Denver Post sports writer Troy E. Renck posted his Rockies Mailbag every other week on Mondays during the 2007 MLB season on DenverPost.com. Welcome to a special World Series installment.
To drop a Rockies- or MLB-related question into the Rockies Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
Do you think that Aaron Cook will be on the World Series roster?
— Walter Jones, Littleton
Walter – It’s the most difficult and only significant potential roster tweak. For those who fidget about the idea of tinkering with chemistry – the Rockies are 21-1 over their last 22 games – the idea of change is unnerving. But this is the same club that added center fielder Willy Taveras in the National League Championship Series, which paid off handsomely with a brilliant diving catch to save two runs. Cook is healthy; the issue is whether he will be rusty after a 10-week layoff. And oh yeah, it will only be the biggest game of his life.
That said, Franklin Morales hasn’t escaped the fifth inning in either of his two playoff starts. It’s easy to see a roster that includes Cook in the rotation for Game 4 and Morales replacing Taylor Buchholz as the longman in the bullpen. Or it could be the other way around – Morales in the rotation and Cook in the bullpen.
Who would the Coors Field altitude hurt more: the Indians or the Red Sox?
— AJ, Carbondale, Ill.
AJ – Coors Field, as the national audience is beginning to learn, doesn’t play like it did back in the carnival days (see 1995-2001). The humidor has helped even the playing field, limiting cheap home runs and shaving the number of runs. Altitude isn’t as big an issue as it is in basketball and football. Where you could see a possible impact is if a pitcher runs the bases, really exerting himself. Often that next inning, he struggles. Just watching the ALCS, it would appear the Red Sox are more equipped to exploit Coors Field with their power.
Hi, Troy. What at-bat or entrance music does each Rockies player use? Thanks.
— Tracy, Denver
Tracy – Here’s a smatter of examples as run a few weeks ago. Tap foot if you prefer. Hum. Whatever. Enjoy:
Name that tune: Whether it’s players jogging laps around the stadium with the I-Pods humming, John Fogerty wailing “Centerfield” or fans singing “Take Me Out To the Ballgame,” music has had a longstanding relationship with baseball. The Rockies, after all, take the field to Fall Out Boy’s “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race.” National Baseball Writer Troy E. Renck lists some of the clips that accompany Rockies’ players when they step into the batter’s box or onto the mound at Coors Field:
1B Todd Helton: Back in the Saddle by Aerosmith
2B Kazuo Matsui: It’s Tricky by Run DMC
SS Troy Tulowitzki: Flirt by R. Kelly
3B Garrett Atkins: The Way I Are by Timbaland
CF Ryan Spilborghs: Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani
CF Willy Taveras: Yeah by Usher
INF Jamey Carroll: Hero by Jane’s Addiction
RF Brad Hawpe: Rockstar by Nickelback
RHP Manny Corpas: Impacto by Big Daddy Yankee
LHP Brian Fuentes: For You by Staind
When do the World Series tickets go on sale for the home games?
— Casey, Golden
Casey – By now I am sure you are aware that they go on sale online Monday at 10 a.m. Get the power boost, high-speed working. Those with dial-up, I feel your pain. Best of luck. The tickets are certainly in demand when you see people willing to trade motorcycles, apartments, Playboys and weekly restaurant dinners for a year to get their hands on ducats.
When Troy Tulowitzki is getting ready to hit, has anyone besides me noticed the striking resemblance of his facial expressions to Carl Yastrzemski’s? Compare file photos and video.
— George, Johnstown
George – His name bears a striking resemblance. It’s hard to pronounce. But as I have been telling people since opening day, this kid is here to stay. It’s Tulo-Wiz-Kid. He’s to the Rockies what Carmelo Anthony is to the Nuggets. A bright young star with, in Tulowitzki’s case, the added ingredient of leadership.
Where do the Rockies stand contractually with their key young stars? Also, while I was watching Game 2 at Chase Field on Oct. 12, I created a nickname for our stellar closers – “Fuentes Corpas Maximus.” My friends love it! (And they’re D-backs fans to boot.) Keep up the great work.
— Mark Allen, Tempe, Ariz.
Mark – Transformers more than meets the eye. Transformers, relievers in disguise. Nice work. Here’s the Cliffs Notes version. Matt Holliday will be second-year arbitration eligible, and can become a free agent after 2009. Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe are first-time arb eligible this winter, due big raises. Brian Fuentes is final-time arb eligible, in line for a huge pay increase. Troy Tulowitzki is under team’s control and can have his salary renewed, same goes for closer Manny Corpas.
Troy – I hope you are enjoying the ride! It has been amazing watching the Rockies. Hopefully this will inspire the Broncos!
— Paul Maisel, Seattle
Paul – The Rockies as inspiration for the Broncos, that’s not something you’ve heard very often around here. I have never covered a team as hot as the Rockies. The Broncos nearly went undefeated in 1998, but they were the defending Super Bowl champs, so it wasn’t entirely unexpected. The Rockies went from zero to 60 in three weeks, going from a potential afterthought to one of the greatest baseball stories in modern history.
When was the last time a Major League Baseball team went on a 21-1 stretch?
— Mark, Thornton
Mark – The last time a team went 21-1 after Sept. 1 is the 1935 Chicago Cubs. The Kansas City Royals went on a similar run in 1977. The 1970 Baltimore Orioles finished the season on an 18-1 run, capped with their World Series title. When you start being compared to these types of teams, it drives home just how special the last month has been.
Troy – I love Jamey Carroll’s spark for this club and his veteran leadership. What are the chances of him staying with the Rockies and winning the second-base job back? He’s slumped this year but you have to figure he’ll bounce back, and he’s such a key reserve who can play multiple positions. Maybe he could play second base until Ian Stewart is ready if that’s really their intention. Is Kaz Matsui gone for sure? I appreciate your thoughts.
— Chuckemack, Denver
Chuck – Jamey Carroll epitomizes what we like in athletes: hard-working, hustling, fan-friendly (he signs more autographs than any other player). If Kazuo Matsui doesn’t return, Carroll would be given a shot to regain his spot. I’d say it’s 50-50 Matsui returns. He likes Denver, likes his teammates. But there’s no way he would come back for less than what Carroll is making next season ($2.1 million). The obvious answer would be to trade Carroll – they might have to eat money to do it – and give that cash to Matsui. Carroll has real value, I am just not sure if there’s a fit with Matsui and possibly Stewart to man second base.
At the Phillies-Rockies game, my husband caught the home run by Philadelphia’s Shane Victorino. And as a loyal Rockies fan, he threw it back on the field. He was kicked out of the game. I know throwing back the opposing team’s home runs is tradition at parks like Wrigley Field – and it’s apparently against the rules at Coors Field. Do you know if most stadiums allow this show of “fansmanship” or oppose it? And more importantly, do you think it’s a bad rule?
— Erin Shaver, Denver
Erin – The Rockies have long discouraged fans from throwing home-run baseballs back onto the field. It can be a safety issue or embarrassing – think of the scene from the film “Rookie of the Year” when Henry fires the ball to home plate from the bleachers, prompting John Candy, as team’s broadcaster to pronounce, “No wonder the Cubs lose every year, they have better arms in the stands.”
Without time to track it down, I would say from observation that the Rockies are in the minority when it comes to outlawing fans’ throwing home runs onto the field. I like when fans express their displeasure by flinging the homer back. I really like when fans bring a ball to the field and throw back the $3 imposter and keep the game ball. That’s creative and funny.
Denver Post sports writer Troy E. Renck is in his 12th season of covering the Colorado Rockies, his sixth for The Denver Post. To drop a question into his Rockies Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
