Before the start of the season’s first game, the Rockies rewarded manager Clint Hurdle and GM Dan O’Dowd with 2-year contract extensions (so much for performance incentives, I guess). By way of celebrating, Hurdle managed the game in the same predictable way he always has—Manny Corpas breezed through the heart of the Diamondbacks’ order in seventh inning with dominating stuff, only to be replaced in the eighth by LaTroy Hawkins, who promptly surrendered 3 runs in 2/3 of an inning, giving Arizona the lead.
Hurdle is a great believer in giving relievers their “designated” inning, when what he should be worried about is how well his current pitcher is throwing.
It’s form over content. Or rather, formulaic over content. Of course, I’ve never managed in the majors, so feel free to call me a chickenmanager.
On the plus side, between the two of us, the little armored rat and I polished off a dozen Hebrew National onion-slathered hot dogs and a case of Red Stripe, so right now I’m willing to trade a win for easy access to a toilet. And maybe an Altoid or two.
Developing…
At least you’re not watching the Red Sox roll over for the freaking KC Royals!
Maybe this season wasn’t such a good idea after all. Should we just go ahead and redeploy?
I think we should trade for a better setup man.
What can Tavares buy us?
Oh for the days of Baylor Ball. Seems to me the best seasons the Rocks had was when the offense was awesome and the pitching was platooned. Those were the days; I’d regularly twist off to catch a game, but not now!
(Well that and I dont live an easy bike ride from Coors Field any more.)
Not a sac bunt when we needed it, evidently.
But let’s not forget that Atkins and Holliday were 0-10 with 2 errors between them. Tavares at least drew a walk, stole a base, and scored a run.
The offense looks good, though. And we have some good arms in the minors.
And, for the superstitious among us, what good has winning opening day done us? We were 4-0 at Coors Field in openers, and never made the playoffs.
GO NATS!!
What? A rebuilding year? Rats.
Welcome to the world of the 1990’s Brewers. I can’t tell you how many times I swore at Phil Garner for pulling a starter who was having absolutely no problems for a reliever to give him his “regular” innings. Whatever happened to allowing a pitcher who had built ownership over a game to finish what he started? I feel for you, man. Go Brewers! 162-0 or bust!
LaTroy Hawkins?
WHo would take someone who considered a headcase and too weak to pitch in the bigs….by the Chicago Cubs?!?!
LaTroy Hawkins should be sent to Iraq. He was washed up when the Cubs dumped him on SF.
What could we worse than watching the Cubs lose to Cincy 5-1? The Phils losing to the Braves in 10, 5-3. What could be worse than that? Watching the Sox get clubbed by Cleveland 12-5. Oh well, nobody goes undefeated.
That’s not your stomach rumbling; it’s your arteries whimpering.
The Cubs were just playing as usual… Ron Santo said it all when he said Zambrano is our best pitcher. Yeah. All that money and optimism in the off season shot in 5 runs.
BECAUSE OF THE BARTMAN.
Braves Win! Braves Win!
Unless the Rockies build a pressurized dome to play in, I just don’t see how they ever seriously compete. Pitching at that altitude screws with pitchers AND hitters heads.
Having said that…”Clint Hurdle” and “extension” in the same sentence?
Woof.
Pitching at altitude isn’t a problem with the advent of the humidor. The Rockies pitched well until September last year.
And they can compete if they’d spend just a little money to augment the home-grown talent. Very strong minor league system—and their starting lineup is quite imposing (not kidding—NL pitchers shudder at it)—but they needed a dominant setup guy to get them to Fuentes.
Corpas could be that guy, but he jumped straight from Double A last year.
Good news is, they have several guys waiting in the wings. But the bad news is, they need to win now.
I hear you Jeff. I’m just kidding about Tavares. Holiday at the five spot could really have done some things today but came up empty.
I can’t believe Hawkins is the 6th highest paid player on the Rockies. He makes more than Cook (granted by “only” 500k) and way more than Francis.
His numbers aren’t all that rotten but if you just look at his splits and go back year by year his ERA has been creeping up each year. Which, at the twilight of his career with things starting to turn what better time to pick him up and give him top dollar? http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/splits?statsId=5336&type=pitching&year=2007
Thing is, though, like Lopez, he was pitching in a brutal division last year.
I like Corpas’ arm and think he’ll wind up the man soon. I think Brian Lawrence will supplant Fogg in the rotation—and I don’t know why we didn’t try Affelt as a starter. He has electric stuff.
I’m a Chicagoan who moved to St.L. last year-and a die hard Cubs fan.
I think I know how Custer felt at Little Bighorn.
Because of my “baseball proclivities” I’ve been banned from discussing MLB at work.
I work for a grocery chain…and it seems that Red Bird fans are a bit thin skinned.
Heh.
The late Steve Goodman(a true-blue Cubbie fanatic) said it best: “It’s root root root for the home team-if they don’t win…what else is new.”
siiiigh.
I’m a casual baseball fan at best, but I must say that opening day of all-Goldstein comment at PW is working for me quite nicely.
Wait till you see Ozzie play reliever roulette with the White Sox…
Here’s my impression of Opening Day 2007 –
Phillies – 3
Braves – 5
Looks like our fightin’ Phils are in for another roller coaster of a season.
(sigh).
re: Hawkins
I warned you. He was sliding downhill fast before he left the Twins. His numbers were still OK, but there wer WAY too many bad pitches and loud out. I still think the Rocks will be OK this year, despite LaHawk.
GO TWINS!!!
My Los Angeles Angels of Stupid Marketing Gimmick came out strong tonight, although there were a couple of worrisome errors that kept John Lackey out on the mound for a high pitch count early on. Mike Scioscia had better have run a hell of a lot of defensive drills during spring training, because errors basically cost the Angels the AL West last year.
Oh, and I can’t believe none of you got around to this:
Why don’t you go sign up to be a Major League Baseball team manager, or at least a bench coach, Goldstein? If you’re such a booster of the Rockies’ brutal quagmire of a season, why aren’t you down there in the dugout? And why haven’t you signed your son up to be a batboy for the Rockies if you support their debacle of a campaign? Put up or shut up, you Neo-con Base-fan.
CHICKENMANAGER!!1one!1!
Sigh. If the Rocks had half the managerial talent that they have on the field.. Oh wait, they do have half the managerial talent that they have on the field.
Didn’t get to see the game (I was in the trenches—literally—replacing the gas main into the house) but my wife came out after every inning to give me the blow by blow. Did manage to scarf four big, greasy, sphincter-cauterizingly spicy Cajun dawgs in honor of the event though.
Pete Rose was in the announcer’s booth for the 7th and part of the 8th in Cincy. Game was over, but he. would. not. shut. up.
Although he did say that there’s no way that the Phillies or the Reds could be world champions in their respective stadiums. Which was nice.
Rootin’ for the Louisville Bats this year.
Is this what they mean by inside baseball?
Lost my cookies,
I have been, generously I believe, waiting almost 20 years for Rose to die already. When will this happen. The fact that the announcing crew in Cincinnati loves his good ol’ boy, redneck persona enough to put him on the mic for TWO INNINGS makes me wish I was rooting for the Rockies and George W.
At least the post-2004 Rockies haven’t been as poor as George and compnay.
Jeff, it’s opening day. There’s not a middle reliever/set-up man in the world who went two innings. Pitch counts, pitch counts, pitch counts. If you want the stud pitching in July, then you have to manage his innings early.
I will, however, say the decision to bring in LaTroy Hawkins was akin to the decision to sign him in the first place. Good thing those two geniuses (especially O’Dowd) received extensions.
Baseball is back and Karl Rove is rapping? Could it get any better
That must be the “special surprise guest” they were touting yesterday morning.
Eh.
Yeah, he’s 23 and threw 12 pitches or so. Must guard against him overextending himself.
Of course, if you have a “designated” inning, you are up throwing in the bullpen every day, just about.
Howsabout you let him pitch until he gets into trouble, and bring in Hawkins only if you need him?
That way, Hawkins is available for the next game. If he’s needed. And you can rest Corpas if you feel his having thrown 30 pitches over two innings was really that taxing.
Hurry, too. Before the Democrats pass a law demanding that every pitcher must get his or her chance.
There aren’t girl pitchers!
Methinks Hawkins will find himself sliding down the depth chart until he is either a mop-up pitcher or released sometime in June. When you are replaced by Ryan Dempster…well, that says a lot about your stuff
Heey!
Leave Dumpster-er DEMPster alone.
Old Ryan’s considered one of MLB’s better closers…if the Cubs can actually give him something TO close.
GOAT GO TO HEAVEN IN 2000-7!
GO CUBBIES!
Or MLB gets a clue and limits regulation play to venues 500M ASL or lower…
Tsk, tsk. Jeff, always letting the Rockies break your heart. Come on down to the ‘Springs and watch the real baseball team in Colorado. The Sky Sox won’t let you down near as much as the Rockies will.