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

With the Colorado Rockies off to a 20-15 record behind solid pitching and the bats of Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado, we should be relatively satisfied.  After all, the Rockies have already played more road games (23) than any other team in the league, and the assumption is that the slumping bats will come alive once the thin air and short fences do their thing.  But after a team batting average of just .228 and some early struggles that may not correct themselves, here are four moves that Colorado may want to look at…sooner than later.   Find a veteran hitter to plug at first base.... Read More

Like sipping a cold microbrew in the cheap seats at Coors Field, I can still taste the success of last year’s Colorado Rockies.  With a 87-75 record and our first playoff game in almost ten years, Spring couldn’t come soon enough.  I doubted the Monfort family, I didn’t want to “trust the process”, but the organization proved me wrong.  The 2018 Rockies brought almost everyone back and even opened up their wallet to sign the top reliever in baseball, Wade Davis, to a huge contract. Blake Street is booming, roof top bars are stocking up, kids are dusting off their gloves, but there’s... Read More

As the Colorado Rockies prepared for last Saturday night’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, all eyes were on the clubhouse television. The screen showed the Milwaukee Brewers with a comfortable 6-0 lead over the St. Louis Cardinals, which would most likely mean that the Rockies would have to win one more game to clinch their first playoff appearance since 2009. Clayton Kershaw was scheduled to pitch for the Dodgers, and the odds were not looking good. But in an improbable season came an improbable ending as the St. Louis Cardinals rallied to score three runs in the eighth to defeat the... Read More

Colorado fans may think it’s a little early to post a headline like this with the Rockies just two games in front of the Milwaukee Brewers in the fight for the final playoff spot. Call it irresponsible journalism, or sensationalism to attract readers, but with twelve games to decide the wildcard, here are six reasons that fans can stop chewing their nails, and start popping champagne. 1) While it doesn’t look great that the Rockies end the season with six games on the road and three at home against the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers, the schedule does include the San Francisco Giants, San... Read More

Former baseball great Don Baylor passed away on August 7, 2017 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Baylor was best known to Rockies fans as the first manager in the franchise’s history as he led Colorado to the playoffs in 1995, and was named the NL Manager of the Year. As a teenager I was fortunate enough to see Baylor close up and personal in a locker room following an Angels game many years ago. Baylor was a mountain of a man, literally and figuratively. With quads and arms the size of tree trunks, Baylor would crowd the plate and dare a pitcher to throw inside, and throw inside they did.... Read More

I sat at my laptop looking at all the stats, all the numbers, all the scenarios, and asked myself just why are these Colorado Rockies so much better than last year? At 64-48, 16 games over .500 and charging towards a playoff spot, I was determined to figure out the answer by looking at hitting, pitching, injuries, and even the manager. Finally, it all became clear. The answer was Greg Holland. 1) It was difficult not to credit the powerful Colorado bats as the major factor in the Rockies turn-around from last year’s 75-87 record. Charlie Blackmon, Nolan Arenado, and DJ LeMahieu have been fantastic... Read More

The Colorado Rockies don’t seem overly concerned about the July 31st trade deadline, and with a record of 58-43 and a comfortable position for the wildcard spot, playing .500 ball the rest of the way should be enough to secure their first playoff appearance since 2009. With such a young team, and bright future, it’s understandable that the Rockies will employ baseball’s version of the prevent defense and take their chances with their current roster. But as they say, prevent defense often prevents you from winning. Here are five moves that the Rockies should make before the week is over. 1)... 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 Los Angeles Dodgers took care of business this past weekend with a series sweep over the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies were thoroughly outplayed as the Dodger bats dominated the young Colorado pitching staff. While some may look at the loss as a missed opportunity, the reality is that the Rockies may have played it just right. A series loss simply means that everyone keeps the status quo. The Rockies come back home for the thin air, cold microbrews, just a few games back, and the Dodgers pick up their cars from the valet and head to some Botox appointment near Redondo Beach before heading... Read More