You may be like me. I've been told that yogurt is good for me  by enough people that I can't help but throw a half dozen in my basket while making my rounds at the store. At sixty cents yogurt is both cheap and serviceable and if I ever got around to eating it its healthy effects would be useful, that's if I ever got around to eating it. Normally, what happens is I spend money on yogurt that sits in my fridge till it spoils. This is the cue for me to replace the spoiled yogurt with fresh reinforcements  that will never be eaten.

The MLB trade deadline is the peak of prospect worship, the grand poo-bah of over evaluation and hording. This time every year unfamiliar names are brought up, mulled about, and quickly tabbed as "untouchable" based on hypothetical projections. Some will go on to be serviceable players, in rare instances others still will be All-Stars, many will be hung onto past thier percieved use and discarded.

The Rockies with their self imposed salary cap, allergy to free agency, and limited draft pool have understandably relied on prospects to feed the team. Like all teams this has been met with mixed results. Below is what I think is a list of players past and present who could have netted us more useful talent through trade.

Past:

 INF Joe Koshansky,  SS Evereth Cabrera, P Chin Hui Tsao, OF Choo Freeman, INF Jayson Nix, P Juan Morrillo, P Darren Clarke, and P Jason Hirsh.

Present:

SS Chris Nelson,  C Willin Rosario,  OF Sean Barker, ,  P CHAZ ROE, SS HECTOR GOMEZ, C MIKE MCKENRY, P CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH, P BRANDON HYNICK, P Shane Lindsey, and P Greg Reynolds.

Some were never highly regarded, some are still here but injured, and some could still help through contribution or trade. I just wanted to list players I felt were blocked or had a high enough ceiling but enough flaws to be attractive but not concrete.

The Dodgers just landed RP George Sherrill while the Giants traded for Sanchez. Other teams are putting themselves in a position to win now. I'm not suggesting we trade away core youth for rentals. I am suggesting that the cost concience Rockies use their best currency-prospects-to capitalize on a rare season of contention. Could any three, five, or seven players presently with the organization have landed Halladay or Lee? Dunno, but I strongly feel that the impact of such a move makes us the  favorite in the Wild Card hunt.

I just read that the Rockies aquired Murton from the A's for Corey Wimberly. Wimberly was considered the 26th best in the Rockies system by BA.

I nothing this trade as it looks like depth from one position for depth at another but dealing with Beane has always left a bad taste since the trade that shall not be named which had us give up Jermaine Dye for belly button lint and a ho-ho. What do you think this implies if anything?

I grew up long enough in Michigan to be imprinted with the Lions as my team. In Jr. High I moved to the Rocky Mountain region and have endured unceasing mockery from fans of any and all teams. That was about 12 yrs ago.

I've told myself "this is it". Rod's going to lead either turn this boat around or I'm going divorce the lions and find a new team. Yesterday was the straw that broke my back. I don't root for them-I root against them hoping for games like yesterday to confirm what the Millen ERA has taught me. There is no hope.

I haven't decieded what team to root for but it can't be a perrenial powerhouse (Pats, Colt, Cowboys)-it wouldn't be right. Whoever it is needs to be smart in the FO.

If you have a recommendation let me know or better yet if you can form a convincing arguement to stick around for the circus I'm all ears.

Intoddwetrust

Lions fan 9/01/1995 to 9/14/08

Looked for that great depth from the minor leagues I've heard so much about. When you find it tell them Baker (.191) , Newman (9.35), and Herrera (.238)  have been keeping the spot warm. Reynolds being the exception.

"You've got to play the games," "You've got guys with opportunities to play and you've got to play. We don't look behind. We don't look in the rearview mirror about anything. We're a no-excuse ballclub. We've got to find ways to pitch better. We've got to play good defense and we've got to score some runs."...the pull-yourself-up-by-your-boot-straps rhetoric was cute up until Arizona kicked the crap out of us (pick a series).

Randolph takes heat in New York for a 23-26 performance,albeit, part of the wrath comes from a dismal past September coupled with a lofty payroll. Here in Denver there's nothing other than a Woody Paige article  suggesting changes need to be made, what gives? The best indication of future behavior is past behavior, 4th place anyone? I know..only one game, only one series, only one third of the season. I'd love to be proven wrong and come October sit at my computer for 45 minutes to not get playoff tickets but if instead we're talking about off-season pick ups in August  or PURPS with the life expectancy of fruit flies is anyone going to care?

Tonight's game, what was that? 

With the release of this year's game right around the corner I thought it would be interesting to predict who the highest and lowest rated players on this year's roster would be.

I'm going with Shaun Roger-92

Ramzee Robinson might be the chic pick living up to his billing as mr.irrelevant but I'm saying that in an upset win Eric (give me the damn ball) Beverly beats him with a 67.

 Simeon Rice was released today when a nagging shoulder injury was comfirmed through a failed physical. While the degree of the injury is not yet known early prediction make detroit a likely landing spot for the former pro bowler with Marinelli's relationship aiding as a heavy influence.

 I figure a signing will be put off a few days while the team's focus is on getting Johnson signed. But, it would be encouraging to trot out a front four of Rice/Rogers/Redding/and White with Cody/Franics/Edwards cycling in.

 Speaking of Francis and Edwards I'm wondering if Training camp might not be a time to try a switch to LB. Edwards has the experience from his days at South Carolina while Francis has the edge quickness that makes Shawn Merriman such a success (well, that and steroids). Simms looks like a stalwart but Paris who has the edge over Lehman at MLB is unproven and Bailey/Lehman are made of glass.

 Kitna and others are either crazy or right on about finishing 10-6 or better. Once CJ signs (pay the man) the team can turn its attention towards Sept 9.

Here's to a slighty less embarrassing season. GO LIONS!

SI released their list today of who the top and bottom owners are in MLB today.

Top owners include

1)Arte Moreno, L.A. Angels of Anaheim
2)John Henry, Boston Red Sox
3)Mike Ilitch, Detroit Tigers
4)4. George Steinbrenner, New York Yankees

Bottom feeders

1) surprise surprise.. David Glass, Kansas City Royals
2 Peter Angelos, Baltimore Orioles
3)Carl Pohlad, Minnesota Twins
4)Charlie Monfort, Colorado Rockies

of Monfort Charlie Heyman says "The Rockies have done a nice job of gathering prospects, but GM Dan O'Dowd and his people were given no choice with a disappearing payroll. The Rockies, once a free spender, have been cut to a bare-bones operation where veterans are being lopped off, one by one. The one who needs to go is the owner.

"veterans are being lopped off", Jason Jennings...er....um...Dustin Mohr? At first I wasn't a big fan of this deal but looking at Jennings thus far I won't complain. Losing Charles Johnson and Preston Wilson weren't biggies. As Gen R becomes Gen $ then we'll see. If nothing else Heyman got the first three right especially Glass.

Ok, so after reading the post this morning I felt compelled to write Woody and give him a stern talkin' (Fraiserism). Below I've listed my e-mail to him and his response.

Mr. Paige,

 As a long time Rockies fan (yes there is such a
thing) I found your article similar to our performance
yesterday, hit and miss, with more misses where we
really needed hits.
 While I concede that O'Dowd's product has often
lacked something to be desired I challenge you to list
for me two minor league systems stocked heavier than
ours. Scoffing at O'Dowd's accomplishments is as
erroneous as putting Alan Greenspan in Sudan and
pointing fingers when economic results are slow
coming. Though I doubt Greenspan would see fiscal
return in resigning Kim.
 Next, Mr. Paige, it was one game. Garrett will not go
0 for 2007 and Willy T will find his stride. To use
one game as your sample size is simply bad science.
Hawkins is another story which has yet to be written.
 Finally, as I alluded to above, it was one game. Are
you giving Shilling and the hapless Sox a pass after
yesterday's debacle? What about the Cubs or Tigers?
 I understand that it's easy to dump on the Rockies
and it's even easier to predict mediocrity than to
predict greatness but should we achieve greatness take
the time to give credit where credit is due.

Rooting for you on Around the Horn,

Here's his:

Thank you. One problem with your email.  The Rockies will lose Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes next year. Both will be free agents, and the Rockies will not pay them.  Case in point: Jason Jennings.  The Rockies' belief is they have people in the minors to replace them, a never-ending frustration cause.  They have minor leagues, but they will continue to lose them when they come to the majors and are successful.  So they replace Holliday with a younger guy and we wait three more years. Hawkins was a joke before he got here, and anyone with knowledge of Taveras will tell you he is mediocre.  Check the Astros or any team Hawkins pitched for.  Taveras strikes out too much and is average in center field. As for the other teams, I am in Denver; I write about the Rockies; I was at the game yesterday to write a story about opening day. Why did they have to release the information yesterday. The Monforts obviously thought, as one writer in the pressbox said, ""it was the cherry on the top of opening day.''  Instead, everyone wrote about the extensions. Stupid play.  Why not do it next week or three days ago or after the all-star break or after the season when we see what happens. It was no distraction except to O'Dowd.  Nobody, as I wrote, is banging down the door to steal them away. They'll be there at the end of the season.  When I'm in the last year of my contract, and I've produced nothing but failure, I hope The Post and ESPN and all my other employees fire me. I'm willing to wait until the end and be judged for all my results. I don't ask for extensions.  By the way, of the hundreds of emails I got on the subject, yours was the only one that (sort of) defended the Rockies because of their farm system.  I don't think the Monforts got the results from the fans they wanted. Woody Paige

scenerio 1: Trade down one spot with clevland for the 3rd pick, pick up Thomas there, gain MLB Andra Davis and thier 2nd rounder.

scenerio 2: go crazy...swap with ATL. Get CB Hall, eight pick, and a second maybe even a third rounder.Draft MLB Willis in the 1st, Neb DE Carriker in the 2nd along with OT Joe Staley. Extremely hypothetical but wouldn't that be nice?

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that trader Dan and Jim "Worst GM in the NL" Bowden have been in discussion in regards to closer Chad
Cordero. Left-hander Franklyn Morales, right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez and third baseman Ian Stewart are among the players the Nationals likely would target in talks with the Rockies.

After watching Ubaldo own the Cubs the other day I don't feel that there's a snowball's chance of this going down but I ask fellow Rox fans what you would be willing to give up?

My trade proposal:

P Kim with us eating his salary
1st base Joe-Ko it's only a matter of time folks
P Lung Lo
P Shane Lindsey

For P Cordero and P Ryan Wagner.

Or maybe we flip him for something else. Looking at my trade proposal we get an additional all-star in the pen plus another serviceable righty in Wagner for 2.5 million in Kim, an adequate 1st basemen in Joe (but at the rate Rockies churn out quality firstbasemen I'm not sweating it) plus two possible high end guys but more likely two guys that fizzle like Tsao. Looks like Bowden's type of deal.

I am now prepared for the lambasting I shall certainly recive.