Seriously Folks

So, the Rockies just finished a five-game homestand with a sweep of the Houston Astros, the first sweep at home this season. Going into this homestand the thought was that the Rox would be tested in ways they had not been so far this season, playing teams from the seemingly strong NL Central division. All they did was win four of the five games, two being shutouts by the Rox. They allowed a total of 14 runs in the five games, seven of those runs coming in the one loss to the Reds. That's an average of 2.80 runs per game. Seriously folks, I'm not making this stuff up! This is, in fact, your beloved Rockies team, the same team that had become a laughing stock amongst baseball circles. Just last week I said that I believed Jason Jennings to be the weakest link in what was becoming a bonafide starting rotation. Well, all JJ did on Saturday was throw a complete game shutout. The Rox currently stand 6th in the NL in ERA at 4.14. A major reason for this could be the fact that the Rox are first in the NL in home runs allowed at 24. Seriously folks, I just couldn't make this stuff up! The staff at DITR has been tracking the team ERA for the last five years. So, I dug into the DITR statistical archives and discovered that the last time the Rockies' ERA was this low was May 26, 2002 when it was 4.13. Seriously folks, there's just no way I could make this stuff up! Granted, the test continues with a trip to the new Busch Stadium, where the Cardinals apparently enjoy playing, posting a 12-4 record. However, things are looking very positive for a Rockies team that very few knew what to expect from. I will get my first look in person on May 15 against the hated Trolley Dodgers.

Brad Hawpe is beginning to open some eyes outside of Colorado. Last night on Baseball Tonight before the Sunday night baseball game, Peter Gammons mentioned Hawpe as the next possible young player to transform into a star. He also pointed out that many analysts have passed him off as a CF product without even looking at the stats. The truth is that Hawpe's home vs. road stats are opposite of what one would expect. Hopefully the national media as a whole will stop assuming things and actually do some research.

A couple of weeks ago I told myself that Ardoin's roster spot may be in jeopardy once Torrealba is finally healthy. Despite Ardoin driving in his third run of the season yesterday, I have not seen anything recently to change my mind. Last season Ardoin's weak hitting was excused due to his ability to control the opponent's running game. Well, that strength seems to have vanished from his game too, posting only a 15.8% success rate at throwing baserunners out attempting to steal. Unfortunately, Danny, I think your cup of coffee is starting to get cold.

Until next time, Go Rockies!

Hello Francis, Goodbye CF Factor

One of the concerns early on for the Rox was the spring struggles of Jeff Francis. Things certainly didn't look right with Francis. Being a finesse pitcher as opposed to a power pitcher, Francis relies a great deal on control. That control has been lacking at times this season so far. Francis seems to have turned it around, however. After his first three starts of the season, his ERA was 6.75 and a WHIP of 1.69. In his last three starts, his ERA is .95 with a WHIP of 1.00. When you are limiting the opponent to an average of one baserunner per inning, you are probably going to be pretty successful at keeping them from scoring. As I was looking at the stats, Francis is 20th in the NL in ERA and Cook 21st. If Francis and Cook continue pitching like this and Kim pitches anywhere close to he did in his first game, then the Rox rotation will be good enough to keep this thing going. Fogg will most likely be both good and bad at times and Jennings, IMHO, may be the biggest concern of the rotation. Nevertheless, I think the Rox rotation may end up becoming the brightest element of the season. The bullpen was supposed to be better. The hitters had another year under their belt and were expected to be better. Noone really knew for sure how the rotation would perform. For the first time in quite awhile, Rox fans actually have something to look forward to. With a future looking like this, you'd better find your shades.

Before all the Reds fans start coming out of the woodwork and declare the World Series is theirs to lose, let me point out that they may be afflicted with the CF Factor. The CF Factor, of course, being the effect an offense oriented ballpark has on a team's road performance. For years the Rox were tormented by the CF Factor, routinely struggling to hit outside of Coors Field. True, the Reds lead the NL in hitting and runs. So have the Rox for most of their existence, but even the casual baseball fan could explain that it was because they play half their games at CF. The CF Factor has apparently left Colorado and found a new home in Ohio. The Reds are batting .311 at home but only .223 on the road. Conversely, the Rox are tied for first in the NL with a .295 road average. Hopefully the CF Factor has left for good.

Until next time, Go Rockies!