pick up his $10 million club option), he seems to be on his way out. Fans who remember his heroics during Rocktober and at stretches last year cannot help but feel an attachment to Hawpe. But 7 home runs and 37 RBI's from a guy who plays power positions won't cut it.

...tune into Clemson football this year. The Rockies agreed to terms with Kyle Parker, the Clemson QB, who will still play for the Tigers this season. So watch to cheer for his success and for an injury-free season. The terms of the contract do protect the Rockies if he injures himself playing football. Parker is not considered a "can't miss" prospect, but he may be able to bring some much needed power in the years to come. They drafted him in the first round for a reason...right?

The week's links
http://www.denverpost.com/rockies?source=nav_ins_sports
http://clemsontigers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/clem-m-footbl-body.html
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/col/schedule
http://twitter.com/TracyRingolsby
http://www.insidetherockies.com/category/write-em-cowboy/

Thursday Tidbits 8/12/10

A Quote

Brandon Marshall announced that he will pursue an NBA career if there is an NFL lockout one year from now. His first choice would be the Denver Nuggets, and his second choice would be the Miami Heat. Here is the quote, as seen in an ESPN.com article:
                
"I'm going to be on an NBA team. Seriously...My first team will be the (Denver) Nuggets and my second team will be the (Miami) Heat. There's not going to be any football. If there's a lockout, I have to find a job. I figure the Nuggets will be a better choice because of the welcome home cheer I'll get -- a couple boos at first. I'm gonna get with a basketball coach and get to work, prepare for the lockout."

No matter how "serious" Marshall is, here's guessing that he won't be able to just hand pick his NBA team, be a starter, and get paid (really out on the limb with that one). As for him playing for the Nuggets? If he'll actually rebound and play defense, they might want to consider it. Otherwise he'll take his talents to South Beach (whether they want him or not, apparently).

A Video

Melvin Mora shocked the world (or at least Rockies fans) by popping a hanging slider into the left field seats for a game-saving grand slam on Wednesday night. Although the stats tell us we shouldn't have been that surprised; Mora is by far the most productive Rockie with the bases loaded this year, notching 14 RBI's in 6 bases loaded at bats.

Follow the link here to watch the video on the Rockies site. Melvin Mora grand slam.

A Photo

Broncos' veterans have set a new standard when it comes to creativity in rookie hazing. The friar/halo haircut on Tim Tebow was hilarious (dubbed a "hair-lo" by Dan Patrick). Timbo, continuing to seem too good to be true, said it was just a "really fun," "team-building," "chemistry exercise." Either the guy never ever slips, or he is actually the prince he makes himself out to be. Consider me on the Tim Tebow bandwagon now; he's an easy guy to cheer for, and we will all love him when he's picking up that elusive 3rd and 1 for the orange and blue this season.

Check out a photo of the cut here:  Tim Tebow hazing.

A Tweet

@Troy Renck: They already had him in one Glendon Rusch RT @mark_rinehart: Would the club consider signing Kenny Powers for the stretch run?


Ask a Twitter saavy friend if you don't understand the format. Ask any Rockies or Cubs fan if you don't understand why the Glendon Rusch reference is hilarious. 

A Couple "Are you Kidding me???" Moments

1. Omar Quintanilla tested positive for performance enhancing drugs? Huh? Little Omar Quintanilla? The jokes are endless, but ultimately it's just kind of sad that he was a journeyman infielder with no offensive pop, and this likely will be the last we hear from him, good or bad.

Omar provided this statement for the Denver Post.

2. This last one is a doozy, especially for any Cheyenne Mountain grads out there. I'm not one to throw anybody under the bus directly. However, I am more than happy to do it indirectly. So all I will say is follow this link. Hopefully it's the only TMZ link that ever appears on Warning Track Power.

Tiger can't have it both ways

When Tiger Woods told reporters that he was not surprised at how poorly he performed over the weekend at the Bridgestone Invitational, they wanted to then know about his mind set. He offered a simple explanation: "It's been a long year." Without making it more than it is, we can safely interpret that to be an allusion to more than his inconsistent golf game. 

Tiger Woods is always going to be the story, and he knows that. On Golf.com, there is a tab dedicated to "Tiger Woods News." The problem is he still wants everything on his terms. When he first returned to Augusta in April, he could not emphasize enough how anxious he was to compete again, how good it felt to be out there again, and he was sure to shift all of the attention to golf itself. No outside factors, and as little an acknowledgment of his personal life's relevance to his game as he could muster. It was just about golf. He included the other players in that sentiment as well, saying he hoped, "the players can be left alone to focus on the Masters, not only this week, but going forward as well." But now that he has played to his worst career finish, he is more than willing to make it bigger than the game itself. Which is it?

He interrupts reporters and acts annoyed. He makes excuses, having blamed his equipment (switched putters for the Open Championship), his caddy (after the U.S. Open), and now his personal life. To be fair, he has taken ownership of his off-the-course behavior by saying he let fans and his family down. However, he did not learn the most important lesson from the whole ordeal: he cannot have complete control. 

Whether in regards to just his golf game or other issues, Tiger can't change how he's covered or how he's perceived by making demands. He can do it by consistently being accountable and changing his behavior. 

Shame on Brandon Phillips

His comments about his hatred for the Cardinals laid the ground work for one of the uglier brawls in recent memory. The visual of the fans leaning back in their seats because the players were smashed up against the backstop netting should make anybody who remembers Ron Artest and the 'Malice at the Palace' squirm. Clearly this was not as serious, but an unruly Reds fan absolutely could have punched a Cardinal player in the head (or worse). We should not pretend that's such a reach. 

There is gamesmanship and there is trash talk. Phillips' comments were centered around the "moaning and complaining" of the Cardinals, an allusion to Tony LaRussa accusing the Reds of doctoring slick baseballs and then having the umpires check Bronson Arroyo's cap for a sticky substance. That is gamesmanship, and it happens in baseball. Phillips could have responded with some real trash talk, and any Reds fan would likely have been happy to have somebody call out the Cardinals coaches. But let's be clear: to repeatedly say "I hate them" makes him sound like a 7 year old, and to call them all "b*tches" is "trash talk" more suited for a high school locker room. Read his full comments here. 

Many reporters and sports talking heads think that baseball needs this kind of rivalry: one where the teams truly hate each other, because it makes for great drama. There is no denying the excitement and great moments that can come from a true rivalry. Just not like this. 

The 'Big Shamrock' comes through again

Who else is excited for Shaquille O'Neal to be a commentator after his career is over? Shaq himself alluded to his future career in talk radio after announcing his new nickname: "The Big Shamrock." Add that to the list of great self-given nicknames for the Diesel. Pair him with a fairly centered personality, like TNT has done with Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, and it should be great entertainment. In the mean time, who knows how much he's got left in the (large) tank? One thing is for certain. The Celtics have two stand-outs on the 'all cheeseburger team' with him and Glen 'Big Baby' Davis. 

Links to good reads around the Web

1. Patting myself on the back for this one: http://www.denverpost.com/rockies/ci_15725606

2. Broncos Training Camp postcard: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/don_banks/08/10/broncos.postcard/index.html?eref=sihp

3. A closer look at the Silva v. Sonnen battle from UFC 117: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/josh_gross/08/10/ufc.117.notes/index.html?eref=sihp

4. Rick Reilly checks in from the World Sauna Championships: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=5451867

5. Thoughts on the Ole' Miss signing of Jeremiah Masoli: http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/NCAA-investigations-border-on-hypocrisy

Rockies Week in Review (8/2-8/8)

It was a frustrating week in a frustrating season, with the two teams ahead of the Rockies in the division and wild card standings playing mediocre baseball and the team failing to take advantage of a 4 game series with the lowly Pirates.

What happened: 

The Rockies went 3-3, splitting a two game series with the Giants at home and a four game series with the Pirates in Pittsburgh. The game that stuck out was the heartbreaking extra inning loss to the Pirates when Huston Street surrendered a 3-run walk-off blast to Pedro Alvarez. Read Troy Renck's recap of the game here.

What went right: 

1. Carlos Gonzalez will make a strong push for back-to-back NL Player of the Week honors. He batted .423 with 4 home runs and 8 RBI's. He currently sits as the National League leader in batting average and has surged into the conversation for MVP. 

2. Troy Tulowitzki continued his success since returning from the disabled list, going 9-17 with 4 RBI's in the Pittsburgh series. He and CarGo make for a formidable 3-4 combo in the middle of the order, and the two need to continue producing in bunches if the Rocks are to make a run. Also, his mullet is in fine form and was on display last month in Colorado Springs. 

3. Todd Helton. So far so good. First of all, it is great to have his glove at first once again. At least to the fan's eye, his swing does not look nearly as helpless and he is clogging up the bases in front of the boppers (we'll call that a good thing, for now). His home run Saturday night felt like another "don't bury us yet" moment, circa Rocktober 2007. Sadly, it got away...

What went wrong:

1. Continued inconsistent starting pitching left the team in holes in the opener of the Giants series when Aaron Cook was chased after just 3 innings and in the opening game of the Pirates series when Jeff Francis couldn't get through 6 innings and allowed 5 runs. Jorge De La Rosa could not get out of his own way on Saturday, losing command in the 5th inning, throwing well over 100 pitches and ultimately giving up an authoritative home run to Chris Snyder. Cook's continued inability to get outs forced Jim Tracy to pull him from the rotation and he landed on the disabled list (Jim Armstrong - 'All Things Rockies'). 

2. Huston Street. He ended last week by giving up 3 runs to the Cubs in what should have been mop-up duty. That outing could have ended in true disaster had Dexter Fowler not made a catch leaping into the wall to rob Alfonso Soriano. Street then gave up the gut wrenching home run to Alavarez on Saturday. Even with a converted save Friday night, he is leaving everything up in the zone and his pitch selection has left many baffled. Renck tweeted, "My concern with Street is that it seems that he has lost confidence in his fastball at times. You can't be on a changeup to Alavarez. He shook off FB (fastball)." In a snarky moment, Tracy Ringolsby said, "Your closer thinks he's Trevor Hoffman and throws a change-up, and it costs you a game." 

3. Miguel Olivo. He is slumping badly, including a stretch this week where he struck out in 7 of 8 at-bats. His inability to smother a Joe Beimel 3rd strike also cost the team a run in Saturday's game. 

What's next: 

3 game series at the nose-diving New York Mets, followed by 3 at home with the Brewers. Both teams are beatable, and the weekend series with the Brew Crew is especially important because the Giants and Padres will be playing each other. It would take a lot of the pressure off if they beat the Mets Tuesday and Wednesday, as Johan Santana will go in Thursday's matinee. 

Divison update:

San Diego Padres - they split a 4 game series with the Dodgers and dropped 2 out of 3 games at the Diamondbacks. This week they host the Pirates for 3 games and then travel to San Francisco for a 3 game weekend series. 

San Francisco - the Gigantes split 2 games with the Rox, then dropped 3 out of 4 to Atlanta. This week they'll enjoy a 7 game homestand, hosting the Cubs for 4 games and then the Fathers over the weekend. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers seem like a sinking ship - sadly for Rockies fans, they are in about the same place in the standings. They enter the week 7 back of the Padres and 5 back of the Giants. This week they have a brutal east coast swing, playing at the Phillies and then at the Braves. 

The Rocks sit 6.5 back of the Padres and 4.5 back of the Giants in the wild card. 

Other thoughts...

...The Rockies continued an annoying trend in Colorado sports - losing to bad teams. Anybody else remember the Nuggets going 1-3 against the Sacramento Kings and scratching and clawing against the likes of the Timberwolves and Grizzlies? How about the Broncos needing to beat the lowly Chiefs at home to make the playoffs in week 17, only to give up nearly 300 yards rushing and lose? Besides losing the season series to the Pirates, the Rockies dropped home series to the Astros and Diamondbacks earlier this year. 

...No disrespect to Melvin Mora, but Ian Stewart brings too much pop to be a platoon player. He is streaky, and his seemingly endless strings of strike-outs can be maddening, but it is still enticing to think what he could bring if he had a chance to play every day and become more consistent. He is also a wiz defensively. If the Rockies are going to make one of their patented second half runs, Stewart has to be in the middle of things. Talking about Stewart's tying 3-run home run, Ringolsby said he "has the most raw power on the team."

...When Mora does play, can he please, please, please not bat 5th? He is a great veteran who grinds out at-bats, but he does not produce nearly enough to justify batting in the middle of the order. Jim Tracy deserves the benefit of the doubt, but here's hoping Mora is batting 7th next time he starts. 

...What's up with Torii Hunter? He is always said to be a universally liked player, as well as a class act and a fixture on the "all-interview team," but he has found himself in a surprising amount of controversy this year. In the Spring, he made an edgy comment about Latin players being willing to play for a "bag of chips," and his eruption this week cost him a 4 game suspension. 

...Everybody please plan ahead accordingly. Friday night is 'Mustache Night' at Coors Field, sponsored by Jason Giambi and Ryan Spilborghs. There is going to be professional facial salad on display. 

The week's links:

Must read on Rockies trio of stars: http://www.denverpost.com/rockies/ci_15706882

http://twitter.com/TroyRenck

http://twitter.com/DFowler24

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/teams/colorado-rockies/index.html

http://www.purplerow.com/

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/standings;_ylt=Arvd_eO99tuh0dPGIojjfTARvLYF