Location: Denver, Colo. | Ballpark: Coors Field (50,445) | Spring Training: Tucson, Ariz.
Owner: Charlie and Dick Monfort | GM: Dan O'Dowd | Manager: Jim Tracy (interim) | World Championships: 0
It has been a painful season for the Rockies, and not just because they have fallen to the bottom of the NL West after winning the first NL pennant in franchise history last year.
Wednesday, left-handed starting pitcher Jeff Francis was placed on the disabled list because of left shoulder inflammation. Friday, first baseman Todd Helton went on the disabled list because of lower back inflammation. Earlier this season, second baseman Clint Barmes (sprained right knee), shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (torn tendon, left quad), left fielder Matt Holliday (strained left hamstring) and right fielder Brad Hawpe (sprained right hamstring) were all on the disabled list at the same time.
Helton tried to play through the lower back inflammation for nearly three weeks. Finally, he gave in. Joe Koshansky, who is leading the Triple-A Pacific Coast League with 78 RBI, was called up from Colorado Springs and will combine with Jeff Baker to fill the first base void.
Helton will see if several days of complete rest will calm down the flareup of a back problem that he has battled for at least five years. His situation will be re-evaluated next week, but the hope is he can return to the roster at the end of the All-Star Break.
Helton has been battling an injury since the Rockies' trip to Chicago to play the White Sox three weeks ago, but he initially tried to play through it in part because the Rockies were facing the loss of catcher Yorvit Torrealba to a two-game suspension and already had Holliday, Tulowitzki and Barmes on the disabled list.
Helton finally had two full days to rest the back -- the Rockies were off on June 26 and he sat out a game in Detroit the next day -- but after a big swing of the bat on Wednesday, Helton had to come out of that game early, didn't play Thursday, and according to (Rockies trainer Keith) Dugger when he showed up Friday he "felt a little worse. That made our decision easier."
Helton suffered through a slump that coincided with the time frame of the injury. Hitting .297 when the Rockies arrived in Chicago on June 13, he had gone 8-for-56 since, and his average fell to .268.
"This (move) gives him a chance to heal rather than try and push his way through it, which I don't think he was capable of doing," said manager Clint Hurdle.
ROCKIES 18, MARLINS 17: Matt Holliday homered twice, including a seventh-inning grand slam that cut the Rockies' deficit to 17-16, then blooped a broken-bat single into right field in the ninth, setting up Garrett Atkins' game-tying single, and scored the game-winning run himself on Chris Iannetta's single. The Rockies rallied from a 13-4 deficit, the biggest comeback in franchise history. For the second consecutive night, they had a game-winning, two-run, walk-off rally against Marlins closer Kevin Gregg. They scored twice in the 11th for a 6-5 win on Thursday. The Rockies' previous biggest comeback was eight runs. The game was on the 29th anniversary of the Triple-A Denver Bears' 16-14 win over the Omaha Royals when the Bears scored nine times in the ninth, including eight times with two out. Rockies manager Clint Hurdle was an outfielder with Omaha in that game. "I think I was there," he said of the game in 1979. "I won't have to work hard to remember being here for this one."
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Okay let me get something off my chest here as it's rant and rave time. I'm speaking as a Rockies fan and I know there are fans out there from other small market teams that feel the same way about players on their team. How can a player like Brad Hawpe w
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Those of us who have followed MLB in Denver since 1993 know what pitching in the Mile High city can do to ones mind and his stats. Since the humidor came into play and the fact that sinkerballs along with good pitch location can be pitchers best friend. Pitchers are starting to find success playing baseball here. The starting rotation that the
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With the next 16 out of 20 games at home, the Rockies seem to be in good shape, despite losing 2 out of 3 to the Dodgers. The Giants lost yesterday also, so the wild card position hasn't changed much. I hope
Looks like the west got snub with no starting hitters in the All Star game. If Matt Kemp or Pierre dont get the replacement, hopefully you guys get Hawpe to replace Beltran so the West has a rep in the starting 8.
Although the West by far has the best pitchers in the NL between the
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Alan Embree by far had his best outing of the year last night, he was dominating and surely deserved the win. If the Rockies can utilize him as well as they did last night, he could end up actually earning his 2 year deal.
The Rockies have traded Jeff Baker to the Cubs for a prospect relief pitcher. The pitcher Alberto Alburquerque is 23 yrs. middle reliever and is 1-0 2.08 ERA 38 K's in 24 appearances. He will be assigne
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DENVER (AP) -Left-hander Franklin Morales, who missed the first half of the season with a shoulder injury, had rejoined the Colorado Rockies after completing a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Colorado Springs
How is it that Jorge DeLaRosa can pitch so good at times, yet I felt he looked terrible in the process? I just have this feeling he is going to implode at any point, and everytime a ball is hit at him, I start looking at the 1st base stands whenever he gets a ball hit at him. He has some wicked stuff, yet I never feel safe with him out there. Having said all that, he did h
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Pretty self-explanatory. Just say who your favorite Rockies player is. I guess for a bit of extra fun include your favorite current player and all-time favorite player. I don't know it is a tough decision as there are a number of great guys on the team, and we have had some great guys come through here over the years
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At the time of this post there are 6 hours left in the All-Star voting and Brad Hawpe is still not in the top 15 for outfielders. That's just wrong for a guy who is 5th in the NL batting .333, 3rd in RBI with 56 for outfielders and 2nd in 2B with 25. He is an excellent fielder with a a strong arm. Right now 2 of the
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Ok just in case there is any confusion, I will clarify the more vague ones 1. Todd Helton acts like the Don from the Godfather 2. Cook in the cowboy costume, Iannetta with the oven mits, etc 3. Guy studies the ball players, cook turns down choirs like they were catcher signals, Iannetta squats to
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The Rockies swept the A's 3 games and during that series gained 2 games on the Dodgers who have lost 2 in a row. The Rockies are 1/2 out of the wild card lead and gaining ground on the Dodgers. Their sights have to be on winning the division,but I know it's just one game at a t
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Obviously the Rox are playing great since the change and here are a few reasons why I think the team is better with Tracy.
SP- Hurdle babied the SP'ers. If they got to the later innings and things got a little sticky he went to the pen. Tracy lets them stay out there and either win or lose the game themselves. That gives them experience pitching in tough situations and also gives the
