Tagged: Rockies

10/12 MLB Tonight – The Mayor’s Office

scasey.jpgTonight after the Rockies and Phillies game, we’re going to have a lot to talk about.

I want to see how Cliff Lee is going to pitch tonight in his first start in Coors Field.  What’s his game plan going to be? Will he have the same movement on his pitches?  How will he react to the cold conditions?  The key for him tonight might just be the adjustments he makes if his stuff isn’t as sharp in the thin Denver air.

Having played at Coors Field, I can tell you it’s is a great place to hit.  The ball comes clearly out of the backdrop and the outfield is a big spacious place to drop a base hit into.  But tonight, the cold will be on the hitters’ minds.  With Ubaldo throwing in the upper 90’s, and Cliff spotting his fastball, it’s going to be difficult for the hitters to square the ball up.   I mean, you take one on the hands and you’ll have a constant reminder to make sure to square the ball up the next time because your thumbs will be ringing the rest of the game.

For the Rockies I’m looking at their line-up adjustments.  Can Carlos Gonzalez stay on his hot-hitting tear, and will Dexter Fowler moving up in the line-up make an impact?  They have been on base 3 times already; let’s see if they can keep it up.  Also let’s see what Seth Smith can add to the offense.

After being in the booth for a lot of Red Sox games this season I must say the sweep really shocked me.  I have to question Terry Francona’s decision to intentionally walk Torii Hunter to load the bases in the 9th to bring up Vladimir Guerrero.  But after playing for Tito, I know how big he is on match-ups and Torii Hunter hits well against Papelbon.

Even though Vlad has not had success in the playoffs, he is one of the greatest players of our generation.  In that situation, Jonathan Papelbon needed strikes and had to come right at Vlad, but that’s just playing right into his hands. You can’t just reach back and throw fastballs to a free swinging, first-ball fastball hitter as dangerous as Vlad. Pap needed to get strike one but that pitch to Vlad ended up being his last of the season.

Thanks for joining me in the Mayor’s Office. – Sean Casey

9/29 MLB Tonight – View From Outside the Dugout

After the Twins and Tigers game, we are going to break down the Brewers and Rockies matchup.  Even though the Braves have fallen out of the sky to put a little heat on the Rockies, the Rockies are still my favorite for the Wild Card.  Once they’re in it’s a different story because of a few weaknesses that need to be straightened out in the last days of the season.

Two challenges stand out in my mind: the pitching of Jason Marquis, and the Rockies lineup against left handed pitchers. It’s time for Jason Marquis to step up.  Here’s a guy who had a great first half, which is his trademark, but he can’t escape his other trademark which is a pitcher who needs to put two good halves together and complete a season.  He’s carried the wagon for most of the season, but this start tonight might just determine if he’s going to have a spot in the rotation come playoff time. 

The other challenge the Rockies need to address in these next few games is their lineup against left handed pitching. With 4 out of the next 6 games against lefties, Jim Tracy will be able to shuffle around guys like Garrett Atkins, Ryan Spilborghs, Carlos Gonzalez, Seth Smith, and Dexter Fower to see whose stroke is in rhythm with the southpaws.

With all of our focus on the playoffs, it’s time to shift on a few teams that will be going home in a week.  For the Rangers and the Giants, the season was just two weeks too long.  They took a few steps forward, and now they see what improvements need to be made in the offseason. 

And with 81 wins the Marines had a season they can feel good about.  It didn’t take long for the entire organization to put that 100 loss season in the rear view mirror.  From players to scouts, coaching staff to the front office, all around top to bottom, the organization was completely turned around, and there’s a team to look forward to next season.

It’s playoff time, no second guessing – Clint Hurdle