The NL West--Will the Dodgers Stay Hot

[Aveosmth]

The North American Crow has made its way to the endangered list. Farmers across the heartland of America have been the unexpected beneficiaries of this never seen before phenomena. Seymore Butz, a rancher in North Dakota had this to say about the recent shortage. “Normally, I can’t give any of...
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[jtg33]

Originally Posted by Aveosmth

To all of the Rockies fans, I only have two words for you; “Go Nuggets!!!” Colorado is in the midst of a rebuilding process, and there is no chance of them winning this year. The Rockies would love to win now, but realistically, a division title is probably 2 or 3 years away. Their pitching staff is almost non-existent, and they burn more leads than a bad salesperson. Even though Clint Barmes, Todd Helton, and Aaron Miles are fantasy studs, in reality, their bats are just not enough to counteract the terrible Rocky pitching. Colorado does not even have a panic button to push, as they have never been in contention. The Rockies will be strong in a couple of years; however, their chances this year are slim to none.

As one of seven remaining Rockies fans on the planet, I feel it is my duty to do my best to defend my beloved baseball team from you very accurate criticism.

Let's look at Colorado's pitching staff to begin things. They are not "non-existant" as you describe them, but the efforts of their starters are many times overshadowed by the repeated blunders of the bullpen. Here are how the starting pitchers have fared so far:

Shawn Chacon:
Games Started: 3
W-L: 1-0
ERA: 3.18
Key Number: 1.50 road ERA

Jeff Francis:
Games Started: 4
W-L: 1-0
ERA: 4.37
Key Numbers: 2.63 home ERA; left-handers are batting .111 against him, while righties are batting .294

Jason Jennings:
Games Started: 4
W-L: 1-2
ERA: 4.21
Key Number: 3.00 road ERA

Joe Kennedy:
Games Started: 4
W-L: 1-2
ERA: 8.18
Key Number: 2.70 ERA in evening games

Jamey Wright:
Games Started: 3
W-L: 1-1
ERA: 5.71
Key Number: 1.35 road ERA

So far, the starting rotation has had several quality starts. The first week of the season was rough, but the starters have played better since that time. The weak link in the rotation so far seems to be Kennedy, who was a surprise last season with a 9-7 record and a 3.66 ERA. The starting rotation really hasn't been the issue.

The bullpen, however, has been all kinds of bad. Some relievers haven't been around that much, but those who have been regulars have struggled:

Scott Dohmann:
Games: 8
W-L: 0-1
ERA: 16.20
Key Number: 16.20 ERA

Brian Fuentes:
Games: 12
W-L: 0-2
ERA: 6.14
Key Numbers: 9.00 road ERA; 2.70 home ERA

Byung-Hyun Kim:
Games: 8
W-L: 0-3
ERA: 9.64
Key Number: 12.46 home ERA

Ryan Speier:
Games: 9
W-L: 1-1
ERA: 11.37
Key Numbers: 23.14 home ERA; lefties are batting .500 against him, while righties are hitting .400

The bullpen is a major problem right now, with a combined 1-7 record. The starters are a combined 5-5 so far, so at this point the pitching problem is clear. Relievers like Chin-hui Tsao, Jose Acevedo, and Marcos Carvajal are bright spots thus far, but there is still a lot left to the season.

You're absolutely right-on with the three main hitters you mentioned in Clint Barmes, Todd Helton, and Aaron Miles. Barmes is currently batting .524 with 22 hits in 42 plate appearances this season. Helton has started off slowly, batting just .231 with only nine hits and one homer. He will, however, pick it up very quickly and play like the Todd Helton he has been since entering the league in 1998. Miles is hitting .282 so far, but his defense has been very solid at second base, a position the Rockies have never had filled by one player for more than a couple seasons.

Here's a couple other hitters who figure to play a big part in Colorado's offense this season:

Matt Holliday:
Games: 18
Avg.: .405
Hits: 17
RBI: 9
HR: 0

Preston Wilson:
Games: 14
Avg.: .237
Hits: 9
RBI: 10
HR: 3

Cory Sullivan:
Games: 13
Avg.: .444
Hits: 8
RBI: 1
HR: 0

Brad Hawpe:
Games: 17
Avg.: .417
Hits: 10
RBI: 7
HR: 3

The Rockies still have some warming up to do in terms of offense. They can always pound out 6-10 runs per game when the bats are hot, but there is work still to be done. The defense looks solid thus far, and the bench is very able.

In the end, though, you're right. Colorado is still a couple years away. The pitching staff needs to mature a bit, a couple veterans need to be broguht in to solidify the bullpen, and young stars need to keep playing in order to get experience. Once everything comes together, however, the Rockies might rise at just the right time to take control of the NL West.

[Aveosmth]

JTG,

That was an excellent response!!! The Rockies bullpen has really given Clint Hurdle fits this year, as you said. I really like Francis & Jennings a lot and they will mature into very good starters.

Another issue you guys have to deal with is if Todd Helton gets traded....there are a lot of suitors, and if the Rockies continue to struggle, that may just happen.

[jtg33]

That's true, that is an issue of worry among Rockies fans. However, it's a fairly unlikely trade. Todd Helton has a no-trade clause, and it is very unlikely that he would approve any trade to any team unless the Rockies management, ownership, etc., specifically tells him, "We don't want you here any more."

And the way Helton has played in Colorado during his 7+ year career, that's a very, very unlikely scenario at this point in time. If the Rockies keep losing, however, then who knows what could happen.