Notes from the LoDo Failure-to-Launch Pad …
It was, is and probably always will be the highlight of Eric Young’s career.
April 9, 1993, the Rockies’ first opening day in Our Town. That’s when Young led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run into the left-field seats at long-lost Mile High Stadium.
What would have happened if he had hit that ball at today’s Coors Field?
“That one barely made it over,” Young said. “If I hit it here now, it probably wouldn’t have made it close to the warning track. I was at the right place at the right time.”
Young, now a utilityman for the Padres, is like every other hitter who passes through LoDo.
He’s amazed at how different the ballpark plays compared to the days of the Blake Street Bombers. Said Young: “It doesn’t jump like it used to. We had guys swinging with one hand and it was going out.” …
Trivia time: Who are the top three career stolen base leaders among active players? Answer several dots below. …
Another nice trade by the Broncos, getting the 49ers’ second- and third-rounders for the 22nd pick. And as an added bonus, Mike Shanahan got one over on Al Davis again. The No. 2 is the 37th overall pick, one notch ahead of the Raiders’ second-rounder. …
Doesn’t seem fair, does it? The Raiders, who finished last in the AFC West, will pick seventh, 38th and 69th in the first three rounds. The Broncos, who won the division, will pick 15th, 37th, 61st and 68th. …
True, but strange: The Raiduhs have drafted 25 quarterbacks since their days in the AFL and one – Kenny Stabler – has lasted more than one full season. All the others have been free agents or stopgaps acquired in trades. …
From Bob Ford of the Philly Inquirer: “The 76ers held the strangest Fan Appreciation Night in history last night when the team’s two biggest stars opted not to play in the final home game of the season.” Huh? I know a Fan Appreciation Night in which the entire team didn’t show up. Happened at the Pepsi Center just the other night. …
Sure, the Yankees can hit, but have you seen their pitching and defense? Gary Sheffield shouldn’t play with leather any more than kids should play with matches. …
Talk about destiny. Who better to write a book about Barry Bonds’ alleged drug escapades than Mark Fainaru-Wada? That’s Wada, as in World Anti-Doping Agency. …
What’s this? Only 57,415 showed up for the Nebraska spring game? No, volleyball isn’t about to become the national pastime in Husker Nation. Turns out the Huskers are expanding a section of Memorial Stadium, and an area of seats on the north side was closed. …
Sure sign that you’ve become an NFL draft geek: You start combing your 4-year-old’s hair like Mel Kiper Jr.’s. …
Trivia answer: Kenny Lofton, 568; Bonds, 506; and Young, 458. …
Bag the pinstripes. With those sideburns of his, Rox pitcher Josh Fogg ought to be wearing sequins and singing “Love Me Tender.” And while we’re on the subject, before the season started I thought Fogg was nothin’ but a hound dog. …
The hardest working kid available in the NFL draft? It’s gotta be Virginia offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Writing that name is a workout in itself. …
No, it’s not your imagination. The Texans don’t particularly want the first pick in the draft. It’s all about the money. Why would you want to pay $20 million in guaranteed money to the first pick when you can get a great player a few notches down and pay a fraction of that? Unless the next Peyton Manning is sitting there, it isn’t worth it. …
Scary thought of the day: Jose Contreras, No. 3 in the White Sox’s rotation, 10-0, 1.88 in his past 11 regular-season starts.
Catch Jim Armstrong from 6-9 a.m. during “The Press Box” on ESPN radio 560 AM. He can be reached at 303-820-5452 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
