Dodgers at Rockies series thread

[Heltonfan]

There are lots of baseball sites where people can spout off whatever unintelligent rant they want and forget about it the next day. For frustration release or whatever people called it related to yelling at the manager. Is that what we "aspire" to?

Or is it something else more "intelligent"?

It's both. A place like this can have multiple purposes. That shouldn't be hard to understand, and it shouldn't be hard to differentiate between catharsis and analysis.

[hiaspire]

Nobody said it was "hard", other than describing how Helton's been hitting the ball lately. As apparently evil as that might be to say or react happily during a game catharsis.

My point is to encourage fans not to get too frustrated with April numbers in general, and especially with Todd as there has been. Don't over-react to April numbers, but feel free to do so about my comments and cautions on that.

[Dante Bichette]

I wish we had kept Lawrence, especially now that Lopez' elbow looks a little more serious than initially thought. Horrible timing and a bad decision by O'Dowd.

[BigRapidsJackass]

Lawrence also didn't play his cards right by making demands like "call me up or release me." I doubt anyone has claimed him. If that's the case, he's looking at a minor league contract with no guarantees (although he will get his Rockies buyout).

You also have to wonder about DL'ing Kim. If they really had concerns about Rodrigo, you'd think they'd wait a bit and see if Kim's "thumb injury" heals quickly. Now we're down to a real messy decision on the 5th starter for the next 2-3 times through the rotation. Fogg and Buchholz worked in relief in the last few days. Kim is DL'd, and Lopez probably will be shortly. Lawrence was released.

So after stockpiling all that starting pitching depth, the Rox will now be looking at the classic situation that faces a club that doesn't stockpile pitching depth: an emergency start or three from the likes of Zach McClellan, or a premature call-up of Ubaldo Jimenez.

[BigRapidsJackass]

On a high note:

Favorable pitching matchup tomorrow: Cook v. Hendrickson. An excellent opportunity to crawl back up to .500.

[Roxpert]

I think Buchholz is the best bet to take Lopez's spot in the rotation if Lopez is DL'd. Bringing up Jimenez may not be good for his development right now since I think he still needs to work on his command. Buchholz isn't very good, but he has a season of MLB under his belt and started quite a bit for the Astros last year. If Buchholz has a few disastrous starts, then Kim could take his place when he comes off the DL, or Lopez will be ready to come back a week or two later if his injury isn't serious (crossing fingers).

[RMF]

Rockies Win! Is it too early to wonder if the Rockies will set Franchise records for wins at home and losses on the road?

I think we may be headed in that direction. I like our chances at home against the division. On the road we haven't got a prayer. Look for the bunt happy maniac coming to a road game near you soon.

[GerryInCS]

IF we need a starter due to Lopez likely trip to the DL, then move Buchholz out of the pen bring up Jiminez as a bullpen guy. He's not cutting it as a starter with the Sox, but he does have a live arm that can last a good inning or two out of the pen. If not Jiminez, then Speier or purchase Herges' contract.

[BigRapidsJackass]

Herges made an inauspicious debut today: 3 runs allowed in mop-up work, 14/11 balls/strikes.

And so much for "getting back to .500 with a favorable pitching matchup."

Time to criticize Hurdle again: I don't understand sitting Helton today, and I'm sure he doesn't understand it either. He's hitting the ball exceptionally well lately. Yes, it's a day game after a night game, but last night's game didn't go particularly late, and the other side of the coin is that Helton would have had more than a full day before tomorrow night's game against the Padres.

I just don't think anyone has tied Helton's problems the last couple years to being overworked or tired. In fact, he had a tremendous second half in '05. He started very well last year until his intestinal issues hit, but nobody has suggested that those problems were somehow the result of being tired or overworked. Helton sat out April 9 at the Dodgers. April 12 was an off day. The club hasn't traveled beyond a couple hours from home so far this year. 3 days off in the last 10 days just seems completely excessive for a guy who is going very well. Last time he sat, Helton let the media know he was upset. This time, I bet he's livid.

[Roxpert]

Jackass, I agree that Hurdle seems to be resting Helton too much. It's probably an effort to get Jeff Baker more playing time, but today Baker probably should have started for Hawpe, not Helton.

Also, a manager should rest his older vets on hotter summer days, not on pleasant and cool spring days such as today. Clearly, it's just another example of Hurdle's questionable instincts as a manager. What else is new?

[hiaspire]

That was decided long ago with Hurdle and Helton according to the radio annoucers today when they went over the schedule and found some days that made the most sense in terms of the schedule to plan time off. The Rox in this stretch will have played 13 straight days I believe and will not another day off for another week. This is a long stretch of consecutive games in the early season, and last year they realized that Todd isn't super human to push as hard as they've been able to previously. It makes sense in the big picture to give him more days off than he used to hardly ever get in his prime.

In the bigger picture of them trying to trade him last off-season, it also makes sense to preserve his value more cautiously this season and keep him rested and freshly productive all year. I think that is an overall organizational strategy decided collectively about Helton this year. Haven't there even been statements to that effect from all involved?

We all know that baseball isn't a series of 162 must-win games or sudden death football. Baseball has a different pace over the course of a long summer. Managers and aging star players on most teams try to find spots in the schedule to get a day off every now and then and they usually are planned somewhat in advance with the player knowing his upcoming schedule ahead of time.

[Dante Bichette]

I have absolutely no problem with Helton taking extra games off this year. I do, however, have a problem with the Rockies planning these days off in advance. If Helton is hot at the plate, he needs to play, and if he is cold then he can sit, even more than once in a four or five game span if neccessary. But we know Hurdle doesn't work that way. None of his decisions are based on instict, they are all planned out ahead of time, just like how he uses the bullpen and the bench.

[hiaspire]

I don't disagree that performance should also be a consideration.

Performance-related time-off is done in the moment (injury-related as well obviously), as witness some of the Rockies weaker-bat starters or 8th inning relievers being replaced more frequently as the season goes along. I've seen Hurdle press conferences where he gave a guy the night off because he thought he could use it based upon pressing too hard or struggling and needing to work things out mechanically.

However, for a team that has a Barry Bonds, Jeff Kent, Scott Rolen, Moises Alou, Albert Pujols, etc. established veteran players aren't usually "surprised" with game off requests at a moment's notice based upon "instinct" IMO. That's more unusual that it would be the norm I believe. Maybe fans want more of that based upon how things are going in the more immediate timeframe as we analyze each and every game urgently and want to optimize their odds statistically, but those established veteran players probably don't and prefer some communication between manager and player in planning out the most appropriate times based upon the schedule and arranging their training regiment around those upcoming plans. That's how I believe it works with most aging star players around the league, not just Helton.

If it is all on Hurdle, he's had a history of playing Helton just about every day as much as he can for YEARS previously. Helton rarely has missed time in his career other than the odd hospitalizations. Blaming Hurdle for more Helton nights off is largely misplaced IMO. Things changed ORGANIZATIONALLY this year in the relationship between Helton and the Rockies organization. They made decisions about his playing time this year collectively and said as much, more than it is Hurdle deciding it himself on a daily whim IMO.

[hiaspire]

Originally Posted by Dante Bichette

But we know Hurdle doesn't work that way. None of his decisions are based on instict, they are all planned out ahead of time, just like how he uses the bullpen and the bench.

I would think that would make him more popular here than the alternative. At least to those more focused on crunching numbers and analyzing problems within a set structure.

Numerically speaking, are intangibles like "instincts" given much value? Not in the conversations I've had anyway, as it certainly isn't strong on measurables.

Wouldn't it be preferred statistically to devise a plan ahead of time based upon broader performance projections and expections, and then not waiver so much from that strategic plan? Things that happen in the short term with small sample data can often cloud decisions when more reliable bigger picture information should be prioritized instead arguably. They do plan a lot, but I don't see that as a bad thing necessarily and better than making mostly emotional reactions in the moment based more on the immediate feelings rather than more comprehensive objective preparations.

[Dante Bichette]

Well, then, if they want to plan his days off ahead of time the major focus should be on Helton's statistical matchup against certain starting pitchers, rather than based only on the schedule itself and the number of off days in a given period.