Taking a look at the Rockies
Rounding out the end of their lengthy baseball schedule, the Colorado Rockies have turned in a few solid games in the past few weeks.
Posting a record of 7-1 between Sept. 16 and 23, the team gave fans something to cheer about after another miserable season.
The team is currently 66-96, sitting in fourth place in the NL West. Their win percentage of .407 is the second- worst out of all 30 teams.
Their home record has been particularly atrocious, sitting at 21-60. The team-ravaged by injuries as usual-collapsed as the season wore on.
An exciting start to the year was soon squashed by a starting rotation that displayed several holes, albeit without several pitchers who were scheduled to begin the year healthy.
Also notorious for poor development, the organization failed to produce enough young talent to inject into the starting lineup.
Top pitching prospect Eddie Butler made his debut this year, but promptly found himself on the disabled list. He improved as the year went on and achieved his first win, but failed to make a noticeable impact.
Newcomer Justin Morneau brought stability to first base after the retirement of legend Todd Helton. He has batted .319 with 82 runs batted in so far.
Eleventh in games played is superstar Troy Tulowitzki. Subject of many trade rumors, the star shortstop may be traded in the upcoming offseason.
But, with such a clearly demonstrated lack for developing prospects, the Rockies may favor riding out his contract instead of dealing him.
Another great player, Carlos Gonzalez, played only 70 games. Durability for these two has been an issue for the past few seasons, and one must wonder how long their times in the Mile High city will continue.
Inside the Avalanche
Even though the Avs are still in preseason, they remain winless so far this year.
Posting a 0-5 record, the team hopes to get on track by the start of the year.
The rosters have been very random up to this point, which is a point of emphasis here.
A mix of talented and lower-tier players, the preseason in the NHL is similar to that of the NFL. It can dictate individual’s standings with the team, but does little to show how the actual team will fare come the regular season.
The Avs dropped two games to Anaheim on the same day to start their preseason campaign. Half the roster was flown to Anaheim, while the other half stayed here, but both teams lost.
Next up was a pair of games in Canada as the Avalanche dropped two more games to the Montreal Canadians. The second of those games was played in Quebec, which is the location of the old hockey team Quebec Nordiques.
The Nordiques moved from Quebec to Denver in 1995. The following season, the Avalanche brought Colorado its first professional sports championship. In spite of the history present at the game, the Avs returned home with yet another pair of losses.
In their fifth game, Colorado lost to Calgary by a score of 2-1. Players will be sent packing for their respective junior and minor league teams soon.
The regular season starts Oct. 9 against the Minnesota Wild. The team will play three more preseason contests before that date to determine which athletes will make the final 23-man roster.
