Rockies don't look far to fill positions
10/28/2005
DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies found new blood for their front office without leaving their employee ranks.
Jeff Bridich, who has been with the organization since December 2004 after working four years in the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball, has been promoted to director of baseball operations, where he will assist general manager Dan O'Dowd.
Danny Montgomery, who has worked in scouting for the Rockies since their inception, is the new assistant director of scouting.
Walter Sylvester, who left a career in private business to become an intern with the Rockies this past season, has been promoted to an assistant post in baseball operations.
Bridich, 28, replaces Thad Levine, who has accepted an assistant general manager position with the Texas Rangers. In 2005, Bridich served as the Rockies director of Minor League operations, where he learned the Rockies' philosophies and became well acquainted with the personnel.
"I learned a heck of a lot this year, especially from [assistant GM] Bill Geivett and [player development director] Marc Gustafson," Bridich said. "I learned not only the way we do things and why we do them the way we do, but I worked with our Minor League staff, coaches and scouts. That was a crucial part of me being ready for the next step."
Montgomery, 40, was a middle infielder in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization from 1986-89 before a knee injury ended his career. He worked for the Dodgers before joining the Rockies as they put together a scouting staff before their first draft in 1992. He served the past three years as a national crosschecker. He'll assist scouting director Bill Schmidt as the Rockies prepare for the highest overall pick in their history, No. 2, in 2006.
"To make the jump with this organization really means a lot to me," Montgomery said. "I feel good about this organization, especially because they realize that we have talented people and they do not have to look outside to fill a job. I think that comes from Dan, [club president] Keli McGregor and Charlie and Dick Monfort [chairman/CEO and vice chairman, respectively]. A lot of people have worked together for a long time; we're friends, and we know that the people we have can do the job."
Sylvester, 36, who earned an undergraduate degree from UCLA and an MBA in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, worked for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, for ESPN with many of its new media products and for Sirius Satellite Radio before joining the Rockies and helping with the analysis of the payroll.
"I wanted to be involved with baseball, and from Day One, I had a lot of responsibility with the Rockies," Sylvester said. "I am very excited."
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Big things could be in store for Miller
11/02/2005
DENVER -- If the past couple of autumns are an indication, Colorado right-handed pitching prospect Jim Miller should be excited.
In 2003, Scott Dohmann pitched in the Arizona Fall League and found himself in the Majors by mid May. Last fall, Ryan Speier pitched in the AFL after winning the Rolaids Minor League Relief Man Award during the regular year at Double-A Tulsa. He started the 2005 season in the Majors.
This fall, Miller is 3-1 with a 6.75 ERA and two saves in 12 relief appearances for the Peoria Javelinas in the AFL. All eight runs against him occurred in just two outings. Miller was a combined 2-4 with 34 saves and a 3.02 ERA at high Class A Modesto and Double-A Tulsa during his first full professional season.
Signs point to a continued fast rise for Miller, who turns 24 in April and was drafted in the eighth round in 2004 out of the University of Louisiana-Monroe.
"There is a small percentage of the back of my mind that is looking at that, but I still have a few things I've got to learn," said Miller, who struck out 87, gave up 45 hits and walked 25 in 62 2/3 innings during the Minor League season. "I'm not going to get my hopes up. Instead I'll work day-by-day on what I need. If I get the opportunity to go to the big leagues, I want to get there and stay and not bounce back and forth between the bigs and Triple-A."
In comparison to Dohmann and Speier, each of whom had to make return trips to the Minors, Miller made it to the fall league with far less experience -- Dohmann and Speier each had 3 1/2 seasons -- but with a better fastball. Miller's ranges 92-96 mph, a velocity similar to Dohmann's, only with more movement. Where Dohmann needs to mix his slider to keep hitters off his fastball, Miller thus far in the Minors has been able to simply rely on the hard one.
But the gap shows in the secondary pitches. Before going to Arizona, the closest Miller came to changing speeds was throwing a hard slider, but not at the level of Speier or Dohmann.
He began tinkering with an offspeed pitch, a split-finger, at the Rockies' urging while at Modesto. When the Rockies promoted him to Tulsa in early August, he was not comfortable mixing pitches against the higher level of competition, not that it hurt him (1-1, 0.60 ERA, 19 strikeouts against eight walks and six hits).
"I was successful because I attacked the zone," Miller said. "When they informed me I was going to pitch in the Fall League, I thought I'd have more time to go ahead and work on those two other pitches."
Some of the lessons are painful.
"The ball carries well out here, and the hitters I'm facing are a lot higher caliber than I've faced thus far, so if you make the slightest mistake and leave the ball over the plate they're going to thank you for it," Miller said. "That's happened to me in a couple of outings."
Colorado player development director Mac Gustafson, who is in Arizona monitoring the prospects this week, said there is much to like about Miller. On Tuesday, Gustafson witnessed Miller enter the ninth inning of a game against the Peoria Saguaros, give up two hits but no runs with one strikeout, and wind up with the victory when the Javelinas won in the bottom of the ninth.
The quick promotions of Dohmann and Speier were influenced by factors such as injuries and a tight budget. Colorado plans to go into this season with more veterans than last season and will hope not to dip into the pool of prospects too soon, but Gustafson said Miller has a legitimate chance if a reliever is needed.
"I like his aggressiveness, his competitiveness in late innings," Gustafson said. "He has been racking up the saves since he's been in the organization. If he finishes up the Fall League with positive results and positive feedback, he could be on our radar screen next year."
In other developments: Right-hander Marcos Carvajal, who spent the 2005 season in the Rockies' bullpen (39 G, 0-2, 5.09 ERA, 47 SO, 53 IP) as a Rule 5 draftee but is being re-trained as a starter, is set to make his first start for Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League on Wednesday. The plan has been for Carvajal to go to Triple-A as a starter, although him making the team as a reliever -- no doubt with a more prominent role than this past season -- is within the realm of possibility. "I'm going to work on my curveball and my changeup," Carvajal said before the end of the regular season. "I don't know what the team wants me to do next year, but I'm going to be ready." ... Shortstop Clint Barmes, playing for Escogido in the Dominican Republic while trying to regain the swing that left him after he sat out 78 games with a fractured left collar bone, went 2-for-4 in his club's game on Tuesday and has a .265 batting average. ... On Wednesday, the Rockies were hoping for an MRI on the sore right wrist of their most-prized prospect, third baseman Ian Stewart, has not played in the AFL since suffering the injury while sliding into a base last week. The club received the results on Tuesday, and was awaiting an interpretation from the medical staff. ... In three starts for Caracas, right-handed prospect Franklin Morales is 2-0 with a 4.61 ERA, eight strikeouts and five walks in three starts. Morales struck out 108 in 96 1/3 innings at Class A Asheville.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Mailbag: Atkins has competition
10/31/2005
Colorado got satisfactory work from rookie Garrett Atkins at third base in 2005, but with plenty of talent behind him, fans still have questions about the position over the long term.
Do you know the status on Jeff Baker as to why he was not called up in September? What are the Rockies' plans for him? -- Kenny R., Spartanburg, S.C.
Two reasons Baker, who appeared in 12 games (.211, one HR, four RBIs in 38 at-bats) at the start of the season, didn't appear in September:
• Atkins, whose hamstring injury gave Baker his early chance, had established himself as the third baseman and needed the at-bats, so there wasn't playing time for Baker.
• Injuries had limited Baker to 61 games and 228 at-bats in Triple-A (73 games, 266 at-bats overall), and he has had just 853 in three seasons in the Minors.
As for the latter, in Baker's defense, it's not as if he's caused his injuries through a lack of conditioning or recklessness.
He had wrist problems coming out of college, but those were corrected through surgery. But last year he suffered an injury to the same wrist in a collision at first base and it curtailed his season. This was after he stepped on a sprinkler and suffered an ankle injury. This year, he had two thumb injuries -- one when he was hit by a line drive while running the bases during batting practice -- and a concussion when he was hit with a throw while trying to score.
The clock is running because Baker signed a Major League contract after being drafted in 2002. The Rockies had him try playing the outfield last spring, but he never was healthy enough to follow up on the plan.
But the Rockies can't get caught up in the injury history and forget what happens when he plays -- a home run every 23.7 at-bats in the Minors.
I realize that Atkins has a lot of talent, but 13 home runs isn't a whole lot when compared to Vinny Castilla's 35 in 2004. With Ian Stewart right behind, is Atkins simply just keeping the position warm until Stewart is ready? -- Jeremy K., Temple City, Calif.
That's a good subject of discussion, but that question won't be answered for some time.
Atkins appears to have the ability to hit for a higher average, and there is value in that. Also, the way he finished the season, with six home runs after Aug. 1, the final judgment on his power may not be rendered. That's one issue when evaluating such an inexperienced team. If Atkins can hit for average and power away from home -- Castilla hit more homers on the road than at home in 2004 but carried a low average -- he will be valuable.
After recovering from a hamstring injury that cost him the early part of the season, Stewart knocked 17 home runs, finished tied for seventh in the California League with seven triples and finished in the top 20 in RBIs (86) and doubles (32) despite playing in just 112 games. He continues to display power.
But he is not knocking at the Major League door yet.
Observers inside and outside of the Rockies organization felt that in many ways Stewart, 20, hit like, well, a kid two years out of high school. He became pull-conscious, which made it difficult for him to handle offspeed pitches or hold off on curveballs in the dirt. Also, opposing staffs and pitchers put more advance thought into facing him than other Class A hitters. That has continued in the Arizona Fall League, where Stewart is facing higher-level pitchers in terms of experience and ability.
None of this is a permanent condition. Stewart stung balls the opposite way in high school and in his early Minor League days, and everyone feels it's a matter of time before he catches up to the pitching. After that, he can move fast.
So Stewart will be given time at Double-A Tulsa to show what he's learned before challenging not only Atkins but Baker. He has enough raw power to force decisions sooner than later. It would not be a surprise if he at least made a Major League debut in 2006.
With the talk of needing experience in the bullpen, are the Rockies considering bringing back Dan Miceli? He was certainly pitching well before his injury -- but, we don't hear his name when the bullpen is discussed. -- Steve C., Littleton, Colo.
The Rockies have interest in Miceli, who has been dependable in three stints with the Rockies. But he'll file for free agency and weigh other offers before making a decision.
I was wondering, I am a huge fan of Larry Bigbie. Is there a chance that he will be back next year? -- Anya H., Arizona
Bigbie was nearly dealt to Boston right after being obtained from Baltimore near the trading deadline, but it appears he'll get a chance in Colorado.
When the trade didn't happen, the Rockies began training Bigbie to play center field, and they experimented with him as a leadoff man. Bigbie quickly found himself in a slump, then suffered a left Achilles tendon strain in August that effectively ended his season. He had no more than one at-bat in any of his final nine games.
But with the outfield needing outfield depth and intrigued by Bigbie's potential -- he batted .280 with 15 homers and 68 RBIs for the Orioles in 2004 -- the Rockies are willing to take a longer look. Bigbie, who turns 28 on Nov. 4, is eligible for arbitration for the first time, but the Rockies will try to sign him before entering that salary-inflating process.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Shealy chosen for Team USA
11/03/2005
DENVER -- Prospect Ryan Shealy's days might be a little more taxing, but his offseason project actually will become easier.
Shealy, a first baseman who hit .328 with 26 homers in Triple-A and .330 with two homers in his first 36 Major League games, has been chosen as one of 24 players who will represent the U.S. at the CONCEBE Regional Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Phoenix Nov. 15-19. Rockies pitching prospect Jim Miller also was named to the squad, which was announced on Thursday.
Before the end of the regular season, Shealy committed himself to making monthly trips in the offseason to Arizona, working with first base coach Dave Collins on learning to play the outfield. But because Shealy lives in Fort Lauderdale, those sessions involve a cross-country flight.
The invitation to Team USA gives Shealy the opportunity to work with Collins when he's not involved with the national squad, which has its first workout on Sunday at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, Ariz. Davey Johnson will manage the squad, and Marcel Lachemann, the Rockies' special front office assistant, will serve as pitching coach as well as help Shealy with his busy schedule.
"I've talked to [Lachemann] a few times, and I think the team is going to use me at first base, but I'm going to work some in the outfield -- pull double duty," said Shealy. "These will be my first workouts with Dave Collins, and I'll work out a few more times after this is over."
Shealy, 26, has knocked 88 home runs in 402 Minor League games. That potential for power helped earn him the Team USA invitation, and it's the reason the Rockies are hoping he can learn a new job, since Todd Helton isn't giving up first base any time soon.
The Rockies are well aware of teams that need a first baseman, and Shealy could be among those discussed when Major League general managers meet in Palm Springs, Calif., starting Monday. But Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said that he'd rather keep Shealy.
O'Dowd can envision the right-handed-hitting Shealy sharing time in right field with left-handed-hitting Brad Hawpe, backing up Helton and joining left-swinging Jorge Piedra as late-game pinch-hitting options.
"We're willing to work with Ryan, and Ryan is willing to work to fill a position for us," said O'Dowd. "He'll do a lot of work with Davy [Collins], so we're hoping he will be a part of our 25-man roster. Our focus is on how we're going to find a fit for him here."
Shealy said that he finished the regular season at around 245 pounds, about 10 pounds below his weight at the start of Spring Training. The cardiovascular work he has done since the end of the season while starting to prepare to play the outfield has helped him shed five pounds, and he hopes to lose between five and 10 more.
Already he has had to go the extra mile just for workouts. Shealy left Fort Lauderdale for Gainesville, where he lived while attending the University of Florida, before Hurricane Wilma hit. Power wasn't restored to his home until Wednesday, so he's been staying in Gainesville.
The Team USA invitation will be a break, not to mention an honor.
"I've never had a chance to represent my country before," said Shealy. "It's a challenge. I've always wanted it."
Miller, an eighth-round draft pick in 2004, is 3-1 with a 6.17 ERA for the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League. He recorded 34 combined saves at high-Class A Modesto and Double-A Tulsa.
"It's a tremendous honor to be asked to compete in this," said Miller. "I'm sure it's something a lot of people would like to do.
"It makes me feel that all the hard work I've put in over the years is starting to pay off. I'm not just doing it for myself. All this work I've done I'm able to cash in slowly, but surely."
In other news, the Rockies were hoping to have the results of an MRI performed on the injured right wrist of third base prospect Ian Stewart, who sustained the injury sliding into a base last week in AFL play. However, technical difficulties with the MRI have backed up the diagnosis. Stewart, considered the organization's top prospect, has batted .333 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 12 games (39 at-bats) for the Javelinas.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Stewart shut down with wrist injury
11/04/2005
The Rockies' Ian Stewart has been pulled from the Arizona Fall League because of a wrist injury. Stewart injured his right wrist sliding into second, and the Rockies were awaiting the results of an MRI as of Nov. 2.
Stewart, the Rockies' top draft pick in 2003, suffered a similar injury during the regular season at Class A Modesto. At the time, the Rockies thought he had some stretched ligaments. They suspect the new injury might be a similar problem, prompting the MRI.
This is the second straight year that a highly touted Rockies third-base prospect has had his Arizona Fall League season curtailed by a wrist problem. Jeff Baker was shut down after three AFL games last year because of wrist soreness.
Rockies catching prospect Chris Iannetta would love a few more at-bats. Then again, so would George Kottaras (Padres) and Jeff Clement (Mariners).
One of the big problems of the AFL is that each team has three catchers, which leaves two games a week for each. Iannetta has struggled all season at the plate, reaching a season high of .167 on Oct. 22. A single on Nov. 2 made him 4-for-27 this season, but he also has drawn 10 walks.
"The Arizona Fall League offers a great opportunity, but it's hard for a catcher to get regular at-bats. Chris has faced difficulty getting regular game activity," Rockies farm director Marc Gustafson said. "His defense is still good, and he feels pretty good offensively, too. It's just very difficult to put up good numbers in such little playing time."
Iannetta and four other Rockies prospects are playing for the Javelinas. Here's how they fared during the past week:
RHP Jon Asahina -- Asahina has not gone through a start without giving up at least one run, but he was effective in his last start even though he took the loss. Asahina gave up two runs on six hits in five innings of a 7-2 loss to the Desert Dogs. Asahina is 0-2 with a 5.89 ERA.
RHP Jim Miller -- Miller was having a perfectly fine AFL season until Phoenix tagged him for four runs in one-third of an inning on Oct. 29 to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 7-2 loss. Miller came back on Nov. 1 and got the win after pitching a scoreless ninth inning in a 3-2 victory over the Saguaros. He's now 3-1 with a 6.17 ERA.
RHP Ramon Ramirez -- Ramirez was back in a relief role, appearing in two games this week. He tossed two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks, during a 12-6 victory over Grand Canyon on Nov. 3.
OF Jeff Salazar -- Salazar did not reach base in any of the four games he played last week, going 0-for-17 without a walk. His batting average is down to a season-low .102. Gustafson said Salazar has had trouble with his swing mechanics and is working to find a good batting stance and comfortable swing.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Mailbag: Who's batting first?
11/07/2005
I am a huge fan of Clint Barmes. Do you think that he will hit leadoff again next year and if so, why, since he did so much better in the No. 2 spot? Marlies H., Denver
In 2005, Barmes ended up at the top of the order in May because he was hitting well and Aaron Miles was not getting on base. However, the numbers suggest that putting him in the leadoff spot is not his best use.
For the full season, Barmes batted .255 with a .294 on-base percentage in 247 at-bats in the top spot, and .358 and .396 in the second spot. Of course, Barmes was a far less effective hitter after he missed 78 games with a broken left collarbone. But 136 of his 247 leadoff at-bats came before the injury, and he hit .287 with a .327 on-base -- figures that suggest the top of the order and its requirements to see pitches aren't conducive to Barmes' aggressive style.
Much depends on center fielder Cory Sullivan, who finished the season at .294 with a .343 OBP overall, but .245 and .287 at the leadoff spot.
If Sullivan can't grab the top spot, the Rockies don't have a prototypical leadoff hitter unless center-field prospect Jeff Salazar finds a comfortable swing between now and Spring Training. It has eluded him in the Arizona Fall League. If Sullivan falters, his lack of power could leave him on the bench and the Rockies will have to shoehorn Barmes or someone else into the top spot.
What role do you see Omar Quintanilla playing next year? Does he have chance to be regular second baseman or is he a utility player in the making?Tom S., Houston
For now, Quintanilla gives the Rockies a utility guy who can easily handle playing shortstop. After Desi Relaford slumped offensively and Anderson Machado proved not healthy enough and not good enough with the bat, Quintanilla provided what manager Clint Hurdle has sought since taking the job in 2002.
But the good part about a young player coming up with the Rockies is the opportunity to earn a greater role. Quintanilla has posted a .320 Minor League average with an OBP near .400. After joining the Rockies, he was in the Majors before he could adjust his swing to hit Triple-A pitching to all fields, and in the Majors he hit just .219 in 39 games. If he can make those adjustments, he could earn an expanded role -- the way Luis Gonzalez did at second base when the Rockies made their judgment on Miles.
Opportunity is there. Barmes has been erratic defensively at short and could be a better fit at second base, and some within the organization question whether Gonzalez is better suited to start or be a utility man. Of course, it's not beyond question the switch-hitting Miles could earn a fresh look.
Do you think Chris Iannetta has a chance to be their catcher in 2006?Joe, Littleton, Colo.
The Rockies are seeking a catcher with some experience this offseason, but they're not going to spend much money. It's even possible Todd Greene could be brought back to compete for playing time with 2005 holdovers Danny Ardoin and JD Closser as well as Miguel Ojeda, claimed off waivers from Seattle. Yes, a relatively low budget is one reason. But the rapid development of Iannetta, 22, a fourth-round pick out of North Carolina in 2004 who finished last season at Double-A, is another.
He played in last year's All-Star Futures Game in Detroit and has continued to progress defensively in the Arizona Fall League. There's no reason he can't debut in 2006 and have a chance to have a bigger role in 2007.
I'm excited to see all these rookies being successful in the big leagues, and I can picture a good Rockies team with all of them in it. Nonetheless, I fear that as soon as they start drawing attention from teams all over the leagues, it will be the same old story all over again. My question is: Do you think there's a legitimate chance that the organization is going to be able to hold on to them, even with several teams offering good money for them?Juan Z., Caracas, Venezuela
Fans are understandably concerned after watching the Rockies reduce payroll by ridding themselves of most of their expensive contracts. But the bright side of that is the Rockies don't have to worry much about other teams bidding on their players for a while if the club so chooses.
On the current roster, the earliest anyone is eligible for free agency is right-handed pitcher Jason Jennings after the 2007 season. His current deal runs through 2006 with a club option for his final arbitration year, 2007. The tough decisions will come when players are in their arbitration years and their salaries are uncertain, so the Rockies need to keep developing prospects so they can easily let go of players whose arbitration-driven salaries outweigh peformance.
On May 11, the Rockies traded outfielder Michael Restovich to the Pirates for a player to be named later. Have we received this player to be named as yet? How long is usual for this kind of transaction? Same for July 13, where the Rockies are owed a player to be named later or cash in the Preston Wilson/Zach Day trade?Mark B., New Zealand
Some trades are gifts that keep on giving. The Restovich deal remains incomplete. General managers meet in Palm Springs, Calif., starting today and the Winter Meetings are on tap for Dec. 5-8 in Dallas, so there is time for that. As for the deal that sent center fielder Wilson to Washington for right-handed pitcher Day, the player was determined at the time of the trade -- outfielder J.J. Davis, who finished the year at Triple-A Colorado Springs.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
In turn, O'Dowd's disciples become GMs
11/07/2005
This week's Major League Baseball general managers meetings in Palm Springs, Calif., could double as a reunion for Colorado Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd.
Three current GMs -- Cleveland's Mark Shapiro, Arizona's Josh Byrnes and Texas' Jon Daniels -- started their front-office careers when O'Dowd hired them in internship programs. That number would have been four, but the Los Angeles Dodgers let go their GM, Paul DePodesta, on Oct. 30.
The roots of O'Dowd's work in developing young executives run even deeper. No fewer than four assistant GMs worked for O'Dowd in key positions at a young age.
Even in a short time, the work has been impressive. The group has one division title (DePodesta in 2004) and two World Series rings (Byrnes as Boston's assistant GM in 2004 and Michael Hill as Florida's assistant GM in 2003). Shapiro, who presided over a payroll reduction in Cleveland, built an Indians club that this season challenged the eventual World Series champion Chicago White Sox for the American League Central crown.
For his part, O'Dowd gives the credit to the executives, all of whom are well-educated and dedicated but also, he said, have attributes that can't be gleamed from their diplomas or aptitude test answers.
"It's as simple as this: It's a byproduct of the environment they're raised in," O'Dowd said. "Whether your workplace is the front office or anywhere else, what come out are the values that have been put in your heart as you were raised. The people with the right values end up being great leaders."
But the executives themselves cite O'Dowd as driving force.
"Dan is still my father in the game," DePodesta said in a recent e-mail. "I don't know that I can put it any better than that. My career may have never materialized if not for Dan. He believed in all of us -- Mark and Josh included -- even though we lacked baseball experience at the time of our hiring."
Developing young execs has not happened accidentally.
O'Dowd, 46, began to put a training program in place in Cleveland, where he worked from 1988 to 1999. When O'Dowd rose to assistant GM under John Hart, one of his duties was to begin the club's internship program. In that system, he hired DePodesta, Shapiro, Byrnes and Neal Huntingdon, currently a special assistant GM with the Indians.
O'Dowd brought the program to Colorado, where he hired Daniels in 2001. When Texas promoted Daniels last month to replace Hart, who went to the Rangers after leaving the Indians, Daniels became the youngest GM in Major League history at 28.
Daniels, supervised by O'Dowd and Byrnes in Colorado, described the experience as feeling like he was doing something more than learning and observing, as happens with interns in many professions.
"From Day One, other than filling out some HR paperwork, the term 'intern' never came up," Daniels said. "Dan and Josh gave me an opportunity to become part of the team, from the amateur draft to analyzing players being considered from multiyear deals to trade deadlines to studies of Coors Field and its effect on play. There were no egos, no titles."
Education and the ability to understand research and statistics are common traits for O'Dowd employees who have succeeded. But budding front-office leaders are allowed to develop in different ways.
Byrnes' first love is scouting, and he is as adept at assessing high school and college players with his eyes and measuring tools such as stopwatches and radar guns as he is analyzing statistical and financial numbers. He was the Indians' scouting director at 27 and a key figure in Rockies drafts in 2000-2003 before joining the Red Sox.
Shapiro said O'Dowd prepared him for the rebuilding of the Indians by making sure he had a background with the Minor League system.
"Our organization grew rapidly in the mid-90s, and as it did he gave me more authority in player development," Shapiro wrote in an e-mail. "I remember him having me run a PD [player development] staff meeting in the spring of '94 and he really had me take over the administration of that department after only two years in the business. But he was confident in me and assured me that if I was prepared and confident I would excel."
It's a method that makes employees feel they're learning without feeling like students, new Texas assistant GM Thad Levine noted.
Levine, a college teammate of Byrnes, had experience in private business and one year in business development for the Dodgers before joining the Rockies' baseball operations department in 2000 and quickly took on big projects.
"It was a thrill for me to work on Todd Helton's contract extension" in 2001, said Levine, who assumed many of Byrnes' duties when Byrnes joined the Red Sox. "One of the official documents, he and I signed. I called one of my friends and said, 'Some day, maybe that contract will be in the Hall of Fame and my name will be right next to his.
"With Dan, we are challenged well beyond our initial skill sets, and that's how we grow. He does it in a way that fosters confidence. You never feel like you're over your head. You're just riding the wave, doing the job, and many times you don't realize the magnitude of what you're doing while you're doing it."
O'Dowd's interest in developing employees has its roots with his mentor, Hank Peters, former GM for Baltimore and Cleveland. O'Dowd, who had a brief collegiate career at Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., but had aspirations of bigger accomplishments in the game, worked for Peters' Orioles organization in the broadcast and marketing departments. He moved to the baseball side as assistant director of player development and scouting before joining Peters and Hart with Cleveland.
"Hank instilled a lot of what I do today," O'Dowd said. "One, you hire dynamic overachievers, guys that are willing to work for things. Two, you give them responsibility and let them learn from their mistakes. You've got to develop mental toughness."
O'Dowd is not planning to stop developing leaders.
He replaced Levine with Jeff Bridich, 28, who had spent four years working in the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball before joining the Rockies in December 2004.
O'Dowd also isn't simply concentrating on 20-somethings.
Bill Geivett, 42, who came to the Rockies in 2000 with extensive experience in player personnel and player development, has assumed greater front-office duties the last two years. Danny Montgomery, 40, who has scouted for the Rockies since before the club's first draft in 1992, has become scouting director under Bill Schmidt, 46, who has been with O'Dowd in Cleveland and Colorado.
This past season, O'Dowd instituted a minority internship program and he credited Montgomery and Geivett for finding Walter Sylvester, who had worked for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds and had extensive experience in finance with ESPN and Sirius satellite radio. After a year as an intern during which he helped analyze payroll decisions, Sylvester, 36, has been hired as a baseball operations assistant.
As much as he enjoys the success of those who have left him, O'Dowd hopes to experience it himself after having remade the Rockies several times since taking over as GM after the 1999 season.
"My only regret is that we are going to win here, and a lot of people who have moved on have gone through some tough times along the way," he said. "There's nothing like that feeling of accomplishment when a group has been together for a long time, and that worm turns. That's going to happen."
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Rockies rookies make a splash
11/07/2005
DENVER -- Colorado third baseman Garrett Atkins finished fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting announced Monday, receiving one first-place vote, while left-handed pitcher Jeff Francis and shortstop Clint Barmes also received votes.
Philadelphia slugging first baseman Ryan Howard took the award by earning 19 of the 32 first-place votes and 107 points overall in the Baseball Writers Association of Amerca points system, followed by Houston center fielder Willy Taveras with seven first-place votes and 78 points, and Atlanta outfielder Jeff Francouer with two first-place votes and 60 points.
The rookie-dominated Rockies were factors in the voting. Atkins finished with 17 points, followed by Pittsburgh pitcher Zach Duke. Francis was sixth with three points for a second-place vote. Milwaukee second baseman Rickie Weeks received a second-place vote, and Barmes received one point for a third-place vote to tie with Florida pitcher Jason Vargas.
Colorado manager Clint Hurdle stumped hard for Atkins, whom the Rockies inserted at third after letting veteran Vinny Castilla escape via free agency. Atkins batted .289, led Major League rookies with 89 RBIs and led NL rookies in doubles with 31, extra-base hits with 45 and walks with 45.
Several factors hurt Atkins. The three rookies who finished in front of him were key, down-the-stretch members of contending teams. Atkins' 18 errors were the fourth most among NL third basemen, although he showed improvement as the season progressed and regularly made diving plays. Finally, he batted 101 points higher at home (.339) than on the road.
Nonetheless, the Rockies were pleased with Atkins, who got a late start because of a hamstring injury that cost him the first 18 games of the season.
"There's not a lot of flash, not a lot of style to him," Hurdle said in the season's final days. "He just gets the job done, and done in pretty good fashion. He answered all the questions we had about him as far as I was concerned.
"You had to watch him all year. He didn't take many days off. He faced the toughest pitching around."
Francis went 14-12 with a 5.68 ERA, and led Major League rookies in wins, as well as tied for the lead in losses. Barmes was a prime contender before suffering a broken collarbone in June and missing 78 games. He batted .289 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Sky Sox announce 2006 coaching staff
11/10/2005
COLORADO SPRINGS -- The Colorado Springs Sky Sox have announced their coaching staff for the 2006 campaign, and the entire staff has significant ties to Colorado. Joining the Sky Sox will be new manager Tom Runnells, a native of Greeley, Colo., and new pitching coach Chuck Kniffin, a resident of Florissant, Colo. Colorado Springs residents Alan Cockrell and Jeremy Moeller have both been offered contracts and are expected to return as the Sky Sox hitting coach and athletic trainer. Runnells replaces Marv Foley, who has been promoted to roving catching instructor with the Rockies, and Kniffin replaces Bob McClure, who was recently named the new pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals.
Runnells begins his third season with the Rockies organization and first with the Sky Sox after managing Double-A Tulsa for the past two seasons. Runnells, 50, guided the Drillers to a 75-65 record in 2005 and led the team to a second straight trip to the Texas League playoffs. He has 18 years of experience as a manager and coach, including two years of Major League managerial experience with the Montreal Expos in 1991-92. With the Expos, he managed 149 games over parts of those two seasons and compiled a 68-81 record. After retiring as a player in 1986, Runnells managed in the Reds system for two seasons (1987-88) before managing and coaching in the Expos (1989-1992) and Detroit Tigers (1993-2003) organizations. He managed the Southern League Champion Chattanooga Lookouts in 1988 and the American Association Champion Indianapolis Indians in 1989.
As a player, Runnells played 10 seasons, including a stint with the Cincinnati Reds (1985-86). The former infielder played in 40 Major League games with the Reds, and posted a .174 average with a couple of doubles in limited play.
Kniffin, 55, begins his first year in the Rockies organization after spending last season as the pitching coach for Triple-A Syracuse in the Toronto Blue Jays system. The Florissant, Colo. resident has 17 years of coaching experience including three seasons (2002-04) as the Arizona Diamondbacks' pitching coach. With the Diamondbacks, his pitchers compiled a 233-253 record and led the team to a playoff appearance in 2002 behind the arms of Randy Johnson (24-5) and Curt Schilling (23-7).
Cockrell, 42, returns for his eighth season with the Rockies organization and his fourth with the Sky Sox. As a player, he played in five different seasons with the Sky Sox and is the all-time team leader in games played (494), RBIs (286), hits (478), doubles (91) and walks (183). The Colorado Springs resident is also the only man to play for both of the Sky Sox PCL Championship teams (1992 and '95).
Moeller, a Colorado Springs native, returns for his second season as the Sky Sox trainer. A graduate of Rampart High School and Colorado State University, this will be Jeremy's eighth season in the Rockies organization.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Rox trio up for 2006 Frick Award
11/08/2005
DENVER -- George Frazier reached the heights as a right-handed pitcher, taking home a World Series ring as a reliever with the Minnesota Twins in 1987.
He remembers the lessons he learned in 10 Major League seasons, which also included postseason trips with the Yankees (1981) and Cubs (1984). For the past 18 years, the first 10 with Minnesota, he has been working his way up the broadcast ladder.
Frazier, who has spent the last eight years as an analyst for Rockies telecasts on Fox Sports Net/UPN 20, is one of many announcers that fans can support on the ballot for the Ford C. Frick Award, given in association with the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Broadcasters who have 10 or more seasons working in the Major Leagues are eligible, so fans also can vote for the broadcast pair at radio station KOA 850-AM -- Jack Corrigan, who has 20 total years working in radio and television, the first 17 with Cleveland and the last three with Colorado, and Jeff Kingery, who has covered the Rockies for their entire 13 seasons of existence.
Presented annually since 1978 for excellence in baseball broadcasting, the Ford C. Frick Award is given to an active or retired broadcaster who has a minimum 10 years of continuous Major League broadcast service with a ball club or network, or a combination of the two. Fans will have the opportunity to vote for up to three of the 182 broadcasters eligible for consideration for the 2006 Ford C. Frick Award. Bios of each candidate can be found at baseballhalloffame.org. Fans are allowed to vote once daily. Results will be announced when voting concludes, though updates will not be provided during the voting. The fan selections, along with the full ballot of 10 candidates, will be announced on Dec. 5.
The final ballot will be comprised of the three fan selections, along with seven other candidates, determined by a Hall of Fame staff research team. The Frick electorate includes all living award-winners and six historians appointed by the Hall of Fame.
The voting electorate consists of 20 members, featuring 2005 Ford C. Frick Award winner Jerry Coleman and the other 13 living Frick Award winners: Marty Brennaman, Herb Carneal, Joe Garagiola, Curt Gowdy, Ernie Harwell, Jaime Jarrin, Milo Hamilton, Harry Kalas, Felo Ramirez, Vin Scully, Lon Simmons, Bob Uecker and Bob Wolff. Six historians and veteran media members are also part of the electorate, including Bob Costas (NBC), Barry Horn (Dallas Morning News), Stan Isaacs (formerly of New York Newsday), Ted Patterson (historian), Curt Smith (historian) and Larry Stewart (Los Angeles Times).
Voters are asked to base their selections on the following criteria: longevity; continuity with a club; honors, including such national assignments as the World Series and All-Star Games; and popularity with fans. Paper ballots will be cast by voting members in January, and the final results will be announced on the Hall of Fame's website in February. Each voter will cast ballots for three candidates, and the broadcaster with the most support will be named as that year's award-winner, and be honored the following summer at the annual induction ceremony in Cooperstown.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Longtime Braves scout honored
11/12/2005
Ralph Garr recalls with gratitude that his former Atlanta Braves teammate, Hank Aaron, set a strong example for him at the start of his own career, which ran from 1969 to 1980. More importantly, he thanks Aaron for giving him a chance to apply those lessons after his playing career.
"Henry Aaron came to Houston when they had the Winter Meetings, and he asked me to come with him and see what was going on, with the draft and scouting and all the things that go on," Garr said. "He offered me a job as a scout and a coach. He and Mr. Paul Snyder made it possible for me back in 1985 to work for the Braves, and I've been with them ever since."
Garr has worked with distinction for all those years, as well. Garr received the Buck O'Neill Professional Scouts and Coaches Association Man of the Year Award during the organization's annual banquet Friday night at the 755 Club at Turner Field in Atlanta. Danny Montgomery, the Colorado Rockies assistant scouting director and vice president of the association, said Garr, who turns 60 next month, was a natural choice.
"It was a no-brainer," Montgomery said. "Ralph is a pioneer with what he has accomplished, and he's a humble guy with high integrity. He's done so much in baseball. If you call out Ralph's name, whether it's in this country or abroad in the Dominican Republic, people know who he is. He's a pleasant spirit."
Professionals in baseball formed the Buck O'Neill Professional Scouts and Coaches Association six years ago to promote minority involvement and education in baseball, but it does not limit membership or contributions to minorities.
Garr, a Texas-based scout for the Braves, is the third recipient of the award. O'Neill, a former Negro Leagues player and manager, the first African American coach in the Majors and a longtime successful Major League Scout, took the first award from the organization that bears his name. Ed Scott, who signed a teen-age Aaron for the Negro Leagues and joined the Majors as a scout for Boston in 1962, earned the second award.
From the beginning of his playing days, Garr displayed the talent and know-how to fashion a long career.
The Braves made Garr a third-round choice out of Grambling State in 1967, and he made his Major League debut the following season. Garr won the National League batting title and appeared in the All-Star Game in 1974, finished second in hitting twice and in the top 10 a total of five times.
Garr ran fast and carried a big stick.
"I used a bat that was big, 36 inches and 36-37 ounces, because it had a big surface," Garr said. "I used my speed -- one season I had 180 singles -- but if I got into the ball I could hit it out of the ballpark. It made it tough for them to play me closely."
Using intelligence as well as ability was a way of life when Garr came up with Atlanta.
"Henry Aaron is a special baseball man and a special human being, and he knew how to get the most out of the game -- people like him and Phil Niekro were the epitome of respect for the game of baseball," Garr said. "They knew how to play the game the right way, and helped everybody else."
After entering the coaching and scouting side of the game, Garr has been helping others learn the game the way he did.
Garr does much of his scouting in the Houston area, but he travels to see amateur players and at times is a presence in professional press boxes as he helps the Braves prepare for opponents and evaluate players for future deals.
On Saturday, the day after receiving the award, Garr was on a baseball field in Atlanta at a camp for 60-70 players ages 9-21. Garr laughed and said there was enough talent on the field that some of the scouts would be handing in names to their scouting directors and following their progress between now and when they're draft-eligible.
But the award gave him a chance to look at his colorful past in the game.
"To look back and say I've put a lot of work in and been a part of 14 consecutive division championships, what can you say," Garr said. "And anytime you get an award, it's a great thing. It's an awesome feeling that people think you are worthy."
Montgomery said Garr is the type of baseball person who the organization is looking to develop.
About 60 scouts, front-office members and coaches -- with some representation from college programs as well as Major League organizations -- arrived in Atlanta on Thursday. Instead of making it a social gathering, Williams, Montgomery and many of the scouts who spearheaded the organization decided to make it an educational gathering. Over the first two days, scouts met in groups to discuss various issues and also had large-scale panel discussions.
The goal, Montgomery said, is to find ways for minorities to gain a footing in baseball and help them become important figures in the game, the way O'Neill did in a much more difficult time. Montgomery noted that teams have gotten behind the effort, and non-minority club officials and scouts have been important in the effort.
"We're training, helping teach one another and even learning from one another," Montgomery said. "We've made it an open forum, so a lot of people have the opportunity to speak, and there is a lot of networking."
Commissioner Bud Selig, in Denver to present Arizona outfielder Luis Gonzalez with the Branch Rickey Award for Humanitarian Service on Saturday, commended the Buck O'Neill organization and Garr.
"All of these awards are great because they're being awarded for the right reasons," Selig said. "Those are off-the-field activities that make this world and these communities a better place to live."
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Rockies to continue building from within
11/09/2005
DENVER -- General manager Dan O'Dowd felt that the small forward steps the Colorado Rockies took in their building program in 2005 are worth continuing as he prepares for 2006.
"I feel better now than I did last year and the year before," O'Dowd said. "But not as good as I'll feel a year from now."
The Rockies' 67-95 record matched the 1993 squad for worst in franchise history. However, a horrendous first two months and injuries that forced disabled-list placements at all eight regular positions gave way to some reasons for encouragement.
By season's end, seven regulars had fewer than three seasons of Major League service time and the starting rotation also was young. This group finished 30-28 from Aug. 1 to season's end.
Now, for the next steps ...
But first, a look back. Last offseason signaled a shift in the Rockies' building philosophy. Before then, offseasons brought a merry-go-round of veteran free agents who would arrive, sometimes thrive, for a brief period before going elsewhere for better contracts. But over time, the farm system improved.
Last winter, the Rockies replaced third baseman Vinny Castilla and shortstop Royce Clayton with a pair of rookies, Garrett Atkins and Clint Barmes. They planned to replace veteran catcher Charles Johnson with rookie JD Closser. The only experienced players Colorado brought in were infielder Desi Relaford and outfielder Dustan Mohr, both of whom turned out to be protection in case younger players did not pan out.
This season brings the same philosophy, for the most part.
It's not as if the Rockies aren't looking to upgrade, but much of the upgrading will come from either young or low-priced players. This past season served as an example. Luis Gonzalez claimed the second-base job when Aaron Miles didn't provide what the Rockies wanted. When Closser struggled at catcher, the job went to Danny Ardoin, a defensive whiz in the Minors.
The competition and depth once again will come primarily from the system once again, which has more players close to Major League-ready in the outfield than at other positions. That means depth will be an issue again, since the stronger players at the other positions spent much of 2005 in Class A. The better starting pitchers in the system appear to be a half-season away.
O'Dowd said the Rockies will resist trading prospects for established players. The interesting case to watch is power-hitting Ryan Shealy, who is stuck behind Todd Helton at first base. Colorado is aware of teams needing a young player at the position, but is focusing on teaching Shealy to play right field and using him there with 2005 rookie Brad Hawpe.
"I don't think we're at that point yet," O'Dowd said of using prospects as bait. "You can't have enough good, young players. The more good, young players you have, the more depth you have and the more flexibility you have to get better in the future."
A situation to watch is Boston, with whom the Rockies had a deal for catching prospect Kelly Shoppach at the trading deadline in July only to see it nixed by Red Sox management. Offseason changes in Boston could make a deal possible. According to reports, the Rockies could shore up catching by attempting to acquire Atlanta's Johnny Estrada, Cincinnati's Jason LaRue, Cleveland's Josh Bard or free agent Eli Marrero, who came up as a catcher but has been a utility man at the corner infield and outfield positions -- most recently with Baltimore.
Free agents Marquis Grissom and Jeff Conine have been mentioned as possible targets for outfield depth.
The place the Rockies will spend is pitching. They'll sign one starters: either Byung-Hyun Kim -- who had his moments in the rotation in 2005 -- or a veteran below the top tier of free agents and possibly two relievers. Colorado already has re-signed one of its relievers, Mike DeJean, to a one-year contract that guarantees him $1.3 million and has a mutual 2007 option.
Among the possible pitching targets are a pair of former Rockies starters, Pedro Astacio (San Diego) and Shawn Estes (Arizona), plus relievers Elmer Dessens (Los Angeles), Dan Miceli (Colorado) and Terry Mulholland (Minnesota).
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Asahina struggles as AFL season ends
11/11/2005
Seven has not been a lucky number for Jon Asahina.
The right-hander was knocked around in both of his starts this week. He gave up seven runs over 3 1/3 innings on Nov. 4 against Grand Canyon, and seven more runs in three innings on Nov. 10 against Surprise. Only one of the runs against the Scorpions was earned, leaving Asahina with a 6.93 ERA.
Asahina and four other Rockies prospects spent their final week of the Arizona Fall League season with the Peoria Javelinas. Here's how they fared:
RHP Jim Miller -- Miller had three dominating outings this week, striking out five and giving up one hit in three innings. He fanned two of the three batters he faced on Nov. 8 against the Peoria Saguaros, then retired the side with one strikeout two days later against the Scorpions.
RHP Ramon Ramirez -- Ramirez pitched two scoreless innings on Nov. 8 against the Saguaros, allowing three hits and striking out one. He surrendered a solo homer in his previous outing, one of two runs he gave up over his last six innings, lowering his ERA to 6.20.
C Chris Iannetta -- Iannetta finally got over the .200 mark for the first time this season with a modest three-game hitting streak that was capped by a 2-for-3 effort on Nov. 9 against Phoenix, putting him at .206. In the same game, he hit his first fall homer, a solo shot that also produced his first RBI.
OF Jeff Salazar -- After going five games and 22 at-bats without a hit, Salazar also put together a three-game hitting streak that raised his batting average to .137. He went 4-for-14 with two runs scored and his third stolen base of the season.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Mailbag: Miles running out of road?
11/14/2005
What is the status of Aaron Miles? Will he be a Rockie next year or will they trade him? I am an Aaron Miles fan -- I like his hustle on the field.-- Gary T., Cañon City, Colo.
Many fans have sent similar e-mails. No player on the Colorado club elicits a wider range of opinions than Miles, acquired from the Chicago White Sox in December 2003 for shortstop Juan Uribe.
No matter how you feel about Miles, the trade has proved much better for the Sox than the Rox. Uribe has hit 39 home runs, scored 140 runs and driven in 145 runs the past two seasons, to Miles' eight homers, 112 runs and 75 RBIs. Nonetheless, this is about Miles and how he fits the Rockies.
Miles, with his all-out style and dirty uniform, looks a lot better in person in front of paying customers than he does on a stat sheet. Ultimately, though, production matters. A report in the Denver Post from the Major League general managers meetings last week noted that the Rockies shopped him, but received only mild interest.
In 2004, Miles overcame a midseason slump, endured a trip to the Minors, and hit .293, although his .329 on-base percentage wasn't high enough to justify batting leadoff. In 2005, a strained muscle in the midsection cost him time, and a .281 batting average and .306 on-base percentage cost him the leadoff spot and ultimately his job.
Additionally, manager Clint Hurdle became frustrated with the frequency with which Miles almost made plays defensively. Luis Gonzalez, his replacement, is more suited to third base than second, but on plays that demonstrate range -- when a second baseman has to go into short left for a grounder or has to dive -- he was able to complete more plays than Miles.
Nonetheless, Miles could establish value as a switch-hitter capable of a near .300 average, with an approach tailored to the "swing first, ask questions later" approach of a pinch-hitter.
The statistics have led to some harsh evaluations of Miles, but I'm not ready to close the book on him as a starting player in the right situation -- provided he stays healthy and makes adjustments that allow him to get on base a little more often. The Angels' Adam Kennedy has held a starting spot for a World Series champion and is a regular playoff participant with a .281 career average and .320 on-base percentage, but he has hit primarily second, seventh, eighth and ninth.
Why don't the Rockies give Jorge Piedra a chance to be a regular in the outfield? He has power and hits for a decent average.-- Peter W., Franklin, N.C.
Piedra himself is hoping for such a shot. He had one briefly in 2004 in center field and did well offensively. But defensively, the Rockies became convinced he could not cover center field, especially at Coors Field. With high draft picks and potential power men Matt Holliday and Brad Hawpe having earned their chances in the corners and with the club feeling Cory Sullivan could cover center field better, Piedra found himself at Triple-A Colorado Springs to start 2005.
Nonetheless, Piedra hit well in Triple-A and hit better than any pinch-hitter in baseball when he was finally called up, proving he isn't willing to take no for an answer. By season's end, the feeling was he still was a corner outfielder rather than a center fielder.
But Piedra believes he can play center, his primary position in the Dodgers and Cubs systems before joining the Rockies in 2003. He left Denver planning to work on the position this winter, feeling that if he demonstrates the defensive ability, the Rockies would have to look at the power he could offer. In sporadic playing time, he has a .305 average and nine home runs in just 203 at-bats.
What are the Rockies' plans for left-handed closer Brian Fuentes?-- Kerrie S., Winton, Calif.
They intend to reward him, as well as give him some help.
After not signing any reliever to a multiyear deal since Gabe White in 2000, the Rockies and Fuentes' agent, Rick Thurman, have began discussing a multiyear deal, the Rocky Mountain News reported during the GM meetings.
Fuentes saved 31 games after taking over the closer role from the injured Chin-hui Tsao a month into the season, and in a career in which all but 10 of his 241 appearances have come with the Rockies, he has struck out 10.41 batters per nine innings.
The Rockies have already spent to keep late-game setup man Mike DeJean in the fold and plan to sink most of their free-agent dollars into relief pitching to make sure he has leads to protect.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Lindsay takes command of Northwest League
11/09/2005
It was a short season, and Shane Lindsay dominated all of it.
The Australian right-hander, pitching for the Tri-City Dust Devils of the Northwest League, was recently selected as MiLB.com's Class A Short-Season Starting Pitcher of the Year.
Lindsay struggled in his first professional season with Casper of the Pioneer League in 2004 after signing with the Colorado Rockies as an undrafted free agent. But he got his 2005 campaign off to a blazing start and never slowed down.
In his first appearance with Tri-City, Lindsay turned in a one-hit 11-strikeout performance. He followed that with 21 more strikeouts over his next two outings.
While Lindsay's control was at times erratic -- he uncorked 12 wild pitches and walked 34 batters in 66 2/3 innings -- it was a vast improvement from 2004, when he walked 19 in 21 1/3 innings and finished with a 6.75 ERA for Casper.
"He had so much that he had to overcome from last year," Dust Devils manager Ron Gideon. "He had so many control problems, and we were just gonna make baby steps with him."
Those baby steps turned into giant leaps as Lindsay held the opposition to a .163 batting average, while surrendering just one home run and compiling a league-leading 107 strikeouts. At times, Lindsay's fastball topped out at 90 miles per hour in the first inning and gained five ticks on the radar gun by the middle of the game.
As well as Lindsay pitched during the first half of the season, he got even stronger toward the end. In early August, he enjoyed consecutive one-hit outings en route to winning four of his last five starts. In his final game, the 20-year-old allowed one earned run on four hits and a walk while striking out 10 in eight innings. This was in a league that saw only one complete game all season.
Lindsay finished 6-1 with a 1.89 ERA, good for third-lowest on the circuit.
"We're expecting big things from him as an organization," said Gideon. "We're gonna take care of him because it's a valuable arm that's gonna help us down the road."
Source: http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/
Notes: Healthy Jennings set to return
11/16/2005
DENVER -- Chilly temperatures that hit the Dallas area on Tuesday marked a good time for holiday decorations to go up at Colorado pitcher Jason Jennings' home. For Jennings, decorating meant telling others what goes where.
But if he was a do-it-yourself kind of guy -- he isn't when balancing on a roof is involved -- the fractured right middle finger that ended his season in July would not have been a problem.
"It's fine," Jennings said. "I can bang it against a corner of a wall or a door and I can't even feel it. It seems to be 100 percent. I'm also throwing great, so I don't foresee any setbacks at all."
Jennings went 6-9 with a 5.02 ERA in 2005 before suffering the injury, with his April-May struggles (1-6, 7.05 ERA) serving as the main reason for his less-than-inspiring final numbers. The key for Jennings will be to start the season better.
Of course, he would like to start at the beginning, as in Opening Day. Jennings entered 2005 expecting to start the season on the mound, and he was highly disappointed when the Rockies tabbed Joe Kennedy. Jennings regained his leadership role by going 5-3 with a 3.49 ERA in his final 11 starts, six of which were quality starts (six or more innings, three or fewer earned runs).
But in Jennings' absence, right-hander Aaron Cook returned from the blood clots that cost him a full year, and pitched like an ace (7-2, 3.67 ERA in 13 starts).
"I haven't heard anything, but I would like to think that I'm a No. 1 guy," Jennings said. "I feel I was throwing really well the last month or so before I got hurt, and I'm going into my fifth year with the Rockies. Hopefully, I can add some veteran flavor with as young a team as we have. Hopefully, they can look up to me as a leader."
Tougher: Colorado first baseman Todd Helton was happy to finally see the latest policies involving performance-enhancing drugs.
"We hope that it works," Helton said. "We are going to have the strictest steroids policy in sports."
While he was sure that the policy, which has increased punishments for steroids and a new emphasis on amphetamines, will have an impact on the players, he is not sure how fans will react.
"I don't know how people are going to look at the game because of this," Helton said. "But hopefully they'll know that we're out there playing with just water and coffee or whatever they would want us to play on."
Winter wonderment: Rockies second baseman Luis Gonzalez was fourth in the Venezuelan Winter League in hitting with a .373 batting average through Tuesday. ... Right-hander Marcos Carvajal gave up seven hits, walked five and struck out five in his first 6 2/3 innings for Caracas (Venezuela). Outshining Carvajal is Rockies right-handed prospect Franklin Morales (2-0, 4.03 ERA, 15 strikeouts, 22 1/3 innings). ... Shortstop Clint Barmes has a .242 average for Escogido in the Dominican Republic. ... Right-hander David Cortes earned saves in his first two appearances for Mexicali (Mexico), striking out five in two innings. ... Through Monday, outfielder Ryan Spilborghs was batting .300 with six home runs for Obregon (Mexico).
Fruitful trip: Rockies player development director Marc Gustafson, assistant general manager Bill Geivett and other club officials returned recently from a trip to the Dominican Republic to check on players in the club's instructional program at Boca Chica. Gustafson said he left happy with the prospects, especially the shortstops.
"We have two of them, Hector Gomez and Carlos Martinez," Gustafson said. "Carlos just signed this year and had just turned 16, and Gomez is 19. Gomez has potential to come to the United States [for Minor League play] this year, and Martinez will stay in the Dominican Summer League for a year. They're both good."
Staying put: Gustafson said the Rockies have put on the backburner any talk of third base prospect Jeff Baker changing positions anytime soon. First, he has to regain his health after a hand injury, a wrist injury and a concussion at Triple-A Colorado Springs, and a history of injuries since joining the organization in 2003.
Gustafson said there is good news from Baker's offseason program in Virginia. The injuries, due to unfortunate events rather than anything Baker did or didn't do, are not affecting him.
"We still are very high on Jeff Baker, no doubt about that," Gustafson said. "I'm sure at some point in his career or this year got frustrated, although he never showed that. With the amount of injuries he's had and the lack of time on the field, he probably does get a little frustrated. But he's feeling good. His offseason conditioning is on track.
"Our focus with Jeff is that he's healthy. We don't want to start saying, 'How about the outfield, how about different positions?' We want to say, 'How about your health. Make sure you're ready to go.' That's not to say we won't revisit that at some point."
Baker was drafted in 2002 and signed a four-year Major League contract that fall. He made his Major League debut on Opening Day 2005 in place of the injured Garrett Atkins and batted .211 with a home run and four RBIs in 12 games before Atkins returned.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Rockies prospect named MVP
11/20/2005
PHOENIX -- Rockies prospect Ryan Shealy was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2005 CONCEBE Regional Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Sunday, by the selection committee. The United States team player prospect batted .500 (10-for-20) and was also named the leading hitter in the event.
Three other Americans were named to the Tournament All-Star Team, including catcher Jeff Mathis (Angels/Marianna, FL), shortstop Brandon Wood (Angels/Scottsdale, AZ), and third baseman Brendan Harris (Nationals/Queensbury, NY).
The U.S. team finished unbeaten in the tournament.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Atkins honored as Topps team member
11/17/2005
Garrett Atkins already drew some acknowledgment this offseason for his outstanding rookie performance, earning enough votes to finish fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting earlier this month.
This time, Atkins received full recognition for his smashing 2005 debut.
The Rockies' third baseman was honored Thursday as a member of the 2005 Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team, based on balloting by Major League managers. In fact, Atkins was a unanimous selection as the all-rookie team's third baseman, one of five players who swept the voting.
With one squad covering both leagues, 22-year-old A's closer Huston Street was voted the top right-handed pitcher. Blue Jays starter Gustavo Chacin was named the top left-hander.
In the infield, Dan Johnson of the A's was tabbed at first base. He was joined by Tadahito Iguchi of the White Sox at second, Russ Adams of the Blue Jays at shortstop and Atkins at third.
The outfield is made up of National League Rookie of the Year runner-up Willy Taveras of the Astros, Jeff Franceour of the Braves and Jonny Gomes of the Devil Rays.
Catcher Brian McCann of the Braves rounded out the squad.
National League Rookie of the Year Ryan Howard of the Phillies, meanwhile, didn't make the squad, thanks to Johnson's unanimous selection at first base. Atkins, Adams, Street and Chacin also were unanimous picks.
After taking over third base for departed free agent Vinny Castilla, Atkins drove in 89 runs for the Rockies to lead a strong contingent of 2005 Rockies rookies. Atkins earned a first-place vote and 17 voting points to place fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting earlier this month, and he was joined by left-hander Jeff Francis and shortstop Clint Barmes in receiving votes for the award.
The 25-year-old from Southern California made his Major League debut in 2003 and led all Minor League hitters with a .366 average for Triple-A Colorado Springs in 2004. Atkins batted .289 in his first full season in the big leagues, leading all Major League rookies with his 89 RBIs and leading NL rookies in doubles with 31, extra-base hits with 45 and walks with 45.
Atkins joins first baseman Todd Helton (1998) and right-hander Jason Jennings (2002) as Rockies who made the Topps Major League Rookie All-Star team.
The Topps all-rookie team began in 1959 with Willie McCovey being the first of 14 future Hall of Famers named to the squad. The others: Johnny Bench, Rod Carew, Gary Carter, Carlton Fisk, Paul Molitor, Joe Morgan, Eddie Murray, Tony Perez, Kirby Puckett, Ryne Sandberg, Tom Seaver, Ozzie Smith and Billy Williams.
The Rookie All-Stars will each have a trophy on their 2006 trading card in Topps Baseball, with Series One due out on Feb. 7.
In December, Topps will pay homage to the award when it issues 2005 Topps Rookie Cup Baseball, a new baseball card product highlighting past and present players named to the Rookie All-Star Team.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Inside Pitch: Marc Gustafson
11/18/2005
Periodically throughout the year, Rockies baseball operations personnel make trips to the Dominican Republic to visit our academy in Boca Chica. We have a full-time staff of player development personnel and scouting personnel. They are led by Rolando Fernandez, director of Latin American operations. During our most recent trip, we also made decisions on which players would be offered visas for the 2006 season. It is extremely important that we travel to the D.R. to show our support to the program, evaluate the players and make sure there is consistency in our development process.
I travel to the D.R. at least two times per year: one trip during the D.R. Summer League and usually one trip in the offseason. On this trip, Keith Dugger, our Major League trainer, joined me in order to meet the medical staff and evaluate our medical facilities. Next offseason, we hope to schedule Clint Hurdle to join us as well.
Day 1: Attended our Instructional League program, which consists of 38 young players from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. Our presence in the D.R. has come a long way since the late 1990s. We now occupy a state-of-the-art facility in Boca Chica about 40 minutes from the capital city of Santo Domingo. This complex has everything we need to develop our Minor League players: weight room, clubhouse, dormitory that sleeps 50, coaches offices, executive office, lunch rooms, English classroom and well-manicured fields with batting cages. Our daily schedule is very similar to our Spring Training or Instructional League schedule in Tucson, Ariz. That is the objective in the development process. We must remain consistent in the way we teach and how we operate. Our players are making an impact on the island. They are getting stronger and maturing into the top prospects in the D.R. On this day, we played the Boston Red Sox instructional team and won by a score of 6-2. Good pitching and defense was the key to this win. That night we traveled to Santo Domingo to visit Clint Barmes, who is playing for Escogido of the Dominican Winter League. He went 3-for-4 and made a nice diving play to help his team win. He looks good and is playing healthy.
Day 2: Back to Boca Chica to see another Instructional League workout and game. It rained hard the night before, and the Dodgers were unable to play. We made some last-minute phone calls and scheduled another game against the Red Sox. We played at their complex, which is located 30 minutes from Boca Chica. We played to a 4-4 tie but saw some positives from this day. Samuel Deduno (Class A Asheville in '05) pitched five innings, giving up only one hit and striking out 11. Also to note was shortstop Hector Gomez (Dominican Summer League in '05), who had two hits and played nice defense. We made another trip to Santo Domingo that night to see Barmes. He had three more hits, one of them being an RBI double, and his team won a close game by the score of 2-0.
Day 3: No game this day for the Instructional League program. However, we did observe their workout, followed by an open tryout run by our Dominican scouting staff. No prospects to be found on this day, but you never know when the right player may come along. It is very important to hold tryouts on a regular basis, because the word gets out on the island that the Rockies are always trying to find and sign players to professional contracts. During the year, we can sign players to a contract if they are at least 16 years old and have a parent or guardian's signature.
Day 4: Off-day for the Instructional League program. Many of our players go home to see families on this day and return by 10 p.m. for the next day's activity. That night we went back to Santo Domingo, this time to see Juan Morillo. He is pitching for Licey in the Winter League. He had a good night, pitching three innings of relief and had an explosive fastball with velocities from 94 to 100 mph.
Day 5: Final day of our trip. We traveled back to the Boca Chica complex. I thanked our players and staff for their hard work, intensity and focus. The program ran great, and we will soon see many of these players contribute to the success of the Rockies organization. We finished the workout and got ready to play the Dodgers. We won the game, 5-4, and saw Anuery Rodriguez (Rookie Level Casper in '05) pitch very well. It was a great trip, but we finally had to say goodbye to everyone.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Mailbag: Miller time in the Rockies?
11/21/2005
DENVER -- This week's Rockies Mailbag could be renamed "Miller Time."
I just read that Matt Miller (outfielder at Asheville and Modesto in 2005) won a Topps award. It looks like he had a monster year for his team. What can you tell us about him?-- Herb H., Colorado Springs
Miller, a 13th-round choice out of Texas State in 2004, batted .330 with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs at Asheville to earn South Atlantic League player of the year honors from Topps and other entities. But according to Rockies player development director Marc Gustafson, the way Miller played is much more impressive than the numbers.
"He's a baseball fanatic in terms of his work and his intensity on the field, almost to a fault," Gustafson said. "We love the intensity. His first year out, he hurt his shoulder (after 43 games at short-season Tri-City) diving into the wall trying to make a catch. But that's the type of player he is.
"He prepares himself extremely well and he's an offensive left fielder who had a huge year, not only offensively, but also with his work defensively."
I was wondering when and if the Rockies organization is ever going to give outfielder Tony Miller a shot, He has done well, but was taken off the 40-man roster. What are the Rockies' plans for him?-- Matt S., Tulsa, Okla.
Don't read too much into Miller's being taken off the roster. He wasn't ready for the roster in 2003 in the first place, but the Rockies feared another team would grab him in the Rule 5 Draft. A sprained knee that season limited him to 67 games, but he has improved since. This past season, he hit .280 with a .400 on-base percentage to make himself competitive with the other outfielders in the system.
"He's scheduled to go to Triple-A for us, and he has a chance to contribute to us," general manager Dan O'Dowd said. "We think he has a lot more to show us."
I have been reading about a player in the organization named Jim Miller. What's the chances that Jim will see time in the bigs next year?-- Kiefer C., Morristown, N.J.
Miller had a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League, on the heels of 34 saves in Class A and Double-A. When he's ready will depend on his mastery of the curve and breaking ball, but he has a Major League-level fastball. It will be best for the Rockies if they have an experienced bullpen and don't need him, but he could be ready if injuries and non-performance arise.
Time to quit here before we start talking about Glenn Miller and the way he played songs that made the Hit Parade.
How long do you think it will be until the Rockies management is confident enough with the prospects they have at pitcher and other positions (outfield, shortstop, first base) to trade away other prospects for veterans or pieces of a playoff puzzle? Is it a confidence issue or will they hang on to these guys until they play themselves into Minor League free agency? I see guys like Brad Hawpe and Ryan Shealy having to change positions (first base to outfield for both) to fit the roster, but not every guy will want to do that.-- Jason M., Missoula, Mont.
One of two conditions, possibly both conditions, would have to be met before the Rockies are justified in giving up players they've developed:
• They'll have to be a lot closer to the playoffs.
• They'll need to be sure they actually have a surplus before dealing players.
At the trading deadline, contending teams or those on the fringe struggle with whether to mortgage the future. The winter after 67 wins would seem like an even worse time, especially for a club that still has questions about its starting nine, as well as its depth.
All we have to do is go back to 2001, when the Rockies traded Minor League infielder Chone Figgins to Anaheim, then spent the next four years and millions of dollars looking for a third baseman before giving 2005 rookie Garret Atkins his chance. He didn't finish the season in purple pinstripes.
That year, Colorado sent catcher Josh Bard and outfielder Jody Gerut to Cleveland, and still the Rockies need depth behind the plate and are still evaluating outfielders. The veterans they received, Kimera Bartee and Jacob Cruz, were non-factors.
And as many forward strides as the lineup made this year, there are questions about third baseman Atkins (home run power), shortstop Clint Barmes (defense), second baseman Luis Gonzalez (starter or utility man), right fielder Hawpe (consistency) and center fielder Cory Sullivan (ability to get on base consistently).
It's possible that all of them will answer the questions and become starters for a competitive team. But it would not make much sense to deal the players who are pushing them before finding the answer -- especially when there is great distance between where this team is and the playoffs.
How long do you think it will be until the Rockies can contend? And in your Nov. 14 mailbag, you say that the Juan Uribe/Aaron Miles trade helped the Sox more than the Rockies. I disagree. If the Rockies had never made the trade, they never would've put Clint Barmes at short and would've never discovered his talent. What do you think? P.S. keep up the good work, I enjoy your mailbag.-- Aaron D., Lawrenceville
Thanks for the compliment.
We'll agree to disagree on the Uribe-Miles deal. As for Barmes, his hitting would have earned him a chance in the Majors, even if it meant a position change.
Anyhow, if the National League West is anything like in 2005, when every team was riddled with injuries and inconsistency, the Rockies could find themselves in the thick of things if the starting pitching is decent and a more-experienced bullpen does its job. But not many years will the division champ (San Diego) finish 82-80.
Matching is possible, but Colorado will have to continue building depth and bona fide frontline players before approaching the 90 wins necessary to be a true contender.
Source: http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
Still navigating law of the river
November 12, 2005
In 1920, Colorado was home to 940,000 people, California 3.4 million. Even then, the fight was on over the waters of the Colorado River.
Sorting out the claims of the two states and five others in between would fall largely to one man: Delphus E. Carpenter, a Greeley native, a star in state politics and, as it turned out, a visionary water attorney.
Next week, after nearly two years of painstaking restoration work, Colorado State University will open Carpenter's papers to the public.
Included in the historic records is a brief document he crafted: the 1922 Colorado River Compact. It is 10 pages long and adorned with a single, red silk ribbon.
It is one of the most important documents in the water history of the American West, a landmark agreement that governs a river on which some 25 million people now rely.
In the 83 years since it was signed, the compact has guided water development and protection of the river from its headwaters high in Rocky Mountain National Park to its terminus in the California Delta of Mexico.
The compact, along with several Supreme Court decisions and a few acts of Congress, comprises what's now known simply as "the law of the river."
CSU spent a decade tracking down Carpenter's papers and then arranging for their donation to the university.
The documents spent years in the Colorado homes of various descendants and resided for a time in the basement of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, according to CSU archivist Patty Rettig.
"It's the most important water-related collection we have," Rettig said, "and maybe the most important we will ever receive. To have Carpenter's materials puts us on the map."
The reason: "It is the beginning of everything."
Thanks to the lingering drought and a realization that new demands on the Colorado River are further taxing its supplies, the compact is once again in the limelight.
Water officials in the seven compact states are wrestling with how to make its water stretch further than ever.
Many are turning to historic papers, such as the Carpenter collection, to find answers to questions Carpenter and his colleagues also faced many decades ago.
Rettig, 31, has spent hundreds of hours cataloging 90 boxes of old photographs, legal documents, correspondence, family diaries, maps - even a worn black briefcase with a silver buckle.
'Silver Fox of the Rockies'
Carpenter was the son of Colorado pioneers, among them people who helped form Greeley's Union Colony. In the archive is an 1872 certificate from President Ulysses S. Grant naming Greeley's first postmaster.
In 1908, at age 31, Delphus Carpenter was the first native-born Coloradan elected to the state Senate.
The archive contains a vast array of maps Carpenter used. One lays out a proposed trip along the river as it flows through Glen Canyon in Utah, Arizona and Nevada.
"Carpenter did a lot of his own research," Rettig said. "He wanted to know the history of the rivers."
The archive also holds letters written to and received from President Herbert Hoover.
Prior to his presidency, Hoover served as chairman of the Colorado River Commission, the group charged with determining how the river's waters would be shared among the seven warring states. That's how he and Carpenter were introduced.
The commission held 27 meetings from January to November in 1922, Rettig said, with Carpenter engaging in an old-fashioned kind of shuttle diplomacy, traveling from state-to-state via train, and occasionally car, filling in with telegrams and the mail when face-to-face negotiations couldn't be arranged.
The going wasn't easy, as retired CSU history professor Dan Tyler describes in a biography of Carpenter, Silver Fox of the Rockies: Delphus E. Carpenter and Western Water Compacts, published last year.
Initially, Carpenter failed to win much consensus among group members, Tyler said. "When he first started negotiating the compact in (Washington) D.C., they all struck out" because each member was trying to get as much water for his state as he could.
Carpenter was seen by Hoover and others as a villain because he was very aggressive in trying to fashion an agreement, Tyler said.
Source: http://www.insidedenver.com/
Fall’s windiest day yet hits with 40-50+ m.p.h. gusts
November 12, 2005
Powerful winds sweep the area Saturday, gusting as high as 40-50 m.p.h. in the afternoon and evening. Winds of that strength are capable of producing some damage. The third autumn storm in a week is behind the high wind threat. Only days ago, waves of rain associated with this system drenched mountainous sections of southern California with 5”+ of rain. The storm’s trek across the Rockies delivered 4-8” of wind-driven snow to Colorado Friday, allowing some ski resorts to open. At the same time, the system’s warm south winds sent temperatures soaring 32 degrees above normal across the Plains, setting records at Mitchell, S.D., (77°); Bismarck, N.D. (70°); and both Valentine and North Platte, Neb. (82°). Chicago closes in on its 1949 record of 70° Saturday, a level 20 degrees above normal. For the 10th time in November’s first 12 days the mercury will exceed 60°. That’s only happened once before between Nov. 1-12—in 1964.
Source: http://wgntv.trb.com/
Tracy Ringolsby's weekly baseball notebook
11-NOV-05
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- Baseball has a short-term memory.
Four years ago, teams spent the winter luring free-agent pitchers with hefty contracts.
And they paid the price for it.
Don't they ever learn?
Oh, for a year or two they do, but it doesn't take long for all the nightmares to be wiped from their memories.
Think back five years ago.
The Colorado Rockies shelled out an eight-year deal to Mike Hampton and a five-year deal to Denny Neagle. The New York Yankees gave Mike Mussina six years. Darren Dreifort received a five-year contract and Andy Ashby got a three-year deal from the Los Angeles Dodgers. The New York Mets gave Kevin Appier a four-year deal and Rick Reed three years.
Not that the teams got much return on their investments.
Mussina still is taking his turn for the Yankees, but to get out from under the Hampton deal, the Rockies had to absorb extravagant contracts for Preston Wilson and Charles Johnson and give up center fielder Juan Pierre, then had to eat the final $16 million of Neagle's deal after losing an attempt to void the contract on character issues.
For the Dodgers' $52 million investment, Dreifort pitched 205 2/3 innings, spent two full years and parts of two others on the disabled list and compiled a 9-15 record.
The Mets swapped big contracts with the Los Angeles Angels, giving up Appier, who eventually was released, for Mo Vaughn. Reed didn't even make it through one season with the Mets. Ashby made 53 starts and went 14-23 in his three years with the Dodgers.
At first, it appeared teams had learned from their mistakes.
Four years ago, Texas gave Chan Ho Park a five-year deal.
The next year, though, only two pitchers received more than a two-year guarantee _ Jamie Moyer for three years from the Seattle Mariners and Tom Glavine for three years from the Mets.
A year ago, contracts started to get out of hand again, and the early indication this off-season is the lessons of the past are being ignored once again.
While Pedro Martinez was going 15-8 for the Mets, the three other pitchers who signed four-year deals last off-season _ Carl Pavano with the Yankees, Russ Ortiz with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Derek Lowe with the Dodgers _ went a composite 21-32.
Not only was Pavano limited to 17 starts because of injuries, but the oft-injured Jaret Wright was able to make only 13 starts after receiving a three-year, $21 million deal from the Yankees.
The Dodgers teamed up Lowe's contract with a three-year deal to Odalis Perez.
At least those pitchers could use injuries as an excuse.
Not so for Eric Milton, who repaid the Cincinnati Reds for their three- year investment by going 8-15.
Were teams paying attention? Time will tell.
The pitching market this off-season will be a true test of self-restraint. There are teams with money to spend, but there's not much to spend the money on.
A.J. Burnett is considered one of the elite among free-agent pitchers. His agent has made it known he's looking for a five-year deal. Burnett has a strong arm, but his risumi shows a career 49-50 record, only one season with more than 20 starts in the past three years and no season with more than 12 wins.
Of the 26 starting pitchers on the free-agent market, only five won 10 or more games and produced a winning record, and none of the 26 compiled a 15-win season.
Twelve of the 26 lost 10 or more games last season, including Jose Lima, who went 5-16, and Brett Tomko, who was 8-15 at San Francisco's pitcher-friendly SBC Park. Because of his ability to pitch innings, Tomko is being mentioned as a likely candidate for a three-year contract.
Half of the 26 don't even have career winning records.
Among the names getting the most attention is Jason Johnson, who has gone 52-86 in his career.
It will be interesting to see where all of this leaves Jarrod Washburn, who is far from overpowering but did win 18 games in 2002, has gone 75-57 in a career in which he has been durable enough to pitch the 162 innings necessary to qualify for an earned-run title four of the past five years.
Source: http://www.shns.com/
A Trip Through the Leaderboards
Friday, November 11, 2005
Yesterday I received my copy of The Bill James Handbook 2006. One of my favorite sections of the book is the Leaderboards because they include a lot of oddball stat categories, like BPS on OutZ (Batting Average plus Slugging Percentage on pitches outside the strike zone -- an Ichiro favorite) and Shortest Average Home Run.Here are some Nats-related appearances that I found interesting:
Nick Johnson (9th) and Brad Wilkerson (4th) were in the top ten on Pitches per Plate Appearance.
Preston Wilson was 7th in Highest GB/FB ratio, which seems odd for a guy hitting fifth. Brad Wilkerson was 4th in Lowest GB/FB ratio, which seems odd for a guy hitting first.
Nick Johnson was 5th on the Best BPS on OutZ. Vinny Castilla (3rd), Brad Wilkerson (7th) and Preston Wilson (9th) all made the Worst BPS on OutZ. So it wasn't our imagination.
Ryan Church was fourth in batting average with bases loaded, his only appearance on the leaderboards.
Which Nats player was highest on the OPS by Position leaderboards? No suprise, it was Livan, fifth on the pitchers list.
There is a Longest Home Run board, but I think it is misleading, because Bonds HR in RFK isn't on it, and I'd heard the Nats never prepared a distance chart for RFK, so they weren't measured. Brad Schneider was 9th on the Shortest Average Home Run list (371 feet).
Jamey Carroll makes only two appearances, fifth in Sacrifice Hits and third in lowest GIDP percentage. Don't get me started on the whole bunting thing.
Livan has the top three slots for Most Pitches per Game (150, 145, 136)
John Patterson was second in Stolen Bases Allowed, but tied for first in Caught Stealing Off.
New guy Brian Lawrence was third in Pitches per Batter (3.45). I think this is good, given that Tim Hudson, John Smoltz, and Mark Mulder are on this list.
Esteban Loaiza was first in Percentage of Pitches in Strike Zone (or the "How to Keep Frank Off Your Back" list). I assume this is good too, given that Pedro Martinez, Dontrelle Willis and Roy Oswalt are on this list. So is Tomo Ohka, oddly enough.
Gary Majewski lead the league in Opp BPS vs Fastballs (Opponents Batting Average plus Slugging on fastballs). Patterson was third in the same stat versus curveballs.
Luis Ayala was second in Viciousness Index, or HBP/BB. Todd Coffey of Cincinnati was the most vicious.
Frank Robinson lead NL managers in ordering Sacrifice Bunt attemps with 115, just one ahead of Clint Hurdle of the Rockies (?). He also lead the league in ordering intentional walks with 77.
Finally, this is not Nats-related, but I found it interesting. Of the hundreds of thousands of pitches thrown in the 2005 NL season, only 46 were over 100 MPH. Billy Wagner (18) and A.J. Burnett (17) had 35 of those to lead. The AL had 87 pitches over 100 MPH, with Daniel Cabrera of the Orioles throwing 37 of them.
Source: http://thenats.blogspot.com/
Cardinals fire Hagin in favor of Rooney
11/12/2005
Wayne Hagin is out after three years in the Cardinals' radio booth because the club quite bluntly thinks it can do better.Hagin is being replaced by John Rooney, who Cardinals president Mark Lamping called an elite baseball broadcaster, a notch above Hagin. Rooney will work with Mike Shannon.Hagin and Shannon had a rocky 2004 season and at one point were issued an edict to interact more on the air. Things improved this year, as there was more rapport. But the availability of Rooney, who had been the top choice to replace Jack Buck after he died in the 2002 season before the job went to Hagin, led to Friday's announcement."Mike was obviously consulted with this, and I think chemistry between announcers is extremely important," Lamping said Friday in announcing the moves at a news conference at Shannon's restaurant downtown. "If you're going to be living together for virtually six months, if you have a good relationship, I think that improves the broadcasts, and I think people can sense that. I really believe that there's going to be a tremendous relationship . . . in our broadcast booth, and I think our fans will notice that. I think it will be a higher-quality broadcast."
Lamping said he stunned Hagin with the news when he told him Thursday."I think blindsided is a very accurate way to look at it," Lamping said.Hagin said he was shocked."I was very surprised," said Hagin, who had been broadcasting the Colorado Rockies games before being hired by the Cards. "I absolutely have fallen in love with St. Louis, with its people, with the baseball fans, and I wanted this to be my final spot. It was the perfect place for me. But events have changed that. I have a family to take care of, and I will take care of them."Hagin's contract had been renewed for 2006 several months ago, and Lamping said Hagin will be compensated.Hagin chose not to address his relationship with Shannon.Rooney, meanwhile, had broadcast the Chicago White Sox for the past 18 years, but a contract squabble led to him leaving after they won the World Series last month. Rooney, who grew up near Kansas City, had two short stints at KMOX in the 1980s and also broadcast Missouri football and basketball on and off for 20 years."It is a homecoming, and it is a very exciting moment," said Rooney, 50, who gets a five-year deal. "My heart is really beating in the opportunity to join the St. Louis Cardinals and be a teammate of Mike Shannon's."Shannon said he is thrilled with his new partner."It's going to be more interesting with John around because there's always something you can light a fire to John and he'll just take off with it," said Shannon, who has worked with Rooney on occasion. "I think that's what the fans here in St. Louis are going to enjoy about him, (one of) many, many things they're going to enjoy about him . . . We're going to have so much fun. . . . It's going to be very enjoyable."Lamping said Shannon had significant input in the decision."I absolutely respect Mike Shannon's opinion," Lamping said. "Mike cares deeply about the quality of the broadcasts. After I talked to Mike a little bit, I came to the conclusion that there would be a better presentation of the games with Mike and John Rooney than it was with Wayne."What did Hagin lack?"It's pretty simple; we've always liked John Rooney," Lamping said of the man who was the team's first choice before Hagin was hired but was under contract in Chicago. "John Rooney being available doesn't happen, or shouldn't happen. But it did."Shannon concurred."When you have the opportunity to bring someone the caliber of John in, plain and simple you just have to capitalize on that," said Shannon, who is heading toward his 35th season in the booth. "As far as Wayne is concerned, I can verify that Wayne Hagin is as good a broadcaster as there is in the business. He's been around for a long, long time and he will be around for a long, long time. But . . . this is an opportunity that should not be passed up."The move comes three months after the team announced it is switching its radio broadcasts from KMOX (1120 AM), where it had been anchored for 51 seasons, to KTRS (550 AM). KTRS founder Tim Dorsey worked with Rooney at KMOX years ago, and their relationship also contributed to the move."We had a lot of great (times) together at KMOX, and we've stayed in touch," Dorsey said. "We're delighted. I think the best part about it is what it means to St. Louis Cardinals baseball fans. They deserve the best, and I think we have the best now."Tough decisionLamping said it was a difficult decision to drop Hagin."There's nothing that Wayne did that he had control over that led to this," he said. "Everything Wayne had control over, he did exceptionally well. We believe that John Rooney and Mike Shannon are a better broadcast team than Wayne Hagin and Mike Shannon, no disrespect to Wayne at all. . . . We have that obligation to our fans."Wayne handled the situation with as much class as anyone possibly could," Lamping added. "I only hope that if or when I'm faced with a situation like this, I handle it with as much class as Wayne did. I'm not surprised, because that's the way he did e