Townsend: Troy Tulowitzki denies accusing Madison Bumgarner of doctoring baseballs

That brings us to Coors Field on Friday night. For a few seconds it seemed like we may have been headed towards that inevitable flare up. It happened in the third inning with Troy Tulowitzki running on first base, D.J. LeMahieu at the plate, and Madison Bumgarner pitching. As it’s being reported, Tulowitzki asked first base umpire Tim McClelland to check the baseball. McClelland complied, stopping play to give it a once over before tossing it out of play.

Bumgarner had the outward reaction you’d expect. He didn’t appear pleased by the stoppage or the insinuation, and even directed some words in Tulowitzki’s direction, but it didn’t go beyond those words. That left many of us wondering what exactly the situation was. Had Tulowitzki played the gamesmanship card himself? Did he think something shady was going on? What did McClelland find, if anything?

Andrew Baggerly of Comcast Sports Net San Francisco has some of the answers. At least the ones straight from the players.

  “I wasn’t accusing him at all,” Tulowitzki said. “I have too much respect for him to do something like that. I didn’t think they were cheating.”

  Tulowitzki said he noticed the mark and pointed it out to umpire Tim McClelland, only to suggest that they put a fresh one into play.

  “You respect the game and there’s something on the baseball, so let’s get rid of it and move on,” Tulowitzki said. “You respect guys who compete. I have respect for him and hopefully he has the same for me.”

Roy Oswalt, 35, signs with Rockies

The Colorado Rockies have agreed to a minor league deal with three-time All-Star pitcher Roy Oswalt.

The team announced the news on its Twitter account Thursday, with Oswalt expected to report to extended spring training.

The 35-year-old Oswalt has a career record of 163-96. He’s also 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA at Coors Field.

On his Twitter account, Oswalt tweeted: “Always loved the mountains, im back!”

Thanks to Jojo.

Yankees acquire Chris Nelson for either cash or PTBNL

The New York Yankees have acquired third baseman Chris Nelson, the club announced Wednesday night in a press release.

Nelson was designated for assignment Sunday to make room for Rockies top prospect Nolan Arenado. In return for Nelson, the Rockies will get either cash considerations or a player to be named later. No matter which it is, the return will be relatively small, as it always is in cases like these. The reason is that once a player is designated for assignment, his club has 10 days to either trade him, release him or send him to the minors—thus, there’s very little leverage in trade talks.

Nelson, 27, was the Rockies’ first-round pick in 2004 out of Pasadena City College. He’s seen time in the majors at second, third and shortstop, but the overwhelming majority of his time has been spent at third base, and that’s where the Yankees have a current need with Kevin Youkilis—who was there to take Alex Rodriguez’s spot—on the mend.

Thanks to Los.

Rockies Hope Tulowitzki Injury Won’t Cool Hot Start

Alas, Tulowitzki left Sunday’s game against the Diamondbacks in the third inning after injuring his left shoulder in an awkward slide into home plate, and his availability going forward isn’t known.

According to the Denver Post‘s Troy Renck, the Rockies said Tulowitzki suffered a mild strain of the rotator cuff in his non-throwing shoulder and will be re-evaluated on Monday. If he goes on the disabled list, it will mark the fourth straight year that he’s missed significant time due to injury.

Rockies’ Dexter Fowler having a breakout season with stunning power - The Denver Post

A guy who hits 20 home runs in Colorado is not a home run hitter. Fowler shouldn’t get caught up in his recent home run spree.

“He’s absolutely a guy who could hit 20 home runs. I thought that the first time I saw him hit the ball in spring training. Just the distance of his hits in BP,” said Bichette, in his first year as Rockies hitting coach. “He had a good year last year, got that under his belt, and now he’s ready to really take off. He has all the tools to be a tremendous player. He wants to mash and has the freedom to be the guy. And you know me. I like that guy.”

Rockies employees clear half a foot of snow off field for doubleheader

“And then swept off the Mets” sez Carlos.

Just after 6 p.m. Tuesday, Rockies owner Dick Monfort walked by the media cafeteria. He was no longer hunched over or limping from shoveling snow for four hours.

While his effort was admirable, it raised the question of why team employees were needed to clear Coors Field, delaying the start of the first game of Tuesday’s scheduled doubleheader with the Mets by 2 hours, 2 minutes.

Colorado swept the doubleheader, winning the first game 8-4 with Todd Helton delivering a two-RBI single in a three-run fifth inning. The Rockies then rallied from an 8-2 deficit to win the second game, 9-8 in 10 innings on Jordan Pacheco’s game-winning single.

Several players wore ski masks, and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, who hit a 438-foot home run, called the first game, “the coldest game ever.”

...According to Monfort, a confluence of factors left 150 empty volunteers digging out the field rather than relying on plows or heavy equipment.

“It was an incredible (effort),” Monfort said. “We didn’t think there would be that much snow. There wasn’t supposed to be. When I got here, there were five people removing snow off the tarp. (Head grounds keeper Mark Razum) Raz felt like it would come off the grass better, where we could get the tractor and get it off. The texture of the snow, it just wasn’t doing it. So people just started grabbing shovels and working. Had we not had that many people out there, we would have never gotten it off.”

Mets Insider: Mets could play in single-digit temperatures

Now where is my fully nucleationed copy of Doug Morris’ “Frigid Digit”?

Kind of like the Supreme Court on obscenity, the Mets will know it when they see it. Or feel it . There is no set criteria by Major League Baseball for it being too cold to play a baseball game, Sandy Alderson said Saturday, before the Mets played the Twins in 36-degree weather.

“Twenty-eight, 26, I don’t know where you draw the line,” the general manager said. “Nine would seem to qualify.”

Alderson was referring to a forecast of a low temperature of nine degrees for a Wednesday night game in Denver. He said he has had conversations about that with MLB, but there has been no cutoff for when it is too cold to play. “I’ve asked that question and I don’t think there is an objective bright line,” Alderson said.

As the Mets came off the field after their 16-5 win over the Twins Friday night in 32-degree weather, Terry Collins said it was pretty bitter. “Shaking their hands, their hands were ice cold,” the manager said of his players.

Looking ahead, Collins could only laugh at the forecast in Denver. “If we are playing and it’s nine degrees outside, we’re going to have to have a little investigation. The field is really going to have to be heated.

“Again, we’ll have to wait until Wednesday. I’ve played a lot of cold baseball, but I’ve never played in nine-degree weather.”

Colorado Rockies trade Ramon Hernandez to L.A. Dodgers for Harang, cash - The Denver Post

Weird deal.

The Rockies traded catcher Ramón Hernández to the Dodgers for pitcher Aaron Harang and cash considerations Saturday.
The Rockies then designated Harang for assignment and will attempt to trade him. They have 10 days to make a deal.
Regardless if he’s dealt, the Rockies will save money in the transaction, roughly in the $1 million range.

David Dahl sent to extended spring training after just one game

David Dahl has been a bad boy, a baaaaaaaaad boy.

Passan: Colorado’s Troy Tulowitzki stands alone as baseball’s most dominant shortstop

Tulowitzki is also a better hitter than Jeter ever was – a better hitter, frankly, than almost every shortstop in history. From 2009-11, Tulowitzki posted an on-base-plus-slugging of over .900. Only A-Rod, Honus Wagner and Ernie Banks have more .900-plus OPS seasons at shortstop. Lest you think it’s just a function of the thin air on Colorado, only Wagner, Vaughan, A-Rod, Banks, Barry Larkin and Alan Trammell have more seasons with an OPS+ – adjusted for ballpark and league, with 100 being average – of greater than 130.

What Jeter has is longevity, and at shortstop, that is career-defining. His sustained excellence – a career .313/.383/.442 line – is buttressed by the fact that he’s one of just five career shortstops with more than 10,000 plate appearances. The others are Luke Appling, Ozzie Smith, Luis Aparicio and Omar Vizquel – the first three Hall of Famers and Vizquel a candidate as much for his durability as his numbers.

...The current drought saw the highest OPS by a shortstop being Ian Desmond’s .845 – and the next highest was 38-year-old Jeter’s .791. Hanley Ramirez, once Tulowitzki’s mate in shortstop excellence, continued to fade, and third base is an inevitability. Jimmy Rollins, who once won an MVP, is on the downside of his career. Starlin Castro, now 23, has carved out a niche as a perfectly acceptable hitter but nobody’s idea of a superstar. Elvis Andrus and Alcides Escobar are very similar players: great gloves and baserunning instincts with some average and little to no pop. Yunel Escobar is a perpetual disappointment. J.J. Hardy can’t get on base. Ditto Alexei Ramirez. Brendan Ryan’s .555 OPS was the 65th worst of the last 50 years. Of those 65 marks, 43 have been from shortstops.

Thanks to Butch.

Ringolsby: Rockies want pitchers to ignore home park

Shove over Taborsky…Mad Dog is killing here!

Greg Maddux grinned at the mention of the challenge of pitching at Coors Field.

“Did I struggle there?” he asked.

His career ERA at Coors Field was 5.19, second only to Chase Field in Phoenix (6.01) among ballparks in which he had at least five career decisions.

“Yeah, but what was my record?” he replied.

He was 8-2 in 14 starts at Coors Field, his second best winning percentage among ballparks in which he had at least four decisions to the 8-1 record he has compiled at AT&T Park in San Francisco. The eight wins are the most of any visiting pitcher, one more than Randy Johnson, and two ahead of Adam Eaton.

“I’ll take that,” said Maddux. “That’s better than being 2-8 with a 3.50 ERA. ERA is nice, but a starting pitcher needs to concentrate on innings pitched and wins, and not worry about his ERA or strikeouts per nine innings or walks. It is all about going out there and winning.”

...Maddux, a likely first-time Hall of Fame inductee when he is on the ballot for the first time in December, has advice for anyone who wants to listen.

“Coors Field is all about going six innings, and that was before they messed with the baseballs [in a humidor],” said Maddux. “Now it’s a better place to pitch.

“Usually the pitcher who throws the most innings there will win. It’s not about going seven or eight innings and giving up two runs or less. It’s about outlasting the other pitcher.”

Source: Vladimir Guerrero to make comeback; Rockies, Astros, Rangers not interested

Breaking news: The Rockies, Astros, and Rangers are not interested in me either. Well, the Astros might be if I’m willing to play for less tha minimum wage.

A source has told CLNS Radio that 9-time All-Star Vladimir Guerrero is attempting to make a comeback to the major leagues, and is currently in the process of reaching out to many teams to see if they are interested in him.

Guerrero, 38,  has sent a video of a recent workout to many teams, and will continue to reach out to teams throughout spring training. So far, the Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers have indicated that they are not interested at the moment.

A team in China has also reached out to Guerrero and made him a well-paying offer, but he will not be accepting it and is looking for a job in the United States.

Former Royal Brian McRae to appear in horror movie

They mean an actual horror movie, not a comeback with the current Royals.

Former Royals outfielder and Blue Springs High School graduate Brian McRae is set to appear in a horror movie called “Gravedigger.”

Couldn’t be that Brian McRae, right? The International Movie Database (imdb.com) cast list includes that McRae, who played for the Royals from 1990-94, before going to the Cubs, Mets, Rockies and Blue Jays.

McRae won’t be the only former major leaguer in the flick. Billy Sample, who played seven of his nine seasons in the majors with the Texas Rangers, will star as mayor Benjamin Barnes. Jim Leyritz, who spent nine of his 11 seasons in the major leagues with the Yankees, also has a part in the movie.

Millwood stepping away after 16 years in the majors

MLB Trade Rumors

A fighter for sure; he looked totally washed up after 2010.  Fine career.

If you’re Bessemer City’s Kevin Millwood, there’s a lot of coaching youth sports, hunting and fishing in your future.

Millwood, a 1993 Bessemer City High graduate, said Friday during a celebration of his alma mater’s basketball history that his major league baseball career had come to an end…

After going 6-12 with a 4.25 ERA in 28 starts last season for the Mariners that included being a part of the second no-hitter of his career, Millwood says he told his agent, Scott Boras, that he only wanted to pitch “close to home,” indicating the Atlanta Braves and Tampa Rays were really the only two choices.

When neither team showed interest, Millwood said he’s enjoyed living in Gainesville, Ga., while coaching his 11-year-old (Kevin Jr.) and 10-year-old (Conley) sons in basketball and baseball…

Millwood said finishing his career after a solid season was important and he felt he did that last season with the Mariners.

“I feel like I can still throw it well and going out on a high note is a big deal,” Millwood said. “I just felt it was time to be closer to home and to be around the kids more often.”

The highlight of last season was the June no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Millwood went the first six innings before a groin injury forced him to the sideline; Five relievers pitched no-hit ball over the past three innings to complete the no-hitter.

“It was a cool experience,” said Millwood, who watched his teammates get the final nine outs from the training room. “But it was bittersweet to not be able to finish it out.

“I’d rather have gone on and lost it (the no-hitter) late in the game than not be able to complete it. But it was a special moment for my team, my teammates and me.”...

Millwood finished with a 169-152 pitching record during a career in which he made the All-Star team for the National League in 1999, threw a nine-inning no-hitter for the Phillies in 2003 against a San Francisco Giants lineup that included all-time home run leader Barry Bonds and led the American League in ERA (2.86) in 2005 for the Cleveland Indians.

h/t MLB Trade Rumors

Dale Murphy and the Hall of Fame: BBWAA Needs to Observe and Honor Their Own Voting Guidelines

And, like lambs to the slaughter, the Dale Murphy fans take the HOF petition.

His career statistics are comparable to (if not better than) many players already in the Hall, not to mention that everything he accomplished was done with utmost respect for the game and without performance-enhancing substances of any kind. His legacy continues to draw unmatched respect and admiration from players, coaches, and fans alike. Despite being overshadowed by the artificially-inflated numbers of the steroid era, Dale’s statistics alone have helped him receive enough votes to stay on the HoF ballot for 15 years. Moreover, his off-the-field achievements are just as impressive as those he accomplished on-the-field, creating immeasurable goodwill for the game during the 1980s and inspiring young people everywhere.

This year presents a critical turning point for Hall of Fame voting. Players who used (or who were suspected of using) steroids will likely fall short of induction due primarily to the “character clause” (i.e., failing to show good character, integrity, and/or sportsmanship). If character flaws can hurt a player’s case by diluting the potency of their on-field numbers, then by that same token, high integrity should help a player’s case. We believe that if such a holistic judgment of every eligible player’s career cannot or will not be made by the voters, then the “character clause” should either be modified or removed. Even if the clause hasn’t historically been given much attention in HoF voting (except in certain cases), this doesn’t negate the fact that the clause still exists and can and should be used to give select players like Dale Murphy the boost they need for induction. Importantly, Murphy’s induction would not in any way lead to the oft-cited “slippery slope” of inducting “very good” but not “great” players: as yet there are very few (if any) eligible players with both inordinately high levels of integrity *and* strong career statistics that would alone put them above the threshold for serious HoF consideration.

Dale Murphy is a special case, and he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

Deal revived, Rockies acquire 2B Marco Scutaro from Red Sox

Il Milione Man March heads west…

The Rockies have agreed in principle on a deal to acquire Boston infielder Marco Scutaro for pitcher Clayton Mortensen, according to a source with direct knowledge of the talks.

The Rockies’ earmarked Scutaro as a target when the offseason began, seeing him as a starting second baseman and potential No. 2 hitter in the lineup. The deal went on life support Friday, but was revived today when the Rockies were able to work through some financial issues to take on Scutaro’s $6 million contract.

It will become official shortly as the players involved are notified.

...Mortensen is an extreme groundball pitcher, relying heavily on a sinker. He went 2-4 with a 3.86 ERA, splitting between between the bullpen and rotation.

With Scutaro in the fold, the Rockies will enter spring training with one of their deepest lineups in franchise history. He will join outfielder Michael Cuddyer and catcher Ramon Hernandez as key acquisitions, completely reshaping the lineup around Carlos Gonzalez and all-star cleanup hitter Troy Tulowitzki.

Plain Dealer | Cleveland Indians acquire Kevin Slowey

The Indians acquired Slowey and a reported $1.25 million from the Rockies for right-hander Zach Putnam.

SI.com: Economic considerations at heart of Carmona’s decision

An interesting analysis of signing ages, signing bonuses, and success rates in the Dominican Republic, by Melissa Segura of Sports Illustrated ...

Teams pay premiums for 16-year-olds for two primary reasons: One, because teams often want to be the first to sign a promising player and, thus, avoid bidding wars with other teams; and two, clubs prefer to develop their players’ skills under the watchful eyes of their own club personnel rather than under those of unqualified and unaffiliated coaches or trainers.

But are 18-year-old Latin American players really worth 70 percent less than their 16-year-old counterparts? Here’s another data analysis that calls into question the industry practice of placing a premium on youth. Let’s assume the most basic marker of a successful signing is making it to the majors. We’ll make it simple and look at the 79 players who have made their major league debuts from 2008-2011 from Carmona’s Dominican Republic. Of those 79, only six were signed as 16-year-olds. The debuts suggest older players were more likely to advance to the majors. ...

[...]

What’s more, SI tracked down the bonus data for 60 of the 79 players. Fernando Martinez, signed by the Mets in 2005 for $1.3 million, was the only one to receive a seven-figure bonus. Only nine others signed for six figures and one — the Rockies’ Juan Nicasio — received nada to sign, according to the data obtained by SI. The median signing bonus among them tallied a paltry $35,000.

Q&A: Larry Walker on his Hall of Fame snub

“Mr. Walker is not a suspect…We don’t know if the person was killed at the site or if his body was dumped there.”

CBCSports.ca: Who’s more upset about your low vote total in the second year of your 15 years of eligibility: you or your family, friends and former teammates with Colorado and Montreal?

LW: I don’t think it bothers me a lot. Why am I going to get my feathers all ruffled over something that’s out of my control? Obviously, it would be an amazing honour.

Some people have pointed some things out to me that made me wonder. [Designated hitter] Edgar Martinez [only played 592 of his 2,055 career games in the field] and he’s getting twice as many votes as me [36.5 per cent to Walker’s 22.9 per cent]. Is Edgar Martinez twice the better player than me?

Not to pat myself on the back but I think I was as good as Edgar Martinez.

But I’m not going to rack my brain. I’m sure there’s people that are in the Hall of Fame that a lot people think shouldn’t be there or some that should be there and aren’t.

CBCSports.ca: The knock against you when people say Larry Walker shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame is that you played 10 of your 17 seasons at hitter-friendly Coors Field in Colorado. But a lot of times players can’t control where they play, right?

LW: I was in the big leagues, man. Are you she—-in me? You can’t always pick where you go or what happens. You just roll with the friggin’ punches. I was in the dugout trying to beat the other 25 guys in the dugout beside us. That’s all I tried to do. I can’t control where I’m at and the numbers that go up. Every ballpark has its quirks.

If you read something in the paper or a magazine or hear something on TV, whether it’s negative or positive, people tend to want to go that way with it. If what was being printed all this time was ‘Walker deserves the [Hall of Fame nod], he’s going to make it,’ I bet my percentage would be a lot higher. But all you hear about is Coors Field. That’s all I’ve heard since my first game in Denver [in 1995].

Rox sign Jaime Moyer to Minor League deal

Fun fact: When the Rockies came into existence, Jaime Moyer was in his eighth Major League season.

The Rockies’ search for a veteran for the starting rotation could take them to the ultimate veteran, 49-year-old left-hander Jamie Moyer.

Colorado and Moyer have agreed to a Minor League deal that includes an invitation to Spring Training, the club announced on Wednesday. The agreement is pending a physical.

Moyer underwent Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow in 2010 and didn’t pitch last season. The lefty worked as an analyst for ESPN in 2011 but stated that he intended to try to pitch again in ‘12.

Moyer went 9-9 with a 4.84 ERA for the Phillies in 2010.

L.A. Times: The Dodgers, Clayton Kershaw, Tim Tebow and Jesus Christ

Kershaw is a devout Christian, though unlike Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, he is hardly in your face about it. Kershaw and Tebow are two highly famous young professional athletes who outwardly approach their strong faith in markedly different ways.

If there is a showy, look-at-me aspect to Tebow and his kneeling in prayer on the football field and near zeal off it, Kershaw is more understated in his approach, if no less sincere.

I’ve never heard him bring up God in postgame interviews or seen him point to the sky after a big strikeout. Yet, I still have a clear understanding of his commitment.

“I think everybody has different approaches to it,” Kershaw said. “For me, everything I do has a purpose to it beyond what’s in this lifetime. At the same time, on the field I have a job to do and that’s what I’m focused on.

“I guess you could say I’m a little more understated than Tim is. Not to say either one is wrong, that’s just kind of my personality a little bit.”

Indeed, even if it’s not exactly his way, Kershaw admires Tebow for using his high-profile platform to bring attention to his faith.

“I have a lot of respect for Tim,” Kershaw said. “I don’t know him personally, but I think what he’s doing is special. I think what he’s trying to do should be recognized, in whatever way that you try to do it. He’s playing football but I think there’s more to it than that.

A’s trade Moscoso, Outman for Seth Smith

#### THE GOLDEN GLOBES!

Billy Beane’s Oakland A’s continued their extreme offseason makeover Monday with yet another trade. This time Beane shipped pitchers Josh Outman and Guillermo Moscoso to the Rockies for outfielder Seth Smith—who has been involved in trade rumors throughout the offseason.

Smith, 29, has served mostly as a fourth outfielder type for the Rockies since 2008, but he got a career high 533 plate appearances last season. He hit .284/.347/.483 with 15 homers, 32 doubles and 10 stolen bases. He hasn’t played center field since 2008, so he’s best used as a corner outfielder. He’ll likely be the starter in left field with Coco Crisp in center and Josh Reddick in right. Of course, prospect Michael Taylor is going to figure in the mix at some point.

One item of note: Smith’s career splits indicate he was hugely helped by Coors Field. He’s hit .296/.366/.559 at home and .257/.332/.418 on the road. And Oakland plays in one of the worst hitters’ parks in the majors.

Moscoso, 28, was 8-10 with a 3.38 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 74 strikeouts in 128 innings last season. Outman, 27, was 3-5 with a 3.70 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 35 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings. And, again, we’ll note that these two pitchers are going from having a very pitcher-friendly home park to one of the most hitter-friendly yards in the bigs.

MLB.com: Wainwright expresses admiration for Tebow

ST. LOUIS—Hours before taking the field against the New England Patriots on Saturday night, Tim Tebow found himself the center of discussion in the Cardinals’ interview room. Yes, these days it seems as if there is no setting that the Broncos quarterback can’t effectively infiltrate.

Putting his Southeastern Conference allegiance aside, Adam Wainwright spent several minutes expressing his admiration for Tebow, particularly for the fearless the University of Florida product shows in expressing his religious faith in a public forum.

“I am obsessed with Tim Tebow,” Wainwright said. “I’m not afraid to say it. It’s almost embarrassing to us athletes that this much emphasis is put on Tim Tebow because that means we aren’t living our lives as we should. If we did that more often, the way he is living wouldn’t be as big a story. I’m so proud of him for living out his faith.”

MLB Trade Rumors: Bartolo Colon Agrees to Sign With Unknown Team

Bartolo Colon has agreed to a deal with an unknown club reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). The right-hander wouldn’t divulge the team because he has not yet passed his physical.

Pretty sure it’s either the All-Stars or the Champs.

ESPN’s OTL: Strength from Weakness (Ben Petrick profile)

Who could have known? Who could have known that a player some considered a potential Hall of Fame catcher [...] would have his future stolen from him by an incurable disease that rarely afflicts people as young as 22?

How good was Petrick? Go back and look at his stats. In those 240 games for the Rockies and Tigers, he hit .257 with 27 home runs and 94 RBIs while trying to control the symptoms of Parkinson’s, which include tremors, rigidity and slow movements. He was not only tough enough to be a catcher, the most demanding position on the field, but also athletic enough to play centerfield when he wasn’t behind the plate.

“Looking back, I am amazed at what he accomplished,” says Rockies first baseman Todd Helton, who was Colorado’s first pick in the 1995 draft, the year Petrick was taken in the second round. “It’s hard enough performing at the highest level of this game, which he did. On top of that, he had to fight off a disease that robbed him of his physical ability. And on top of that, he had to play under the tremendous pressure of hiding the effects of that disease.”

Helton pauses. “You know what, though?” he says. “I’m more impressed by what he’s done with his life since.”