Hello dear readers! It is I, The Beard, enjoying another spring in Arizona! I must say, while I enjoy a nice quiet winter day on Earth as much as the next eternal entity, nothing beats spring, and spring sure comes early in Arizona. And speaking of "early in Arizona," the Rockies have looked pretty good so far. Cook and DLR have had impressive outings, and Jeff Francis' return to the mound, despite the expected hiccups, is encouraging. A good spring training doesn't always lead to a good season, but a good start to spring is better than a bad one.
This year, the Rockies find themselves in an unusual position: the favorite to win the NL West. While they prepare and get in shape this spring, I am also working out and getting trim (are you surprised, readers, that a time- and space-traveling Beard would have a sense of humor?) to be ready to help them take those steps towards greatness. I have much Beardly work to do in the next few weeks, and a few more days by the pool and watching baseball in the sun should have me just about ready to get to the job at hand. Until then, please enjoy the second of Year of the Beard's three-part series on the Coors Field Effect.
THE COORS FIELD EFFECT: PART II
Starring:
The Colorado Rockies
The Humidor
and introducing "Duck-Hunting Boots" as The Staff of Ra
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| A Sad Pitcher... Get It? |
For eight seasons, the Colorado Rockies struggled to put together a team that could win at Coors Field. Hitting was not a problem – the park was the most prolific offensive ballpark in MLB history – but even with the boost they got at home, the Rockies were not successful, as no matter how well they played at home, they displayed a curious inability to win on the road. The effect on Rockies pitching was disastrous, as the team’s ERA was miles behind the league average every year. Rockies’ management brought one star pitcher after another to Coors Field, with increasingly disappointing results. Many believed that the Rockies would never be competitive, and that the peculiarities of playing at such high altitude would forever reduce the Rockies to an interesting MLB sideshow.
