Marquis, 31, was acquired by the Rockies in January from the Chicago Cubs for reliever Luis Vizcaino, who was designated for assignment by the Cubs in April, signed by the Cleveland Indians in May and then released in July. Marquis came to Colorado with a 79-70 record and a 4.55 ERA (in 2006 with St. Louis, his ERA was 6.02), but his 3.47 ERA this season is a career low. He has a chance to set the Rockies’ club record for wins in a season with 17, held by Kevin Ritz, Pedro Astacio and Jeff Francis, and he has a shot to set the club record for the lowest ERA in a season, held by Joe Kennedy (3.66) in 2004.
Colorado is normally a place where pitchers go, and their ERA goes up, not down. Marquis surely will join Bruce Ruffin (1993) as the only pitchers ever to go to Colorado with at least 100 decisions, then post a better ERA with the Rockies than his career average. Ruffin’s ERA dropped by .44 runs, Marquis’ has dropped by 1.08 runs, an enormous fall in any season, in any park.
“I’m a big believer in mechanics, and when they’re right, a lot of good things can happen,’’ Marquis said. “When I got here, I tweaked my delivery—nothing crazy, nothing huge. But it allowed me to throw the ball more on a downhill plane. I can get the ball to the spot I want more often. I have been more consistent.
“My stuff has always been good, but I’d have three good starts, then two bad starts. I just go about my business, I’m a behind-the-scenes guy. I’ve been working this way since I was 16 years old, the same intensity. I don’t try to prove the doubters wrong, I want to prove all the believers were right.’‘
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1. Tom Nawrocki Posted: August 28, 2009 at 06:20 PM (#3307833)To do so, he's going to have to pass up Ubaldo Jimenez, who has a 3.36 ERA to Marquis' 3.47.
Dan O'Dowd has gotten very good at pulling starting pitchers off the scrap heap. Three fifths of the Rockies' starting rotation this year was acquired for the sum cost of Luis Vizcaino, Ramon Ramirez, and Aneury Rodriguez. And it's a good rotation!
Why didn't you try doing some of that #### when you were in Chicago, you ####### #######?
God I hate Jason Marquis.
It wasn't a contract year.
Edit: what type of contract does he get this time? He'll have to get at least as good a deal, right?
Joe Kennedy died of heart disease a couple years ago.
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