“You are wrong to want the Rockies to go after an expensive pitcher. We already tried that and look what it got us. Yes, we need another top-notch pitcher (actually two), but there are plenty of arms out there without the huge price tag. Money does not buy happiness or championships. Smart trading does.”
Daniel, Fruita
Kiz: The statute of limitations on blaming Mike Hampton for all our Pet Rocks’ woes has run out. If the Boston Red Sox could overcome the Curse of the Bambino, then Colorado cannot run scared forever from the Hex of Hampton. With a salary of $9.5 million, maybe Chicago White Sox lefty Mark Buehrle is too rich for general manager Dan O’Dowd’s shopping budget. So consider trading for Florida hurler Dontrelle Willis, a relative bargain at $6.45 million.
More ticket talk
“You are truly a gem, Kiz. You put down Rockies management for everything, and now you are saying the fans are idiots for paying top dollar for Yankees tickets? Let me get this straight. You think concert promoters should charge the same amount for Opie Gone Bad as they do for the Rolling Stones? When the Avalanche and Broncos have playoff games, they usually charge 25 percent more for those tickets.”
Russ, Littleton
Kiz: Hey, don’t be ripping on my man Jake Shroeder from Opie Gone Bad. But, if the Rockies hired a house band, you can bet team ownership wouldn’t be splurging for Mick and Keith. You’re right, the Avs and Broncos do charge more for playoff games. Playoffs? The Rox have forgotten the meaning of the word. Maybe that’s how Charlie and Dick Monfort justify jacking up the price of regular-season ticket by nearly 80 percent for the Yankees, so Coloradans can get a glimpse of players who have actually competed in the World Series.
Thank you, transplants
“The Monfort brothers are a disgrace to major-league baseball. As one of the zillion transplants who have overrun Colorado, I see another even more cynical aspect of the Monforts’ all-business approach. I think the Rockies’ ownership intentionally capitalizes on the fact the Denver area is loaded with people transplanted from Chicago, St. Louis, the West Coast and New York. That way, all the Monforts have to do is spend just enough money to field a team and watch the seats get filled.”
Rick, Longmont
Kiz: Here’s the real shame. Matt Holliday should be every bit as much a reason to buy seats at Coors Field as Albert Pujols or Alfonso Soriano. Since Holliday hired super agent Scott Boras, however, the Colorado slugger has been shown so little love by the Blake Street management team that nobody has lifted a finger to stuff the all-star ballot box on his behalf. C’mon. How expensive can cheap sentiment be?
One sweet sweep
“Great column on the Rockies’ sweep of the Yankees. The only thing I can think of better than seeing it at Coors Field is being here an hour away from New York and getting to laugh at Yankees fans as they wonder how their red-hot Yanks got trumped by a team of Troy Tulowitzki-who, one week after hearing Red Sox fans bemoan how some guy named Brad Hawpe and Todd ‘We didn’t want him anyway’ Helton tore through Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett.”
Dan, Wethersfield, Conn.
Kiz: Anybody else get the impression the Yanks could not have told you
the names of most Colorado players without a scorecard? But start spreading the news. One of these years, do not be surprised when George Steinbrenner offers big money to get Holliday’s autograph on a contract with the team so nice they named it twice.
Parting shot
And today’s parting shot is from a Colorado baseball fan who counted her blessings when the Rockies took a broom to the backsides of those Bronx Bombers.
“Salary of our shortstop: $381,000. Salary of their shortstop: $21.6 million. Rockies sweeping the Yankees: priceless!”
Stephany, Denver
