Colorado Rockies Lock Up All Stars
Todd Helton enters his fourteenth season in 2011 and is 37 years old. With his contract up at the end of the year, Helton could be in his final season. If so, the Colorado Rockies have ensured that they have their nucleus for winning signed for years to come. This past winter, the team signed short stop Troy Tulowitzki and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez to new contract extensions.
At 37, Helton may be on the down side of his career. He still plays solid defense at first base, but his power is dwindling and his batting average slipped to . 256 last year. Helton has battled back problems in the past and may need to be spelled at first from time to time by Jason Giambi.
The Rockies have plenty of terrific hitters around the diamond though. Just 26, Tulowitzki is an established star. In September of last season, Tulowitzki hit . 322 with 15 home runs and 40 runs batted in, one of the all time greatest months put up by any player. Tulowitzki finished with a . 315 average overall, with 27 home runs and 95 RBIs, making him an elite player at his position.
Carlos Gonzalez was drafted by the Arizona DiamondBacks and was labeled early on as a player with limitless potential. Arizona traded Gonzalez to the Athletics before he had a chance to establish himself in the big leagues. The Athletics did not give Gonzalez much of a look either and traded him to the Rockies for Matt Holliday.
While Tulowitzki and Gonzalez are the linchpins of the offense, they do have help. Center fielder Dexter Fowler provides speed and range in spacious Coors Field. Seth Smith and Ryan Spillborghs will split time in right field and both could be starters on other teams. They will provide plenty of run production and good defense in the outfield.
The next young player the Rockies might have to sign to a long term contract is pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. Last year Jimenez helped the Rockies contend for the National Leagues Western Division by winning 19 games while losing just 8. At age 27, Jimenez threw 221.2 innings finishing with a superlative 2.88 earned run average and 214 strikeouts.
While Jimenez became the ace of the staff and will likely be the Rockies opening day starter, Jorge DeLaRosa, a lefty, is also solid and still capable of a big season. He battled injuries in 2010, finishing the season 8-7 with a 4.22 ERA in just 121.2 innings. In 2009, DelaRosa looked like he was on the verge of becoming a 20 game winner. He finished that season with a 16-9 record, a 4.38 ERA in 185 innings with 193 strikeouts. If he returns to that form, he will give the Rockies quite an one-two punch at the top of the rotation. DeLaRosa is joined in the rotation by Jason Hammel, Jhoulys Chacin and veteran Aaron Cook.
With a solid starting rotation and a hard throwing bullpen, the Rockies pitching staff should be capable of winning games and holding late inning leads in 2011. With a good blend of speed and ample power, the team should also score plenty of runs, giving them a chance to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the defending World Champion San Francisco Giants this season.
Bobbie Barton is a fitness trainer She likes SportsFanTreasures.com and recommends you check out their info on Washington Nationals Watch and Atlanta Braves Bedding
Processing your request, Please wait....
