Rockies arguments 101: 'Their Due'

Baseball is a numbers game; baseball nerds can rattle off a player’s WHIP, ISOS, ERA, OWAR, BAbip or RC27 and then forget that same player’s name.

And the true beauty behind the game is that no matter what haphazard digit you look at there is an argument that arises indefinitely. A simple numerical value can split sides, tear families apart and divide a nation of fans and pundits alike.

And at the last two Rockies game we have seen the ‘Their Due’ argument in full force.

On Thursday night Colorado took on Ricky Nolasco and the Florida Marlins. Coming into the game Nolasco was a superfluous 5-0 against these Purple counterparts. He got touched up early and often, giving up 11 earned runs in just three innings of work and taking his first lose to the Rockies.

Then last night the Los Angeles Dodgers came to town with Hiroki Kuroda on the mound. Kuroda being the anti-Nolasco against the Rockies was a disheartening 0-5. He pitched 6 innings of 4 hit baseball and got some extra run support. Kuroda went on to take the victory; his first against Colorado.

Both pitchers were due for a change of luck against the Rockies, and both got what they had coming, Soprano style.

The sport is a never ending game of tiffs. People try to figure out the code if the streak is going to continue moving in the same direction or instantly change. Agree to disagree on all fronts.

Baseball statistics and determining what is going to happen on the next pitch, next at-bat or next matchup is like a game of Bop-It. No matter how you twist-it, pull-it or spin-it you have a good chance to win if you argue-it.

Ubaldo Jimenez is on the move to Cleveland

Great Rockies pitchers are as rare as a Wyoming vegan. They are found as often as a buried bone in the backyard.

Colorado ace Ubaldo Jimenez was traded to the Cleveland Indians for 4 prospects. He completed the first inning of his last start against San Diego then got whisked off to Cleveland off like the Homecoming Queen.

Jimenez is an Indian and Rockies fans should not be mad.

Colorado fans fell in love with the Dominican flame-thrower when he tore apart the majors for 15 wins before the All-Star game a year ago. They got attached to Jimenez after he threw the franchise’s first ever no-no. And now Rockies fans are as lost as that dog sniffing the ground for hours, and are never going to find the bone.

Ubaldo will be better off, and Rockies fans should be looking forward to the future with the bright young prospects joining the Rockies farm system.

There is no necessarily right or wrong in the trade. The Rockies management looked to the future when the season seemed out of reach. They found the right deal for the team, they made the trade even amid public strife and now they are sitting pretty if the prospects become something good.

Ubaldo won an Emmy in Colorado, he rounded into and out of form in 2010 showcasing his potential, and now he’s in Cleveland.

Good, now let’s move on.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Rockies pitchers

You are what you eat. And it’s looking like the Colorado Rockies starting pitchers are vanilla soft serve.

The Rockies three BEST pitchers (due to injury and lack of production) have 10,9 and 7 losses. Jason Hammel, Ubaldo Jimenez and Jhouyls Chacin all are the disappointing conclusion to the gallon ice-cream carton. They were supposed to be #1, #3 and #4 in the rotation and now even Baskin Robbins would drop them from their 31 flavor lineup.

Colorado has been, and will always be, a hitter friendly environment. What Dan O’Dowd and Rockies faithful need are bats, and just enough pitching to get by.

But they have gotten by like you get by security without getting a wink from the creepy x-ray TSA guy.

The Rockies pitching is the 26^th best in the baseball, only Chicago and Houston are worse in the National League. They are giving up more than 4 runs every game. Of the 54 losses, 39 are on the hands of the starters. And the ace of the staff is rumored to be a possibly trading piece.

Colorado doesn’t have one guy they can put on the mound that they feel confident they will win. When Jim Tracy picks up the bullpen phone he hopes the ‘Help-Line’ is on the other end. And ironically, the relievers are worse than generic Tums, they aren’t providing relief.

And it’s not going to get any better.

The Rockies are 11 games out of first place with very little light at the end of the tunnel. Like the tub that is sitting in the back of any Purple Hearted fan’s mini freezer; the rest of the season is going to be ‘slow churned’.

Is it time for Todd Helton to go?

Is it time? Like moving away from ‘Puppy Love’ it will not be easy on people. 

Statistically Todd Helton is playing All-Star baseball. He is batting .324 and has 10 dingers just past the midway point of season. This, in part, is due to his good health. Back spasms do get to the 37 year old at times, but not like last year or in 2008. His 14 years in Colorado are nothing, not even close, short of a Hall of Fame career.

Dan O’Dowd must do it like a band-aid “Right off”.

Helton is making $20.275 million in 2011, but only makes $9.9 million over the next two seasons. There are only 6 players that are making more than the Toddfather this year. 

 

The Rockies sit 10 games out of first place in the National League West and 6 games under .500. It would take another Mile High Miracle for Colorado to even get back in the race. I mean it would take something truly special, and I definitely haven’t seen Nuns lining up for Rockpile tickets just yet.

This has all the makings for a potential trade. It makes sense.

Take a cut in team salary. Get some flexibility that’ll give you the potential to go make a move in the future that is crucial for a stretch run. Find some good, professional, players (not pitchers) in return. Get players that will blossom in this system next year and years to come. And finally, trade Todd to a team with a chance to make a run deep into October. Give the man whom you would give anything to trim his beard, shine his cleats and pick the bugs of his sunglasses the chance at a ring to solidify his place in baseball lore.

No other Rockie will ever wear #17 in Colorado, but moving Todd Helton would be in the best interest of both parties.