Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Rockies spects run of bad luck?

  1. #1
    Hall of Famer
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Kingsport, TN
    Posts
    18,743
    MLB ERA
    3.62

    Rockies spects run of bad luck?

    I have a theory. Major League Baseball has ruled that all baseballs used at Coors Field will be thrown in an incubator to try and limit the trajectory of the ball and its ability to travel further than at any other ballpark. While this is a good idea, to compensate for the altitude that you only see in Colorado, does this play a factor in the Rockies prospects who play in Colorado Springs?

    I would like to find a 2006 rookie and compare his Sky Sox stats to his Rockies stats. But I cannot figure out how to find Sky Sox stats for years dated before 2006. I would like to be able to find Brad Hawpe or Garret Atkins stats in Colorado Springs and compare them to their first full season for the Rockies. Anyone who could find this could be helpful.

    The theory goes; as a minor league stud makes it to the Rockies AAA affiliate and plays baseball in Colorado, they are already a pretty good prospect. But they become greater as the balls fly further. They get used to this treatment and fall into a trap.

    This kid hits a towering flyball on his perfect pitch with the best bat he has used all year and it clears the right field wall by 50 feet. Now, he is ready for the callup to the show.

    Next night, in Denver the rookie steps up to the plate and sees the same pitch he saw the night before. He is using the same bat, and he crushes it! But to his amazement the ball barely reaches the warning track and becomes a routine flyball for the opposing rightfielder.

    Now he is thinking that he should be circling the bases with a smile on his face. Yet he is walking back to the dugout in shock. Does he think, "now I see why these guys use steroids?" He knows that ball was hit equally as hard the night before. Yet it had two different endings.

    Are the ballplayers in Colorado's AAA affiliate being let down by this MLB regulation? I would like to view your thoughts on this.

  2. #2
    Administrator HollywoodLeo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States
    Posts
    33,336
    MLB ERA
    3.97
    Maybe the Sky Sox should be required to do the same thing.
    LeagueTeamyearsRecordWild CardDivisionPennantsTitles
    MSLSan Diego Padres2034-20592,217-1,9951631
    TBLArizona Diamondbacks2005-20181,216-1,0531963
    TSSLSan Diego Padres2015-2021, 2024-20281,017-9280732
    TSSLTexas Rangers2029-2033396-4140000

  3. #3
    Guess Who's Back missionhockey21's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    18,014
    MLB ERA
    1.56
    Blog Entries
    8
    Quote Originally Posted by redsrbetter View Post
    I would like to find a 2006 rookie and compare his Sky Sox stats to his Rockies stats. But I cannot figure out how to find Sky Sox stats for years dated before 2006. I would like to be able to find Brad Hawpe or Garret Atkins stats in Colorado Springs and compare them to their first full season for the Rockies. Anyone who could find this could be helpful.
    Hawpe:
    YearTeamLgAgeOrg.LevelPosGABRH2B3BHRRBISBCSBBSOHBPIBBSHSFDPAVGOBPSLGOPS
    2004Colo SprPCL25ColAAAof923456211119131863236911 3310.322.384.6521.036
    2005Colo SprPCL26ColAAAof72871330311006700002.464.559.8931.452

    Atkins:
    YearTeamLgAgeOrg.LevelPosGABRH2B3BHRRBISBCSBBSOHBPIBBSHSFDPAVGOBPSLGOPS
    2003Colo SprPCL23ColAAA3b11843980140301136724455232059.319.382.481.863
    2004Colo SprPCL24ColAAA3b1224458816343315940057454401020.366.434.5781.012
    2005Colo SprPCL25ColAAA3b521471013002400000.333.391.524.915

    I hope to have some comments later, but maybe this will help you out.

  4. #4
    Hall of Famer
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Kingsport, TN
    Posts
    18,743
    MLB ERA
    3.62
    Hey where did you get those stats? I checked everywhere and just have not benn able to come up with past stats for minor league players.

    Anyhow, look at Brad Hawpe's HR total in 2004.

    31 HRs in only 345 ABs. .652 SLG.


    That is pretty stellar. Then he got promoted to the big leagues quickly in '05. Lets look at those numbers.

    9 HRs in 305 ABs. .400 SLG
    so in 40 less ABs, Brad Hawpe didn't even come close to his AAA numbers. Granted, MLB pitching is much better than minor league stuff. But, it is still a significant drop off.

    Now you look at his next full season (2006) and you see that he has started to get used to the pitching a bit more and at the same time, may have learned to put a little more power into his stroke. We can also say that he has only improved slightly in the power department due to the near 200 more ABs. Here are the numbers.

    22 HRs in 499 ABs. .515 SLG
    This is purely a theory on power. But can we say that it is tougher to judge a player's stats out of Colorado Springs than it would be for a player out of another system? Are we getting the fair production portrait of a player who plays in a ballpark that does not compensate for altitude?

    Also, is it unfair for this ballplayer to play in a park such as this?

  5. #5
    AUTOBOTS, ROLL OUT! Molina00's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Central Oklahoma
    Posts
    4,594
    MLB ERA
    6.13
    Check out www.thebaseballcube.com. It seems to have minor league stats and even some college stats.

    There was another site I liked better that I used to use for minor league stats but I can't seem to find it anymore.
    Integrity can accommodate the inadvertent error and the honest difference of opinion; it cannot accommodate deceit or subordination of principle.


    LeagueTeamRecordStandingDivision TitlesWild CardLDS WinsLCS WinsWS Wins
    MSLRangers27-111st2731772
    PSLJedi31-448th00000

  6. #6
    De Facto Baseball God
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    22,208
    MLB ERA
    5.77
    Hawpe, Atkins and Holliday have all gotten with experience and they were highly touted prospects in Colorado's system. Joe Koshansky will probably do the same thing when he comes up.

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •