Tucson – Center fielder Cory Sullivan relishes the idea of being the Rockies’ leadoff hitter. He even has some goals, should he beat out shortstop Clint Barmes for the job.
“I like the idea of being the sparkplug for the offense, but I think either Clint or I can do the job,” Sullivan said Wednesday. “I think a good goal for me would be between 25 and 30 stolen bases. I would like to shoot for the number 30.”
Manager Clint Hurdle’s ideal leadoff man would have an on-base percentage of at least .350, a batting average between .275 and .300 and enough speed to steal 15 to 20 bases. Hurdle made it clear Wednesday he would have no problem mixing and matching the left-handed Sullivan and the right-handed Barmes at the top.
“I think we will kind of move it around a little bit,” he said. “There will be some matchups where it’s more advantageous for us to have Cory lead off and other times when Barmes works better there. We very well could flip it back and forth, unless somebody just takes off and runs with it.”
In their rookie seasons last year, Sullivan and Barmes flashed the potential that would enable them to claim the top of the order. Sullivan had an on-base percentage of .343, hit .294 and went 12-for-15 in stolen-base attempts. Barmes, who missed 78 games with a broken collarbone, had an on-base percentage of .330, hit .289 and went 6-for-10 stealing bases.
Drug-test twist
Rockies trainer Keith Dugger said Major League Baseball is in the process of tweaking its mandatory drug tests to make sure players won’t be penalized for prescription drugs such as Ritalin.
The Chicago Tribune reported this week that Cubs reliever Scott Eyre took his mandatory drug test Monday, knowing the test would be positive for a banned substance. Eyre suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and takes Ritalin to control it. He will not be penalized for amphetamine use because he has a prescription.
The Tribune reported several other players use Ritalin, including Adam LaRoche, Noah Lowry and former Rockies outfielder Dustan Mohr. Dugger said he couldn’t say if any Rockies are taking Ritalin or similar medications, but said there is a proper procedure players must follow.
“The first thing is, you have to have documentation from a physician,” Dugger said. “You can’t just pick up something on the street and then say, ‘Hey, I have some sort of disorder and I take this medicine.’ The players will have to show proof, like a doctor’s note, and show they have a prescription.”
This is the first year amphetamines are banned under baseball’s tougher substance-abuse policy.
Footnotes
All of the Rockies’ position players reported to camp on time Wednesday. The first official full-squad workout is Friday. … Pitcher Nate Field returned to Denver for personal reasons. Hurdle said he didn’t have a timetable for Field’s return. … Left-handed starter Jeff Francis is scheduled to begin pitching live batting practice today. Francis wants to get some work in before leaving next week to pitch for Canada in the World Baseball Classic.
Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-820-5459 or psaunders@denverpost.com.
