The extra New was a little futurama joke, just for fun.  I haven't been to the row in a while, but I found a story from The New York times talking of an interview with DOD talking about comparison's of Tulo to Jeter, the mid-90's Cleveland teams Rowdy O'Dowdy helped build, and his ambitions to have Tulo retire in purple pinstripes.  I checked the row to see if it was floating around and didn't see it, sorry if I may have missed it. 

http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/troy-tulowitzki-the-derek-jeter-of-the-rockies/

 

Also, be sure to check out the comments from NNY fans in the bottom.  Most are bitter, upset spurts about the notion of anyone being compared to Jeter.  However, some show support of the comparison, one referes to the 'Denver' Rockies as a second place team, and one fan shows what being Yanks fan is all about, buying championships.  It's interesting that not only do they pridefully wear their ignorance on their sleeves about the Rockies, but about the entire NL West as a whole.  Appareantly Tim Lincecum, Jake Peavy, Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, Matt Cain, Clayon Kershaw and Chad Billingsley are all chump Double A pitchers and would be consider meat in those other, more "powerful" divisons closer to an eastern time zone. 

Good look trying to stop us.

Especially with this devious Moose... 

 

Every off-season, any conversation ends with who was a winner and who was a loser.  Most of the reporter's attention will be spent the whole off season covering the big market teams and will keep shoving any new player on a Philadelphia/Boston/NYY/NYM jersey.  To any true fan that's not sucked in to the Big Money whirpool is fed up hearing about it by the end of the new year and this year has been no different with the possible exception of the lack of interest from big east teams in Holliday but around this site it's hard to find sympathy for Matt's off season "problems".

This offseason however the Marinersdecided throw their chips in to the frenzy, re-vamping their roster with the additions of Cliff Lee, Chone Figgins, and are set to soon acquire Casey Kotchman to become the full time starter at 1B.  This look like great pick ups in terms of acquire talent form a stronger team, rather then acquisitions that seem meant more to bring attention to a team.  And as the clock keeps counting down on Adrian Gonzalez time in SD, the Mariners looking to be sitting in a good position to possibly reel him during the season, which would easily throw them in the fire with the Beast of the East AL clubs in terms of talent.  There are still questions surround the back end of the rotation (what team doesn't usually though?), some bullpen help will be needed and injuries always play a factor, but the fact is now that it's looking like the Angels now will have to fight to keep up with the M's rather than the other way around for the first time since 2001.

 

Every off season the biggest stories will be what players are leaving where and which teams are acquiring who, but this off season it's hard pressed to argue that the Rockies are in the best position of any team to improve with little imports needed.  Obviously this isn't the place to try and point out every detail about what will make the Rockies in '10 better then '09, after all that's what Purple Row is all about.  But the possibilities of Dex, Cargo and Stew taking their games to the next level could prove to be much more important than 15 wins from John Lackey, or the 10-15 HR from Jason Bayat Citi Canyon or any value a player can give his team (with the exception maybe of Holliday but that also comes down more to the Cards being so thin behind Pujols and Holliday). 

 

This creates the scenario that the two most improved teams next season won't be the teams that played on the last game of the season like the press with emphasize so emphatically, it will be two West Coast franchises that won't truly get the attention they deserve unless they guy out and wipe the floor with a Media's Baby Team. 

 

So for all the fans who have had to put up with biasts and the overly-dramatic raves and hypes for players that are getting attention because of their big market destinations, I give you Dinger over the Moose in 2010.  Sit, back, kick your feet, grab a cold Coors Light and watch the game on mute for the first half inning so you can hear all the fair-weather-televisions across the east coast power off in misery.  Grab a couple dogs and watch and appreciate that you get to see Ken Griffey Jr. in his lone World Series (Let's just say he hits one Retro Jr. HR because he deserves it) go up against The Toddfather in what could be the last chance for both of them to get a ring in their HOF careers.  Enjoy hitting the "x" in the upper right corner of every article you read that talks about how awful the ratings are this year and get a good chuckle out of every rumor you hear start surfacing a week after the last game about the Yanks, Mets and BoSox desperate interest to acuqire Ubaldo Jimenezbecause now that their fan-base knows who this ace is and how for real he is now as they think their team can just find a way to bargain them in to their cart, kind of like a guy pulling up to K Mart in a Porsche and trying to negotiate a $2000 TV down to $1200.  But most importantly enjoy what should be a great series for Rockies fans (minus possibly a start from that Cliff Lee guy and a few swings from Adrain Gonzalez if he's in Teal and Blue) between two great teams who earned their right to be there rather then purchasing it in a November Fire-Sale.  But most importantly, enjoy a title celebration in LoDo!   

Poll

Who will the Rockies face in the World Series?

2%

Detroit Tigers

1 votes

5%

Boston Red Sox

2 votes

11%

New York Yankees

4 votes

26%

Seattle Mariners

9 votes

0%

Chicago White Sox

0 votes

2%

Tampa Bay Rays

1 votes

14%

Minnesota Twins

5 votes

8%

Texas Rangers

3 votes

0%

Cleveland Indians

0 votes

26%

Oakland and KC combine to make one decent team and catch lightning in a bottle

9 votes

34 votes | Poll has closed

I am constantly on Purple Row surfring throughout the whole site, unfortunatly since it's the offseason there isn't mucho to comment on so I thought a name game would be cool.  Sorry if this is a subject that somebody has already posted, I haven't been posting long so I apologize for stealing ideas.  Obviously in order for the game to continue you don't have to post just Rockies players or coaches or whatever but I thought it would be fun (because after all, how else are we going to get Choo Freeman and Jason Bates shoutouts this offseason?)

 

The way I've always played is using the first letter of the last name to start the first letter of the next first name.  I'll start with the first two:

 

Don Baylor

-Brad Hawpe


Also because I am that bored I thought I'd throw up a poll for the best "baseball names" in Rockies history, shout out any names you think I may have missed.

Poll

What's the best "baseball name" to be embroidered on Purple Pinstripes?

3%

Matt Holliday

2 votes

14%

Todd Helton

8 votes

9%

Larry Walker

5 votes

11%

Dante Bichette

6 votes

0%

Ellis Burks

0 votes

1%

Clint Barmes

1 votes

29%

Troy Tulowitzki

16 votes

16%

Butch Huskey

9 votes

1%

Cory Sullivan

1 votes

3%

Eric Young

2 votes

0%

Todd Walker

0 votes

0%

Mark Bellhorn

0 votes

0%

Todd Hollandsworth

0 votes

7%

Andres Galarraga

4 votes

54 votes | Poll has closed

Being a huge Rockies fan, you'll always remember the best times. Unfortunatly there were some not so great times filled with some not so great players. MLB.com is running a top 9 poll on it's website, in the same festive spirit I've posted to hear what everyone's Anti-9 is including a relief pitcher, anti-9 sounded better than the terrible-10 so i stuck with it. A player for every position, it can be a player in general or just a player's single season, whatever floats your boat. C: 1B: 2B: 3B: SS: LF: CF: RF: SP: RP:

It's undeniable that the Rockies have certainly set a high standard for the the developement of their players from within. A well planned course of action for many drafts (excluding Greg Reynolds over Evan Longoria and Clayton Kershaw), as well as a commitment to letting that talent reflect the big league club has shaped what is now the National League version of the ultimate Do-It-Yourself franchise, the Minnesota Twins. But there is a key component that seperates these teams and puts the Twins in the category of perennial contenders in the public eye while the Rockies are on the outside looking in on that category, the balance between home-grown and acquired talent. Last year the entire Rockies opening day lineup was homegrown, all nine, and for the majority of the season that was the the lineup they stuck with. The Twins on the other hand went out with only four homers, (Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer and Kubel), a free agent acquisition (Creded) and four players who were acquired in trades by the Twins when they had one year or less of Major League experience (Fransisco Liriano, Carlos Gomez, Alexi Casilla and Delmon Young). In the mind of every true fan of the Purple Pinstripes two trades stand out. Jason Jennings for Willy Tavares, Jason Hirsch and Taylor Bucholtz and Matt Holliday for Huston Street, Carlos Gonzalez and Greg Smith. Both of these deals added vital pieces to teams that eventually went on to post season appereances. Peak-value is the theme of these success stories, as the writing was on the wall with both Jennings and Holliday as free agency approached so the Rockies decided to pull the trigger to get the most return they could for a package that didn't have much promise of continuing at Coors. Those are the some what high profile trades (The Jason Marquis rental not included) that, when combined with the strong core already built from within, that created that balanced 25 man roster that led to success. But those are the only examples of a list that could be more extensive. As early as two years ago, a very over rated Garrett Atkins rode declining eye catching numbers in a very sluggish fashion to a top 10 3B in many scouts minds. Despite annually declining seasons and a new option, Ian Stewart, rising through the system, the Rockies stuck with their magic eight ball approach and decided their best chance of winning in both the present and future included Atkins on the field. In retrospect, well, lets just say you'll know how that story ends when January rolls around. Which brings us to the here and now, what moves can the Rockies make today for a better tommorrow? There's no question it's not going to come from 9 digit free agent contracts as the Rockies Denny Neagle Clause specifically says anyone who brings up that idea will be turned over to the authorities. So obviously it will come from the trade market right? Well not exactly, the free agent market will have a lot to do with the possible oppurtunities the Rockies may be presented with. How the Matt Holliday and Jason Bay stories end will have a lot to do with Brad Hawpe's value before spring training rolls around, but what could the Rockies get in return at best value for Hawpe? Ultimetly it's clear who the two best suitors are, the Mets and the White Sox. It's no suprise the New York Mets are drooling at the bit to add a jolt to their offense in both the outfield and first base, and Holliday and Bay are most certainly at the top of their wish list, and with the departure of Jermaine Dye and Jim Thome, the Chicago will certainly be on the prowl for a lefty outfielder with power to balance their order. While Hawpe certainly fits their needs, Hawpe only doesn't fufill the Rockies needs for a return. That's why you have to explore who on the club is at peak value and would fit in with those clubs; Jorge De La Rosa. He was a big pitcher for the Rockies durring the year yes, but was also the poster boy for what high ups and low downs look like durring a season. But 15+ wins and a 95 MPH lefty fastball say quite a bit to potential buyers. Now while a Hawpe/ George of the Rose package isn't ideal for what the White Sox are looking for, but it should would be more then enough for the Mets to at least come kick the tiers and then balk at the notion of Ike Davis and a pitcher with decent upside in Lance Broadway. Now let's say Bay and Holliday end up somewhere outside of Queens, how much is now on the market for the Mets to improve considerably? The Rockies aren't in an apples-for-apples position with Hawpe and will certainly look at the long term over the short term in any deal they pursue. So now not only have you turned around and picked up a top level prospect in Davis, who still has time to develop in to an outfielder if desired, but you have cleared up quite a bit of space of cap after unloading Hawpe to pursue a bigger fish in the free agent sea in Justin Duchscherer at a price range of $5-$8 million, reasonable considering the fact Hawpe is due to make around $10 million next year. All in all this off season could be a success is the Rockies simply learn from their past mistakes and sell high when the time is right, and although many will believe a gamble of shipping De La Rosa and Hawpe out of town is too much of a risk, look at what has happened when the Rockies gambled on selling high at the right times in the past.