Blake Street Bulletin

20 years ago, 80,000 plus fans showed up to watch Major League Baseball in Colorado. It's been a wild ride since.

Today marks the 20^th year of Major League Baseball being played in Colorado.  That’s a remarkable thing.  I still remember visiting Colorado as a kid and getting all excited about the new baseball team with the cool colors and logo.  Twenty years later, I never could have guessed how my relationship with this team would provide so many memorable life moments and incredibly maddening times as well.  Unfortunately, the last two seasons have been mostly loaded with frustration.    To some extent, all the losing has taken a little bit of the anticipation out of this season.  Usually I’m fired up in February, but it took until mid-March before I really dove into baseball this year.  Regardless, for at least one day, none of that matters.  It’s Opening Day and that’s cause for celebration – no matter if your team is great or awful.

It may not seem like it from that intro, but I am cautiously optimistic about the 2013 Rockies.  That’s not to say I think they’re going to the World Series, but I do think they have a good chance to be better than they were last year.  In the end, I suppose improvement is all any of us can ask for.  Beyond just wins and losses there are several things I’m hoping to see happen this year for the Rockies.  In fact, there are ten.  Here is a list in no particular order:

Wilin Rosario learns how to catch

Rosario has to get significantly better behind the dish.  I hate the idea of moving him to another position, but if there isn’t improvement on the defensive end, the Rockies may not have a choice.  When the Rockies win (see 2007, 2009, and 2010), great defense is always part of the equation.  It’s the one real way you can neutralize Coors Field.  Last year, they were atrocious defensively, and their young catcher was a big part of that.  It starts with him.

Nolan Arenado takes the next step

If feels like we’ve been waiting on Arenado forever, so it’s easy to forget that he will turn 22 in a couple of weeks.  Mike Trout and Bryce Harper aside, that’s young.  He is still very green on the diamond and emotionally.  It didn’t make sense to start the season with him in the bigs because of MLB’s Super 2 rules, but we will see him this summer.  The most important thing with him will be patience, both from the organization and the fans.  He has a chance to be a special player.  Hopefully we see some of that this year.

Dexter Fowler makes the All-Star team

For the first time in his career, Dexter’s spot on this team is firmly secured.  He doesn’t have to worry about being sent down to the minors anymore, and after the front office refused to trade him this offseason (something I’m glad about) he should feel confident that won’t happen either.  Last year, was a break out year for the rangy centerfielder, but he still has his detractors.  Coming off the best spring of his career will hopefully vault Dex into a hot start and spot in the All-Star game.  A dynamic centerfielder is important at Coors Field and we’ve been watching one grow up in front of us every night.  I think this is the year he officially arrives as an elite NL outfielder. Read the rest of this entry »

Spring is officially here: longer days, warmer nights, and the Rockies are still in contention!  Yep, opening day is officially upon us and hope springs eternal (or so we are supposed to believe).  The lingering disappointment from the 2012 season is still heavy in the mountain air, but 2013 is all about new beginnings (bonus points for getting the movie reference).  Although the 2013 Rockies are not much different than the 2012 version, just about everything that could go wrong last year did – and that is not likely to happen again.  Here, we attempt to get psyched up for a new season by looking at the strengths of the team, who should be starting at third, and what are the criteria for defining a successful season.

What do you consider the 2013 Rockies’ biggest strength?

Brendan: The bats up the middle.  The Rockies’ offense in general should be the strength of the team, but the foundation of that strength will come from the middle of the diamond.  Many teams depend on corner positions (3B, 1B, LF, RF) for offensive production with middle positions (C, 2B, SS, CF) being more defense-oriented.  Not this club.  Production from the corners should be below average to average (even with CarGo lifting all boats) but the hitting from up the middle should be great.  Rosario, Rutledge, Tulo, and Fowler could approach 100 homeruns combined, and they will need to be the driving force behind the Rockies run scoring.  If this club is going to have a chance at being competitive, they are going to have to consistently score 5+ runs and production from the guys up the middle is essential.

Kevin: The Rockies have a strong core of young position players. Tulowitzki, Gonzalez, Fowler, Colvin, Rosario, Rutledge, and Young are all quality players who range from superstar to decent. They are all 28-years-old or younger, meaning they are either in their primes or approaching their primes. They all can hit. Some of them play excellent defense, others play terrible defense.  This group of players is better than most national pundits realize (fingers crossed I’m right), and they give the Rockies the best chance to win this year and in the next few years.

Ned: Pitching.  No, not the starters, but the bullpen.  Betancourt has proven to be a reliable closer.  Brothers has a devastatingly powerful arm.  He can turn hitters into statues.  With another year in the major leagues, he should be ready to be dominant—and not just against lefties.  Hopefully Ottavino can continue to show the reliability we saw in July and August last year.  Volstad, who had a strong spring, looks like nice addition.  Matt Belisle is a terrific set-up man.  Escalona, who has had a good Spring, remains a question mark.  Last year, he was hit hard in his relatively short times with the Rockies.  But the guy who should be the bullpen star is Wilton Lopez.  If he is as good during the regular season as he has looked this Spring, no one will remember the name Alex White.  As bad as the starters will probably be, this team will definitely need a very strong bullpen. Read the rest of this entry »