Lunch Time Photography

I work at NUVI, here in this building:

Future NUVI Headquarters
Lehi, UT

Okay, so I actually currently work in a different building up the street (this building might still be a little windy inside), but this will be NUVI's building some time next year. Pretty beautiful location! There's a nice view of the mountains and it's right next to Thanksgiving Point and the beautiful gardens they have to offer.

My wife gave me one of the greatest birthday presents of all time this year: a Canon EOS Rebel T5. I've been wanting a DSLR camera for quite some time now, but we're poor so we hadn't made the leap until this summer. Now, we're still starting off on the low end of things (still poor), but that's just fine with me! It's the perfect camera for what I need right now, which is just-for-fun photography - and pictures of my baby boy, of course - while I learn how to be a decent photographer.

And boy has it been fun! I've been spending many of my lunch breaks at work out on walks, camera in hand, trying to find interesting and beautiful things to capture on film SD card.

Here (and the one above) are some of my favorites so far, some with stories and some with just the picture.

Flight of the Bumblebee
Thanksgiving Park, Lehi, UT

It was my second day at the Lehi office and I was walking around this new area, trying to find something interesting to take pictures of. I saw this little patch of flowers in the parking lot and thought "I wonder if I can get a cool close up shot of a bee." So I did. But it was a terrifying experience! Through the lens the bees looked as big as my head, and a couple times they flew right at the camera and I may or may not have jumped backwards. I came up with a nice photo, but I won't be trying that again any time soon!

Resting Dragonfly
Thanksgiving Point Gardens, Lehi, UT

Did you know that dragonflies are absurdly fast? After the success I had with the bee I thought I'd try to catch a dragonfly mid-flight as well. Yeah, that's just not going to happen for me. But I got this one resting, and that's pretty cool too.

A Nice Flower
Thanksgiving Point Gardens, Lehi, UT

There's a Storm Coming
Outlets at Traverse Mountain, Lehi, UT

So I went to the Nike store at the Outlets at Traverse Mountain to use the last of my Nike gift card. At least I tried to. Turns out I forgot it. So instead I just ate my lunch in the parking lot and watched the dark clouds come my way. And then there was some lightning! Which of course stopped every time I pulled out my camera. But I think this photo still turned out to be pretty cool because of its depth and the various dimension it has.

Another Nice Flower
Thanksgiving Point Gardens, Lehi, UT

There you go! Just my favorites so far. Since you read to the bottom, you're probably bored, enjoyed my photography, or related to me in some way, but whatever the case you should go follow my photography account on Instagram: @pictim.

2014 NCAA Men's Volleyball: Fan Choice Player of the Year

This covers a campaign that I ran as a Social Media Specialist for BYU Athletics.

Sponsored by Off the Block and Springbak, Inc., the 2014 NCAA Fan Choice Player of the Year Award was chosen by men's volleyball fans across the country. I quickly recognized this "tournament" as an opportunity for a social media campaign to aid both athletes in gaining votes and advance as far as the fans would take them.

The voting process followed the pattern of an NCAA basketball tournament. There were 64 nominees, each placed into four regions and given a seed, one through sixteen. BYU's Taylor Sander, already named National Player of the Year by the AVCA (and he would soon be named Player of the Year by Volleyball Magazine), was the top seed in his "region" of the bracket, and teammate Michael Hatch was a 13-seed. Once the competition reached the "Final Four" it was no longer in a bracket format, and the semifinalists Sander and Hatch were now in a competition against each other and two other athletes.

In reality, Taylor Sander was the more deserving of the two Cougar players, but it didn't seem right to completely ignore Michael Hatch at this stage of my social media campaign. In spite of my concerns that the two would split the BYU vote and neither would win I elected to promote both players, at least initially.

It seemed BYU fans had chosen to focus their voting efforts on Taylor Sander when a release issued by Off the Block heading into the final day of voting stated that Taylor Sander and the two finalists from other schools were all within 100 votes of each other. It was now clear that Michael Hatch had fallen out of the race and I felt it was acceptable to focus BYU's efforts solely on Sander.

Taylor "Sandman" Sander had to withstand every school's best effort and survived some close calls. He also had to overcome a slightly split vote from the BYU fan base in the final round, but leveraging the power of social media I was able to help Sander complete a sweep of the National Player of the Year awards, ending with the Fan Choice Player of the Year.

The following are the Facebook posts from that campaign.

Post by BYU Men's Volleyball.

Post by BYU Men's Volleyball.

Post by BYU Men's Volleyball.

Post by BYU Men's Volleyball.

Post by BYU Men's Volleyball.

Post by BYU Men's Volleyball.

Post by BYU Men's Volleyball.

Post by BYU Men's Volleyball.

Post by BYU Men's Volleyball.

Post by BYU Men's Volleyball.

Post by BYU Men's Volleyball.

Post by BYU Men's Volleyball.

On Colorado Rockies Fanhood

Let me start by saying I am extremely annoyed by the All Star voting this year. Nolan Arenado, the best third baseman in baseball, is fourth in the voting for National League third basemen. DJ LeMahieu, the man with Gold Glove defense and owner of the seventh best batting average in all of baseball, doesn't even crack the top five in voting for NL second basemen.

Oh, and eight Kansas City Royals are currently slated to start the All Star Game for the American League.

As a baseball fan, this infuriates me. As if the All Star Game doesn't have enough issues already, the fans have finally gone and screwed it up a little more. For years we've gotten by without us fans totally ruining the Midsummer Classic, but if this result holds and we end up watching the Royals versus the National League, it should usher in some changes to the fan voting process.

But that aside, can we take a step back and acknowledge how phenomenal the Kansas City fans are? I spent yesterday upset that this could happen for the Royals, but the Rockies fans couldn't even get Arenado, who certainly deserves to start the All Star Game, near the top.

And then it was compounded by a few minutes spent on the Rockies Facebook page and scrolling through some of the fan comments there. I know, I brought it on myself. It's a toxic zone over there, with a constant stream of "The Monforts need to sell the team" (good luck with that) and "Trade Tulo for pitching" (Yeah... I'm sure Bridich hasn't ever had that thought), but one comment stood out to me last night as a great summary of the attitude (and ignorance) of the Rockies Facebook fan base.

Oh, dear. So many things wrong with all of that. Let's take a quick look at each of his statements.

How do you lose to the Astros?

Well, considering they lead their division and own the third best record in baseball this season, I'd say they were the heavy favorites, especially in their home park. Perhaps a better question would be "How did the St. Louis Cardinals, with baseball's best record, drop an entire series to the Rockies last week?"

BECAUSE IT'S BASEBALL. Anything can happen on any given night.

Rox could have been 'no hit' tonight!

Yes, they could have. And they could get no-hit next week. Or tomorrow. Or really any time BECAUSE IT'S BASEBALL. Anything can happen on any given night.

Astros ace Dallas Keuchel was perfect through five last night, and we really shouldn't be surprised by that. He has turned into a star the past two seasons, and he's flirted with no-hitters in the past. But let's not pretend it was an abysmal offense performance for Colorado. Two runs on five hits isn't stellar, but it's also not embarrassing, even if it took a few innings for the bats to show any life.

This offense is pathetic!

The Rockies' hitters have their issues, sure. But are they pathetic? As a team Colorado is fourth in batting average, ever so slightly ahead of the American League All Star Team Kansas City Royals. So before we go condemning the offense, perhaps we should take a step back and realize that in spite of several imperfections, this team is second in total bases, sixth in hits, eleventh in runs, seventh in homers and RBIs, etc.

Need to replace Blackmon at leadoff!

Here is last night's Colorado lineup:

I know he's back in the leadoff spot today, but that's all I'm going to say about that.

I'm not trying to single out this one gentleman on Facebook. He's frustrated. We all are. And changes certainly need to happen to allow this team to succeed. But as a fan base we need to be a little better.

Of course, Kansas City fans have it easy right now. They made a trip to the World Series last year and currently sit atop the AL Central standings. So in spite of the frustration and lack of success in Denver these past few years I think we can learn something from Royals fans. We don't have to make a push for every single position player to be a starting All Star, but we should be pushing for guys like Arenado, LeMahieu, and even Tulowitzki and Hundley to at least be in the conversation.

My point is this: let's be a little better informed, a little more positive, and most especially a little more loyal.

Raising My Son in Sports

This post is for you to read, but I am writing it mostly for my wife's benefit.

I'm extremely competitive and recognize that at times I can be a bit intense when it comes to sports. I think it worries my wife that I'll be extreme in my approach to raising our kids in sports. We're expecting our first child, a son, any day now, so before he arrives I want to express my thoughts on how kids should and shouldn't be raised in sports.

But this post isn't just for you and my wife; it's also for me. Obviously, as I learn to be a parent my ideas on the parenting process will change (quite drastically I'm told), but I hope this will serve as a reminder if I'm ever tempted to be a little more intense or competitive. And please, leave your thoughts, opinions, and experiences in the comments below so that I can learn from you!

So here we go: my thoughts on how kids - specifically my son - should and shouldn't be raised in sports.

FUN

First and foremost, sports were created to be fun. While some - including myself at times - fall victim the Red Sanders philosophy that, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing," that absolutely should never apply to children. Winning is close to nothing when it comes to youth sports. Of course it will be great to see my son experience the thrill of victory, but there are so many more important things that he needs to get out of sports, and right at the top of the list is having fun.

We nearly missed some of the best years of Andre Agassi's career because he was burned out. He has admitted that he hated tennis, and that came in large part because his father pushed him into it so aggressively. He never had the chance to enjoy it. Fortunately for fans of the game, he committed himself to fitness, and that refocus allowed him to complete a tremendous career in spite of his feelings for the sport.

I don't want to be Andre Agassi's father. I don't want to brainwash my son into loving sports by dangling a tennis ball above his crib so that his eyes learn early to follow a yellow, fuzzy orb. It worked, and Agassi became one of the greatest tennis players of all time, but at what cost? He despises the game that made him famous.

My wife and I were at the park recently and we saw a dad with his two young boys, probably about ages 3 and 5. They were dressed up in their little jerseys, shin guards, and cleats. That in and of itself I don't have had a problem with. A lot of kids love getting dressed up in their gear and jerseys to go out and play. I know I did! But then this father pulled out several cones and began running his kids through a series of drills, and that's just too much. I think drills should be saved until you're a little older, and, generally speaking, until a child is on an organized team with organized practices. Until then, I think he or she will just enjoy being active. Teaching skills is great, but I plan on skipping the drills and sticking to the fundamentals, like this dad:

DON'T SPECIALIZE

There's been kind of a disturbing trend toward early one-sport specialization in recent years, and I think it needs to stop. I'm not alone either, and JJ Watt's opinion probably carries more weight than mine:

Single-sport specialization amongst youth today is troubling. Let kids be kids. They'll become better all-around athletes & have more fun.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 2, 2015

There are a million reasons for this, but Watt hits on two of the biggest. As already discussed, having fun is what it's all about. If our youth are specializing they are more likely to burn out, drop sports, and abandon an active lifestyle, furthering the problems of inactivity and obesity that currently plague our country. But if my son participates in a variety of sports and activities he is more likely to find the form - or forms - of physical activity he enjoys most. More important than kids becoming college and professional athletes is that they learn to be active and healthy.

But speaking of next level athletics...

If my son wants to pursue athletics at the college level, then specializing early will actually hurt him. As JJ Watt points out in the tweet above, playing multiple sports will lead to being better athletes. Urban Meyer clearly agrees. Just look at this little chart that illustrates his recruiting patterns at Ohio State:

I suppose a lot of people think that specializing early will increase a kid's chances at taking it to the next level, but in reality, it doesn't. I want to emphasize again that I want my son to love sports and being active, and I don't want him to hate what he does like Andre Agassi hated tennis. And that is regardless of whether or not he even wants to pursue intercollegiate athletics.

Supposing my children turn out like me and don't play competitive sports after high school, wouldn't it be more enjoyable to have the fundamental skills from a variety of sports? I love to watch and play just about everything, and the ones I never played competitively, like football, I can still play recreationally because I am an athlete (albeit a very average athlete), not just a one sport specialist. 

TAKE IT DOWN A NOTCH

Do you know what drives me absolutely insane? I HATE seeing youth sports coaches who make their kids run as punishment. What message are we sending when we do that? "Kid, you were bad, so go exercise!" WHAT?! No wonder America struggles with obesity! From our youth, many of us have associated exercise with punishment. From PE classes to youth soccer practices it has become pretty commonplace, but it really, really shouldn't be the case. Again, it goes back to the principle that sports and physical activity should be fun. If physical activity is punishment, do you think it's going to be fun? And do you think kids are going to want to exercise? 

Along these same lines is another problem in youth sports, and that's all the yelling. They're kids! Why are we so intense about it?

Let me tell you a story. When I was around 13 years old I started officiating youth soccer. Being so young they started me out with the youngest age group, the 5 and 6 year olds. In one particular game, a shot on goal struck the keeper in the face. He didn't fall, he didn't scream or start crying, and he was immediately back in the ready position. The ball quickly cleared and I ran by the keeper and made sure he was okay, but that was not good enough for the "assistant coach" (and that's in quotes because he had kind of made himself an assistant coach, certainly to the head coach's dismay). This man came across the field, in the middle of play, and began screaming in my face. He was upset that I hadn't blown the play dead the second the ball hit his goalie's face. And how did he choose to express this? By running across the field and berating a 13-year-old boy. Good choice, sir. (And to conclude the story, I never backed down and calmly asked him several times to leave my field until he finally did, resulting in a standing ovation from the opposing sideline.)

This is me, the youth soccer official.

Again, why are we so intense about youth sports? In my case, that parent was yelling at an official, and I know many people don't consider referees to be human beings, but come on, man! It's youth soccer! Per the rules of that league I went above and beyond in even checking on the keeper to make sure he was okay. And yet, this middle-aged man felt the need to charge the field and relentlessly scream at a 13-year-old boy.

We all know that it doesn't stop with yelling at officials. In my years of playing, officiating, and coaching youth sports, I've seen parents and coaches alike yell at their kids and players when they make a mistake. That seems effective. I can totally see how it would help my son develop a love of sports and a healthy and active lifestyle if I yell at him because he set an illegal screen or something equally as trivial.

I have a lot of other stories on this subject from my time in youth sports, but I'll save those for another day and just leave it at this: exercise isn't punishment, yelling isn't appropriate, and all of us adults need to take a chill pill before we ruin sports for our kids.

LEARN SOMETHING

Aside from learning to be physically active and healthy, there are hundreds of life lessons I want my son to learn from sports. These aren't things that I could yell and scream until the lesson is learned (and if you're ever tempted to try, see above), but rather, these lessons are natural byproducts that are learned from a good youth sports experience. Like I said, there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of things that every child should learn from athletics, but below are some of the ones I think are most important.

You win some, you lose some

Growing up, I played on A LOT of losing teams. Virtually every team I played for ended up with a losing record. As I've mentioned I'm very competitive, and that wasn't at all different when I was a kid, so losing was hard. But one of the most important lessons I ever learned from playing sports was how to lose. I could probably make an entire post about how to lose, but instead let me just quickly hit some of the highlights. 

I learned that sometimes people are better than me, and that's okay. I learned that sometimes I might feel I'm more talented than my opponent but things still might not go my way. From both of those principles, I learned how to respect those who defeated me (for example, getting passed over for a job or a lazy coworker earning Employee of the Month). I learned how to pick myself up after falling short. I learned to channel the frustration of losing into working hard to improve. 

Most of all, I learned how to be happy even when I lose or fall short in one aspect of my life. This may not be the greatest lesson that everyone will learn from losing, but for me it was the most difficult and took me the longest. I don't think I really learned it until I met my wife. It used to be that you couldn't approach me after a loss for a few hours for fear of me snapping at you because I was still frustrated. I was horrible. But I've finally learned to put a smile on and brush it off almost immediately after. Why would I let a loss negatively affect the way I feel and the way I treat others? Good question. And apologies to my family for years of putting up with me after losses!

You didn't believe me did you? And this was the
quarterfinals of the European Championships!

After spending years on primarily losing teams, something crazy happened my senior year of high school: I played on a really good basketball team. We won our conference and placed second in our division in Europe. It was an absolutely incredible year, but I now had to learn how to win. Perhaps it wasn't as difficult for me to learn to be a gracious winner after years of losing, but it was still an important skill I needed to develop. I want my son to quickly learn how to be grateful for teammates and coaches. I want my son to sincerely congratulate the other team on a great game or great season, something that was somewhat difficult for me at times after beating teams by scores like 52-11 and 52-5. I want my son to celebrate victories but never at the expense of his opponent. I even want my son to thank the officials after the game, regardless of their performance. And I want him to do these things in sports, school, business, and his social life, wherever it is possibly applicable.

Overcoming challenges

Sports aren't easy, and even aside from losing there are a lot of challenges that come up. From my time growing up in sports, I learned how to overcome just about anything from small hurdles to oversized obstacles. For those of you who played basketball growing up, do you remember how difficult it was to learn to do a layup with your off-hand? Maybe it was just me, but trying to convince my dominantly right-handed self to jump off my right foot and extend the ball with my left hand was nearly impossible. But I learned the kind of discipline and work it takes to master a new skill. Did you know I didn't pass the writing section of Washington's standardized testing in seventh grade? And now here I am writing for fun! (Though I'll let you be the judge of quality.) It didn't come naturally, but with a little work and dedication I have become a somewhat competent writer.

Sometimes the challenges are bigger. As we all know, injuries are a part of sports. I was fortunate enough to avoid serious injuries from youth sports through my high school career. I did have some minor injuries to deal with, but I learned to fight through the pain. Why is this a valuable lesson? Here's why:

Life is pain! From the physical to the emotional, we all experience varying degrees of pain all throughout our life; it's inevitable. The trick that we all need to master is to fight through the pain, and this is something I once again learned through sports. When I'm sick or exhausted or in pain of some kind and don't want to go to work or fulfill some responsibility, I've occasionally said to myself, "This wouldn't have stopped me from playing basketball, I can't let it stop me today." Perhaps it's a bit of a cheesy lesson, but it's been helpful to me and it's the kind of thing I'd like my son to learn. The pains of life can't keep me down!

Teamwork and unselfishness

Few lessons are more important to learn than teamwork. We all know that throughout our lives we work with a variety of teams. From youth sports teammates to collaborators on a work or school project, we all work with a variety of people in a variety of ways and it's important to learn how to succeed with them. In sports, you play with a variety of teammates, some you like and some you don't. But if my son can learn to work alongside even the worst of teammates, he'll be prepared for any classmate or coworker that awaits him in the future.

But do you know what is sometimes harder than working alongside that difficult teammate? Cheering for him from the bench! Of course, nobody in youth sports should be riding the pine, but if my son decides to play for a school team or at any competitive level, there may come a time when he sits on the end of the bench to cheer on his teammates and wait his turn. And there is literally nothing wrong with that! We're not all going to be Mike Trout or LeBron James and always be the best player on our team. Sometimes in sports, and in life, we're relegated to the role of "bench warmer," and we do everything we can to support the team and work hard so we are ready for our turn.

And when our turn does come, it's still all about the team. Did you watch Steph Curry's speech after accepting the NBA MVP award this season? He was unbelievably humble, taking almost no credit and thanking everyone you could possibly think of. He was the league's best player, but he unselfishly thanked the world, including his teammates.

The word of the year in 2013 was "selfie," which I think is very indicative of the world we live in. If you watch the NBA, and even college basketball at times, you will sadly see stretches that are nothing more than a series of isolation plays strung together as one player catches the ball and tries to beat his man to put up his shot. Perhaps it's not all that bad, but the iso play is far more common today than it used to be. Gone are the days of passing up a good shot for a better shot, and soon I fear acknowledging the man who dished you the ball will disappear as well. I want my son to always be grateful for the help of teammates, coaches, parents... Okay, now I'm getting a little selfish.

Success is earned

Just watch this:

Here's my point (finally!): When it comes to raising my son in sports, it's not about winning, scoring the most points, or making it professionally. Not at all. I want to guide him in learning these principles that will, in turn, guide him throughout his life. 

MY DREAMS DON'T MATTER

We're all familiar with this one, and perhaps it's a bit cliche now, but my wife still needs to hear it: I will not try to live my dreams through our child. Sure, I wish I could have been a college athlete. I think that would have been awesome! But if my son doesn't, that's fine too. My life is incredible, and I am perfectly happy in spite of never playing any sport after high school. If my son has the drive and desire to do it, good for him! But if he doesn't, and he has the drive and desire to start a business, be a lawyer, write a book, be a musician, or teach history, good for him! 

Whatever his passion is, I hope he learns something in youth sports that will help. No matter his involvement with sports when he is 25 or 30 or 35 years old and about to have his first child, I hope he is still physically active because of his time playing sports. I hope sports are fun to him. But really I just hope he is happy and healthy.

Some Positive Thoughts as the Rockies Keep Losing

Last night my ever-optimistic nature took a major hit. After the Rockies dropped their tenth straight my frustration boiled over and I momentarily became very pessimistic about the state of the ball club. My wife was immediately concerned about me, assuming I must have had a terrible day or something bigger was wrong with me because I never say anything like that. My day had been fine, and I'm totally okay, but she’s right: I never say that about any team that has won my fanhood. And I’ve cheered for A LOT of losing teams.

So to make up for my moment of negativity, let’s take a look at some of the positive things that we’ve seen during this ten game losing streak. In the words of Troy Tulowitzki, “there are not many,” but we’re going to see what we can find.

Nick Hundley

Nick Hundley is the biggest bright spot in the Colorado lineup right now. Since the start of this losing streak, Hundley is batting .400, improving his season average to .342. Hundley has consistently reached base this year and is stepping up when his team needs him most. Billy Beane would love this guy. He gets on base. 

More importantly to me (because if he’s the only one getting on base that won’t produce a lot of runs) is that there is someone on this team that’s hitting the ball. Hundley is a veteran presence on this ball club - that’s why the Rockies signed him - and his consistency will help in righting the ship.

Drew Stubbs, Sort Of

Drew Stubbs was off to one of the worst starts imaginable, going 0-21 with 13 K. If he had any minor league options remaining on his contract he almost certainly would be in an Isotopes uniform right now. But with Stubbs, Bridich had to take a different approach and things have started to turn around. In his past 14 plate appearances he’s gone 3-11 with 2 homeruns. It had to be nice for him to break out of a monster slump with a monster shot into the bleachers. The strikeout problem still continues as he’s gone down on strikes in 7 of his past 14 trips to the plate (meaning he has struck out in 20 of his 32 at-bats this year. 

Stubbs isn’t back to where the Rockies need him to be, or certainly where he wants to be himself, but if we’re looking for silver linings where there aren’t many to be found, Drew Stubbs has three hits and two homers during this skid.

Kyle Kendrick’s Latest Start

I’m not an expert when it comes to analyzing pitchers, and I’m not particularly great with pitch recognition, but I can tell you that Kyle Kendrick looked significantly better in his start against the Angels last night. It was beyond holding the Angels to just two earned runs, and it was beyond the fact that he was able to go 7.0 strong innings. He looked sharp. Was it the extra rest that came from multiple rainouts? Did he make some adjustments? Here’s what Ryan Spilborghs had to say:

Rest had nothing to do with it. From what I saw he eliminated his cutter. He was sinker change up all night. https://t.co/5517T32Vfg

— Ryan Spilborghs (@spillygoat19) May 13, 2015

There you have it. It looks like Kendrick simplified his approach, removed a pitch that wasn’t working for him, and had a quality outing. Unfortunately he still only ended up with a no decision, but it was a promising day from Kendrick.

New Britain Rock Cats

So while there are only a handful of positive things happening with the big league club, let’s take a second and recognize the Rockies’ AA affiliate. The New Britain Rock Cats are currently 25-7, leading their division by 6.5 games, and riding a 12 game WINNING streak. Keep it rollin’ boys, and go Rock Cats!

And of course, GO ROCKIES!

The Clutch-ness of Tyler Haws

I recently read an article that compared Tyler Haws to a Hall of Fame middle reliever in baseball. That comparison, perhaps an apt description of his senior campaign, didn't sit well with me. The author gives statistics from Haws' senior season and points out that his shooting percentages are well below his season averages. While accurate for this year, it seemed to me that he has been excellent in previous seasons late in games when things are tight. I decided to take a look at everything he did in previous years in the final two minutes of games.

So here we go, year by year: The Clutch-ness of Tyler Haws.

Freshman

Tyler Haws' freshman campaign was also the junior year of one Jimmer Fredette, so as you might expect Tyler didn't get as many touches in the closing minutes of games as Jimmer did, especially the tight ones. In the 25 games that ESPN had available with play-by-play data Tyler put up just 7 shots, but he made them count:

**********

I began working on this last week, spending several hours compiling spreadsheets filled with statistics from the final two minutes of games throughout Tyler's career at BYU. I was preparing an argument that he was indeed clutch during his first three years in Provo, and that there may be some lurking variables surrounding his senior struggles late in tight games. Then Saturday at Santa Clara he made research and argument irrelevant, and I am perfectly content to end this here:




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But if you're still interested, here's the statistics from the final two minutes/overtime of (almost) every game from Tyler Haws' career. I was able to get the stats from all games decided by single digits, and most other games.

The Colorado Rockies All-Time Starting Nine

As I’m sure is the case with most of you, the offseason is hard for me. Especially in the weeks leading up to Spring Training when the dust has settled from Winter Meetings and little tends to happen in the free agent market -- particularly in Colorado. Well pitchers and catchers have finally reported, but I’ve spent the past two weeks reflecting on the past. It all started with a box of cards.

Perhaps to clean out his basement or perhaps to pass the time before the season starts (I do know he bought a few just to give to me, so thanks Dad!), my dad recently sent me a box full of baseball cards. He does this from time-to-time and I always enjoy going through a new batch of cards and finding some hidden gems. My wife's reaction is always the same: "Why?" 

Because it's awesome. But I’m probably preaching to the choir here.

As with many children I'm sure, I was frequently told it was time to go clean my room. My poor mother, though. She faced the impossible task of convincing me that reorganizing my baseball cards did not actually qualify as cleaning. In my defense, I did occasionally reorganize my bookshelf too! But that also involved my precious baseball cards as I tried to find the perfect place to shelve the binders that housed them.

I loved following the players' statistics. As a kid I would lay out the cards on the floor and piece together the team I would field if I was manager of the Rockies. In fact, some of my Rockies cards have a number written on them, one through nine, to signify the spot in the batting order I would place them if they were my team. Don't worry though (because I’m sure you care about my card collection), it wasn't the nice cards I did that to!

With this recent batch of cards -- which included a few packs from the Rockies -- I got to thinking: “If I were to assemble an All-Rockies lineup from the franchise’s history, what would that lineup look like?”

So here it is. In my opinion, the greatest all-time Colorado Rockies that could create a starting nine. (I didn’t look at relievers because finding a worthy starting pitcher is hard enough, so I didn’t want to touch the bullpen.) We’re going to keep this light, with highlight videos, some of my favorite memories of these players, and very few statistics. Enjoy, and then leave your thoughts on who belongs among the all-time greatest Colorado Rockies.

Pitcher: Ubaldo Jimenez

So Jimenez was probably the best starter in Colorado history, or at least had the best season, but I’m still mad at him for beaning Tulo in Spring Training a couple years back, so let’s not talk about him today.

Honorable Mention: Mike Hampton

Why? Because he hit TEN home runs in two season with the Rockies. TEN. With seven coming in 2001. HE’S A PITCHER! And it was fun to watch.

Catcher: Yorvit Torrealba

If there’s one position for the Rockies that has been as problematic as the pitching, it’s the catching. Yorvit Torrealba gets the nod for primarily one reason: 2007. He provided some leadership and timely hitting on that remarkable run to the World Series, most memorably this 3-run jack that would prove the game winner in Game 3 of the NLCS against the Diamondbacks:

Honorable Mention: Joe Girardi

He was a leader in those early years, but wasn’t anything beyond an “okay” hitter.

First Base: Todd Helton

Was there any question? Five time All Star, four time Silver Slugger, three time Gold Glover and face of the Colorado Rockies for well over a decade Todd Helton may well be the best player in franchise history.

But where do I even begin with Todd Helton highlights? Helton was sitting at 2,499 career hits when I took my wife to her first ever Rockies game. The eight hour drive is always worth it when we can make it happen, but it was going to be extra special to be there for hit number 2,500, right? Nope. He went 0-4 with 3 Ks and flew out to the warning track. I’m glad my wife got to see Helton play before he retired, but hit 2,500 will not be one of my personal favorite Todd Helton memories, though it was certainly a special moment. I had a difficult time narrowing the list, so I chose two: one that’s fun and one that’s highlight reel worthy. 

The first one is just classic, clever Toddfather. I laugh every time:

This next highlight will give you chills.

September 18, 2007. Sitting 6.5 games out of first and 4.5 games out of the Wild Card race (fourth place in both), Colorado’s playoff chances were bleak as just 12 games remained. Two nights prior they blasted the Marlins 13-0 and they had begun the day with a 3-1 win against the Dodgers. The second game of the double header with Los Angeles was a higher scoring affair with Colorado trailing 8-7 heading into the bottom of the ninth. One on, two out, Todd Helton down 1-2 in the count. Then suddenly, this:

Over seven years later and I can still feel the emotion. We didn’t know where it would lead just yet, but we could feel something magic in the air. It was the third game in a streak that would see Colorado win 21 of 22 en route to a National League Championship and the franchise’s first World Series appearance. It was still a long shot, but after that walk off blast there was hope, and the Rockies went on a tear to complete the most memorable season in team history.

Honorable Mention: Andres Galarraga

The Big Cat deserves an honorable mention and video here as well. You just can’t ignore the guy who won the NL batting title in Colorado’s inaugural year. So here’s a monster grand slam. It even comes with a bat flip:

Second Base: Eric Young Sr.

While second has been a struggle at times for the Rockies, EY started the Rockies off right (and not just because he hit a solo dinger in the Rockies’ first ever plate appearance). In 1995 he hit .317, only to follow it up with a .324 average the following year, leading him to his first and only All Star appearance and Silver Slugger award.

But speaking of that leadoff at bat in 1993, let’s watch it:

Honorable Mention: DJ LeMahieu

He’s still young, and with time he may eclipse EY, but in the mean time I’ll give Colorado’s first Gold Glove second baseman a nice honorable mention.

Third Base: Vinny Castilla

Aside from the struggles of finding a pitcher and catcher good enough for this list, third base was the toughest decision to make. I give the two-time All Star, three-time Silver Slugger the ever-so-slight edge over Nolan Arenado, but give it one more solid season and this spot will go to Nolan. Castilla was a tremendous hitter, and while he wasn’t nearly the defender that Arenado is, he was adequate.

Now there aren’t a whole lot of Vinny Castilla videos readily available, but MLB.com documents his pinch hit single in the final game and final at bat of his career, so feel free to go and watch that special moment.

Honorable Mention: Nolan Arenado

Like I said, give him one more season anywhere close to the quality of his first two and I’ll place him ahead of Castilla. Arenado is a Web Gem waiting to happen and there are some brilliant highlights, but what I love most about Nolan is that he makes plays like this look totally routine:

Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki

In similar no-brainer fashion to Todd Helton, Tulo is the clear choice at shortstop. While he’s no Cal Ripken in the durability department, the injury concerns are overblown and he is the best shortstop in baseball and one of the best players in the game at any position. Already a five-time All Star, two-time Gold Glover, and two-time Silver Slugger, Tulowitzki is as well-rounded and complete a player as you will ever find. Here’s to a healthy 2015!

As for highlights, there are way too many. So I just picked two: one defense, one offense.

Watch Tulo field back-to-back grounders up the middle and make other-worldly plays for a pair of outs:

And here’s a Tulo home run, but in this one the real highlight is the guy who catches it while holding a baby:

Honorable Mention: Walt Weiss

You know what I remember about Walt Weiss? I remember that he had a knack for turning over the order from the eighth spot in the lineup. I also remember that my mom stood behind him in line at the grocery store once.

Outfield: Matt Holliday, Dante Bichette, Larry Walker

Matt Holliday

Did you know that in five years in Colorado Holliday hit under .300 just once: his 2004 rookie campaign where he hit .290. That’s not bad. 

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m going back to 2007 again. But the most memorable play in Matt Holliday’s time in Colorado had to be against San Diego in the bottom of the 13th inning of the one game playoff for the NL Wild Card spot.

(Technology has bested me on this one, so you'll have to watch it here.)

The announcer may not agree with me, but I have to back the umpire here: Matt Holliday was safe!

Dante Bichette

Every time Bichette stepped up to the plate there was a chance for something special. Like Holliday he spent every season in Colorado above .300 except one and never hit fewer than 21 homers in a season, including 1995 when he led the National League with 40. He epitomized the Blake Street Bombers, especially in the Rockies first game at Coors Field.

Bottom of the 14th and Bichette was thinking walkoff or bust:

You don’t get to see it in that video, but he took a couple hacks in the preceding pitches and he wasn’t swinging for a single. When he connected it was simply beautiful!

Larry Walker

Well, DUH. One of the better arms I’ve ever seen in the game, and a tremendous bat on top of it, Larry Walker is second to only Todd Helton on this entire list, at least in my opinion. I’m such a big Walker fan I’m going to write less words and share more videos!

I’m resisting the urge to share the video of Walker tossing the ball into the stands thinking he’s made out number three as he was with Montreal at the time, but here he is robbing Mark McGwire of an RBI sac-fly:

And here he is swinging the lumber and going deep three times against his former team:

Aside from the All Star Game I attended at Coors Field in 1998, this is my favorite memory of the Midsummer Classic:

Oh, Larry. Always entertaining!

Honorable Mention: Carlos Gonzalez, Ellis Burks

Burks had some incredible seasons during his time in Colorado, and Gonzalez is one of the most talented guys in the game and a tough omission, but with Walker, Holliday, and Bichette to compete with that will be a tough list to crack for anyone going forward.

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So there you have it: my starting nine comprised of the all-time greatest to don a Rockies uniform. Agree? Disagree? Ideas on the best relievers? What do you think?