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?

Anson Winder, Role Model

In the summer of 2013 I had a student job working as a Sports Camps Planner for the BYU Athletic Department. Along with the preparation of each camp I was assigned, the job also entailed the small details during the week of camp like delivering Popsicles so campers could take a quick break and cool down for a minute. It was on my way to one of these Popsicle breaks that I first interacted with Anson Winder.

I was trying to carry a not-so-small cooler from my company van, up the stairs, through two sets of doors, down the long hall, and into the gym to give to bunch of Popsicle-crazed 6-12 year old boys and girls. It was at the end of a long day, at the end of a long summer, and I was physically and emotionally drained from all the work I'd put into camps. So as I struggled to carry my cooler up the stairs, I was disappointed it appeared I had just mistimed my approach to the first set of doors by a matter of seconds. The BYU men's basketball team was streaming out in front of me and they were going to be gone, with nobody left to hold a door open for me when I arrived.

But I was shocked when Anson Winder, last out the door, saw me, and turned back  to hold the door open for me. I was grateful - not to mention impressed - that a star athlete would take the time and go back to hold the door for someone he had never met. But it didn't stop there! As I walked through and prepared to set down my cooler so I could grab the second set of doors myself he said, "Oh, hold on!" and proceeded to head back inside the few extra steps and take the few extra seconds to get yet another door for me, a total stranger. His teammates were long gone, but he even asked if I needed a hand with anything the rest of the way. Already stunned at how far out of his way he'd gone to help, I declined any further assistance, but thanked him for his kindness in getting those doors for me.

Those of you who know me are fully aware that prior to my time working game day promotions and social media for BYU Athletics know that I was simply world's biggest BYU basketball fan. This moment where I experienced the kindness of a BYU hoopster naturally left me in starstruck awe, but more than anything I was sincerely impressed with the unselfishness of Anson Winder.

As it turned out Anson is good friends with one of my old coworkers at BYU Sports Camps, so during the school year he came up to the office to hang out a few times, and I got to know him a little bit. Let me tell you, that first impression I had when I was carrying hundreds of Popsicles is a perfect illustration of who he is: Anson is one of the nicest people you will ever meet.

I met Anson shortly before his junior season. He was coming off a sophomore campaign that saw him limited to about eight minutes per game due to an ankle injury. As a result, his shooting was well below average and his defensive quickness wasn't on display like it had been his freshman season. But he didn't let it drag him down. I once asked him what his career plans were, you know, after his NBA playing days ended. I don't remember his answer (I'll bet he'd remember what I said, because he's a good person), but I do remember he laughed, almost acknowledging that the NBA was a long-shot at that point.

He improved tremendously his junior year, shooting 53.9 percent from the floor and 40.3 percent from deep, but his minutes were still limited, as were his shots. I don't claim to be in Anson's inner circle, or close enough to know what he was thinking during that time, but I know how hard it is to sit on the bench when you've developed like that. And yet, I never saw or heard a single report of Anson being unhappy. With many players you get a sense they're upset or even that they may transfer because they feel like they've earned more playing time than they're getting. But if Anson ever complained, it certainly wasn't public, and he's being rewarded here in his senior year.

Anson now plays over 26 minutes a game and currently averages 14.6 points per contest. He's cracked the starting lineup, and he deserves it. Aside from being a great person off the court, he's proving to be a great defensive player and arguably the team's best finisher at the rim. Tyler Haws is obviously the team's best scorer, Kyle Collinsworth is a triple-double machine, and there are deep threats in abundance on this team, but you could make the argument that Anson Winder is the teams most valuable player. Not in the traditional sense perhaps, but if you take the words at face value, he'd have my vote. He does everything he's asked to do, from sixth man to starter, from point guard to the 4 spot in a four guard lineup, and he consistently provides a spark on both ends of the floor just when the team needs it. Will he get a shot at the NBA? I don't know, but it's awesome to see him experiencing success.

When I was still at BYU I would occasionally run into him on campus. Without fail he would call me by name. Every time. I don't call anyone by name, ever! But I need to. We all need to.

In a world where athletes are often put on a pedestal - and I've been guilty of putting them there - so many are arrogant and act entitled, as if the world owes them something simply because they're good at sports. But Anson Winder isn't one of them.

Anson Winder is a role model.

God and Sports: Jeremy Guthrie

This post introduces a series of posts (we'll see how many I actually write) that relate two of the most important aspects of my life: God and sports. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Mormon, but these posts should be applicable to those from other faiths. Some will contain my own ideas, but this one comes from my notes and thoughts surrounding a message delivered by Jeremy Guthrie, a pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, and his wife, Jenny.

Any inaccuracies in the stories below are the fault of my poor note taking ability and weak memory. But the messages and lessons remain the same regardless.

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If you were offered a million dollars to play professional baseball for the team of your childhood, but you would have to give up a spiritual goal and opportunity to serve people in a foreign country that you had never met for two years, what would you do? Perhaps that would be an easier decision if you clearly understood who you are and what your purpose is.

Jenny Guthrie, wife of Kansas City Royals pitcher, Jeremy Guthrie, related a story about her husband when he was a minor league ball player in the Cleveland Indians farm system. Jeremy was at winter meetings with other prospects and one of the motivational speakers went around the room asking each prospect the question, "Who are you?"

"Brandon Phillips," came one response. The speaker challenge him, "I didn't ask what your name is." "I'm on a quest to the Major Leagues," another athlete declared. "I didn't ask where you are going." Jeremy Guthrie gave the simple and sincere answer, "I am a child of God." No sarcastic remark came in response. 

For one thing, it is very difficult for someone to challenge a testimony. When Guthrie stated the simple truth of his divine heritage, I have no doubt that the Spirit of God was in that room. It must have touched the heart of all those present to hear the conviction of one who knows exactly who he is. And knowing that Jeremy Guthrie is the kind of man who can share his spiritual knowledge in front of all his peers, and without fear of consequence, helped me to understand the experiences that he related next.

A few years prior to those Cleveland Indians winter meetings Guthrie could have been drafted as high as the third round, but he made it clear that he intended to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a result he slipped to be the 15th round choice of the New York Mets, who happened to be the team he grew up rooting for. Talk about a dream come true! Most boys grow up closing their eyes, envisioning themselves in uniform for their favorite team one day. But very, very few ever come close to making that a reality.

Yet somehow Jeremy Guthrie was still suggesting to Mets executives that he would turn down the chance to play for his favorite team in order to stop playing baseball for two full years. He said that he still has no idea if it was a rhetorical question or a legitimate offer when he was asked "If we gave you one million dollars, would you still turn down the opportunity to play for the Mets and go on a church mission?"

He didn't hesitate. He chose to risk his entire future in baseball to serve a mission in Spain. He didn't pick up a baseball for two consecutive years, something most would view as a career-killing move, and he did it willingly.

Why? Guthrie's top priority isn't the game he loves, but rather the God he loves. When our primary focus is Heavenly Father, everything else falls into place. While his message was delivered specifically to LDS youth, the lesson is applicable to all of us. Speaking to those youth he said, "The Lord will not take away what he has planned for you if you choose to serve a mission. That is my promise to you."

To apply that to all of us I would like to make a minor change to that quote: "The Lord will not take away what he has planned for you if you choose to serve Him. That is my promise to you."

You are a child of God. Place God first and life will work out exactly how He intends it. That is a message and a promise from a man who seems uniquely qualified to give it. A man who walked away from baseball to serve his Father. A man who is about to take the mound in Game 3 of the World Series for his Kansas City Royals.

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UPDATE: Guthrie went 5.0 innings, giving up 4 hits and 2 runs while earning the win in his first ever World Series appearance, giving Kansas City a 2-1 series lead. In the deciding Game 7, Guthrie outlasted Giants starter Tim Hudson by going 3.1 innings, but was handed the loss after giving up 4 hits and 3 runs. Still a remarkable postseason for Jeremy Guthrie and the Royals!

My Brief and Unsuccessful Journey in Baseball

This is the story of my time in the game of baseball. Short and unsuccessful? Maybe. Okay, definitely. But the memories still fuel the passion I have for America's Pastime.

I've told you this before, but my first word was "ball," so I was clearly destined to be a sports fanatic. It's my parents' fault, really. Not only did they constantly ask me "Do you want your ball?" before I could speak, but they both love sports themselves. If you ever think my mom doesn't get fired up from the competition, try watching Olympic volleyball with her sometime. That's an experience! And my dad and I, as is becoming eerily apparent, are incredibly similar and love all sports, but it might be baseball that shares our passion most.

I know, based on a couple previous posts you probably believe that basketball is my favorite sport, and that is probably the case. But you'll also recall that I have said that when I was younger my favorite sport fluctuated with the season. To be honest, it still does, and it's currently baseball season so let's talk about my journey with America's pastime. 

To be completely honest I'm not sure where it all started for me. I can remember playing catch with both of my parents growing up. Obviously my dad taught me a lot about the game, but my mom was a softball star in her day so she taught me a fair amount too. They also encouraged my passion for the game by giving me books about the history of baseball and an autobiography by Cal Ripken Jr. as well as some fictional novels, many that were historically based, that I always found interesting.

There were also some habits I had when I was younger, such as biting my nails and watching an imaginary ball fly around the room during church, that my parents wanted me to break. Apparently I looked a little strange looking all around the room at nothing while chomping on my nails. To help conquer this I was told that if I could go x number of days without doing those things they would take me to the store and buy me a pennant or a pack of baseball cards. That was a highly successful form of bribery! My room was decorated all over with pennants, and most of them were baseball teams. Even today, much to my wife's chagrin, the "I Was There" Rockies pennant hangs in our bedroom.

My poor wife. Our bedroom has a pennant, a Rockies flag, several signed baseballs and a few autographed cards. It doesn't get much better in the living room where a small canvas with logos of all 30 MLB teams hangs next to a display of a Rockies hat, a foul ball, and a bat signed by a minor leaguer. My dad recently sent me the complete 2013 and 2014 baseball card sets, and my wife's reaction was "Why?" 

Because it's awesome.

I guess if she knew me in my childhood it might make a bit more sense. 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, it wasn't the nice cards I did that to!

Much of my childhood was defined by my ridiculous ability to absorb sports stats and information, but I also did a good amount of playing. As with many kids, my baseball "career" began with t-ball. I have very little recollection of t-ball, with the exception of a few images in my mind of practices and maybe a game or two. But I can't really remember running the bases, throwing anyone out, or even taking any swings. But I do remember that it happened!

Somewhere in this time period my uncle Roger said I should try and be a switch hitter. So I did. My parents had already bought a tee for me to practice on, so I started taking cuts from both sides and discovered I had the ability to pull it off. I actually didn't realize how early I became a switch hitter until I came across a picture of me batting left handed in softball as a six or seven year old. 

Yep, you read that right. I was playing softball. We were living in Colorado at the time and the baseball leagues had their games on Sundays, so in an effort to keep the Sabbath day holy my parents signed me up for softball (slow pitch) instead. Again, I don't remember a whole lot from my softball days, but I do remember it started with coach pitch and eventually the players were pitching. My dad pitches a lot in his slow pitch softball leagues, so he taught me how to do it so I could pitch in my games. He even taught me how to put backspin on the ball like he did. I have no idea how successful I really was, but I remember feeling pretty proud of my pitching ability. And that's really all I remember about softball. 

Apparently I was such a good pitcher my teammates felt no
need to stand in ready position behind me.

I remember a lot of other baseball related activities while living in Colorado, though. First of all, we moved there in 1993, the same year the Rockies were born. Perfect timing! While I was born in Maryland and began my life as an Orioles fan, it didn't take long for the Rockies to become my team. My dad had season tickets with a group at work which meant we got to go to plenty of games each season. I can still name the starting position players from some of those early Blake Street Bomber teams--Girardi, Galarraga, Young, Weiss, Castilla, Bichette, Burks, Walker. Sure there were other guys in there depending on the season, but those eight were my team.

Another of my favorite memories was the 1999 All-Star Game at Coors Field. Because the season tickets my dad had a share in were in his name, he claimed the tickets to the Midsummer Classic. We went to the All-Star Fan Fest and participated in a lot of the festivities.  That game and the surrounding festivities are some of my of my favorite memories at the ballpark from my childhood. 

I remember during the game I saw, and took a picture of, an outfielder from the Arizona Diamondbacks. I was pretty excited to see him because I had started cheering for the Diamondbacks when they came into the league. They didn't supersede my Rockies, but I cheered for a lot of different teams just because I liked baseball and I guess I just enjoyed having a dog in every fight. I actually remember being on the playground one day and complimenting a kid on his Diamondbacks hat and getting a funny look in return. I guess he was surprised to hear that in Colorado, but I just loved the game and loved sharing in the joy of baseball with anyone I could. 

At one of my early birthdays I was given a set of bases from a friend and we put them to great use in the neighborhood. I remember one night where I organized a big whiffle ball game with pretty much the  entire cul-de-sac. We shut down the whole street and played a great game. Of course it was a hot summer evening and I was forced to call it quits early due to heat exhaustion, but it was a blast! I loved that baseball could bring so many people together and I hope there are others who remember that night like I do. 

Just after my tenth birthday my family moved from Colorado to Washington. Especially from a baseball perspective this was an exciting move! I would now get an opportunity to play Little League baseball. I was excited for the Little League Combine (or whatever it was called, but that's basically what it was). I'm sure I did horribly as I had never played actual baseball, but I was drafted by the Cardinals, probably as Mr. Irrelevant, but who cares! It was time to play ball!

I was actually pretty excited about playing for the Cardinals. My mom had given me an old Cardinals shirt from her playing days, and I already owned a Cardinals hat. Also, I was an Ozzie Smith fan: who isn't? I liked to believe that he was my uncle. Still do, actually. 

Unfortunately my ability did not match my enthusiasm. Nor did it match my uncle Ozzie's dazzling play -- though I did get to wear his number 1. Don't ask me how I remember this, but I went 1-for-16 at the plate in my first year of baseball. I was pretty patient though, I've always had a decent eye, so I drew some walks and reached on some errors occasionally, and even laid down some good bunts, but boy that's a pretty bad batting average. One thing I've always regretted about my Little League experience is that I didn't switch hit at all. I don't know if it was because my coaches wanted me to focus on one side of the plate or if I lacked the confidence to try, but I hit (or at least swung the bat) exclusively right-handed. 

I was also tucked away into right field for most of my rookie season, eventually getting good enough to move to left and even center once or twice, but certainly never in the infield. I was most definitely not ready for that. But regardless of my struggles in the field and at the plate my team saw a fair amount of success. We didn't make the big tournament, but we played in one of the lower ones and actually won the championship. In spite of my inexperience and poor play we experienced something special as a team. 

I practiced a lot in the offseason, determined to be a decent ball player by the time my second year of baseball rolled around. I spent hours in my back yard hitting off a tee and throwing against a three-way trainer my parents got me to practice throwing, fielding grounders, and catching fly balls. And the next season I was ready to move into the infield. 

That year I spent most of my time at third, with some time at second as well, including all of that year's tournament. I also played one inning at first but I did not enjoy that. At one point in the season I wanted to pitch so coach let me try in practice. It did not go well. So I stayed as a second and third baseman and was quite happy with the defensive improvement I had made. 

But the biggest leap of development was with my bat. I had made such strides that I began the season batting second in the lineup. I struggled early on - maybe it was the pressure of batting so early in a game or maybe I was just slumping - so I was dropped to the seven spot where I began to thrive. I finished the season batting .500 (8-16) and even developed a little power. The best game of my life, and the only time I ever earned a game ball, I ripped an RBI double into deep right-center and then scored on two throwing errors. It was the best hit of my Little League career, but it wasn't even the highlight of the game. That came in the bottom of the 6th (the final inning in Little League) in a tie game and with a runner on third. I scorched a ball toward short where it bounced harmlessly off his outstretched glove giving me a walkoff RBI single. I was pumped, and felt a huge sense of pride and a feeling that I had arrived when Coach Tom (the other coach was named Jerry. Tom and Jerry. No joke.) came up to me and handed me the game ball with a smile and a "Nice game." 

That season we fell one game short of the league title but still advanced to the top regional tournament where we were eliminated quickly. It was a fantastic season for the team, but especially for me! I had such a good year that a few months later I remember a kid being shocked when he found out I hadn't made the Selah All-Star team. I probably didn't quite deserve that honor, but I felt good that people noticed I had been successful. 

That season was just before my seventh grade year, and as you have read in this blog before that is when my life went a little bit crazy. I was running with the wrong friends, and being a stupid kid. I lacked a lot of self-confidence; I was picked on for being a bit of a geek and teased relentlessly for being Mormon. I went where I was accepted. It just so happened that was a small group of friends that were gamers a bit geeky. I don't want to be critical of them. I'm sure they turned out to be great guys, but at the time they certainly did not encourage me to be even remotely who I was at the core. From the end of my seventh grade basketball season to the spring of my freshman year of high school I didn't play a single organized sport, including baseball. 

It still hurts that I would betray myself like that. Sure I was bullied, and sure I was desperate for friends, but sports were my life to that point and the year before I had a stellar baseball season. But I don't even recall considering playing baseball for my school in seventh grade. 

By the time I finally pulled myself together I was a freshman in high school. Spring rolled around and I decided it was time to get out there and start playing sports and being myself again, and I went straight to baseball. 

It didn't go well. Not only did I show up in sweat pants since I no longer had baseball pants that fit and cleats a size too small for the same reason, in the past two years everyone had surpassed me physically. I was still scrawny and I hadn't hit the same growth spurt everyone else had and stood at just 5'4" -- maybe. Throughout my life I had been able to compensate my lack of strength with good mechanics and had always had a terrific arm for my age. Now everyone had good mechanics and strength and I just didn't compare. Combine that with the fact that I had lost a lot in the previous two years of not playing and I stood no chance of making what was widely considered the top baseball program in the state of Washington at the time. Not even being a switch hitter could save me from being cut. 

The good news is that I still played tennis that spring and the sports-loving me was back. But the bad news is that I look at that two year period of rebellion and wonder what could have been. I doubt I would have ever been anything special, but my over-active imagination has to think about it. Granted, my baseball playing career likely would have come to a close just a little over a year later anyway when my family moved across the pond to England for the second time.

The school I went to was an American school but it was small and didn't have as many sports as most schools in the states. My junior year I ran track and my senior year I played basketball, soccer, and a little tennis, though that wasn't officially sanctioned by the school. I did play softball on my dad's base intramural team, and softball is about as close to baseball as I have been since Little League. 

That year playing softball I had a perfect on base percentage until the very last game when I was thrown out for the very first time. As I hadn't played in a few years I could no longer hit real well, especially since all my muscle memory was now with my tennis ground strokes. Hard to hit a softball a long way with your shoulders over the ball and putting topspin on it. So I took the Ichiro approach and bat lefty all season and slapped at the ball while I started my running motion. I usually placed the ball towards third and beat the throw, except for the one at bat in the last game of the year. One game during the season, after I had hit about three singles already from the left side, the opposing catcher told me to bat righty so they had a chance. So I did -- and I ripped a single up the middle. Switch hitter remember?

Now I'm relegated to intramural and city league softball. I've become a decent defensive player but I'm still not a great hitter, although I watch a video breaking down Ken Griffey, Jr's swing pretty frequently and that seems to help. I still take a lot of walks to get on base since I know my hitting isn't anything special. My wife's favorite thing is for me to hit lefty once or twice and have the opposing team catch on and shift as I come to the plate, only for me to switch on them and hit right. She enjoys the confusion on their faces. She's also pretty good at picking the best side of the plate for me to hit from and where to place the ball. I've got a great hitting coach! 

So with my "serious" playing days behind me -- and they've been behind me for years -- I look forward to coaching my kids' Little League teams, playing in the backyard, and watching them grow up in America's pastime. It's disappointing to me to watch this game that has meant so much to me fall out of favor with so many Americans. Steroids, commercials extending games well beyond three hours, a slower pace compared to basketball and football, etc. So many reasons have led to baseball's decline, but the game has meant so much to me, and it has meant so much to many others as well. So regardless of what happens to the game going forward, I look forward to making it a part of my family -- because my wife is bound to start loving baseball eventually -- forever. 

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.

**********

Additional Links:

UZR Explained

DRS Explained

3B Advanced Metrics Standings

3B Fielding Percentage and dWAR Standings

The Power of the ROC

Almost three years ago, November 6, 2010, I discovered that the Brigham Young University student section was not as awesome as I thought it was. I had started to realize it earlier in the season, but it didn't fully hit me until a buddy of mine from Colorado joined me for that year's game against UNLV.

He had attended BYU as a student, and he was a little disappointed with the decline of the student section. Sure, it was against an awful opponent and ended in a 55-7 rout, but still, why did the stands feel so empty? Attendance for that game is listed as almost 2,500 below capacity and at least from where I was standing it felt like a whole lot more than that were missing. And I was standing in the student section.

Well, I was standing in one of the student sections.

You all remember the old student "section." It had some of the students in the south end zone, some scattered throughout the east sideline, and some in the south end zone. That sure is a lot of sections for the singular student section.

That old student section was the cause of another interesting issue my friend and I observed that day: we repeatedly sang one of the worst renditions of BYU's fight song imaginable. And it didn't just happen that one game, it was a problem I noticed time and again. We were unbearably out of sync with each other. The way it sounded to me was that the older folks had the fight song down, and us students were scattered and unintentionally trying to sing it in a round. It was awful. Being on three different sides of the stadium certainly did not help our cause to be unified.

But rest assured, it's been fixed.

Beginning with men's basketball during the 2012-2013 season the student section experienced a major overhaul. The two major changes were the name and the location, and both, in my opinion, were long overdue.

Branding of the Student Section


Duke has its Cameron Crazies, Pitt has the Zoo, Texas A&M has the 12th Man, San Diego State has the Show, Michigan State has my personal favorite, the Izzone.

And now BYU has the Roar of Cougars, or ROC.

I'll admit, it took some getting used to. I thought there could have been some better options out there. But now I'm convinced, the ROC is the best name for the student section at Brigham Young University.

First of all, the video introducing students to the ROC starts off with Sean Connery saying "Welcome to the ROC," and that is awesome.

It also gives us an identity. We belong to something, and we are a part of the game itself. Our presence bothers opponents. They are afraid to face the ROC. We intimidate them almost as much as facing Kyle Van Noy or Tyler Haws intimidates them. Why do you think BYU has a hard time getting big schools to play us in Provo? It's because of us. It's because we ROC.

We no longer have an All Sport Pass. That was lame. Now we have a ROC pass. That is cool. And not only does it sound cooler, the ROC passes look sweet, too.

And you know what? The ROC isn't just for football and basketball. It's for every sport. Naming the student section didn't just unify the students. It unified every BYU team by unifying the student section with something as simple, yet powerful, as a name.

We have an identity, we have a name, and we are part of something great. We are the ROC.

Unity and Movement of the ROC

The culture at BYU is one that pushes back against change. I get it. We liked our sideline seats at basketball games. We You liked that we you could show up five minutes before after kickoff. Well guess what? It was awful for everyone else.

Okay, so for basketball it wasn't awful, it just wasn't as good as it could be. Think about it. We have a chance to influence games to a greater degree than ever before.

Can you imagine shooting a free throw with that
in your field of vision?

Imagine a scenario with two seconds left in the second half. BYU has a one point lead. Gonzaga's Kevin Pangos goes up for the go ahead layup and gets hacked by Nate Austin just before time expires. The whistle blows  and Pangos goes to the line for two free throws and a chance win the game. Behind the backboard the ROC goes wild. Pangos looks up at the backboard and tries to focus, but sees the Dick Vitale signs up in the crowd just as he's about. He thinks, "What on earth does Dicky V have to do with BYU?" Clank. Right off the front of the rim. (And for the record, Dicky V has everything to do with every college basketball team. He's Dicky V!) Then it all comes down to his second shot and a chance to force overtime. Of course, between the pressure and the noise from the ROC, the poor kid doesn't stand a chance. BYU wins the game, and it was because of us!

Will that scenario ever happen? Who knows. But we can be a factor in free throw shooting and a team's communication and a myriad of other things to affect the outcome of the game in that crucial second half.

And now to football. I don't think the moving and unifying is so much where the complaints have been, although there certainly have been some who didn't like that either. I mean students will no longer have seats at the 50 yard line, but let's be honest, when we got 50 yard line seats before they were nosebleeders, so it's not like it was spectacular anyway.

The biggest complaints I have heard have been from the people who like to show up to games right around the time of kickoff and usually end up missing kickoff. They like to show up late and still enjoy their seats on the fifth row that they landed for the big game against that school up north. And now you have to show up to the game early or at least before kickoff in order to get anything even remotely "decent."

Exactly.

Now we reward the loudest and craziest and most dedicated fans. Seems fair to me!

Now we fill the stands before game time. Do you know how much that means to the team? A lot! And if you've ever played in front of a crowd you know the incredible feeling of looking up in the stands and seeing it feel up before the game.

Students now line the tunnel as the team comes out of the locker room and that gets the noise level and energy up in the stadium as the team runs onto the field. Sure it was loud before. But were you there against Texas? It was unreal.

The ROC showed up early and greeted the team as they arrived at the stadium. Then the gates opened for the game and everyone rushed to get the best seats. Then a monsoon happened, and so did something really special.

The ROC stood still.


The harder it rained, the louder the students got. It was electrifying. The PA announcer told everyone to head under the bleachers. But nobody in the ROC could hear because everyone was there in their shorts and t-shirts screaming their heads off. Eventually the message was put up on the video board and everyone realized how bad of a storm it was so they took cover. But the energy didn't die down. Nearly everyone stayed, and under the student section bleachers it got loud with the fight song breaking out along with the occasional Seven Nation Army chant. It was fantastic.

Look at the ROC. That's amazing.

That would not have happened a year ago. People would have been at home, and by the time kickoff rolled around there would have been as many Texas fans as BYU students. Instead, the ROC supplied some serious energy to the team in a 40-21 domination of the 15th ranked Longhorns.

The ROC is a part of the team. And they showed up big time two weeks ago. We need to do the same again this Saturday.

We're playing that school up north, and we need to show up in a big way. The players are wearing royal, and we should be, too. If you don't want to spend the 25 bucks on the sweet Nike "Royal Strong & True" shirts at the BYU Bookstore, that's fine. Wear any royal shirt you have, even if it doesn't have a BYU logo or anything on it. And if you don't have a royal shirt, go to Macey's and buy a cheap shirt for something like four dollars. Be a part of the team. It's going to be awesome. And if you can't handle that, at least wear blue. No green, white, yellow, or pink shirts. And never, under any conditions, show up in red.