Week in Review - April 7-13, 2008

Well let’s see…

The Avalanche split overtime wins with Minnesota, the first being a SuperJoe Miracle, the second being a well-fought game that would have been a gift win, but it’s still heartbreaking to lose in overtime. The series returns this week to Pepsi Center, and you can bet the hockey-loving hordes of Denver are clamoring for the return of playoff hockey.

The Rockies took the previous week’s beatdowns and passed on the favor to the Atlanta Braves, making little girls of them and getting the 3-game sweep, with contest number four being relegated to a random June off-day due to the April snow-dump. They travelled to PHX, hoping to reverse the bad fortunes of the opening series, and got pretty handily spanked for two games before finally unloading on the tail end of the Diamondbacks rotation, making them 1-5 against the division rivals, getting outscored 43-23 in the six games (that despite a 13-run Sunday). September will tell whether this matters, or if it’s just true early season jitters. This week, the Rox head to 3-game sets in San Diego (more 2007 missed-playoff angst to deal with) and Houston (hello, Kaz Matsui), before coming home for a pair of obnoxious 2-game mini-series with Philly and the Cubbies.

The Nuggets made the playoffs, missed the playoffs, made them again, missed them again, before finally possibly maybe if everything falls right landing in the driver’s seat for the eighth playoff seed, which earns them the privilege of playing Kobe and the Lakers in the first round. Hello, early exit. Good-bye, George Karl. I’d say we hardly knew ye, but let’s be real. We knew ye.

The Broncos argued about whether Cutler is a leader or a prick. Even John Elway got into the discussion. Draft day’s a-comin’.

That’s ProSportsColorado week in review. Stay tuned as Ian will likely talk some more hockey as the week goes on (Game 3 tonight - don’t miss it!), Dan will regale us with tales of baseball prognostication unlike any other, and I will probably cry like a little girl if the Avs lose this series.

Just paint the ball orange, you’ll be fine.

From 9 News (Story Here)

It’s too bad they couldn’t play this one, the Braves have been good for the Rockies. Hopefully some confidence and momentum will carry out to PHX.

How rivalries are made

I woke this morning to radio saying “The Rockies greatest rivals, The Arizona DiamondBacks are in town”.  I don’t think us and Arizona are that just yet. (more…)

April Fools

It’s not often you get to see God play an April Fool’s joke on an entire city on national Specialty Cable Television.  But that’s exactly what He who controls the weather did to St. Louis yesterday.  (more…)

And the picture becomes clearer

I have come out my winter sabbatical once again to a glorious new spring, and as always will I inform the masses as to the nature of baseball and the Rockies chances therein.  The current image I will intend to clarity is the Roster.  I’ve almost got it figured out, which means Hurdle should have it in a month or two. (more…)

BOOYAH!!

Thats really all there is to say:

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7851274/Corpas,-Rockies-agree-to-4-year,-$8M-deal

WOOHOO

Pitchers and catchers reported yesterday. Baseball is BACK!

I’m not going to pay inflated prices to get to opening weekend. Instead, I might grab some rockpile tickets for me and the family for one of the braves games early in the following week. There’s giveaways ALL week…

That, and Fuentes got smacked down in his arbitration hearing. He had it coming.

well, THIS year oughta be interesting

So, Tulo signed the big-mama deal of the year. I guess the Monforts at least recognize that not locking up Tulo will cost them much more down the road. I think this is a great deal for the Rockies… especially being unable to get the Holliday extension right now. They’re playing for right now… at least the best they can. They can’t rent another overpaid superstar to put them over the top, but they recognize that they have a good core. I think Holliday is all but gone… I like his attitude, and he’s saying the right things to the media about wanting to stay and being willing to negotiate… but let’s be real. He’ll be 30 years old when this contract is up, and unless the Rockies want to lock another guy up into his late 30s, I just don’t see it happening. Only the Yankees pay 8 figures for a guy in his 36/37/38 year old seasons. I could be wrong on this… but it just feels like that’s what is going down.

So they’re playing for the next couple years. Tulo is the franchise guy moving forward, this deal makes that clear. Helton is reaching the end, and I think they want to make the best push they can before the pitchers arms start falling off, before Torrealba regresses to his own average, and before the rest of the infield goes away. They understand the value of pushing now… keeping the guys for a couple years and running.

See, I don’t mind this strategy. A lot of fans are already crying that Holliday will be lost - sign him to a 497 million dollar  16 year deal! is the battle cry… but I say fine. If he goes he goes. You can’t fight against NY or Boston or LA money. So try your best, and if it’s all about the coin for Matt, then fine. Let him go. I’ll say this: an early 30s power hitting left fielder is going to be way easier to replace than a 2nd year MVP quality franchise shortstop. Given the choice, I’d throw all the money at Tulo I could, just to make sure he’s the face of the Rockies for a long time.

So FUTURE contracts notwithstanding… THIS YEAR is going to be fun. The fans will be interested, people might actually go to mid-week games against the Pirates. The players will play with a confidence they’ve never had before. Will the city turn purple again for our boys of summer? I betting yes. They might not reach the promised land– but for a baseball fan, an exciting team that plays its guts out, has a strong following, and is in it to win it all the way to the bitter end… that IS the promised land. And I for one am glad to be a part of it.

T-minus 30 days until spring training

Where did the offseason go?  It seemed like just yesterday the Rockies where hanging it up on a great season and now the ides of March are quickly approaching.  In these times of mourning for the Broncos, intermitant frustration over the Nuggets and Aves, and vast respect for it seems like every minor league team in the state, I began wondering about how the Rockies were doing in there offseason.  I know, I know, this is pro-ball, what offseason? (more…)

The Long Awaited NL Champion Colorado Rockies Off-Season Preliminary Hot-Stove Report Vol. 1-A Abridged Version

Yes it’s finally here, ready and raring to distract you from the riggers of other Colorado professional sports.  What with the Avalanche and Nuggets sputtering along the Broncos fading ever so clumsily into the night, we could all use a distraction. (more…)