Some Rockies-centric Links (2.21.23)

Here’s what I’m reading this week.

This is Rockies Pitch, a newsletter about the Colorado Rockies. Please consider subscribing and sharing this link with a friend.

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Be of good cheer, Rockies fans! On Saturday, we’ll have our first Rockies baseball game of 2023 (against the Diamondbacks, of course).

There’s plenty of interesting news coming out of Spring Training, so let’s get to it.

• One of the things I’m most interested in this Spring Training is the extent to which the Rockies highlight their young players. (More on that in a minute.) While this isn’t a Rockies highlight, Patrick Lyons shares video of two players fans are eager to see.

Patrick Lyons @PatrickDLyons

The future of the #Rockies on display as Zac Veen goes head-to-head with Case Williams of Douglas County HS. Notice how quickly Veen is back in the box after each pitch. Hitters will have 8 seconds to be ready in the box according to new pitch clock rules.

• Let’s not overlook the Rockies’ probably starting shortstop: Ezequiel Tovar. (MLB.com.)

  

  Photo by @kylecoopah

• In 2023, the Rockies will give their “frontline players” more rest earlier in the season. This seems like a strategy the team would have tested long ago, but perhaps it will help improve player health. (MLB.com.)

• Bill Schmidt visited with Mark Feinsand about moving from scouting to being a general manager. (MLB.com.)

• Jack Etkin has profiled Kyle Freeland, who discusses, among other things, his role in guiding young pitchers — and keeping up with old friend Ian Desmond. (Rockies Magazine.)

• Among a list of rule changes being tested in Spring Training, MLB is exploring the possibility of using PitchCom to allow pitchers to call their own signals. Patrick Saunders has more. (Denver Post, subscription required.)

• Read more about the challenges of implementing the pitch clock here. (CNN.com.)

• In case you’ve wondered if MLB needs a pitch clock, Pitching Ninja provided this (admittedly extreme) analogy over the weekend.

  Rob Friedman @PitchingNinja

  The Entire 2019 Kentucky Derby & the time between 2 Greinke pitches to Albies, Overlayed.

• It’s been a long, strange journey for Riley Pint, but he’s enjoying Spring Training. (MLB.com)

• Bradford Doolittle speculates on the strongest position for all 30 MLB teams. Can you guess the Rockies’ greatest projected asset? (ESPN.com.)

• David Laurila visited with Grant Lavigne. I continue to think that the Rockies will trade Lavigne given his skill and their bottleneck at first base. (FanGraphs.com.)

• In light of recent spending by the Mets, Phillies, and Padres, the MLB owners have created an “economic reform” committee. (Yes, Dick Monfort is a member.) While the committee will also consider topics such as the RSN collapse, surely owner spending is at the top of their agenda. Steve Cohen says he’s not bothered by it. (The Athletic, subscription required.)

• MLB needs to embrace the changing streaming landscape, argues Travis Sawchik. (The Score.)

• As MLB contemplates changes to its streaming model, the NBA aired this gem last weekend.

Front Office Sports @FOS

Adam Silver demos the new NBA App — which enables fans to insert themselves into NBA highlights.

• It’s Spring Training, so let’s finish this newsletter on an awesome note.

Colorado Rockies @Rockies

Tag your BFF 🥰

Zac Veen and Drew Romo in the beginning.

Zac Veen and Drew Romo at the end — and not many veterans in between.

Folks, the kids, they are playing.

Look for a new Rockies Pitch on Friday, and thanks for reading —

Renee

@ReneeDechert (Twitter) ★ @ReneeDechert (Mastodon) ★ @Renee.Dechert (Instagram) ★ @ReneeDechert (Post)