In the final installment from this week’s podcast series, we finally get to talk baseball! Spring training is underway, and the Rockies have made some bold moves to sign and extend their core players, and to bring in a couple players to fill some holes. We talk about the Tulo and CarGo signings, and then discuss the new players. We end up with a quick-fire prediction round – what’s YOUR prediction for the Rockies season? Stay tuned for a more in-depth Rockies podcast next week.

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Troy Tulowitzki strikes out with vigor in his first return to the plate since suffering a broken wrist in June

In order to understand the Colorado Rockies you need to have been there in 2007 when Todd Helton and Troy Tulowitzki willed their team to the playoffs.

To really get the depth of suffering in Colorado baseballand you will have waded through an abysmal 2008.  You would remember watching, helpless, as every dependable player from that magical ’07 run declined, even the ones that went to other teams (Fogg, Taveras & Matsui.)

You will have stared blankly at a post-All Star Break club that has sucked in every conceivable way that a baseball team can suck, rolled snake-eyes in every conceivable situation that requires luck, and lost eight straight games, alternately in gut-wrenching blowout fashion and then with fist-pounding inadequacy in close contests.

And the only reason you believe that there is a ghost of a chance that the Rockies can make up 9 games in their remaining 55 is that you saw them charge back in two of the last three seasons after everybody, including you, had written them off as well done… cooked.

But you will have also watched this Colorado team repeatedly threatened with its postseason life in the last week respond by committing a litany of mistakes; from formerly dependable starters to typically shutdown fielders to otherwise intelligent management.

And you will believe again, as I do, that the Rockies’ season is finished before its time.

Oddly, though, it would seem that this team thrives on its own dysfunctional countenance.

The Rockies are deeply, characteristically humanistic in their approach to baseball.  Even by comparison to similarly streaky teams.

What I mean here is that the Rockies feel like they’re on an epic losing streak right now, and it shows in every movement, every anxious swing.  Each driving hit straight into a defender’s glove seems scripted by the very demeanor of the club, and the only way out is an equal, opposite and, yea, inevitable resurgence in the opposite direction.

The Colorado Rockies are a team of players whose most defining attribute is their inherently natural approach to the game.  Brad Hawpe, Carlos Gonzalez, Ubaldo Jimenez and Troy Tulowitzki, the Rockies’ youth core, are very simply a band of gifted naturals.

Hawpe has one of the most beautiful swings ever created by the baseball gods, but struggles mightily to control its intricacies.

Gonzalez is so intensely gifted at finding ways to drive a baseball thrown anywhere near the strike zone that he dooms himself to low-percentage, awkward swings in high-pressure situations.

Jimenez didn’t start playing baseball until his teens, and his otherworldly physical talents still seem underdeveloped at times.  His incapability to cope with a mechanical glitch, in fact his tendency to exaggerate the motion that is blowing his pitches off-course, is sophomoric by comparison to his level of experience in the major leagues.

And poor Troy Tulowitzki had gotten it all figured out after two years of struggle when a brush-back pitch broke his wrist in mid-June.

Before that injury, Tulo had finally found a way to harness his obvious natural skills, to take advantage of his de-facto confidence, and to do so while still allowing the game to come to him.  In his two games back, Troy has been wound so tight trying to make plays that he has committed a fielding error and a major base-running gaffe, and frustratingly driven the ball hard straight at opposing fielders.  (He has also struck out dramatically– see picture above.)

But where they Rockies have a tendency to perpetuate their own bad fortunes, they are also capable of waking into a flurry of ferocious winning at any time.

Those ’07 & ’09 teams needed catalysts in the form of an emotional game-winning home run by Helton for the former and an intensely personal managerial change for the latter.

The Rockies’ front office has very publicly pursued not just good, natural baseball players, but also good, natural human beings.  We’re talking good people here, with strong morals and well-developed character.  The result has been a team that moves as one through the season, sometimes slipping into a self-perpetuated depression, and sometimes rising to unbelievable heights of excellence.

The Colorado Rockies are a family unit with well-defined roles, desire and passion throughout.  Their collectivism is their greatest strength and most damning weakness.

So even if I have to believe, statistically… rationally, that the Rockies are done in 2010, there is still a chance for resurrection.  And even if the ’10 Rocks don’t make it rain, the ’11 Rocks look mighty potent given a healthy pitching staff.

Even as we give up on the boys in purple pinstripes, they are yet a dynamic ball club full of potential for greatness.  Even if the season fades to an untimely black, it is still good to be a baseball fan in Colorado.

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In this 2010 MLB season, one is at a loss when trying to analyze and explain the Colorado Rockies.

Sitting at 20-21 and 4 games back in the highly competitive NL West (the Padres, Dodgers and Giants all are within 1.5 games of one another), the Rockies can find some small consolation in knowing the bulk of their home games and divisional schedule remain. But the season is a quarter of the way through and time is running out for this team to find its identity.

Listing and repeating the numerous paradoxical offensive and pitching statistics at this point would be redundant.

Behind an offense that has shown a propensity for front-running, games have become fairly simple affair.

If the starting pitching is solid and the Rockies can find an early lead, they win. If the starters struggle or the defense shaky, the Rockies offense is incapable of coming from behind from even the smallest margins, if they are even allowed the opportunity by the bullpen to attempt a comeback.

Saberticians are of no use in trying to diagnose the woes of this ballclub, for the solution lays not within lineup juggling, bullpen matchups or stats about who has a higher 2-out basehit percentage, but with the fundamental premise of playing as team.

Night after night, the Rockies players look singular… un-unified and even robotic at times.

Though the game of baseball is based on individual matchups, the juggling of the lineup has clearly led to a lack of understanding of player’s roles within the offense. Carlos Gonzales, the team’s best offensive player at this point, has hit leadoff, 3^rd and 5^th, sometimes all within a week. The lack of hitting consistency can clearly be traced to the middle of the order where Todd Helton and Troy Tulowitzki share a troubling stat… the two have only combined for 3 home runs.

The pitching has been there, at times and even on days when staff ace Ubaldo Jimenez isn’t pitching.

Yet, injuries, weather delays leading to doubleheaders, and roster juggling have led to a strange brew in the rotation and bullpen and the lack of a defined closer is becoming glaringly apparent. The defensive play in the field can almost at this point be classified as a detriment. One of the top fielding teams in baseball the last couple years; this year’s Rockies seem to lack the sizzle of a slick fielding team. Balls are miffed, muffed and bouncing into the outfield and the team’s fielding leader, Tulo, appears to be pressing.

All of the aforementioned issues are particularly magnified on the road.

Watching the games in the late innings, one can almost feel the Rockies grit their teeth in anticipation of the error in the field or mistake over the plate that will break a tie or balloon a one-run lead into several.

Yet, despite all of the above, there is hope. Hope in the form of the possibility of a return to 2007 form by the now healthy Jeff Francis.

In the form of the best pitcher in baseball, U-Ball, who is having a year that is reminding people of Bob Gibson in 1968. In the form of Taylor Buchholz, Huston Street and Jorge De La Rosa, all of whom are projected to return from the disabled list in the next 3 weeks to finally add stability and potency to the bullpen and rotation.

And hope in the form that this team, a team that has played so well down the stretch in recent years, will understand that all their hopes and high aspirations cannot be realized unless they start to play as a team, unified as Colorado Rockies.

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So here we are at the end of April and the Rockies have a chance to be +.500 in April for the first time since 2005.  I’d say that’s an accomplishment considering how bad the Rockies consistently are early in the season.  If they play the way they did last year with this year’s April performance, they will end up with 96 wins.

Just to reinforce how impressed I am, at this point I had them at 2 games under when I ran the numbers at the beginning of the season.

Today features Aaron Cook vs. Barry Zito.

Zito is pitching great with a 3-0 record and a 1.32 ERA.  He’s never done that through April not even in his glory days in Oakland.  You have to expect that he can’t keep up this pace.  On the other hand, Aaron Cook finally put it together last game.  Historically, Cook is streaky.  Win 5, lose 3, win 5, lose 3, and end up 15-9 at the end of the season.  He lost his first three and won his last one, so I’d say the Rockies chances look good to have Cookie roll and Zito humbled.

Rockies Line Up tweak: Carlos Gonzales to the 3, Todd Helton to the 5.  That’s a lot of speed at the top now going Eric Young Jr., Dexter Fowler, Gonzales 1, 2, 3.  Helton hasn’t shown he still has the power to hit 5, though.  Is Tracy thinking Todd will be singling people in?  He’d need a lot of singles, but then again he’s more than capable.  Also, Melvin Mora is playing 3^rd base tonight.  Probably to get another righty into the lineup.

Top 1^st Rockies 1-0

Young’s patience at the plate earned a bag, then his legs, a sacrifice by Fowler (which was a bad call –   Dex was safe), and a single by CarGo get the Rockies the first run of the game.  Beyond that there are two stolen bases already by the Rockies on the slow moving Zito. Note:  Bengie Molina had perfect throws on both steals.

Zito is having a little trouble finding the strike zone to star but his stuff is so tricky to figure out if it’s a strike or not who knows if that’s a problem.

Bot 1^st Rockies 1-0

Cookie gets the outs but not very efficient; 19 pitches and a walk to Edgar Renteria.  But more troubling is that 2 outs were fly outs to outfielders.   Cookie pounds the strike zone with a heavy sinker.  He should be getting ground balls every batter.  Can’t judge him on it yet, it’s just troubling.

Top 2^nd Rockies 1-0

Barry Zito seems to have settled in.  He’s doing what he’s known for; making batters miss hit the base ball and fly out.  Cookie better be on his game tonight.

Bot 2^nd Rockies 1-0

I suppose if Aaron Cook settles in too we may see a lot of quick fly out followed by a lot a quick ground outs.  Another walk in the inning canceled out by a double play.  And the Juan Uribe hit a fly out (where have I seen that before?).

Top 3^rd Rockies 1-0

The Circle Change Up is one of the hardest pitches to master in baseball, once you do it is one of the hardest pitches to read as a batter.  You need a strong, strong arm but you get a lot of backwards Ks.  Two so far in the game for Zito.

Bot 3^rd Rockies 1-0

Perfect card but an awful lot of fly outs for Cook.  I don’t know if San Fran has made a point of swinging low to try to hit his sinker or what; but a sea level, if they’re skying it, something is wrong with the sinker.  Of course, maybe San Fran’s lineup really is that bad.

Top 4^th Rockies 1-0

Well the Rockies get another base runner due to yet another “I’m terrified of Todd Helton so I’m going to pitch it three feet of the plate ‘unintentionally” walk, but the rest of the lineup can’t solve Zito.   The Lefty is working inside on righties an awful lot.  No fear in that man right now.

Bot 4^th Rockies 1-0

A two out duck fart single to right center get the first hit out the game followed abruptly by the second, a second pitch grounder through the second base hole by Aubrey Huff.   Then a 4 pitch walk to Mark DeRosa loads the bases.  And the Juan Uribe of all people finds the second base hole with a ground ball for two runs.  Apart from the walk it was all bad luck and all of it with two outs.

Also in the inning was a snap throw to second that Miguel Olivo almost put into center field.  Clint Barmes made a falling sideways and backward catch to save to free base.

Top 5^th Giants 2-1

The Rockies follow it up with a pair of singles by Mora and Barmes followed by a sac bunt by Cook, and a past by Molina lets the tying run in.  Mora got lucky with a ground ball that found the third base hole but Barmes was a very good piece of hitting.

Last year the most frequent thing I would yell at my TV was “Keep Your Shoulder Up, Barmes!”.  Clint has the worst tendency to drop his shoulder for a power hit when the pitch is something he should just make contact with.  He’s doing a much better job this year of hitting for contact.

Bot 5^th Tied 2-2

Leaving the ball up in the zone finally cost Cook.  Another walk, a well fought off high inside pitch for a single by John Bowker, and a lucky little infield single by Pablo Sadoval set up the Huff double over EYJ’s head.   But then Cook looked much better…after all the run came in

Why does Cook pitch with confidence only after he’s let runs in?  I mean I like the idea of a solid pitcher getting angry and laying into a team, but he should do that after a hit or a bad call not after a run.

Top 6^th Giants 5-2

Barry Zito is showing no signs of having a problem pitching with the lead.  Pair of ground outs, one for a double play; 11 pitches to get it done even with the walk to Helton.

Bot 6^th Giants 5-2

Aaron Cook seems to have put it back together.  After a leadoff double by Nate Schierholtz, Cookie got Zito to bunt poorly and held Schierholtz on second.  And then got two ground out by the top of the order.

Top 7^th Giants 5-2

So after I compliment Cook his day is over.  Probably doesn’t matter.  Even if he had pitched well the rest of the way the Rockies offence is showing no signs of life.  One more inning with zero baserunners.

Bot 7^th Giants 5-2

Manny Corpas comes in the deal with the 7^th and maybe 8^th.  I think he may have found himself again.  He’s throwing the ball with confidence over the inside of the plate and testing batters with high fastballs.  One walk with two outs but no threats.

Top 8^th Giants 5-2

Dexter Fowler laid into a bad pitch and earned a double but the batters following him didn’t do as well.  CarGo tried to outsmart them with a bunt and it backfired.  And then a pretty good 8 pitch at bat by Tulo goes down in flames with a foul out.  The Rockies just can’t put two hits together tonight.

Bot 8^th Giants 5-2

Randy Flores came in to pitch the 8^th.  It may have been his best pitching performance of the year.  12 pitches, and three quick outs.  But the Rockies must find some offense against a pretty good San Fran closer.  Probably a good performance in vain.

Top 9^th Giants 5-2

Sergio Romo pitching.

I a decent 5 pitch at bat Todd finds his pitch and misses it.  He grounds out to 2^nd Base Mark DeRosa.  One Out.

Miguel Olivo akes a try at a pitch on the outer half and pop it up behind the plate.  Two Out.

Melvin Mora takes about the same outer half pitch to right center for a double.  Two Out, runner on second.

The Rockies Bring in Seth Smith to hit for Clint Barmes and the Giants counter with Jeremy Affeldt.  Beware the Curve Ball.

On a 3-1 pitch after 3 straight balls, Sethh Smith can’t get a hold of an a low in side fastball.  Ground out to First Base.  Game Over.

Giants 5-2

Both the Giants and the Rockies did ok, not great.  The Giants got the hits with people on base while the Rockies couldn’t find the ball with people on base.  Cook had one unlucky inning and one bad inning, and that was enough for the loss.  Enough for Zito to work with.

Congrats to Barry Zito.  He is pitching like he never has before (literally).  He’s never been 4-0 in April.  Once he settled in, his stuff was unhittable tonight.   Sometimes his Circle Change would trick someone into not swinging and accepting a strike out, but mostly his Curveball would seduce a swing on an impossible pitch.   8 innings, 5 Ks (3 Backwards), in total.

The Rockies offense needs to figure out a way to generate consistent pressure, because consecutive innings with no base-runners followed by 3 hits for an extra 1-2 runs isn’t working.  I’d recommend patience at the plate, but they look fairly patient in most at-bats.  Rocks need to barrel up the ball.  Of Course, it’s now May 1 and the Rockies are a mere game under .500…  perhaps I should be patient.

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The Rockies look better at the beginning of the year this year than in seasons past… which is trouble from everyone else in baseball if they get better as the season goes on like they have historically.  I’ve got high hopes for this year’s team, the best team they’ve ever had on opening day.

One issue right off the bat that requires improvement is road play.  Actually there are a lot of things I think the Rockies could improve upon, but I have an entire season to write about them so I take them as them they come.

The Rockies are 1-3 on the road so far.  Playing .250 baseball on the road is not gonna get it done.  Really, other than the 2^nd inning by Jason Hammel yesterday, the pitching on the road has been more than enough.  It’s the hitting that’s having trouble.  The lineup is still cold, but most hitting warms up as the temperature does.   Patience is probably the remedy there.  Ubaldo Jimenez gets to take a crack at the Braves’ solid lineup today.  Good luck Ubaldo.

Top 1^st Tied 0-0

Call it a case of getting to a pitcher before he settles in.  The Rockies score one off a lead-off Carlo Gonzalez double and a pair of Sacs by Dexter Fowler and Troy Tulowitski.  Kenshin Kawakami didn’t look awful, he just wasn’t locating.  Gonzalez made him pay, and then good patience at bat earned a run and another hit (Brad Hawpe).

The umpire’s strike zone is teeny-tiny.  This is Jeff Kellogg’s crew and he’s behind the plate tonight.  He’s a brand new crew chief, so I don’t know anything about him yet.

Bot 1^st 1-0 Rockies

Ubaldo Jimenez looks to already have his stuff working.

Nate McLouth got a hold of one he hit high to center field.  Dexter Fowler is fast.  Not a problem.  Other than that a walk of Martin Prado due to the tiny strike zone (Jimenez hit the glove every time but apparently the glove was always set up off the plate), followed by a beautifully pitched at bat to Chipper Jones for an easy double play (3-6-1).

Top 2^nd 1-0 Rockies

Kawakami is letting the ball drift down and to the right.  Someone on the Braves staff better see this and talk to him or the Rockies are going to end up with a big inning.  This time it didn’t cost him anything.  Clint Barmes was the only suitable hitter up in the inning to take advantage (double down the left field line with the bases empty).

Bot 2^nd 1-0 Rockies

Ubaldo makes short work of Jayson Heyward with Yulen Escobar on second (walk to Troy Glaus, fielder’s choice, stolen base).   Pitch sequence: 1. Fast ball inside-strike one, curve ball outside-strike 2 (pretty pitch too), fast ball across the chest-ball 1, fast ball low away-K.

The set up pitch is designed to change to the approach of the batter, in this case to move the rookie back an inch or two (which it did).  Heyward took his stance about an inch further away from the plate.  Then you come back with the out pitch.  A fastball low and away is already a hard pitch to hit well; all too often it just gets driven straight into the ground for an easy put out by the 3^rd baseman.  But if you’re standing away from the plate it becomes impossible.  Heyward had no chance of hitting the ball well even if he had made contact.  Nice pitching U-Ball.

Top 3^rd 1-0 Rockies

Kamakami becomes the first pitcher of the game to keep the bases clean for an inning.  But due to an 11 pitch at bat by Todd Helton, it still takes him 20 pitches to do it.

Bot 3^rd 1-0 Rockies

After a walk to Melky Cabrera, Kawakami hangs his leading runner out to dry with a bad bunt.

Almost turns into a double play, on a bunt!  Another walk puts Kawakami on second, and during Jones’ at bat Miguel Olivo guns him down for straying too far.  Atlanta’s inning might have been better if Kawakami just took three strikes and a seat on the bench.  Props to Olivo on the assist, perfect throw.

But the bad news is Jimenez is having control issues all of a sudden (you could tell by two walks).  It’s not an easy one to diagnose either; he’s all over the place.  Hopefully we just saw his once a game bad inning.

Top 4^th 1-0 Rockies

Kawakami has corrected the drifting problem, however, now he’s pitching away from left handers.  I don’t know why he would suddenly be timid with the lefties, but he’s putting himself in bad counts and it cost him three runs with three singles by Brad Hawpe, Ian Stewart, and U-Ball (first hit of the year) and a double by CarGo.  The only lefty he got out in the inning was Dex, who is technically also a righty.

Bot 4^th 4-0 Rockies

Ubaldo Jimenez definitely has control problems still.  But he also still has a No-Hitter Shutout going.  A Walk, a balk, and a sac put Chipper on Third with one out, but then U-Ball K’d Glaus and got Escobar to ground out.  I don’t know how to feel.

Top 5^th 4-0 Rockies

In Helton’s third plate appearance he only sees 8 pitches and then walks.  So far today Todd is 0-1, has walked twice and seen 25 pitches.  That’s an inning and a half worth of work for one guy.  And what does Kawakami have to show for it?  One measly fly out with the bases empty.  Meanwhile, Todd’s first walk brought up Tulowitzki and his RBI sacrifice fly.

Bot 5^th 4-0 Rockies

Another walk and another hitless scoreless inning by U-Ball.  Jimenez has to find some control.  Not just to close this game out now, but if Ubaldo gets to the ninth inning and already has 115 pitches on him, he might not get the shot at finishing the no-no.  He has 83 pitches after five.

Top 6^th 4-0 Rockies

The Braves are done with Kawakami.  Enter Jonny Venters making his first MLB appearance.  Tough to get a read on him but I’ll say this for him: he works quick.  He takes maybe 8 seconds between pitches; might be a little excited.  Good work though 3 batters; 3 outs.  Of course they were the 7, 8, and 9 batters, but still impressive.

Bot 6^th 4-0 Rockies

Ubaldo finally has an inning that looks like a no-hitter type inning.  10 pitches, 3 outs, 1 K.  The K came against the best hitter in baseball entering the game (Prado .463 BA)

Top 7^th 4-0 Rockies

Todd Helton welcomes another young player to baseball by being his first hit.  Nice piece of hitting on a curveball inside; put it right in the gap between 1^st and 2^nd.  The kid was able to put it behind him though; he got Tulo on a ground to third base on the next pitch.

Bot 7^th 4-0 Rockies

Glaus took a poorly placed fastball into the left center gap and the speed of Dexter Fowler saved the No-Hitter for now. He was in no position to make the out, but he is fast, and just made it with a dive.  It always seems like you need at least one of those to complete a no-no.

It’s time to start thinking that U-Ball has a shot at this thing.  He’s got 104 pitches so far, so he’ll need a quick 8^th but after that he’ll get left in until he blows it.  It’d be nice if the offense could get a base runner or three and give Ubaldo 15-20 minutes rest.

Top 8^th 4-0 Rockies

Stewart got a walk but that’s all the rest Jimenez will get.  Venters is dealing.  He’s due up, I wonder if they’ll pinch hit him.

Bot 8^th 4-0 Rockies

They do decide to pinch Venters with Eric Henski.  Props to Venters on his début; 3 innings, 1 hit, 1 walk, 0 Runs.

Now that the stuff you really care about is out of the way, Ubaldo gets a ground out, a strike out and a pop out on 8 pitches to keep the no-hitter alive.  113 pitches after 8 innings and he’ll almost certainly get the shot to close it out.  I must admit I’m a little excited.  I’ve seen the ESPN cut-overs in the Ninth Inning but I’ve never sat and watched an entire No Hitter.  I hope that personal stat ends today.

Top 9^th 4-0 Rockies

Jesse Chaves comes in to pitch the 8^th.  He promptly strikes out Jimenez, who is more than happy to return to the bench.  Then he get fly outs from CarGo and Dex.  3 more outs for the Rockies.  U-Ball will face Prado, Jones and Brian McCain.  Tough outs all three.

Bot 9^th 4-0 Rockies

He attacks Prado inside.  On a 2-1 after two narrow misses Ubaldo gets Prado to pop up to Barmes.  One Out.

Against Chipper Jones, Jimenez starts out working inside and outside and changing his pitches between curves and fastballs.  Mixes in the Changeup on a 2-1 and gets a fly out to CarGo. Two Out.

McCain up with one out to go.  U-Ball pounds the strike zone with fastballs away.  McCain is no slouch and fouls off a few.  Then U-Ball brings the fastball back inside.  Ground out to Barmes. 

Game Over, Rockies 4-0, P Ubaldo Jimenez Allowed 0 Hits and 0 Runs

The key was that Troy Glaus near-hit in the 7^th that Dexter Fowler had to run underneath and dive to catch.  Also figuring his way through the 6 walks in the first five innings was crucial to the win.  But all in all, I’d say the 128 pitch performance by Ubaldo Jimenez was the best ever single game performance by a Rockies pitcher.

Control was an issue all the way through the 6^th inning, but from the 7^th on he had firm control of the game.  Ubaldo finishes with 7 SO and 6 BB.  A no-no with 6 BB is impressive.  Even more impressive was the fact that this wasn’t the San Diego Padres.  This was the Atlanta Braves.   By the end of the season Atlanta team will be a top-ten hitting team.  U-Ball crushed a good team today.

More good news: this was a key game if the Rockies hope to claw their way back to .500 on the road.

Colorado has 4 in Washington after one more in Atlanta tomorrow.  They must win three to get to .500.  That is now doable.   There is no bad news.  The news we don’t yet know if it’s good or bad is the Braves will be chomping at the bit to redeem themselves tomorrow.   Greg Smith might be up for it, but he certainly has a tough act to follow.  His foe will be Jair Jurrjens who will also be aiming to redeem his last outing (at San Diego 3.1 Innings, 8 runs…..Come to think of it that might be the opposite of this game).

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On a night when the Rockies were recovering from two of the most dreadful performances this team has seen in a while, Ubaldo Jimenez simply didn’t believe this team was in trouble – even if it meant he had to carry them on his back. And carry them he did Saturday night in Atlanta, striking out 7 on his way to tossing the first no-hitter in Colorado Rockies franchise history.

Ubaldo was on his game all night, hitting 100 on the radar multiple times, and still throwing his fastball at a steamy 97 mph in the bottom of the 9th. And while Ubaldo and his 128 pitches was the story of the night, the hidden story might be the complete effort the Rockies put forth after some lackluster showings. Defensively, Dexter Fowler saved the no-no in the 7th with 2 spectacular running catches in center field. Besides the defense, the Rockies offense finally came through, with Carlos Gonzales showing his value to the lineup with a 2 RBI double, and Ubaldo even added an RBI just to put the exclamation point on his statement.

It also bears mentioning, as Jim Tracy did in his postgame interview, that Miguel Olivo did a stellar job of calling the game and keeping Ubaldo on track.

It’s been common knowledge around the clubhouse that Ubaldo is the heir apparent to the “ace” throne on the staff, and that status was made official by making him the number one and opening starter this season. Jim Tracy’s confidence has been rewarded, as Ubaldo has cemented his place not just in the Rockies rotation, or in Rockies history, but also in the pantheon of elite pitchers in major league baseball right now. Very few are throwing with the longevity and consistency, not to mention the heat, that Ubaldo is throwing right now.

Not much is prettier during the regular season, than to stare at the scoreboard and see the opposing line nothing but a row of goose eggs. The Braves are a good hitting team, and for Ubaldo to notch the gem against such a team is even further credit to his prowess. This could be the game that the team woke up for the season – the bats came alive, the defense was solid, and now the Rockies stand to take the series tomorrow with Cook on the mound (could that be any more different of a hitting experience?), then they get a four game set against the woeful Washington Nationals.

Congratulations to Ubaldo Jimenez – you’ll be remembered in Colorado for a long time for this. Our fans have long memories, and you’ve given us one to hang onto for a while.

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Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street will undergo an MRI to assess the state of his sore shoulder, according to the Associated Press. Street said that his arm “felt good” during throwing sessions this spring, but inflammation in the pitching shoulder has kept him from any game action so far in spring training. After his last session, he reported some discomfort and will need the MRI to determine his status.

Street entered camp as the de facto closer for the Rockies after a 35 save season in 2009, blowing only 2 during the regular season. Street signed a three year contract worth $22.5 million after last year’s lights out performance. If he ends up opening the season on the DL, the Rocks will likely look to Manny Corpas to step up and fill the closer role again, a role he has held on and off during his time with the team.

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So imagine my excitement when I realized that Blue Goose was doing Rockies spots as well – and here they are. This year we get to see Todd Helton bagging on Twitter, Chris Ianetta butchering the Spanish language, and the introduction of the coolest thing I’ve ever seen – in a “dear God that had BETTER become reality soon” – a “Jim Tracy is my homeboy” t-shirt (below). Link to all the ads here: http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?topic_id=8745022&c_id=col

And for those that are interested, the Mariners batch of ads are pretty good this time around, see them here: http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?topic_id=8716162&c_id=sea

I'm buying this as soon as it's available and wearing it to every Rockies game I attend.

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Jeff Francis is back, but can he deliver the goods? Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Don’t look now, but I’ve been warning you spring is about to break . And it’s happening – don’t look to stinkin’ Punxatawney Phil, just check the calendar and find the date that pitchers and catchers report to spring training facilities for their first workouts. That’s a sure sign that warmer days are to come. For the Rockies, that date is February 17 – that’s this coming Wednesday. And for the Colorado Rockies this year, spring training takes on a different flavor… the optimism tastes different. The Cubs have their own flavor of defeatist optimism, the Pirates have something of a deflated optimism – a brand which has always marked the March days at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson. But this year, as the sun sets on the final spring at Hi Corbett, the Rockies’ optimism is that of a team that has tasted the top and is hungry for more. Not only that, but a team that knows they have the talent and the experience to make it happen. When veterans like Jason Giambi and Melvin Mora sign with your club on purpose… that has to be worth something to the morale of the rest of the team.

So as the batteries of the club start filing in to Arizona with some rust to shake off and expectations to fulfill, what does the Rockies starting pitching situation look like? Here’s a look at the rotation, barring of course any major spring developments, adjustments, or injuries.

Jeff Francis – first things first. Jeff is back, and after losing almost 2 entire seasons, you can bet he’s chomping at the bit to show that his surgically repaired shoulder is ready to take on the burden of pitching in the major leagues again. He insists that he feels good, and that even the mental effects of the injury (always thinking about it instead of just pitching) have subsided. As much as we want to believe he’ll be back to his dominant self, the smart money says to wait and see, and perhaps be satisfied with a 10 win season out of Francis. 15 wins isn’t out of the question though, because you can’t discount the return of a stellar defensive infield. If he can keep the ball on the ground, which will be his big challenge, the guys behind him and prop him up, turning a legitimate 10-12 win season into a 15+ win record.

Aaron Cook – Cookie’s the guy we all want to see simply sustain. When dominant, he’s as untouchable as anyone in the bigs. When he struggles to get movement on his sinker, he’s as hittable as a AA scrub. Fortunately in 2009, he posted an 11-6 record with  a complete game shutout performance that was a sight to behold. He’s been the opening day starter the last couple years in Francis’ stead, but I think it might be time for Cookie to relinquesh that #1 slot to the next guy on our list…

Ubaldo Jimenez – Ubaldo, of “Hair Be There” fame (this bald guy would love a can of Hair Be There, if only as a novelty!), is that legitimate number one starter just waiting to happen. He shows flashes of brilliance with his heated fastball that can top 100mph well into the 7th and 8th innings, yet he still shows a propensity to lose composure at just the wrong time, leading to lack of command and hanging curveballs. And when a big league hitter gets a hold of an upstairs fastball smoking in at 98, it almost always goes a long way. The good news is that the frequency of the Ubaldo meltdown was far less in 2009 than 2008… it seems Ubaldo is growing up. This has to be his year – the year he stakes his claim as not just the leader of the Rockies rotation, but his place as one of the top starting pitchers in major league baseball. The way he does that is by harnessing his control and becoming a steady, dominating presence on the mound each time he pitches.

Jason Hammel – Hammel was the surprise for me last season… maybe not for anyone else, but I wasn’t expecting this kid to come in from the Rays and deliver as solidly as he did, especially from a Tampa team that was hot off their World Series run. Last year he delivered a solid 10-8 performance. Expect a little improvement this year as he continues to build his book on NL hitters, but look for Hammel to consistently occupy the 4th or 5th spot in the rotation. As long as he can deliver, he should have no problem keeping that spot.

Jorge De la Rosa - And then we have our fifth starter, though don’t be surprised if this year he climbs up into the three spot. Jorge is an enigma  for me – my writings here have shown that. You never know what you’re going to get with Jorge – dominant, great control, composed… or wild and unpredictable. Last season, particularly early, both the Jekyll and Hyde de la Rosa came out during the course of the same game. Anything can set him off. As the season wore on, Jorge became the de facto ace of the rotation, delivering powerful performance after powerful performance. So it all comes down to which Jorge shows up. I’m hoping for Good Jorge – screaming fastball, controlled movement, strikeout-oriented pitching. That’s one we hope to see. Let’s just hope Tracy can identify quickly which one is on the mound, and act accordingly.

There’s no real question that the five guys above will be the Furious Five for the Rockies this year. Francis had to have looked good enough in Fall Rehab Leagues that they weren’t concerned about letting Marquis sign in Washington (although this would likely have happened anyway, as the price for Marquis was likely more than we’d want to pay for a first-half pitcher). The rest of the guys really just need to get incrementally better, trust their defense, and we could see 65 wins or more out of the starters. And if that happens, look for the Rockies to be spending the last several days of September fighting for (and winning) the National League West Division crown.

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In most cases, the term “youth movement” is a sign that a team has fallen from its peak and is ready to rebuild. Not so for the Colorado Rockies. The outfield has gotten even younger with Dexter Fowler looking to patrol centerfield, and breakout sensation Carlos Gonzalez penciled in as the probable starting left fielder.

Not that long ago, Gonzales was that guy – you know, the prospect with all the promise that got moved in a blockbuster deal. Guys like this skid into the minors ever year, never to be heard from again. But for CarGo, it’s been a ride to the top. The new #5 has arrived in LoDo, and he’s making waves across the majors as a potential emerging superstar.

Last season was a slow starter for Carlos… call it a time of adjustment, or perhaps just normal ups and downs for a young player in the bigs. But as the season progressed, it became clear that the loss of Matt Holliday was not going to be the long term sting that it at first appeared. Huston Street was doing his job, and Carlos – the unknown factor of the trade – began to come on strong. His season culminated in a strong NLDS performance – 10 for 17 with 5 runs. Though the Rockies lost the series, Gonzalez made his statement. He’s the big reason that even the likes of Peter Gammons (ESPN) are taking notice of the Rockies this spring.

Just like anyone else, CarGo is not immune to slumps, so a high-powered year isn’t a guarantee… but don’t be surprised to see Carlos Gonzalez leading a crew of Rockies into the All-Star game in Anaheim this summer, and if some other players play up to potential and some stars align, he’ll be leading the entire crew of Rockies into another rendition of Rocktober baseball.

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