Rocky goings for Rockies

Watching the Rockies over the last few weeks has been dreadfully painful. I've seen starting pitchers get pounded, star players slumping, and the bull pen get destroyed. It has been some of the worst baseball I've ever seen. With everything going so wrong for the team right now, I'm not worried about the rest of the season.Lets look at what's been going on with the Rockies.

Ubaldo Jimenez, the ace of the pitching staff, hasn't won a game yet. In 8 starts he has 4 losses with no wins and he rarely goes past the 6th inning. So far this season he has walked 28 batters and struck out 41. He has an amazing fastball that, based on the number of walks, he hasn't been able to locate so far this season. Things have been improving for the Rockies ace. In his last 2 starts he has pitched past the 6th inning and has given up only 5 earned runs combined. Outings like the last 2 will result in wins down the road and as the season continues Jimenez will find the control over his fastball that he had all last season.

To start the season the Rockies weren't hitting particularly well. we had only 3 players hitting over .300. Troy Tulowitzki was on a tear and Todd Helton appeared to be the old, consistent batter that we had come to expect. Jonathan Herrera Started the season very hot from the plate and always seemed to come through with a clutch hit when the Rockies needed it. Over the last month and a half the Rockies have cooled down from their record start because the bats haven't picked up and in most cases they have are actually getting worse. Over the last 10 games Tulo is barely averaging .250, Herrera is now batting .279. Carlos Gonzalez's average is sitting at .245 but over the last 10 games his average is .303 so it would appear that he is starting to get comfortable at the plate again. If the Rockies can get their big bats rolling again, preferably at the same time, then the team will start winning.

The reason that I don't think the Rockies, or their fans, should panic is because all the things that are going wrong right now are things that can be fixed. The team doesn't lack talent, it simply isn't executing properly. Cargo is warming up, Tulo will get his bat back, the rest of the team will get better at the plate at times during the season, and Ubaldo seems to be getting his control back. 4 of the 5 starting pitchers have ERA's of less than 4 and 2 less than 3. Imagine what the team will do when Ubaldo gets his ERA under control and the team starts hitting like they can. The Rockies will go on a run like they did the year they went to the World Series.

Broncos Draft Breakdown

The NFL Draft has come and gone and for Denver Broncos fans there is a sense that things are going to change. The Broncos had 9 picks in this year’s draft and made solid decisions for the future of the franchise. John Elway, Brian Xanders, and John Fox put their heads together and came out of the 2011 Draft with a clear understanding of what the team needed.

During the 2010 season the Broncos averaged just under 22 points per game. Scoring 22 points in a game will more than likely win you the game. The problem was that the Broncos gave up 29.5 points per game. The defense in Denver for the past 4 years has been awful. It was the reason that Mike Shanahan lost his job and it was also a large part of why Josh McDaniels lost his. They both learned the hard way that it doesn’t matter how many points you can score if the other team can score more.

That is the approach that the new regime has taken with this Draft. 6 of the 9 Draft picks were defensive players. I have been preaching for years that the Broncos linebacking core was awful. I might have been exaggerating a little but they were pretty bad. I must have been right though because the Broncos went out and got 3 linebackers in this year’s Draft.

I have heard many people talk about how Von Miller doesn’t fit the system that the Broncos will be implementing this year because it is a 4-3 instead of the 3-4 that he was a part of in college. I don’t see it. Hearing Todd McShay and Mel Kiper talk about 0-1 techniques as apposed to 2-3 technique defensive tackles was excruciating. I respect both of them for what they do and how well they do it but I think we have lost our way when it comes to evaluating talent. D-tackles are D-tackles. Linebackers should only be classified by inside or outside not by the schemes they run. Judge the technique of the players to determine if they will fit on your team. I think we do these kids a disservice by labeling them too soon and that is why I am so happy that the Broncos got Miller even though he played in a different defensive scheme.

I heard the local radio personalities talk about how the Broncos were foolish for not going after defensive linemen. Why? Nobody in Denver knows if the current linemen are any good. The 3-4 defense needs exceptional linemen in order to fend off double teams and get off blocks. Obviously the Broncos didn’t have exceptional D-linemen but that doesn’t mean they won’t do well with an added player on the line to keep the linebackers free to make plays. I feel that any needs they may have on the D-line can and will be addressed once free agency begins again.

The picks the Broncos spent on defense were good for the team because the defense has struggled. They got younger in the secondary and in the linebacking core so hopefully the younger players will develop into a great foundation for the future. The picks made on offense however are a little puzzling. I understand that the team needed a solid pass catching tight end, but did they need to draft 2 guys at that position. Now the Broncos will have 5 TE’s on the roster. At most they will carry 3, more likely 2, so why waste a second pick on a TE? I think the Broncos would have been better off taking a chance in one of the later rounds on a big, athletic wide receiver or running back. The Broncos aren’t impressive beyond the 3rd WR spot and the team went through every RB they had last year because of the injuries sustained at that position. 2 TE’s in the draft just didn’t feel right.

Overall the Broncos had a solid draft and improved in all the right areas. 6 new members for a defensive unit that needs to rebuild and an O-lineman that is expected to start at right tackle is a step in the right direction. The Bronco fans have to understand that even though the team got better last week, they are still going to struggle during the first year of Coach Fox’s reign. The offense will be different, more run based. The defense will get better, but in the AFC West it will be tested by every team this year. San Diego will attack from the air while Oakland and Kansas City will attack on the ground. Due to the lockout the Broncos will be limited in their implementation of the new systems so I fear this coming season will be one of trial and error and a lot of personnel evaluation for the future.