An officer and a notes columnist …
You can’t tell one lineup from the others in the National League West.
With more than one-third of the season in the books, four runs separated the highest-scoring teams in the division from the lowest-scoring team. But don’t believe me. Check out the numbers for yourself.
Through Sunday, the Padres and Dodgers had scored 270 runs. The Diamondbacks were at 269, the Rockies 268 and the Giants 266.
But therein lies the rub for the Rox. They’ve got to outscore the rest of the West because, humidor or no humidor, they’re never going to pitch as well as the other teams. They’ve allowed 307 runs, making them the only NL West team to be outscored. The Padres, proud owners of the division’s best pitching staff, have allowed 206. …
Aaron Cook on the state of the division: “Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, we haven’t played much against the West since the first month of the season. Hopefully, by the time we hit them, they’ll be cold and we’ll be hot, and we can make a run at them.” …
Sounds good, wish ’em well, but history suggests it won’t happen. The Rox don’t play within the division again until July 23. And, well, you know the drill with the Rockies in late July. …
Brad Hawpe’s roller-coaster ride continues: one homer in April, seven in May, none in June. The bottom line is he’s on pace for 98 ribbies. …
By the way, welcome to the Mendoza Line, Chris Iannetta. Amazing, isn’t it, how hitting .200 is a whole different world than hitting a buck ninety-nine? …
Once again, Carmelo Anthony will have to settle for a moral victory: the Nuggets playing the Spurs tougher than the Cavs have, that is. …
Cleveland rocks, all right. It just doesn’t win championships. The Browns gave the city its last pro-sports title in 1964, four years before LeBron James’ mother, Gloria, was born. …
In today’s college football, the early recruiter gets the kid. To wit: According to, 61 players had committed to BCS conference teams by June 1, 2003. This year, the number jumped to 323. …
Great. Just when I give the Buffs a little love for landing a recruit from Texas, the kid gets cold feet. Chance Blackmon, a highly rated wideout from Tatum, when asked by about CU: “Right now, it’s like a soft commitment.” Blackmon will check out other schools, including Mizzou, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Tennessee. …
What’s wrong with this picture? Lions defensive lineman Shaun Rogers weighs 340 pounds and has biceps the size of tree trunks. Yet, according to The Detroit News, Rogers was packing a heater the other night in a Motown strip joint. Not that, you know, Roger Goodell noticed. …
You know the old saying. Coaches don’t last because, eventually, the players stop listening. So how has Mike Shanahan avoided losing the players’ ears for 12 years?
“Number one, free agency has avoided it,” Shanahan said. “One-third of your team turns over every year. It’s a lot different than it has been. You take a look at these teams. You’re talking about salary caps and free agency and the draft. … It’s not what it used to be.” …
Thought you’d want to know that LaDainian Tomlinson, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune, has a pet pit bull named Sweetness, in honor of Walter Payton. Then, there’s Michael Vick, who apparently used to own the whole candy store.
Staff writer Jim Armstrong can be reached at 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
