Ah, baseball season is upon us.
Expectations are rather marginal in Colorado where the Rockies are predicted, by ESPN, as the 18th best team in Major League baseball. There are a lot of unknowns for the team at 20th and Blake, but you can depend on some storylines to pop up.
And here is a little preview….
Troy Tulowitzki was once one of the most up-and-coming players in the big leagues. Now, with the reigns being firmly placed in his hands after Todd Helton past the torch to him, it’s Tulowitzki’s term as leader. This is his team; the Rockies will go as far as he guides them.
The pitching staff is a black book of gorgeous possibility. But there is no better story than that of Juan Nicasio. Last year, while pitching for the Rockies he was struck by a line drive in the neck that endangered his life. His fracture vertebrae in his neck and doctors were hesitant to believe Nicasio would ever be able to regain his full strength let alone pitch in the MLB again. Nicasio is scheduled to start the second game of the year in Houston, but win, lose or draw it’s a great story.
Last year Jorge De La Rosa won four games before the end of April. But Rockies best pitcher tore his ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow, which forced him to have Tommy John surgery and sit out the remainder of the year. A comeback isn’t impossible, but recovering to be who De La Rosa once was may be a stretch.
There are veterans, and then there is Jamie Moyer. He’s 49, or in baseball age he’s over the hill or past his prime, but Moyer is still producing. Just like everyone else on the roster, Moyer had to earn his way into the big leagues. The now soft throwing left hander has spent 25 long years playing this sport and looks to be the oldest player to ever record a win in his first start of the season.
Todd Helton welcomes back a former friend, but he won’t be in the clubhouse, he’ll be playing down the street. Peyton Manning, the 4-time NFL Most Valuable Player and former Tennessee Volunteer, was welcomed into Denver and has close ties with Helton. Both played football in Knoxville and have been close ever since.
Michael Cuddyer comes in as the big off-season signee. The former Twin has already turned heads around the Rockies clubhouse. He’s a fun-loving, down-to-earth, and a veteran presence that will help Colorado this season.
It’s third base by committee. One giant hole in the Rockies lineup, both offensively and defensively, will be at the hot corner. Casey Blake was supposed to be a veteran to come in and take the job but he was let go by the organization in spring training.
Dexter Fowler legs could be as important as anything this year for the Rockies. The leadoff man struck out last year 130 times, or in essence, failing to put the ball in play and give up the possibility of legging more than a few out. The now 26 year-old will be an integral part in the offense, with Tulo’s and Cargo’s bat coming up right after him.
In the end, it all comes back to the manager. Jim Tracy will be in his third full year, and it sure is an important one. He took over from Clint Hurdle and was an instant difference maker but the last two years, Tracy managing the length of the 162 game season both times, have been described as disappointing. Tracy will have some pieces to work to mold this team into a possible NL West Contender.
The rosin bag is set, the lines are painted on and there is nowhere to go but up for the Colorado Rockies. They have the pieces, but it will also take some luck to get where some Rockies fans expect them to be.
Today: @ Houston, 5:05 pm
Saturday: @ Houston, 5:05 pm
Sunday: @ Houston, 12:05 pm
Monday: HOME vs. San Francisco, 2:10 pm
