During the Democratic National Convention next month, a Denver organization is planning to hand out free zoo and museum tickets to the homeless.
In 1981, when the American hostages returned from Iran, baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn offered them lifetime passes. Sports wit Beano Cook said: “Haven’t they suffered enough?”
The Rockies will be on the road the week of the convention, for which the homeless can be thankful.
The Rox opened a four-game series against the Argggh’s Thursday night. But the game I really wanted to see was the Tulsa Drillers against the Springfield (Rifles?).
The Rockies are yesterday’s (2007’s) news; the Drillers are tomorrow’s (2010’s) hope.
Ever since I spent a spring-training day on the back lot at the Rockies’ complex in Tucson, I’ve kept a distant check on the Drillers. And now that two of their players have been named to the Olympic team, another has been chosen Texas League pitcher of the week, six were picked to the all-star team, six starting position players are hitting .289 or higher, and there’s a player on the roster named Tulo- witzki on a team battling for a division title, Thursday’s game with Springfield (Mo.) seemed a perfect time to visit Oklahoma.
One serious problem: The direct flight I found from Denver to Tulsa cost $1,144, economy(?). An indirect flight with two stops was $1,364. And you wonder why the airlines are in trouble?
At Drillers Stadium I would have chanted: “Tu . . . lo, Tu . . . lo” and “Fowl . . . er, Fowl . . . er.”
Nevertheless, I must wait until several of the Drillers’ players come to Denver, and that ought to be for the Sept. 1 expansion of the Rockies’ roster or much sooner, as in on or before the July 31 trade deadline.
Troy Tulowitzki, on his rehab assignment with the Drillers, went directly to the Rockies, without passing “Go” or Colorado Springs, from Tulsa in 2006; Matt Holliday played in Tulsa in 2003, stopped in the Springs for only six games the next season and joined the Rockies permanently. Jeff Francis was 13-1 with Tulsa in 2004, had a cup of coffee in AAA and became a Rockies’ starter.
Dexter Fowler, the switch-hitting center fielder of the Rockies’ future, and Casey Weathers, who was drafted eighth overall last year, have been selected to the U.S. squad for the Summer Games. The lanky Fowler is batting .322 (with 40 extra-base hits, 54 RBIs and 16 stolen bases) in 90 games, and Weathers, as a setup right-hander, is 2-1, with a 2.68 earned-run average and 43 strikeouts in 37 games.
Beijing or LoDo? You can get Chinese takeout in Denver.
On returning from Tucson, I told our sports editor, “I’ve seen the future, and it will be in Tulsa. Those guys may set the all-time record for stolen bases, and they will have some arms in Oklahoma.”
Corey Wimberly and Eric Young Jr. have combined for 69 stolen bases while splitting time at second base, and Wimberly has shared some time at shortstop with another prospect, Chris Nelson (who is struggling at .229).
Wimberly has a little bit of Ozzie Smith in him. In spring training he did a backflip running out to short. Eric Young Jr. has a whole lot of Eric Young Sr. in him. “He’s better than I was,” the elder says of the younger.
Jeff Kindel is a first baseman to watch. The 6-foot-3 lefty out of Georgia Tech doesn’t possess big power but hit .317 with Modesto last year and is at .296 in Tulsa. Tony Blanco, 27, is an interesting fellow. He couldn’t play dead at third in the spring (22 errors with Tulsa) and has bounced around a dozen minor-league teams, but is hitting .327 with 18 homers. Blanco will have to look elsewhere.
Matt Miller, 25, is another intriguing guy. He was drafted in the 13th round in 2004 by the Rox, has a career average above .300 (and hit 30 homers one year) and is batting a Drillers’ high .348 this season. But he’s well down the Rockies’ list.
There are no catchers to speak of.
But there are pitchers to talk about — Weathers and starters Brandon Hynick, Alan Johnson, Chaz Roe and Ching-Lung Lo. Hynick was with the Rockies in spring training and will be with them again this season. The 6-3 right-hander was 16-5 (2.52) in A ball in 2007. His numbers in 2008 aren’t exciting (5-6, 4.67), but he can pitch. Johnson, a right-hander, posted a 14-7 mark alongside Hynick last season. He’s 3-8 with a 4.88 ERA. Roe, 6-5 and 190 pounds and a first-rounder in 2005, has started only seven games, but is 3-0 (2.96) and was the league’s top pitcher last week.
Lo — “Lung . . . Lo, Lung . . . Lo” — from Taiwan, 6-6, is the fourth right-handed starting possibility. He’s 7-7 (5.23) with 61 strikeouts and only 19 walks.
The Rox management is so proud of its minor-league system. At some point in this abysmal season they must take the Bubble Wrap off these players — especially Fowler and Weathers.
And it’s cheaper for the homeless, and those of us with homes, to see them in Denver than in Tulsa.
Woody Paige: 303-954-1295 or wpaige@denverpost.com
