This season, call Rockies anything but rookies

[Rockiesfan_H]

Ringolsby: This season, call Rockies anything but rookies



March 27, 2006


TUCSON - A year ago, when the remake of the Colorado Rockies was put in motion, the roster was filled with rookies.

They opened the season with five rookies among their seven relievers. They had a rookie, Jeff Francis, in the rotation. And they had rookies starting at catcher (JD Closser), short (Clint Barmes), third base (Jeff Baker, because fellow rookie Garrett Atkins was on the disabled list) and in right field (Brad Hawpe). They even had a rookie backing up in the outfield, Cory Sullivan, who, by season's end, was the starting center fielder.


Not this year.


With final decisions to come this week, odds are there won't be a rookie on the 25-man roster this year for a team that has set franchise records for rookies each of the previous two years, using 18 in 2004 and 19 last year.
The bullpen will have at least four and possibly five pitchers who are 30 or older - closer Brian Fuentes (30), left-hander Ray King (32) and right-handers Jose Mesa (39), Mike DeJean (35) and David Cortes (32).
It is not like the Rockies are graybeards. Nineteen of the 40 players on their major-league roster have less than two years of big-league service. If Danny Ardoin starts at catcher on Opening Day, Todd Helton will be the only position player among the starting eight with more than two years in the big leagues.


The Rockies, however, do average 28 years of age on their major-league roster. It's only the ninth-youngest roster in the majors, but it is the youngest roster in the National League West. Los Angeles has an average age of 28.5 and Arizona 29.1. San Diego (30.8) and San Francisco (30.9) are the second- and third-oldest teams in baseball. The New York Yankees' 40-man roster averages 31.8 years of age.

[redsrbetter]

I am very excited to go see Ian Stewart and Clint Barmes this year. I make my way out to Coors Field a few times a year. definitely will be there when they play the Reds. But those two guys have a bright future.