Kiz: For a Rockies fan, the only really good baseball reason to buy a ticket to Coors Field is to watch third baseman Nolan Arenado scoop ’em and swat ’em. When the rosters for the All-Star Game are announced, Arenado is a lock to be included, because after Bryce Harper, Buster Posey and Paul Goldschmidt, there might not be a better everyday player in the National League than Are nado. But should any other Rockies get a spot on the NL’s 34-man roster?
Hooch: Clap-clap, clap-clap-clap, clap-clap-clap-clap, Tu-lo! Let’s get a healthy Troy Tulowitzki on the all-star team. (Who knows how many more times the injury prone star will be healthy in July?) He’s playing Tulo-y baseball lately. , his batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage stat line was .266/.286/.403. And entering Friday, it was .319/.354/.479.
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Kiz: You gotta admire what Tulo has done, coming back strong after yet another injury damaged his pride and his trade value. But compare his slash line, his WAR or any fancy stat with the numbers produced by St. Louis’ Jhonny Peralta or San Francisco’s Brandon Crawford, and it’s hard for me to make a legitimate case that a shortstop on a last-place team deserves a spot over peers on winning ballclubs.
Hooch: Sure, Jhonny Baseball is bashing balls and Crawford is emerging as a star. But I think there’s room for three all-star shortstops on the National League roster. How cool would an Arenado-Tulo pairing be at third base and shortstop during the Midsummer Classic? Here’s hoping Nolan doesn’t try to freight train his way toward a front-row foul ball — no need to risk injury and, more important, cause fans to spill their $35 beers.
Kiz:Is Tulowitzki one of the best 34 players in the National League this season? Yep. And do I understand why a 30-year-old man with a long history of injuries would refuse to consider an invitation to the Home Run Derby as a way to sneak into the All-Star Game through the back door? Yep. But would Tulo be an all-star this year if he played for the New York Mets? Yep. And now you know one more reason Tulo should hope Colorado trades him.
Hooch: For the Rockies’ sake, they . That means Colorado probably will get one of New York’s glistening prospects, be it Noah Syndergaard or Steven Matz. (If I were a Mets fan, I’d make a T-shirt in the cursive Mets logo, except have it say Matz.) I think New York probably is scared of Tulo’s contract — close to $120 million yet to be paid — so the Mets would have to talk the Monforts into eating some of that contract. But in the meantime, let’s enjoy Nolan and Troy as Colorado all-stars while we can.
