If you struggle with the pronunciation of Rockies relief pitcher Adam Ottavino (/ah-tah-VEEN-oh/) it’s understandable. And my guess is that if you’re not a diehard Rockies fan you would struggle recognizing the man at all. In pitching for the Rockies, Ottavino’s job is to not be noticed.  As a middle-to-late-inning set-up man, Ottavino’s job is to hope that the flashy, high paid starters throw a solid six or seven innings, as closer Wade Davis (3yr/$52 million) begins to stretch and warm up in the bullpen to close it out. Ottavino’s job is to face just a few batters in the seventh or... Read More

Charlie Blackmon is heading to All-Star weekend on a tear. Representing the Colorado Rockies, his 20 homers earned him a spot in the home run derby, while his .319 batting average and lead-leading 117 hits, a place in right field. Blackmon does everything. He leads off, drives in runs, the crowd adores him, and of course, there’s that beard. He is one of a kind. Or is he? Johnny Damon was the original Charlie Blackmon with hair that flowed to his shoulder, a beard that seemed to grow daily, and plenty of dirt on the uniform. But there is more to the similarities than just their look. 1) Johnny... Read More

The story is familiar. The young, first baseman reaches the major leagues by swinging for the fences on every pitch. The big league team sacrifices a high strikeout rate and low batting average for long term potential, and tape measure home runs. But Father Time catches up to the powerful first baseman as the strikeout rate continues to rise and his production declines. At 33 years of age, Mark Reynolds should probably be out of baseball, but instead, he may start at first base in the All-Star game as he is currently hitting .302 with 17 homers and 55 RBIs, and the Colorado Rockies sit near the... Read More