THE BEARD RETURNS!!! Featuring: The Coors Field Effect, Part I

Hello once again, kind-hearted, beautiful humans and Dodgers fans alike! It is I, The Beard, returning once again from my winter sabbatical, to welcome you to another baseball season! The sun peeks its head out over the eastern horizon, greeting the green grass, the birds singing their morning songs, and bears stumbling out of their caves to look for berries... and of course, the boys of summer preparing for their yearly endeavors. It is a special time of year.

As it happens, I am a bit early in arriving. Just a couple days ago, I was kicking it old school with some Beard colleagues in the Phelonx galaxy (which your Earth astronomers, possessing not even an echo of creativity, refer to as "JKCS041 galaxy cluster," a name which I admit has a certain flair but doesn't quite capture the feel of the place). After about six Phelonxian Xcharroobs (normally, three is plenty, but hey! I was on vacation) I happened to glance at the calendar out of the corner of one bleary eye. Phelonxians make a delicious beverage, but their calendars are nearly useless -- who really needs 178 months? -- and in my hazy state, I must sheepishly admit that I simply misread the thing. I ran home, packed a few things, and headed straight to Earth, just itching to see some spring baseball and frolicking horses and leprechauns polishing rainbows... and stepped right into a foot of snow. Sigh.

But I'm here now, and I'm extremely excited about this year's Rockies team. Two years ago, I concentrated on Ryan Spilborghs' greatness, and while he had a very good year, the Rockies ultimately disappointed me. I altered my approach last season, and focused on the team... Ryan was completely behind this decision, I assure you. As you recall, the team did very well, but Ryan did not have a very beardly season. This year, my challenge is to balance the two... and certainly, and extra month to prepare will come in handy, even if that month happens to be about 40 degrees below what I was enjoying just two days ago on the Beach of Xaxnar.

I will soon return with more thoughts on the 2010 Rockies season, which believe will prove to be a very special summer for us all. In the meantime, please sit back and enjoy the fruits of my winter labors: The Beard's three-part series on The Coors Field Effect.

Sincerely,
The Beard

THE COORS FIELD EFFECT
Exorcising the Ghost of This Long-Dead Legend.

The “Coors Field Effect” is the term used -- most often derisively -- to describe the unique qualities of playing baseball at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, home of the Colorado Rockies. Many ballparks favor the hitter, but no ballpark demonstrated such a proclivity for offense as did Coors Field from 1995-2001, when its reputation as an extreme hitter's park was born. Despite evidence that the extreme effects of hitting at Coors Field have been largely minimized since the 2002 introduction of the "humidor," that reputation remains largely intact, and has had a profoundly negative effect on the reputation of Rockies hitters, who many fans and experts alike believe are not as talented as their accomplishments might suggest.

In this three-part series, The Year of the Beard will examine the Coors Field Effect. What causes it, and what comes from it? What can be (and has been) done to minimize the effect? Is the perception it creates about Rockies hitters a fair and accurate one? Is there evidence to suggest that the current methods used to adjust for a player's home park are unfair to Rockies hitters and pitchers? Are the best players in Rockies history – Larry Walker and Todd Helton – worthy of serious consideration for inclusion in the Baseball Hall of Fame?