Colorado Rockies 2002 Season Preview

by Paul Wysard

After quite accurate calls for 2000, I stumbled on all three predictions (Colorado, Arizona, Houston) last year, and did worst of all on the Rockies. It looked as if this club, behind Mike Hampton, Denny Neagle, and an offense with speed and power would contend to the end. It finished last in the West, 16 games under .500, its worst showing since the maiden 1993 season.

The natives within a large and extended fan base are getting restless, and two recent Super Bowl appearances by the football Broncos has jacked up the pressure. More, much more, is expected beyond the ambience and cuisine of Coors Field.

Management has tried to change the team with different faces (see table below) as well as a new type of attack which has added some speed and shed power. Center fielder Juan Pierre personifies the new regime, erasing doubts about his size and stamina with .327, 108 runs and 46 steals last season. He needs to walk more as a lead-off hitter, but struck out only 29 times.

The tandem at the heart of the batting order, rightfielder Larry Walker and first baseman Todd Helton, supplies as much punch as any pair in either league. Together, they hit .343 in 1,080 at-bats, with 87 homeruns, 269 RBI, and 249 runs scored. If Walker stays healthy at 90% of the schedule, those numbers will be repeated.

The lineup thins out as we look deeper. Leftfielder Todd Hollandsworth has yet to live up to the potential shown when he was Rookie of the Year in 1996. One year, he shows some pop, then a good average, then injuries. It is a cliche, but he has to put it all together. At 3rd Base, veteran free agent Todd Zeile is a step down from Jeff Cirillo, who went to Seattle. Zeile will jerk a few long balls in the Denver atmosphere, but, at 36, his homers have dropped by half and his RBIs by a third in the last two campaigns. Young middle infielders Juan Uribe and Jose Ortiz are very promising offensively, but have yet to complete a full year on the firing lines at bat and around second base.

Hampton should be better than 14-13, .541, but will he be? Neagle, 9-8, .538, is drifting toward journeyman status. The rest of the starting staff is essentially untried. Closer Jose Jimenez was adequate, but well-travelled Todd Jones and Rick White have been brought in to help. Jose Paniagua, who arrived through the Cirillo deal, is a possibility for good middle relief.

Colorado's catching continues to fluctuate. Tony Eusebio, reliable behind the plate, has come over from Houston; younger, erratic Ben Petrick might hit. Which one do they use? Hawaii's own Benny Agbayani has been added to a better-than-average group of backups, including ex-White Soxer Greg Norton, who can play at three posts, but there is nothing earth-shattering in reserve.

Colorado will battle San Diego to stay out of the cellar in the West.

When It's Springtime in the Rockies... ...You will see rushing streams, fresh flora and fauna...and lots of new faces in Coors Field. It's been written that the General Manager has been a part of trades and free agent signings involving over 100 players. I can't verify that, but if you compare the 1999 lineup below with the latest one above, you will understand much of the picture: