Rockies playing with DH in '09
Day 8
Yeah it's late news but I want to introduce the latest "big" bat for the Rockies and this year's DH in the National League, one Mr. Jason Marquis formerly of the Chicago cubs.
Don't tell me he won't be an offensive force for the Rockies this year with the "hot" year he had last year hitting .203 with 10 RBIs. His .242 OBP showed his calm in the box and ability to take pitchers well into the pitch count. He had two long balls but he will need to work on his stolen bases and erase the goose egg in that category. There's also one other reason I love this guy even before he hits the batter's box this year... he's a pitcher!!!
I love pitching, period. A good pitching duel that ends 1-0 makes for a good outing because I realize the skill necessary in the pitcher to keep it that low, catcher to call the right pitches and manager to make the correct moves. Marquis comes in pitching a lifetime .455 ERA with 79 wins and 70 losses. He was 11-9 last year with the Cubs and the Rockies could use a solid fourth starter to win at least ten games for the club and bolster the staff that was (outside of Aaron Cook) shaky at best last year. He also has been solid at Coors Field (3-0, 2.51 ERA in five games, four starts).
But more than a good pitching display I love a pitcher who can hit. Somewhere along the line pitchers like all ball players learned how to hit, but begin to spend majority of their time mastering their pitches and losing the art of hitting. Guys like Marquis make the N.L. interesting because pitchers have to respect the bottom of the order when he is up. No walking up to the mound and tossing some offspeed junk and getting an easy out. You know in the back of your mind you better hit your mark because leave some junk high and you might just pay for it with Marquis.No Marquis is no Micah Owings who is batting a solid .319 in his two years in the bigs as a pitcher but I will wait and see if he can maintain his strong bat. Hopefully hitting coach Don Baylor can impart a good deal of wisdom on Jason and he can get that average of to a solid .280.
I can't help but love this addition to the Rockies. He can hit, he can pitch and the Rockies got cashola in the deal too. Yeah we gave up Luis Vizcaino but realistically that guy was not the cog we needed to keep this machine going and keeping competitive in the N.L. west. Plus Marquis was born about an hours outside of where I was on Long Island and some good people have come out of that area, wink.
The Rockies and Cubs may end up both coming out winners in this deal as it has been speculated the Cubs are trying to lower payroll to pick up a big name top starter like Jake Peavy. The Rockies pick up at least a ten game winner ,who's proven he can pitch at Coors, and not at an outrageous cost for the Rockies smaller payroll.
As my favorite manager of all time Lou Brown would say, "Starting to come together Charlie. Starting to come together."
Wow, that's so cool! Jason was going to be sent to the Padres in a Peavy deal, but it never worked out. I really hope the Cubs don't pick up the trade talks with the Padres again. I've gone through enough this offseason. I don't think I would be able to handle losing another player!
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I tend to see more AL games, but I have to tell you there is nothing like seeing a pitcher at the plate getting a great hit. It gets everyone excited!
Julia
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