An Easter note hunt. …
Garrett Atkins had the dubious distinction of grounding into a league-leading 24 double plays last season. Not only that, by his own estimate, he’ll be lucky to get, “Oh, maybe five” infield hits in the next six months.
This is your National League batting champion-in-waiting? As Harry Caray used to say, it might be, it could be.
Even Atkins, while he’s not talking the talk, acknowledges he ought to be in the race.
“You would think,” Atkins said. “I was in the top five last year. I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t be. This ballpark is perfect for my swing.”
Winning batting titles used to be business as usual in LoDo. The Rockies accounted for five in their first nine seasons, including Andres Galarraga in the team’s expansion season of 1993. After Galarraga came Larry Walker (1998, 1999 and 2001) and Todd Helton (2000).
The post-humidor Rockies have gone five straight seasons without a batting title, but Atkins could put an end to the streak. He did, after all, tie Derek Jeter and Juan Pierre for the major-league lead in hits after the all-star break. And he did hit .419 in the final five weeks, leaving him fourth in the league at .329.
“I felt real comfortable at the plate,” Atkins said. “Now it’s a matter of carrying it over to this season. If I go out there hitting line drives, I’ll get my share of hits. Then we’ll see what happens.” …
Ran into ex-Rockies general manager Bob Gebhard, now with the D-Backs, the other day. The best team he saw at spring training? The Tigers, who’ve developed more arms than the Pentagon. Plus, as Gebhard says, “Gary Sheffield is back with his old manager, Jim Leyland.” …
Enough already with the e-mails punking me for picking the Blue Jays to shock the baseball world. I know they can’t hit or pitch, but I still believe in the Say Eh! Kids. Besides, having picked the Red Sox in 2004 and the White Sox in ’05, I can go 0-fer four straight times and still make it to the Hall of Fame. …
Do not attempt this at home. Scoring 15 points in an NBA game while taking four shots, that is. That was Steve Nash’s line score Tuesday night. …
Good thing his players shot the 3 better than Billy Donovan. Long before winning back-to-back NCAA hoops titles, Billy the Kid was a backup point guard with the Knicks. He lasted one season, 1987-88, during which he made 44-of-109 shots – 0-for-7 from beyond the arc – and averaged 2.4 points per. …
How much culture shock is Billy Gillispie in for at Kentucky? Consider this: When A&M played at the Coors Events Center in January, not a single Texas writer accompanied the team. Not Dallas, not Houston, not even the Bryan/College Station paper. And the Aggies were ranked in the Top 10 at the time. …
True, but sad: The Cardinals commissioned a bronze statue of Mark McGwire to stand outside new Busch Stadium, but given his, ahem, issues, it’s reportedly under wraps in a St. Louis warehouse. …
Sometimes the media say the funniest things. Like the reporter who approached Dan Hawkins after the Jeff Bzdelik press conference and told him, “Good luck in the spring game.” Memo to Hawk: Losing to Montana State is one thing, but if you can’t win the spring game, we gotta talk. …
Don’t be so sure the Broncos will go for a defensive end in the first round of the draft. A D-tackle is just as likely now that Dan Wilkinson has decided he would rather be a couch potato than a run stuffer. Said new coordinator Jim Bates: “It always starts up the middle. If you’re good in run defense up the middle, it makes your whole team better. I think that’s a starting point.” …
Good news on that front. The Broncos have the 21st selection, the same pick the Pats had in 2004 when they grabbed Vince Wilfork. …
By now, you’ve heard about Milan Hejduk’s hat trick vs. Vancouver on Thursday night. The previous visiting player to rack up a hat trick against the Canucks? That would be Milan Hejduk on March 8, 2004. For the record, give an assist to the Elias Sports Bureau for that little gem. …
Fourteen-point-five mil a year? And here Bud Selig couldn’t two-hop the catcher on a ceremonial first pitch. …
Chicago talking head Chet Coppock, when asked by ChicagoSports.com about the White Sox’s decision to move the press box down the right-field line: “You have to remember, in the pecking order, we’re somewhere between cotton-candy salesmen and parking attendants.”
Jim Armstrong can be reached at (303) 954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
