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?

The Gold Glove Case for Nolan Arenado

I've been told that no rookie third baseman has ever won a Gold Glove. But I don't really care. Nolan Arenado deserves it.

I know, he's not a household name. Yet. And perhaps it will take more than a .267 batting average for him to get there. But fortunately for him the Gold Glove has nothing to do with offense. It's an award handed to the best defensive player at each position in each league. And a quick glance at the defensive statistics suggests that Arenado should get a long, hard look at being handed the award.

All it takes is a superficial study of the MLB and National League standings in any given defensive statistical category to realize that he is at or near the top in just about everything. The following standings include all third baseman who played more than 500 innings during the 2013 season. First up, the raw statistic of fielding percentage, a simple comparison of opportunities versus errors.

MLB Fielding Percentage Standings

1. Placido Polanco, MIA - .990
2. Juan Uribe, LAD - .983
3. Martin Prado, ARI - .978
4. Nolan Arenado, COL - .973
5. Manny Machado, BAL - .973

NL Fielding Percentage Standings

1. Placido Polanco, MIA - .990
2. Juan Uribe, LAD - .983
3. Martin Prado, ARI - .978
4. Nolan Arenado, COL - .973
5. David Wright, NYM - .973

It is interesting that four of the top five fielding percentages are National Leaguers, and three of those are from the NL West. I don't really know why it's interesting, but it is.

More than anything I find it interesting that Arenado, ranks fourth in the big leagues in fielding percentage. In his first year in the league he placed himself in the top five of all third baseman. That is very respectable, but I admit that in and of itself that would not justify voting the rookie a Gold Glove. That's why we need advanced metrics; because fielding percentages don't evaluate plays like this:

Advanced metrics can tell us the value of a play like that. There are a great many statistics that are surfacing that can more powerfully explain the value of defense.

First, consider Ultimate Zone Rating, or UZR. It has to be one of the most complicated statistics out there, but the short version is that it is a measure of how many balls hit into a players zone turn into outs. For a more complete explanation of UZR, click here.

Notice not only where Nolan falls on the list, but the ridiculous gap after him, especially in the National League.

MLB UZR Standings

1. Manny Machado, BAL - 31.2
2. Juan Uribe, LAD - 24.0
3. Nolan Arenado, COL - 20.7
4. Evan Longoria, TB - 14.6
5. Josh Donaldson, OAK - 9.9

NL UZR Standings

1. Juan Uribe, LAD - 24.0
2. Nolan Arenado, COL - 20.7
3. Todd Frazier, CIN - 9.7
4. Chase Headley, SD - 7.0
5. David Wright, NYM - 3.7 

Looking at these numbers alone, the NL third base Gold Glove award is a two man race between Juan Uribe and Nolan Arenado. Uribe's lead over Arenado in UZR is certainly not insignificant, but it sure seems that way when you consider the third highest NL UZR is 11 points below those two.

So Juan Uribe commits less errors per opportunity and turns more balls in his zone into outs than Arenado, and although they are both by slim margins, that means the award should go to Uribe, right? I don't think so. As I've mentioned fielding percentage is raw and insufficient, and baseball stat gurus tend to look at a three year average for UZR. So while I don't think I'll necessarily be offended and start throwing things if the award goes to the veteran in Los Angeles, I still think the rookie in Colorado might be the better defender at the hot corner.

It occurs to me that the purpose of playing baseball is to win games, and the way you win games is by scoring more runs than the other team. That's why these next two statistics seem more meaningful to me, and they make it seem like there are only two decent third baseman in all of baseball: Manny Machado and Nolan Arenado.

Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) is far more intuitive than UZR and measures how many runs a player saves, or gives up if the number is negative, with his defense. As you might expect, Manny Machado leads the Majors, but look at what happens after that, especially in the National League:

MLB DRS Standings

1. Manny Machado, BAL - 35
2. Nolan Arenado, COL - 30
3. Juan Uribe, LAD - 15
4. Evan Longoria, TB - 12
5. Josh Donaldson, OAK - 12

NL DRS Standings

1. Nolan Arenado, COL - 30
2. Juan Uribe, LAD - 15
3. Todd Frazier, CIN - 5
4. Chase Headley, SD - 5
5. David Wright, NYM - 5

Not only does Arenado lead the National League, he doubles up the second place Juan Uribe. If you ignore Machado and Arenado, 15 DRS would be a very respectable number, but behind those two all other third basemen look mediocre when it comes to keeping opponents from crossing the plate.

WAR (Wins Above Replacement) has become a widely used and respected sabermetric across baseball. Simply put, it is a measure of how many more wins a player gives his team over an average replacement player. Defensive Wins Above Replacement (dWAR) specifically shows how many wins a player's defense brings to his team above an average replacement player. The results here are equally as remarkable as the above mentioned DRS.

MLB dWAR Standings

1. Manny Machado, BAL - 4.4
2. Nolan Arenado, COL - 3.6
3. Josh Donaldson, OAK - 1.8
4. Juan Uribe, LAD - 1.8
5. Evan Longoria, TB - 1.7

NL dWAR Standings

1. Nolan Arenado, COL - 3.6
2. Juan Uribe, LAD - 1.8
3. Chase Headley, SD - 0.7
4. David Wright, NYM - 0.7
5. Todd Frazier, CIN - 0.7

In yet another category Arenado doubles Uribe's metrics. Obviously, Manny Machado is the best third baseman in baseball, especially if we were to factor in offensive performance. But I think Arenado is the best in the NL, and I don't think it's all that close. Uribe has a slightly better batting average (.278) and he's been in the league longer, but the Gold Glove is given to the best defensive player at each position, in each league, even if he's a rookie.

When it comes to National League third basemen, I believe that is Nolan Arenado.

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Additional Links:

UZR Explained

DRS Explained

3B Advanced Metrics Standings

3B Fielding Percentage and dWAR Standings

A Rockin' Suprise - Can It Last?

Troy Tulowitzki and the Colorado Rockies are off to a hot start. Can they sustain it throughout the season?

Statistics, injuries, and observations are all as of the morning of  April 27.

For the time being, the Colorado Rockies are sitting atop the National League West. For a brief moment they even had the best record in baseball. The pitchers have been doing their job and pitching like a somewhat reliable staff, something they've never been. The bats have been on fire, though they've cooled slightly the past few games. And if I had written this last week like I meant to, there would have been no significant injuries to worry about.

In order for the Rockies to succeed this season and make a run at postseason play they need the bats to stay hot, the pitching staff to be consistent and solid, and key players to stay injury free. I apologize for my pessimism, but I have been a Rockies fan for far too long to believe that all of these things are a possibility, especially if the past couple of years are any indication.

Dexter Fowler is hitting with more power
than we are used to seeing.

The Bats Are Hot

Rockies fans are used to this. The Blake Street Bombers are tops in the big leagues in batting average (.279) and slugging percentage (.463) and on base percentage (.344), and second in runs scored (123) . None of this should surprise anyone. Two of the games most dangerous hitters, Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki, anchor the Rockies offense, but it doesn't stop there. Most of the lineup -- Dexter Fowler, Josh Rutledge, CarGo, Tulo, Michael Cuddyer, and Wilin Rosario -- are downright dangerous.

The numbers and MLB rankings aren't surprising. What is surprising is who leads the team in some of the offensive categories. Dex is first on the team in slugging percentage (.610) and home runs, with seven dingers through 23 games; his career best is 13 in a season. Cuddy tops the charts with a .325 batting average and .393 on base percentage. Will they stay at the top? I doubt it, but if the Rockies are to be considered postseason contenders by the end of the year they will need to still be impact players and threats to put the ball in play and drive in runs.

Improved Pitching Staff

The Rockies pitchers currently have a 3.90 ERA, and while that is good for only 17th in baseball, it is one of the most promising starts we have seen from the Rox staff for as long as I can recall.

Obviously if the bats don't stay hot, the Rockies have no hope, but if the pitchers can stay healthy and consistent all year long and hover somewhere around a 4.00 ERA collectively, this team could suddenly become very, very good. Pitching has been Colorado's Achilles heel for years and remains a difficult riddle to solve, but prospects are looking up.

Injury Concerns

Injuries are always a concern, but last year they completely derailed the Rockies season. That's not to say the Rox were destined for the playoffs by any means, but it turned into the worst season in Rockies history and was a little demoralizing.

If Jhoulys Chacin and the Rox staff can stay healthy and
consistent, the Rockies could be competitive.

Troy Tulowitzki went down with a groin injury and missed most of the year. Durability is a bit of a question for Tulo as he has only played over 140 games three times in his career. Carlos Gonzalez has only played over 140 games once in his career. As the two best players in the Rockies organization, their health and durability are essential to the Rockies success.

Last season the pitching staff struggled to stay healthy and it seemed as though the entire starting rotation went out with an injury for an extended amount of time. This pitching staff is off to a hot start and cannot afford to see guys out on the DL, but it has already begun with Jhoulys Chacin on the 15-day DL beginning April 20 with a lower back strain. Here's to hoping he recovers quickly and the pitching staff, or any of the rest of the Rockies, suffer any long-term injuries the rest of the year.

If all the key players can stay healthy, the pitching staff stays at least average, and the bats stay hot, this team could make a postseason run. But I've been following Rockies baseball for too long to have full faith in the possibility after just 23 games have been played. Ah, well. Here's to hoping for a baseball miracle!

Colorado Rockies vs. Opponent: 2 vs. 9

I love the Colorado Rockies. They are my team and they always will be. But wouldn't it be nice if I could enter a season believing they had a chance to make the playoffs, let alone win the World Series? Since that memorable and miraculous run to the Series in 2007 (and devastating loss to the Red Sox), the Rockies have returned to the playoff once, getting sent home by the Phillies in the first round.

While Cubs fans may think this is an incredible track record, I want more. I understand the Rockies have only been around since 1993 and that these things take time. But allow me to offer up a few concerns about Colorado Rockies baseball.

The ESPN 500 was released over the past couple of weeks, revealing a panel of ESPN experts' top 500 rated players in Major League Baseball for the upcoming season. Troy Tulowitzki was ranked at eight, and Carlos Gomez was ranked at 46. Do you know what the next highest rated player was? Mark Cuddyer at 150. Only the Padres, Pirates, Astros, Mets, Mariners, A's (and we've all seen Moneyball, so that explains them), Twins, and White Sox (who had a starter in Adam Dunn bat .159 last year) had less players in the top 150 than Colorado. Even the Oriole's, who recently lost to a community college baseball team, reached three players in the ESPN 500 before Colorado did.

I love that Colorado plays fundamentally solid, team baseball. However, they need a supporting cast around Tulo and CarGo, and that starts with the pitching staff. There are simply too many question marks on the mound for the Rockies to feel any amount of confidence as Friday's season opener approaches. Will Jeremy Guthrie be the ace the Rox believe him to be? Will Jamie Moyer's 80 mph fastball be countered by his craftiness? Will Jhoulys Chacin improve on the potential he showed us last year? Can the bullpen buckle down when things get tight? Only time will tell, and all of these things are completely feasible, though it seems improbably that the pitching staff will turn into one the Phillies or the Giants will envy any time soon.

Colorado cannot afford to take the field playing 2 versus 9 baseball and expect to win. Now that is a little extreme, but in a lineup where not many people are familiar with the names past Tulowitzki, Gonzalez, and an aging Todd Helton, it sometimes feels like the reality.