Colorado Rockies 2005 Season Preview

By Dean Swanton

The Colorado Rockies joined the National League along with the Florida Marlins in 1993. The Marlins have two World Series titles in their 12 year history. They won in 1997 with an inflated payroll, ripped the team apart and won another title in 2003 with a modest payroll of 54 million dollars. It could be said that the Marlins have gone about their business in both the right and wrong ways. Their expansion brothers the Rockies have mostly done things the wrong way.

The Rockies have had one winning season since 1998. In 2004 the team posted their second worst record in franchise history. (68-94) Not surprisingly, the Rockies have decided that the blueprint they were following (One could question if they even had one) had some flaws. They have decided to try something totally new and unique to the organization. They are going to attempt to build from within. Gone from the 2004 roster are Jeromy Burnitz, Vinny Castilla, Royce Clayton and Shawn Estes who led the pitching staff with 15 wins. In 2005, fans at Coors Field will see the team's marquee player Todd Helton, surrounded by a lot of young players that many of them probably have never heard of. It's going to be a long season in the Mile High city.

One thing in the Rockies favor is the fact that the cupboard is not totally bare. The gem in that cupboard is 24-year-old Canadian Jeff Francis, who was a first round pick of the Rockies in 2002. The talented left-hander has sailed through the minor leagues and earned Baseball America's 2004 Minor League Player of the Year Award. Francis made his major league debut last August and after a couple of shaky outings showed that he was ready to make an impact at the major league level. Francis had an impressive September where he went 3-0 that included 2 wins at Coors Field. He also posted an ERA of 2.31 in his final five starts. The Rockies are hoping that Francis is their future ace, and judging by the early success in his career he is well on his way to that kind of status.

Does anybody remember that Jason Jennings was the 2002 National League Rookie of the Year? Since going 16-8 in his rookie season, the right-hander has gone 23-25. He walked 101 batters last season and gave up 241 hits which was a league high. The Rockies desperately need Jennings to improve on those numbers and to get off to a good start. Last April Jennings was 1-3 with a 10.52 ERA. Jennings has shown that he is not afraid to pitch at Coors Field as 23 of his 43 career wins have come at home. The Rockies have shown faith in Jennings by rewarding him with a 2 year deal that includes an option for 2007. Jennings will be looking to prove to the Rockies that they made a wise decision in inking him to a multi-year deal.

Joe Kennedy has solidified a spot in the rotation. The left-hander was a respectable 9-7 with a 3.66 ERA in 2004. He has been given the opening day nod from manager Clint Hurdle.

Right-hander Shawn Chacon returns to starting after closing for the Rockies last season. Chacon was an all star in 2003 when he was in the rotation, and is more comfortable in that role.

The Rockies hope that right-hander Aaron Cook can return early in the season. Cook showed promise last season before blood clots in his lungs cut his season short. The right-hander has a nasty sinker and if he returns healthy, would boost the rotation. Darren Oliver, Jamey Wright and Jason Young will be competing this spring for a spot at the back end of the rotation.

The Rockies bullpen was a disaster in 2004 and there is no reason to think that it will not be a problem area again in 2005. Scott Dohmann, Allan Simpson, Ryan Speier, Brian Fuentes, Javier Lopez, Marcos Carvajal, Aaron Taylor and Matt Merricks are some of the names of the pitchers that will pitch middle relief. You wouldn't be alone if you were scratching your head wondering who any of these players are. Chin-hui-Tsao was labeled as the closer of the future but that future is now. The Rockies were hoping to ease Tsao into the closer role with some set-up work but it has already been announced that he will finish games for the Rockies this season. The Taiwanese right-hander has three effective pitches which includes a mid nineties fastball and an excellent changeup. The Rockies have learned that to be successful they have to have bullpen depth, but they haven't done much to improve a bullpen that had 39 losses and 34 blown saves in 2004.

Todd Helton is a superstar. He flies under the radar playing in Colorado but the guy can just flat out hit. He enters the 2005 season with a career average of .339 and plays stellar defense at first base. The dollar figures and number of year's attached to Helton's contract should ensure that Helton finishes his career in Colorado.

Switch hitter Aaron Miles has settled in as the Rockies second baseman. Miles appeared in 134 games for the Rockies last season and hit a respectable .293. Clint Barmes is the new everyday shortstop. Barmes hit .328 at AAA Colorado Springs last season. Garrett Atkins had the highest batting average of any minor leaguer in 2004 when he hit .366 with Colorado Springs. He was brought up for 15 games with the big club and hit an impressive .357, so the Rockies are hoping for big things from Atkins in 2005. Desi Relaford was signed as a free agent and the utility-man will see time all over the diamond.

Charles Johnson is still with the Rockies, but he will not be the teams starting catcher and the Rockies are looking to move him before opening day. J.D. Closser will handle the duties behind the dish. Closser is a switch hitter who had a.299 batting average at Colorado Springs and then hit .319 in the 36 games he played for the Rockies. Closser along with Barmes and Atkins are important players in an obvious youth movement undertaken by the Rockies. They will undoubtedly struggle at times, but these young players (Barmes is the oldest at 26) have potential to be playing together for a long time.

The Rockies probable outfield is Preston Wilson in center field, with Matt Holliday in left field and Dustin Mohr in right field. Wilson is coming off an injury riddled 2004 which saw him appear in only 58 games. Wilson had a huge season in 2003 when he hit 36 home runs and led the National League in RBI's with 141. Preston will be looking to return to the form that saw him on the National League all star roster just two seasons ago. Mohr is a free agent signing by the Rockies. Mohr was with the San Francisco Giants last season and brings a strong glove and decent bat to Colorado. Holliday appeared in 121 games for the Rockies in 2004 where he hit .290 with 14 long balls with 57 RBI's.

Clint Hurdle begins his third full season as the team's manager in 2005. It will be up to Hurdle to get the most out of the new young players and to manage the starters and bullpen more effectively. Hurdle's patience will be tested with the number of young and inexperienced players the Rockies will be fielding in 2005.

General Manager Dan O'Dowd and the rest of the Rockies organization have owned up to the mistakes of the past. They have a plan, but unfortunately it is a plan that should have been set in motion several year's ago. Staying committed to the plan will be the challenge for the Rockies.

The 2005 season should give the Rockies a clearer indication of where they are as an organization as far as talent and depth is concerned. If the fans at Coors Field can be patient watching some growing pains from young players for a couple of seasons, they may be treated to a product that is worth seeing in the near future.