MLB FanHouse

On Deck: For Those About to Rock

Mullet — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Mets, Phillies, Dodgers, Giants, San Francisco

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Florida Marlins (44-43) at Colorado Rockies (37-51) - 3:05 PM ET

As if 18-17 wasn't enough, the Rockies and Marlins played a 12-6 game proving once and for all that ~~the humidor is dead~~ Coors Field can still play host to some Nintendo games ... and that the Marlins pitching staff needs to step it up if they're going to hope to remain in contention for the N.L. East. The Marlins turn to Mark Hendrickson, who started out the season pitching like their ace but has been positively awful his last seven starts (37 earned runs in his last 34 innings). Not the guy you would expect to bounce you back from giving up 30 runs in two games. As for the Rockies, hey ... if they have another run in them, they're only six games back in the N.L. West so that division can still be had. Speaking of which ...

Los Angeles Dodgers (42-45) at San Francisco Giants (39-49) - 4:05 PM ET

Nice of the Arizona Diamondbacks to not make their early season party an exclusive one, as they've pretty much let everybody back in the race, including these two teams. A team like the Giants, at ten games below .500, has no business being in a divisional race. Yet they're four games back of the N.L. West lead making this rivalry game between them and the Dodgers even more important, as Frisco has a great chance to move to within three games of the lead with Matt Cain headed for the hill.

New York Mets (41-46) at Philadelphia Phillies (52-34) - 1:35 PM ET

The question, as always with the New York Mets when Oliver Perez's turn comes up in the rotation is this: which Oliver Perez will rear his head? The one that went seven innings giving up only one run in his last start against the Yankees? Or the one who can't get out of the second inning (13 combined runs in two innings against the Giants and Pirates)? New pitching coach Dan Warthen made some adjustments with Perez;s delivery before his last good start ... let's see if Perez can finally put his immense tools to good use for a few starts in a row.

Everyone else:

Nationals at Reds 1:15 ET
Rangers at Orioles 1:35 ET
Astros at Braves 1:35 ET
Royals at Rays 1:40 ET
Athletics at White Sox 2:05 ET
Pirates at Brewers 2:05 ET
Indians at Twins 2:10 ET
Cubs at Cardinals 3:15 ET
Blue Jays at Angels 3:35 ET
Padres at Diamondbacks 4:10 ET
Tigers at Mariners 4:10 ET
Red Sox at Yankees 8:05 ET

On Deck: For Those About to Rock originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Coors Field is Back, Baby!

Mullet — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 00:40:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Miami, Marlins, Rockies, NL East, NL West

All this talk about Coors Field not being the offensive haven that it once was between the humidor and better Rockies pitching had to make some long for the days of nutso scores. For one night, and on July 4th of all nights, the old Coors made a grand return to the big stage as the Rockies defeated the Marlins ... ready ... 18-17.

The game featured the largest comeback in Rockies history, as they were once down in the game 13-4. It also included two dingers by Matt Holliday, one of which was a grannie in the seventh to cut the Marlins lead to 17-16. And it also included the latest blown save by Kevin Gregg in the ninth, his second in two nights, and fifth in his last 20 opportunities. Before the game, Fredi Gonzalez had said that Gregg was not in danger of losing his job. Maybe that has changed after tonight. I doubt it though ... heck, everyone was hitting tonight.

Coors Field is Back, Baby! originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 05 Jul 2008 00:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who Knew There Was Bad Blood Between the Royals and Rockies?

Josh Alper — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:20:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Royals, Rockies, Kansas City

One of the complaints about interleague baseball is that, with a few exceptions, the games are between teams with no historical rivalry which means less games between teams that do have such background to their meetings. On the surface this week's series between the Royals and the Rockies would fit the bill unless the thought of Clint Hurdle managing against the team he played against boils your potatoes.

Leave it to those two rapscallions, Ramon Ramirez and Yorvit Torrealba, to gin up some controversy where none existed. The Denver Post reports that the two players had a conversation before Ramirez walked Torrealba on four pitches in the ninth inning, a couple of which appeared to be in the general direction of the catcher's head and back.

Ramirez insisted afterward that the ball was wet from perspiration, saying "it slipped." Torrealba wasn't buying it. He said he was prepared for Ramirez to throw at him, though he wouldn't reveal why. "Ask him. It's all good," Torrealba said. "Every time I talk about stuff, I get fined or suspended."

Ramirez was traded by Colorado before the season and some Rockies said that he told them he was going to do some drilling when the two teams met. He pitched Monday and in the eighth inning on Tuesday without incident, however. We'll see if the two teams continue bucking for inclusion in our next edition of Old Boss, New Boss this evening.

Who Knew There Was Bad Blood Between the Royals and Rockies? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interleague Baseball Is Boring: Cleveland-Rockies Live Blog

B. Thompson Stroud — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:52:00 EST

Filed under: Cleveland, Denver, Indians, Rockies, AL Central, NL West, MLB Live Blogging, The Dugout

Baseball is America's pastime, but had our forefathers enjoyed the modern conveniences of clocks, ball pumps, or haste, this pastime may well have been basketball or football. Instead, they had wood, leather, and a rudderless disposition. Baseball is Boring is a series of live blogs for folks who need irony and self-awareness to get through a game.

My girlfriend and I go to a lot of games in Cleveland, and for a change we decided to check out one of the Minor League teams. She took a look at the schedule and laughed at the team names. I told her that a weird-funny team name (Everett AquaSox) isn't as bad as a team name that used to make sense but doesn't now because the team moved. Like the Utah Jazz. "Where did the Jazz play before Utah?" "Uh, New Orleans? Where else would they have named a team 'The Jazz'?"

Kids, if the Rockies ever move ANYWHERE other than Colorado, be prepared to have this conversation. It just won't work anywhere else. They can't be the San Antonio Rockies. They can't be the Orlando Rockies. They can't be the Mexico City Rockies.

Although I guess the Indians could move anywhere they want, because there were pretty much Indians everywhere.

THE ESSENTIALS
The Indians (33-39) start Jeremy Sowers (0-1, 7.23 ERA).
The Cubs (42-24) start Jorge De La Rosa (1-3, 6.89 ERA).

ANALYSIS
During the last Cleveland Baseball is Boring authored by myself, I mistakenly classified the Indians as a fighting type. As I said before, I go to a lot of games, and if you watch any video package at Progressive Field you're bombarded with images of the Indians doing things (hitting, making diving catches, pitching) with lightning flashing all around them. So, I guess they're an electric-type. This is unfortunate, because the Colorado Rockies are a rock-type (duh), and electric attacks have no effect on rock-types. I mean, unless somebody in the stands throws a bucket of water on them during the game.

PREDICTION
Rockies over Indians, 5-3.

QUICK NOTE ABOUT THIS LIVE BLOG
From here forth, my banal and worthless commentary can be read in the box below. It updates much like a one-way instant messenger conversation does, which means you do not need to keep refreshing the page. Feel free to comment in the box at the bottom -- if your sentiment is funny or poorly-informed enough, I may just post it in the blog. Enjoy!

Interleague Baseball Is Boring: Cleveland-Rockies Live Blog originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet the NL West Draft Picks

Mullet — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 01:30:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Dodgers, Padres, Giants, San Diego, San Francisco

Now that the exciting action of MLB's amateur draft has completed it's first round, it's time to take a look at our country's next millionaires. Find out which team drafted the son of the former offensive lineman pictured here and peruse our quick glance at the NL West first round selections.

San Francisco Giants (5) Gerald "Buster" Posey, Catcher, Florida State: Posey was supposed to go number one to Tampa Bay, but a little matter of money nudged the Rays off the scent, and Buster Posey went to the other side of the country to join the San Francisco Giants. Posey's asking price of $12 million wasn't enough to scare the Giants off ... although $12 million has to be nothing to a team who's paying Barry Zito a gazillion dollars to go 1-9 for them. Posey has only been a catcher for two seasons after converting from shortstop, but has been a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award as the nation's best collegiate catcher.

Los Angeles Dodgers (15) Ethan Martin, RHP, Stephens County School, (GA): Scouts took note of Martin after his performance in the LaGrange Invitational, where he struck out 12 hitters and gave up four hits in a 6-4 Stephens County win over American Heritage ... a game where Martin hit 99 on the gun four times. Martin can also get hitters out with a power breaking ball and a splitter. Here's your Ethan Martin oddity: Remember that incident where the pitcher and catcher conspired to hit the home plate umpire in the face with the pitch? The pitcher was Cody Martin ... Ethan's brother. Ethan played in that game at shortstop, and had vehemently argued with that umpire after striking out, which came just before the incident.

San Diego Padres (23) Allan Dykstra, First base, Wake Forest: Dykstra is a huge, huge man at 6'5" 240, who put up some sick numbers at Wake Forest. Dykstra hit .323 and had an OBP of .515 this past season at Wake with an incredible 62 walks. He did also strike out 45 times in his 186 official at-bats (can anyone say Adam Dunn?) But the Pods are intrigued by his power potential in the spacious Petco Park (and for a team that is scoring-challenged like the Padres are, why wouldn't they be?) By the way, Dykstra has no relation to former Met and Phillie Lenny Dykstra. Lenny's son is actually Cutter Dykstra, who went to the Brewers in the second round.

Colorado Rockies (25) Christian Friedrich, LHP, Eastern Kentucky: Friedrich put up nice numbers during the previous season at EKU, going 5-1 with a 1.78 ERA in ten games while opponents batted .142 against him. Friedrich is a soft tosser who scouts compare to Angels lefty Joe Saunders, but those scouts also noticed some control issues to go along with four pitches that project to be average. Average pitches + Coors Field = disaster, so good luck Christian.

Arizona Diamondbacks (26) Daniel Schlereth, LHP, Arizona: By now you've probably figured out that this is the player related to the man in the above picture: former Broncos and Redskins OL (and current television personality) Mark Schlereth. No wonder that scouts noticed a football mentality in the lefty reliever that they compare to J.C. Romero of the Phillies. Schlereth had 76 K's in 54 and 2/3's innings in relief for U of A and batters hit at a .163 clip off of him. Schlereth has already had Tommy John surgery in high school, so you can either worry about his long term health or be glad that he got it out of the way.

Meet the NL West Draft Picks originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 06 Jun 2008 01:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Matt Kemp and Yorvit Torrealba Get What's Coming to Them

Matt Watson — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:40:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Los Angeles, Rockies, Dodgers, MLB Transactions

MLB's vice president of on-field operations Bob Watson brought the hammer down on Matt Kemp and Yorvit Torrealba for their impromptu wrestling exhibition during Tuesday's game. Kemp has been suspended four games; Torrealba, three. Both players were also fined an undisclosed amount. Kemp doesn't sound all that surprised about the punishment. From the LA Times:

"It was just out of frustration," he said Tuesday. "It was really stupid. It was not a good decision on my part. But it happened and you've got to deal with whatever it is that comes after that."

Kemp may be contrite, but he's still appealing the suspension. That's pretty much just a formality, though, since doing it allows him to play in the series that starts today against the Cubs. The Rockies are off today, so it's not clear if Torrealba will appeal or not, but it's customary for most players to appeal these things until the timing works out best.

MLB has already scrubbed most videos of the fight off the English-speaking tubes, but this Italian site is still showing it, in case you've somehow managed not to turn on a TV this week and see it a dozen times over.

Matt Kemp and Yorvit Torrealba Get What's Coming to Them originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Matt Kemp Is Sensitive

Tom Fornelli — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:56:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Los Angeles, Rockies, Dodgers, NL West, MLB Video

I can understand the frustration that the Dodgers and Rockies must be feeling right now. The Rockies have followed up their World Series berth with a competition against the Mariners for worst team in the league, and matters haven't been helped much by injuries to Troy Tulowitzki and Matt Holiday.

For the Dodgers, they've lost nine of their last 12 games, and have about $50 million in payroll sitting on the disabled list right now. So when two teams who have a lot to be pissed off about face each other, sometimes, the littlest things can set one of those teams off.

In this case, that littlest thing was Matt Kemp being tagged out by Yorvit Torrealba after a dropped third strike. The anger Kemp felt after such an insult was so great, apparently, that it completely erased any sound from existence.

(Via Walkoff Walk)

Matt Kemp Is Sensitive originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Woody Paige May Not Fully Understand the Whole Concept of 'Trade Value'

Will Brinson — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Rockies, NL West, MLB Media Watch, MLB Rumors, MLB Biz

Woody Paige is, of course, insane. But I suppose he borders on reasonable enough -- the idea that Colorado should trade Matt Holliday is in fact a good one -- that we give him a pass. However, when you look at what he thinks Colorado should consider getting in return for its MVP runner-up, well, there is no way you can legitimately rationalize that he knows where he is or what he is doing.

His first idea -- Holliday and Garrett Atkins or Brad Hawpe for Cliff Lee, a middle reliever and an outfield prospect -- is closer to reality than the rest of his thoughts, but it's a bad deal for the Rockies. And not because of Lee's "four superb pitches", either! The rest, though, are borderline insane.

Or, consider: The Rockies acquire Cleveland pitcher C.C. Sabathia, who got off to a terrible start before settling. It would be 2007 Cy Young winner for MVP runner-up.
Sabathia will be a free agent at the conclusion of the season. But it would make sense for dollars to the proven 27-year-old left-hander - probably close to $100 million over five years. He would be precious for years for the Rockies' pitching staff. The Monforts have to get over the Hampton/Neagle debacle. There is a humidor at the ballpark, and the Rockies always need a (No. 1) starter.

Yes, adding a #1 starter would be nice. But who is more likely to re-sign as a Rockie? The hitter with the home splits that make him look like Hercules ... or the pitcher in a place where pitchers stink? Exactly. But wait! There's more!

How about the Blue Jays, the Tigers, the Braves, the Mariners, the Cardinals, the Rangers (who have two starting pitchers available - and the injured Jason Jennings - or the A's (Rich Harden, and they flip Holliday next season).

The Yankees? They're getting old, and Johnny Damon won't play left field in the new Yankee Stadium, and they have the money.

The Mets? They're desperate and have a pair of slugs in left field.

The Giants? Holliday would be The New Left Fielder, and perhaps the Rockies could pry Tim Lincecum, and others, away from them.

It's cute that Woody thinks that even Brian Sabean is dumb enough to dump the future of his franchise in Colorado's lap in order to rent Matt Holliday for a season and a half, all while sweetening the pot in the Rockies favor. In other words Lincecum > Holliday. Perhaps not in fantasy baseball, but in real life with contracts and stuff, um, yes, Woodrow.

It's also interesting that a) he thinks Billy Beane would trade for Home Split Holliday, b) the Braves and Rangers are looking to trade starting pitching and c) he has no real plan for the Mets / Yankees to get Holliday, although one would assume it involves Phil Hughes/Ian Kennedy. Or maybe Johan Santana. Pedro Martinez, perhaps? Surely he could be enticed into inking a long term deal in Denver.

Mucho gusto to Vegas Watch for the link.

Woody Paige May Not Fully Understand the Whole Concept of 'Trade Value' originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Deck: The First Day of the Rest of Your Life

Mullet — Sat, 31 May 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago, Denver, Miami, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Washington, DC, Marlins, Phillies, Nationals, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Rockies

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Florida Marlins (30-23) at Philadelphia Phillies (32-24) - 7:05 PM ET

Last night, the Phillies took over first place in the East over the surprising Marlins by giving them the proverbial thumping of 12-3. It's not that the Marlins have been that bad over this recent stretch ... they did sweep the Arizona Diamondbacks at home, after all. But the Phillies have been scorching hot during an 8-2 run which has seen Chase Utley make President George W. Bush look pretty smart.

Utley has 15 RBI's in his last five games, a stretch where Phillies scored 60 runs. That's the kind of steamrolling that an upstart team like the Marlins can really do nothing about. Starting today, with Ricky Nolasco going to the mound to face Cole Hamels, the Fish are going to have to start to figure out how to stay in this race, and not get discouraged over the fact that they're now out of the lead. With Philly, Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Philly again coming up on the schedule, this is a key time for the Marlins.

Colorado Rockies (20-35) at Chicago Cubs (34-21) - 1:05 PM ET

So when I realized that there was an afternoon game on the tube, I flipped on the Rockies and the Cubs, and Colorado was up 9-1. I'm thinking "great, I missed all the action already and now I'm in for three innings of a whole lot of nothing". What I saw instead was the Chicago Cubs officially take their place as the big dogs of the National League. When you come back from eight runs down to win a game, with major contributions from Jim Edmonds, who was not only thought to be done (with ample reason), but was implored upon (begged?) to hit some more by his manager, you know you've got something pretty magical happening. If they keep this up, get ready for a whole summer of Leon Durham, billy goats, and Steve Bartman talk.

Washington Nationals (24-32) at Arizona Diamondbacks (30-25) - 8:10 PM ET

Yeah ... so, what's going on with the Diamondbacks? They were America's hot new team with Starting Rotation 2.0(C), and the hot young stars that all the cool kids wanted to be like. But since May 20th, they're 2-9 which includes sweeps in Florida, and at home against the Giants. They lost another one to the Nationals last night and all of a sudden, this team is in a little bit of a funk. Luckily, the Dodgers are similarly struggling, and the bottom half of the division is still miles away, so the D'Backs have picked a good time to go south. Tonight, they depend on Brandon Webb ... who started out 9-0 but since lost to the Marlins and Braves ... to dig them out of the little mini-hole they've created.

Everyone else:

Tigers at Mariners 3:55 ET
Dodgers at Mets 3:55 ET
Braves at Reds 3:55 ET
Padres at Giants 4:05 ET
White Sox at Rays 6:10 ET
Astros at Brewers 7:05 ET
Red Sox at Orioles 7:05 ET
Yankees at Twins 7:10 ET
Indians at Royals 7:10 ET
Pirates at Cardinals 7:15 ET
Athletics at Rangers 8:05 ET
Blue Jays at Angels 9:05 ET

On Deck: The First Day of the Rest of Your Life originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 31 May 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Matt Holliday, Clint Barmes and Brad Hawpe to the Disabled List = Avalanche on the Rockies

Will Brinson — Sun, 25 May 2008 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Rockies, NL West, MLB Injuries

Clint Barmes, already replacing the DL'd Troy Tulowitzki, and Brad Hawpe were placed on the disabled list Friday, and Matt Holliday, who left the game Saturday with a strained hamstring, joined him on Sunday. In other words, the Rockies are in a tremendous nightmare right now.

They have had issues with their closer situation, the middle infield is stripped nearly bare, and now the best hitter on their team is going to miss some significant time. It does not exactly help that Colorado is already 10 games under .500 and the same number back of Arizona for the NL West lead.

The injuries give the Rockies a much different team than the one they had on opening day. Five of their top six players are on the DL, including shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who is out until the All-Star break with a torn left quadriceps.

Hurdle said he is not using injury as an excuse for Colorado's 19-30 record.

"We're not backing off any concept of winning or what we need to do," he said. "We weren't blowing up the ball with all these guys in the lineup, truth be told. We'll find a way to see what kind of identity our offense can take and give these guys an opportunity and freedom to get some at-bats.

Hurdle can say that all he wants, but the fact of the matter is that without the best hitters in their lineup and an already suspect pitching staff, the Rockies are not going to make up any ground on the Diamondbacks.

That's not to say that the defending National League champs should just pack it in and call it a season; it is still early. But it does seem like a legitimate stretch for them to actually make a move with such a depleted lineup. Don't be shocked to see Holliday on the move once he's healthy is all I am saying.

Matt Holliday, Clint Barmes and Brad Hawpe to the Disabled List = Avalanche on the Rockies originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 25 May 2008 19:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If Holliday Is on the Block, He Doesn't Care

Matt Watson — Fri, 16 May 2008 15:47:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Rockies, NL West, MLB Rumors

Just because the Rockies were everyone's favorite underdog late last year doesn't mean the team was hoping to embrace the same role this season. But, with a quarter of the season in the books, the Rockies sit just a half game ahead of the Padres for the worst record in all of baseball.

Not surprisingly, Colorado's disappoint start has spawned speculation that Matt Holliday, who has just one year left on his contract and will command at least $100 million to re-sign, may be on the block. That talk made it's way back to Colorado's clubhouse, where Holliday denied being concerned. From Troy Renck of the Denver Post:

"You know I live in a box. I don't worry about that stuff," Holliday said.

Holliday hasn't spoken with agent Scott Boras, who is never influenced by media scare tactics, about any new talks. The left fielder is scheduled to make $13.5 million next season, his last before becoming a free agent.

There's been some talk that Holliday may ask for a Miguel Cabrera-esque extension, but I think he'll lose most of his leverage if he leaves Colorado considering how the degree to which Coors Field inflates his numbers. Over his career, he's hit .364 (1.090 OPS) at home compared to .274 (.780 OPS) on the road, which is the difference between an MVP candidate and just another solid corner outfielder. Buyer beware.

If Holliday Is on the Block, He Doesn't Care originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 16 May 2008 15:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wells Has Successful Surgery on Blood Clot

Will Brinson — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Rockies, NL West, MLB Injuries

Surgery to remove blood clots in Kip Wells' hand was successful, the official website of the Colorado Rockies reported on Wednesday. The pitcher had been placed on the disabled list as of April 30, but the team had been relatively quiet about his surgery beforehand.

Wells' condition will be re-evaluated on Wednesday, but he did avoid further surgery on a previously repaired artery under his right collar bone. He is out indefinitely.

[...]In March 2006, Wells underwent surgery to repair a complete blockage of the axillary artery, which was replaced by a vein in his leg. That procedure also was performed by Dr. Thompson. Wells returned to pitch in nine Major League games that season, going 2-5 with a 6.50 ERA.

Of course, all the best to Wells and his family as he recovers. It's a little terrifying that Wells has already had a similar surgery, in only that it feels like something that he should probably use to take a serious step back from baseball and make sure his health is in check. On the other hand, maybe it shows that Wells and/or the Rockies medical staff is doing something right to catch this, both times, before it became a much more serious problem.

Which it actually could be, in terms of endangering his career; blood clots can only continue to surface before teams -- and Wells himself -- will start to ask questions about the safety of him as a major league pitcher. As Lackey pointed out, both times he has returned quickly, but the continued emergence of blood clots is certainly disconcerting.

Wells Has Successful Surgery on Blood Clot originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 07 May 2008 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Deck: Irresistable Force, Say Hello to Immovable Object

Mullet — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Astros, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Dodgers, Padres, San Diego, St. Louis

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Arizona Diamondbacks (17-7) at San Diego Padres (10-15) - 4:05 PM ET

Here's what's great about April baseball: As long as the teams stay on their rotations, you see a lot of aces match up with each other frequently before the off days make things uneven. That means today you'll see Brandon Webb match with Jake Peavy. Both pitchers are undefeated. Both pitchers have ERA's hovering around 2.00. And both pitchers are nasty. Peavy was a tad frustrated in his last outing, giving up four runs in six innings at Minute Maid Park in Houston, after which he compared the hitter friendly park to Williamsport's little league park (there's a Miguel Tejada age joke in there somewhere but that would be wrong.) Luckily for Peavy (3-0, 2.00) and Webb (5-0, 2.31), we're playing this one at canyonesque Petco Park.

Houston Astros (12-13) at St. Louis Cardinals (15-10) - 2:15 PM ET

If you appreciate nasty dispositions, this one's for you. On Saturday, Roy Oswalt hit Jason LaRue with a pitch ... and Adam Wainwright responded by throwing one behind Brad Ausmus to empty the benches. No punches were thrown, and there always seems like some unfinished business when the benches merely empty with no further incident ... which is why this game gets the paragraph. More likely than not, the issue has been settled and nothing will happen today. But if tempers escalate and you decided not to watch this game, then don't blame me for burying the game in the "Everyone Else" category. Why else should you watch this game? Lance Berkman. He's scorching. His average is up 50 points in a week to .326 after his two dinger game on Saturday.

Colorado Rockies (10-14) at Los Angeles Dodgers (11-13) - 4:10 PM ET

This series has been entertaining to say the least. On Friday, you had Nomar Garciaparra get injured, forcing Russell Martin to play third base in a 13-inning Dodger victory (in which Martin drove home the game winning run). On Saturday, you had Mark Redman set up with a two run lead to start the game, and he not only gives it back, he gives up ten runs to the Dodgers in the first inning. (Like, OMG!) So you can't be too sure about what you're going to see today. Unfortunately, this series also saw a scary moment last night when home plate ump Kerwin Danley took a Brad Penny fastball to the jaw, causing Danley to briefly lose consciousness. Thankfully, he's doing fine, so hopefully this series will go from scary back to entertaining.

Everyone Else:

Yankees at Indians 1:05 ET
Braves at Mets 1:10 ET
Phillies at Pirates 1:35 ET
Cubs at Nationals 1:35 ET
Red Sox at Devil Rays 1:40 ET
Marlins at Brewers 2:05 ET
Orioles at White Sox 2:05 ET
Twins at Rangers 2:05 ET
Blue Jays at Royals 2:10 ET
Reds at Giants 4:05 ET
Athletics at Mariners 4:10 ET
Angels at Tigers 8:05 ET

On Deck: Irresistable Force, Say Hello to Immovable Object originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Confidence Votes Flowing for Manny Corpas

Will Brinson — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Rockies, NL West, MLB Gossip

Well, actually, this was more like a hefty dose of lack of confidence, really. Manny Corpas snatched the Colorado Rockies closer gig from the jaws of Brian Fuentes' defeat last season, taking over around the halfway mark and never giving it back. But this year has been a totally different story.

In 2008, Corpas has already blown three saves in seven opportunities, and after giving up three runs Tuesday, his ERA ballooned to 6.55. With Fuentes off to a solid start, Corpas' role has come into question.

'That's not a percentage we're going to continue to deal with,' Clint Hurdle said. 'That's the reality of it. But do I expect him to convert every other one? No, I don't. If he gets to the point where he's not closing off games with the success we think he should and we need him to, then we'll probably make a change.'

Wow. I hope that's a typo or a misquote, because if I was Hurdle I damn sure would be expecting at least every other game to get saved. Every one, no? But every other one absolutely. Regardless of what exactly Hurdle meant though, last year proves that he has zero qualms about yanking a closer who appears cemented out of the role and putting someone else in who will get the job done.

Remember, Fuentes had just been named to the All Star team and has a pretty hefty contract rolling. Add in the fact that Hurdle was more than willing to bench Troy Tulowitzki in freaking April, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a bullpen shakeup following Corpas' next blown save. Fuentes is sitting on six holds (Corpas has four saves and four blown) so a switch by the beginning of next week wouldn't be surprising.

Confidence Votes Flowing for Manny Corpas originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Where's My Tater? Jacque Jones and Troy Tulowitzki Get on the Board

Matt Watson — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:00:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Detroit, Tigers, Rockies, AL Central, NL West

Where's My Tater? tracks the slow starts of notable sluggers who are taking their sweet, sweet time leaving the yard.

Just hours after the very first post in this series, Jacque Jones and Troy Tulowitzki announced to the world (through their actions, at least) that they want no part of this undistinguished club.

Jones knocked a solo shot over the outifeld wall in the third inning against the Rangers, breaking a 5-5 tie to give the Tigers a lead they'd never relinquish. His power set a good example for the rest of his teammates, as they proceeded to simply unload on the hapless Rangers pitching staff, putting 13 more runs on the board to cap off a 19-5 victory.

Jones hit only five home runs ~~in his one-year stint~~ with the Cubs last year, but the Tigers are hoping he'll revert back to the guy who averaged almost 25 hitters the three previous years. (update: see the comments -- I am a lazy reporter who accidentally short-changed Jones one year in Chi-town). It's still an uphill climb -- he's slugging a career-low .340 at the moment -- but Wednesday's game was a baby-step in the right direction.

As for Tulowitzki, I'm guessing he was a bit more motivated by Tuesday's benching than being called out by some random guy on the internet. Whatever it was, he finally started swinging the bat like he did for most of last season, even if it was only for one at-bat: he finished the game 1-for-4 with three RBI. While he won his personal battle with the number zero, his team still lost the game, falling 7-6 to the Cubs.

Where's My Tater? Jacque Jones and Troy Tulowitzki Get on the Board originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Rockies Might Be Panicking (Or: Troy Tulowitzki on the Bench Already?)

Will Brinson — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:50:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Rockies, NL West, MLB Value Machine, MLB Waiver Wire

The Colorado Rockies are currently second in their division, so one would think that they're reasonably pleased, considering some members of the team are starting slow. Of course, the caveat to being second in the NL West is that, at 9-10, they're staring six games up at an Arizona Diamondbacks team that does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

Still, it was a bit surprising to see Clint Hurdle make the decision to bench Troy Tulowitzki this early in the season. Tulowitzki is hitting a pretty abysmal .165 on the season, without any home runs and a 2+ K/BB ratio. So, the benching isn't entirely unwarranted. Still, Tulo did sign a monster contract in the off season and even though he is a very good hitter, his is primarily beneficial to the Rockies because of his elite defense. But there he was, Tuesday night, on the bench, and apparently he was cool with it.

'It's not a work day, I am being benched,' Tulowitzki told The Denver Post. 'It's up to me to get better.'

Clint Barmes, the team's hottest hitter this season, is starting at shortstop with Jeff Baker getting the nod at second base.

[...]'This is not the worst thing that's going to happen to him,' said Hurdle, explaining that it's fine line between trying to ignite a player and serving the best interests of a 25-man roster. 'It's not a slap in the face. Players know when they aren't playing well.'

Certainly, Clint. One could even argue that his torrid second half last year actually created nearly impossible to meet expectations for this season. Like, to the point where everyone forgot that his 2007 first half was offensively respectable at best, in comparison with what people are looking for now. And, you'll never believe this either, but his BABIP is right at .200. Yup, there's some bad luck at play here as well. Which makes benching him reek even more of desperation. And desperation is a stinky cologne, Clint.

Bonus Fantasy Spin: Tulo is a great buy low at this point, as long as you're not expecting 30 homers on the year. Barmes on the other hand, well, if he's got SS and 2B eligibility, he's going to have some value and is worth a pickup while he's playing in deeper mixed leagues.

The Rockies Might Be Panicking (Or: Troy Tulowitzki on the Bench Already?) originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rockies and Padres Get Ridiculous, Play 22 Inning Marathon

Mullet — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:35:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Rockies, Padres, NL West, San Diego, The Word

Extra inning games are weird. When they first get going, you want to see some sort of resolution so you can go to sleep. But as a game goes to 15, 16, 17 innings and so forth, the masochist in me always comes out and hopes that the game hits that magic threshold of 20 innings ... even though I have to get up early the next morning to go to work.

The Rockies and Padres have hit that magic threshold for me ... and then some. The teams played a 22 -inning extravaganza which finally ended after Troy Tulowitzki drove home Willy Taveras with an RBI double off of Glendon Rusch on an 0-2 count. Taveras had reached with two outs and nobody on when Khalil Greene's throw from short pulled Tony Clark off the bag. Taveras then went to third on a stolen base and an error in front of Tulo's double. Of course it would have to be an unearned run that would win the game ... which finally ended at 4:21 AM ET after six hours and 16 minutes when Kip Wells struck out opposing pitcher Rusch looking.

Amazingly, both catchers, Josh Bard and Yorvit Torrealba, caught the entire game. And both teams now have to travel for Friday night games ... the Rockies go to Houston, and the Padres go to Arizona. Hopefully, Rockies announcer George Frazier will make it to the next game with his sanity, as he spent his time between innings on pizza runs, scrounging for food in adjacent luxury boxes, and contemplated sending their on-field reporter out for food in the 21st inning.

Rockies and Padres Get Ridiculous, Play 22 Inning Marathon originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Old Boss/New Boss: Rockies vs. D'Backs

Pat Lackey — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Phoenix, Diamondbacks, Rockies, NL West

Meaningless hype. Boring games. Inane off-field shenanigans. With every meeting, it looks more and more like the Red Sox-Yankee rivalry has jumped the shark. Old Boss/New Boss is FanHouse's look at some baseball rivalry alternatives.

Old Boss: Giants/Dodgers
New Boss: Rockies/Diamondbacks

There's one thing that truly defines a rivalry: success. The Marlins and Nationals could play eighteen knock-em-down drag-em-out baseball games every year, but not many people would notice because neither team is very good. That's why the Rockies and D'Backs are the budding rivalry to watch in baseball right now. Maybe they play out west and finish their games after lots of fans go to bed and maybe they're both relatively new franchises in the grand scheme of things, but neither of those things should diminish their rivalry.

So why D'Backs and Rockies? Why not D'Backs and Padres? Or Rockies and Padres? The answer, of course, is their meeting in last year's NLCS. The Red Sox/Yankees feud went from something that only Sox and Yanks fans cared about to being shoved down everyone's throats in 2003 and 2004 when they met in the ALCS two years in a row. Maybe the Rockies and Diamondbacks aren't quite to the level that you'd consider a true rivalry, but the seeds have been planted. Follow along after the jump as we examine them.

A quick glance at last year's NLCS wouldn't reveal much. On the surface it was a quick and one-sided series as the Rockies continued their magical run with an easy sweep over the D'Backs. In actuality, it went a lot deeper than that. The D'Backs were the NL West champs last year, but felt disrespected by everyone who dismissed their feat by pointing out that they had been outscored by their opponents. The Rockies were the media darlings on the incredible 21 wins in 23 games streak. What resulted was a hotly contested series, despite its length and one-sidedness.

In game 1 of the series, Justin Upton slid hard into Kaz Matsui at second base, prompting an interference call. The D'Backs' fans promptly covered the field in garbage while Clint Hurdle pulled his players off of the field. After the Rockies took a 2-0 lead in the series, Eric Byrnes responded by bitterly asserting that the Rockies weren't even that good. The Rockies, of course, were unphased by all of this and kicked the crap out of the Diamondbacks on their way to the NL pennant, then handed out their NL Championship rings in front of the Diamondbacks this year. That sounds like a rivalry to me, folks.

The best part about this budding rivalry, however, isn't what's already happened, but rather what might take place. The Diamondbacks are going to be good for quite some time with guys like Stephen Drew and Justin Upton leading the way. If anyone in the NL West is going to follow them to the top, it's going to be the Rockies with Troy Tulowitzki, Ubaldo Jiminez, Franklin Morales, and maybe Matt Holliday. Remember, shared success creates rivalries. Just think ahead to five years from now when Upton and Tulo reach their prime as their teams duke it out in the West. Kind of an awesome thought, isn't it? Keep an eye on the D'Backs and the Rockies.

Old Boss/New Boss: Rockies vs. D'Backs originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Deck: Heeeeeeeeeere's Johnny!

Mullet — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, Denver, New York, Phoenix, Red Sox, Yankees, Reds, Pirates, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Cincinnati Reds (6-6) at Pittsburgh Pirates (5-6) - 1:35 PM ET

Johnny Cueto burst on the scene for Cincinnati with ten strikeouts in seven innings against the Diamondbacks for his first major league win (causing everybody and their mother to pick up Cueto in their fantasy leagues ... and in the process shutting me out. Damn.) His second start against Milwaukee didn't result in a victory, but Cueto proved that he wasn't a one-hit wonder, striking out another eight batters in six and 1/3 innings ... which meant that nobody who picked up Cueto in their fantasy leagues were going to drop him anytime soon (Double damn.) So now the only question seems to be what mantle Cueto is going to put that Rookie of the Year trophy on. Cueto goes for another bushel of strikeouts in Pittsburgh, where the Pirates will be going for the series sweep after two one-run victories.

Colorado Rockies (4-7) at Arizona Diamondbacks (9-2) - 4:10 PM ET

Timing is everything in life, and the Arizona Diamondbacks apparently don't wear watches. Their five victories over the Rockies so far in '08 probably would have done them a wee bit more good in last season's NLCS, where it was the Rockies who won four straight to earn a berth in the World Series. But more likely, we're seeing the by-product of some good ol' fashioned revenge on the part of the Snakes, who are destroying everything in sight this season. The team that supposedly can't hit leads the majors in runs scored with 62. And somewhere, deep in the bowels of the Arizona clubhouse sits Eric Byrnes muttering to himself "I knew those Rockies were just lucky all along. I knew it! We outplayed those jokers! I knew it!!!"

New York Yankees (6-6) at Boston Red Sox (6-6) - 8:05 PM ET

When you're done watching Johnny Cueto striking out 15 Pirates and the Diamondbacks scoring another 45 runs, why not curl up with the Yankees and the Red Sox at Fenway beating each other's brains in? Sunday starter Daisuke Matsuzaka (Dice-K to you and me) has seemingly gotten over those first season jitters as he's 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA in his three starts. The worrisome stat for Dice-K is those nine walks in his 18 and 1/3 innings ... especially since they all came in two of the three starts. The Yankees are notorious for working out walks and making pitchers make good pitches, although their .315 OBP as a team is near the bottom of the majors, and next to last in the A.L. But if the Yankees find their batting eye, it could be a long night for Dice-K, and especially for those watching on ESPN since they will most likely be treated to another four hour extravaganza (though thankfully for NASCAR fans, there isn't a race right afterwards to blow out as there was on Saturday.)

On Deck: Heeeeeeeeeere's Johnny! originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 13 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Deck: The Child Shall Lead Them

Mullet — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Phoenix, Red Sox, Blue Jays, White Sox, Tigers, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Toronto

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing matchups.

Boston Red Sox (3-2) at Toronto Blue Jays (2-2) - 1:07PM ET

This past off-season, the rotation of the Red Sox has been earmarked as not only a strength, but a ridiculous strength due to its depth. Already, the depth has been tested between Josh Beckett's short term injury, and Curt Schilling's long term injury. The guy who's going to have to provide that depth is Clay Buchholz. Not that he's not capable ... after all, he did have a no-hitter last season, and he's still considered a rookie for the '08 season. If the Red Sox are indeed going to use that pitching depth to dominate the world as everyone thinks they will, then it's going to have to be Buchholz who will have to grow up fast and provide an anchor at the back end. The Blue Jays, who defeated the Red Sox last night, will go with former Devil Rays bat boy Jesse Litsch.

Arizona Diamondbacks (2-2) at Colorado Rockies (1-3) - 8:05 ET

There are some sweet pitching matchups going today in the National League. John Maine is going up against Tim Hudson in Atlanta, and Brad Penny will hook up with Jake Peavy in San Diego. We'll go with the rematch of Game One of 2007's NLCS as Brandon Webb meets Jeff Francis. Of course, Game One didn't go so well for Webb and in fact, that whole NLCS didn't go so well for Webb and the Snakes, who got a small measure of revenge by beating the Rockies during their home opener on Friday. Francis pitched the season opener for the Rockies and got tagged by Albert Pujols for a dinger ... but the game was rained out, and thus so were Francis' stats for that game.

Chicago White Sox (2-2) at Detroit Tigers (0-4) - 3:55 ET

It's a good thing that the Red Wings are the President's Trophy winners in the NHL, and the Pistons are legitimate contenders in the NBA's Eastern Conference. Because there would be more focus on the initial hiccup of the Tigers if that wasn't the case. But this game is notable because it's Dontrelle Willis' Tigers debut after the monster trade that brought Willis and Miguel Cabrera to Detroit. Because it's Willis on the mound, a victory today by Detroit would make them feel a whole lot better about not winning their first four, since at least their big acquisition came up clutch, and everybody can breathe in Tigertown. If not ... if the Tigers go once through their rotation without a win, including Willis, then there may be a little concern in the Tigers' room. (That is, of course, until Jim Leyland goes on a tirade about how much the team stinks and believes its own press clippings ... at which point they go on a run to finish the season at 157-5.)

On Deck: The Child Shall Lead Them originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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