Box Score Bytes - Game 103

- Game 38 of the Great Tracy Experiment: Record 13-25.  White comes back from AAA and has a pretty decent start.  Goes 5.1 innings, leaves with the loss but keeps things close for once and Rox offense takes over and wins one giving White a no decision.  Really this is the formula for success that has been lacking.  If Starter's could just learn to give the offense time instead of allowing them to step to the plate for their first at bat and already being behind.  Starter's record is now 5-19 with 14 no decisions and bullpen record of 8-6.

- Rutledge goes deep for the four straight game, becoming Rox first rookie to do so.  Be nice if this can continue but scouts will make adjustments and we shall see if he can make them too.  A middle infield with Tulo and Josh could be a big bonus next year.

- First win for Rox at home in 8 games.  Yikes this year has truly been miserable.

- Pacheco, who is probably having one of the quieter good seasons, had his 5th three hit game of the season.  He is batting .307 at this point.

- Helton had his 9,000th plate appearance and drew a walk...wow that is a lot of pitches!

Box Score Bytes - Game 102

- Game 37 of the Great Tracy Experiment: Record 12-25.  Pomeranz goes 4 innings and throws 72 pitches.  Fortunately he does not get his 7th loss but the bullpen has given up a bunch of runs (12 runs in the last two nights in fact) and you have to wonder if the other shoe is going to drop.  Thirty-seven straight games of the four man rotation has added up to a lot of extra innings for the bullpen (starter's 169 innings vs relief 156.2).  Theoretically if our starter's averaged 6 innings then the relief corp would have only mopped up on about 100 innings.  Hard to say if an extra 5 or 6 outs per game takes a toll.  Starter's record is now 5-19 with 13 no decisions and bullpen record of 7-6. 


- Excitement was palpable yesterday before the Rox press conference.  For those of us looking forward to the day with a new GM we will just have to wait a bit longer.  In what continues to be a source of frustration, the management continues to misunderstand the concept of what it means to fire someone.  I applaud the notion of loyalty and all that but baseball is not a mom and pop business.  Loyalty in this business is for fools.  Players (and management included) need to be evaluated on a day to day business.  Playing favorites and staying loyal only lead to old players who end up in the scrap heap with nothing to show in return.  If we were the Yankees we could afford to keep and pay everyone regardless of production on the field.  Unfortunately we don't play in New York.  I applaud the efforts of the Denver Post for trying to prod the team into making those required hard decision.  Rox in their paranoid delusional world even kept this news from the two people that follow and report on the team (Renck and Saunders) and gave the scoop to a Broncos reporter!  This lack of accountability and circle jerk between Monforts, O'Dud, and Tracy just goes to show you that at least in the immediate future this team is going no where.  As shareholders of this team, we deserve more.  Monfort says he takes full responsibility for the mess we are in and that the right people are there and that they just aren't in their right positions.  To be honest Dick, the one person not in the right position is you, go back to your meat packing business, and leave baseball to people who care and desire to win, not steal the money from your patrons...


- CarGo goes hitless and was one shy of tying the record for consecutive hits at home.  Larry Walker retains the record with 32 home games with at least one hit.


- An interesting study would be how traded super stars tend to do against their original teams.  Holliday has been on an absolute tear against Rox.  Two more homers last night.  

Box Score Bytes - Game 101

- Game 36 of the Great Tracy Experiment: Record 12-24.  Up until this game Francis had been our most reliable starter.  Last night he couldn't get out of the 4th giving up 5 runs.  Starter's record is now 5-19 with 12 no decisions and bullpen record of 7-5. 


- Matt Holliday continues to spank us.  I am sure that in some perverse way this is personnel but if I was him I would be glad that Rox didn't retain his services...He is batting .500 with 3 homers against us this year.  In the end though we traded Holliday for CarGo.  I think it was a good trade for both teams...

	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO
Holliday	538	2302	2004	339	622	146	5	93	357	29	253	365
CarGo	454	1911	1722	326	541	98	24	93	309	76	154	396

- Helton collected his 958th double and is tied with Fred McGriff for 45th place.

- Over at Hard Ball Times there was a nice write up on winners and losers after the current trade deadline.  The following was written about our Rox, "The Rockies are a bad baseball team. Bad baseball teams don’t need veteran relievers. Bad baseball teams should trade veteran relievers for younger talent at positions with longer shelf lives. Betancourt and Belisle are high risk assets who can easily go from valuable commodity this year to worthless next year. The Mariners made this same decision with Brandon League a year ago, and they ended up essentially giving him away to the Dodgers. Relievers are inconsistent and should not be counted on as significant building blocks for your future. The Rockies simply whiffed on an opportunity to turn two good trade assets into something that could have helped the team get back to where they need to be. 2012 is a lost season in Colorado, but they could have at least salvaged something by selling high on their relievers when they had the chance."

Does this remind you of something? Is history repeating itself?  Do our leaders not learn anything from keeping Hawpe and Atkins for far too long.  Rox continue to standby players but hey our fearless leader continues to standby a worthless GM so we shouldn't expect much...

- Meanwhile in the same article one of the winners at the tradeline was the Dodgers.  Don't look now but if I had to guess Rox missed their chance in trying to win a division these last few years with the Dodgers being down.  With Dodgers new management they are going to become the Yankees of the West Coast.  Rox better find something they are good at because they are going to have to pull off some magic to win the division anytime soon...

Box Score Bytes - Game 82

- Game 17 of the Great Tracy Experiment (or maybe yet the Great Train Wreck?): Record 6-11.  Hey on the bright side the record since starting this experiment is better than before we started it!    At this point I would say that the book is out on Friedrich.  Crafty lefty started with a fairly good record (4-2) but has lost his last 6 decisions.  Went 4.1 innings last night, threw 89 pitches (?, what happened to the 75 pitch limit), and got the lost.  Gave six runs and that was the ballgame.

- Cardinals have Rox number has they have taken 11 of the last 14 games.  Must be the Holliday Curse...

- Part of what makes this year so maddeningly is that the hot and cold nature of our offense.  At times we are beast and at times we are not so much.  In the last 6 games Rox have scored a whooping 13 runs.  If we can't score runs that just makes our pitching that much worse...

-  Of the nine runs Rox scored in the series, Colvin had three homers and knocked in 7 of those runs.  Can we clone Colvin?

- ESPN has a nice up front look see at the underlying numbers...this is so much our season...

Box Score Bytes - Game 81

- Game 16 of the Great Tracy Experiment (or maybe yet the Great Train Wreck?): Record 6-10.  Guthrie got a start breaking up the 4 man rotation.  Getting the start probably due to possible trade considerations for teams looking for a durable starter as well as some lingering aches and pains from the other 4 starters.  Guthrie went 6 innings, threw 84 pitches and got the lost.  On the bright side didn't give up a home run and kept the team in striking distance...

- In regards to homers Rox continue to pad other team's offense totals including home runs.  Rox lead (or suck the most) and have given up the most homers (108) in the MLB next to Toronto (107) and Minnesota (106).  Looking at the ESPN stat page an even more stat jumps out and that is total bases.  Rox have given up 1410 bases with the next team, Minnesota, sitting at 1278!

- Maybe we should keep Guthrie around for his pinch hitting and base running?  He singled in the fifth and managed the Rox only RBI for the night.  It was his first career RBI. Rox actually out hit the Cardinals 10-9 but couldn't manage more than one runner across the plate.

- CarGo has a 12 game hit streak. Longest by a Rox this year.

Box Score Bytes - Game 80

- Game 15 of the Great Tracy Experiment (or maybe yet the Great Train Wreck?): Record 6-9.  Francis continues to thrive in the Experiment.  He went 5 innings with 77 pitches and got a win! The bullpen with Roenicke, Brothers, Belisle, and Betancourt held the lead and got the save with 4 innings of 4 hit ball...whew!

- Colvin's three run dinger was just enough and Rox won 3-2.  Sometimes one hit does make the difference.  Now if only O'Dowd could steal a few pitchers like he has done with trades for CarGo and Colvin.  He is currently batting .358 in his last 18 games with 7 homers and 22 RBIs.  It is a young man's game Mr Helton.

- I don't mean to pile on Helton but when is it time to say goodbye to a figure head on your Mt Rushmore of Rox?  I feel like a terrible fan but to be honest in two years if this team is going to win again it isn't going to be because of Todd...with this as a throw away season we need to play the future.

- Francis got franchise win 57 moving him past U-Ball and one behind second in Jennings.

Box Score Bytes - Game 79

- Game 14 of the Great Tracy Experiment (or maybe yet the Great Train Wreck?): Record 5-9.  Outman got his chance (?) to try and prove he belonged in the rotation.   Unfortunately it took him 70 pitches to get through three innings and my guess he will be pitching in Colorado Springs trying to "find himself."  Chatwood returned from injury, pitched 2.1 innings gave up four runs and got the lost.

- Rosario hit his third homer in as many days.  He leads all NL catcher's with 14.  Strong Rookie of the Year consideration assuming writer's would give it to someone playing for a dog of a team...

- Tidbit from the radio broadcast 6 of the 9 runs scored by St Louis were accomplished without a hit.  When things are going bad you just can't catch a break!

- Helton missed his second game due to hip soreness.  Is this the beginning of the end for our Rox Star?

Box Score Bytes - Game 122

1) More bases loaded inadequacy...what does the great Baseball Reference say?

Split	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	BAbip
123	77	145	124	90	30	10	2	1	86	12	26	0.242	0.303	0.379	0.682	0.279

2) Now 2 and 17 on Sundays this year!

Box Score Bytes - Game 121

1) Interestingly Rox loss the previous night 6-1 and came back tonight to win 6-1.  This has happened four other times this year:  Game 57 and 58, Game 73 and 74, Game 79 and 80, and Game 117 and 118

2) Rox have at least homered in their last 6 road games

3) Rox like lefties and have hit 33 homers (2nd in NL)

Box Score Bytes - Game 120

1) One inning seems to be the death of Cook...this time allowed 5 runs in 6th

2) Rox drop to 10 games below 0.500

3) Bases loaded and nothing...

4) Holliday is 0.367 with 3 homers against his former mates

Box Score Bytes - Game 52

Inning 1) Giving up 3 runs to start the game when your offense is struggling is not a good way to try and win a game...

Inning 2) What Inning 1 should have been.

Inning 3) Rox get on the board with a double, bunt sacrifice, and sacrifice fly. Wow like two bunts in the past 3 games...that worked! I really try not to criticize because bunting when a pitch is being thrown up a there at 90 mph can't be easy but also realize pitchers are asked to do so little at the plate the least they can do is to learn to bunt!

Inning 4) Yup story of the season...Rox get a run back and then immediately give it back in the top half of the next inning...no comment on the bottom half when CarGo, Tulo, and Helton all groundout. Impressive the money we spend on groundouts these days...

Inning 5) Bottom half of the inning with runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs and EY Jr fails to get something going...bummer I had such high hopes for Jr in these type of situations where the rest of team can't seem to do right

Inning 6) Bottom half we have the Fowler, CarGo, Tulo show and once again three up, three down. Starting to get comical that so much money is being spent for so little production...glad I don't write the checks!

Inning 7) Notice at this point the Cardinals are just packing it in looking forward to getting out of town not really mounting any sort of security. Rox go ahead and load the bases with no outs down by three and we have the Great Giambino up...things are looking good...except for a strikeout and line out double play. What did the Rox do to the Baseball Gods? We should have had at least 2 runs and that would have tied the game!

http://www.tangotiger.net/re24.html

Inning 8) Offense impotence again...

Inning 9) Confirmation that the baseball gods are ignoring Rox this summer. Two outs, man on third, CarGo at the plate, down by one...at this point do we just steal home? Anything? But no, just a groundout to end the game...one of these days we are going to get that base hit! Let's hope it ain't too late!

Box Score Bytes - Game 51

Inning 1)  Newcomer Nicasio (4 syllables by the way...girrr) makes is Big League debut.  Some early jitters as he gives up a walk and two singles but is saved by the double play.  Rox help the rookie out by scoring 6 runs in the bottom half.  All started with a single and stolen base by EY Jr followed by walk by Dex and a single by CarGo.  6 total singles in the inning!

Just a note but in wins Rox have scored 165 runs (pitchers have given up 42 runs) and in losses only 73 runs (pitchers given up 86 runs)!

2010 in Wins (Offense 524 runs, Pitchers 97 runs) and in Losses (Offense 246 runs, Pitchers 276 runs)
2009 in Wins (Offense 603 runs, Pitchers 128 runs) and in Losses (Offense 201 runs, Pitchers 270 runs)
2008 in Wins (Offense 461 runs, Pitchers 110 runs) and in Losses (Offense 286 runs, Pitchers 371 runs)
2007 in Wins (Offense 644 runs, Pitchers 101 runs) and in Losses (Offense 216 runs, Pitchers 296 runs)

Hmm doesn't seem that rare that when team wins it scores a whole lot more runs then in losses...something is interesting in this...

Inning 2)  Nicasio settles in and Rox add to their total.

Inning 3)  Nicasio gets a double play and Rox finally go quietly in the bottom half.

Inning 4)  Three up, three down for Nicasio and Rox offense keeps the pedal to the metal by scoring 5 more runs with a triple by Spilly and homer by Iannetta

Inning 5)  No shut out by the rookie, Rox go quietly.

Inning 6)  Quiet inning no runs scored!

Inning 7)  Another triple by the Rox and Rox score lucky 13

Inning 8)  Relief for Rox get little sloppy but with a 12 run lead what do you expect...Iannetta gets the runs back with another homer...second of the night and 6 runs batted in...monster night for Rox catcher

Inning 9)  Street gets mop up duty and doesn't give up a run!

Extra:  Seventeenth time Rox have scored 15 runs and are now 17-0 (0.6% of the time)!

Box Score Bytes - Game 50

Inning1)  Can Ubaldo learn something from this experience?  Two hits and down by one...

Inning 2)  Cards steal a base and the 10th this week...Rox strike back and give U-Ball a lead

Inning 3)  So much for settling in with a lead as Jimenez gives it back with a double to lead off the top of the inning but resilient Rox strike back with EY Jr singling, getting to second on a bunt (!), and home on a single by CarGo (formula of success?)

Inning 4)  Pitchers settling in, three up three down

Inning 5)  Four groundouts and two K's

Inning 6)  Ubaldo gives up a single and triple and the unraveling begins.

Inning 7)  Daley can't stop the Cards either and gives up another three runs...game effectively over at the this point with Rox down by 6 runs.  To prove the point in the bottom half of the inning Rox strike out twice.

Inning 8)  Rox new call up, Bruce Billings, gets his first stint in the Bigs, two singles and a pitcher's best friend the double play.

Inning 9)  Cards get another run as Billings first outing is shaky to say the least...5 singles, double, wild pitch, and two double plays...whew a Coors Field welcoming.  Rox go quietly into the night...