Notes: Rockies honor Castilla
09/24/2006DENVER -- During a hot streak a few years ago, Vinny Castilla said in an interview that he was getting better with age, like a wine.
Fittingly on Sunday morning, veteran pitcher Mike DeJean stopped by Castilla's locker in the Rockies' clubhouse at Coors Field and presented him with a bottle of wine, expertly picked by DeJean's wife.
Castilla, 39, is past the age of outstanding seasons, but he was golden at Coors Field nonetheless. The Rockies honored Castillla before Sunday's game against the Braves, which he started a third base. He'll retire at season's end.
As the team took the field, the rest of the starters stopped at the first-base line and cheered as they let Castilla run to his position alone. In the clubhouse, most of the players wore the Castilla T-shirt that was available for fans.
"You're the first one to know when it's time to go, and it's time to go," Castilla said. "It's a great day. I'm very nervous and excited at the same time. It feels like I'm starting my first big-league game. It's good."
It was Castilla's first start at third for the Rockies at Coors since Oct. 3, 2004. An early start with the club (1993-99), Castilla returned in 2004 and led the National League in RBIs. Castilla ranks among franchise leaders in several offensive categories, was an outstanding defender and appeared in All-Star Games in 1995 and 1998.
"He's hitting in the lineup right behind [Todd] Helton," manager Clint Hurdle said. "To see them together on deck -- he broke Helton in -- and now Helton is here for him.
"Vinny's a good man. His smile is illuminating. That's the one thing whenever I think of him or whenever you see his face, it's the smile on his face. "
It was fitting he would be honored during a game against the Braves, for whom he went to the playoffs twice. Castilla never won a Gold Glove, but Braves manager Bobby Cox ranks him among all-time great fielders.
"He was wonderful for our team, right up there with the best of them -- Brooks [Robinson] and all of them," Cox told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He never missed a ball."
Amazement: Padres standout closer Trevor Hoffman earned his 478th save on Saturday night to tie Lee Smith for the all-time record.
Hoffman has done much of that work against the Rockies, converting 47-of-52 against them. The Dodgers are the only team against whom he has earned more saves, 55.
"I don't think anybody can ever say they look forward to facing a Hall of Fame pitcher, but you're excited about the challenge, no doubt about that," Helton said. "You know what you're going to get. That's one of the good things about it. He's not going to make anything up. He's got what he's got and he's coming right at you with it."
Hoffman is known for frustrating hitters with his changeup, but what amazes most players is Hoffman pitches the same way he did when he had a 93 mph fastball. His fastball might be 8 mph slower, but his changeup is still 10 mph below that.
"It's maddening, borderline comical," Hurdle said.
Rockies reliever Jose Mesa, who has 320 career saves, said the only closer whose changeup was even close to the quality of Hoffman's was Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter, but Sutter's main pitch was the slit-finger fastball. Mesa said Hoffman is special because of the confidence he has in his pitching style.
"When you used to throw hard and you come back and throw 84 or 85, a lot of guys start to say, 'I might as well hang it up, because I don't have it anymore,'" Mesa said. "But he still does what he's always done."
Up next: After an off-day on Monday, right-hander Jason Jennings (9-12, 3.65 ERA) will start the opener of the final home series of the season, a three-game set with the Dodgers, who will start righty Greg Maddux (13-14, 4.25 ERA
Source : http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/
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