MEDIA CLIPS – April 12, 2016

Story rides 7 HRs to NL Player of the Week nod Rockies rookie went yard a record number of times in first 6 games

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | April 11th 2016

DENVER -- After hitting a Major League-record seven home runs in the first six games -- not only of the season, but of his career -- Rockies rookie Trevor Story was named the Player of the Week on Monday.

Story went deep twice against D-backs last Monday to become the first player of the modern era

(since 1900) to homer twice in a season opener that happened to be his Major League debut. And the firsts kept coming.

He went deep in the first four games, tying (1971), Mark McGwire ('98), (2011) and Chris Davis

('13) for the Major League mark.

After not homering Saturday, Story added his seventh homer on Sunday. The Elias Sports Bureau reported Monday that he is the first rookie to have seven home runs over any six-game span.

No one could have expected these heights, but Story, 23, expected to account well for himself after winning the starting job in Spring Training.

"I've always had the confidence I could play at this level," Story said after Sunday's 6-3 victory over the Padres, during which he homered in the eighth off right-handed reliever Brandon Maurer. "Sometimes confidence wavers, but I think belief is the big part of it. I believe that I can play here. It's been fun so far.

"It's a good feeling to perform like I have so far, but it's a long season."

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Story and fellow rookie Tyler White of the Astros, the AL Player of the Week, join the Dodgers' Fernando Valenzuela and the White Sox's Salome Barojas as the only rookies to both be named Player of the Week (April 6-12, 1981) for the first week of a season since the award's inception in 1974.

Story, a supplemental first-round pick (45th overall) out of Irving (Texas) High in 2011, certainly made the first week a long one for . He's lifting all kinds of pitches, at all different speeds, over the wall. Three homers have come on fastballs in the 92- 93-mph range. He's taken out two sliders, at 83 mph and 85, plus a changeup at 83 and a curve at 78.

This is not to say Story is impossible to pitch to -- he has eight . But with seven of his nine hits being homers against different types of pitches, he's certainly difficult. No doubt opponents will be studying the video for holes.

"I guess that's a little advantage," Story said of the fact that there is more Major League video on the pitchers than on him.

Well, after one week, the pitchers have a highlight reel to give them nightmares.

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Rockies' pitchers looking to get off to better starts

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | April 11th 2016

DENVER -- It wouldn't be accurate to say right-hander Chad Bettis was so tired of hearing criticism of the Rockies' starting rotation during the season's first week that it inspired his solid work in Sunday afternoon's 6-3 victory over the

Padres at Coors Field. He'd had enough before the season began.

"It puts a chip on our shoulder," Bettis said during Spring Training. "It's a little aggravating hearing it every day. But it's something that we've got to accept. Move forward with and understand that it all relies on pitching and defense."

Even a start as good as Bettis' was on Sunday -- seven innings, two runs (one earned), six strikeouts and one walk -- it isn't enough to kill the nagging issue. The Rockies are 3-3 going into Tuesday's opener of a three-game set with the

Giants at Coors Field. But just twice, Bettis on Sunday and right-hander Tyler Chatwood in 6 1/3 innings Wednesday at

Arizona, has a starter completed as many as six innings.

The struggles are against the backdrop of an offense that has scored six or more runs in all but two of the games. Rookie shortstop Trevor Story owns all kinds of records with seven home runs in his first six Major League games, Carlos

Gonzalez has three homers and Nolan Arenado and DJ LeMahieu two apiece, as Colorado entered Monday's play leading the Majors with 17 homers.

The story hasn't changed. Last year at home, the Rockies were third in the Majors in first-inning runs and led the Majors through three innings, but their pitchers' ERA through the first frame and through the first three were worst in the Majors.

Through six games this year, three at Arizona and three at home, the team's 7.98 ERA is highest in the game. The starters' 7.40 ERA ranks 26th of 30 teams and has meant the strong back of the bullpen has had fewer innings than long and middle relievers who have struggled.

Colorado is avoiding the finger-pointing that could easily result. After his 3 1/3-inning struggle in the home-opening loss to

San Diego, disconsolate righty Jordan Lyles said the loss was "on my shoulders," but Gonzalez expressed support.

"It's good to hear that one player is trying to take all the blame, but it's not fair," Gonzalez said. "Everyone had an opportunity to change the game. Early in the game, we had the bases loaded and didn't score." 3

The good news is the solution is simple: get and stay ahead of hitters.

"It's an offensive park, so hitters swing early and swing often," Rockies pitching coach Steve Foster said. "But that's what the pitcher has to overcome. You turn it around by pitching to contact, not running from it."

But in two starts, lefty Jorge De La Rosa (12.46 ERA) has finished 16 of his 29 counts behind. Lyles finished just four of his 21 counts ahead in his start. Chatwood, who starts Tuesday against the Giants, showed how it should be done on

Wednesday at Arizona, when he finished ahead or even against all but seven of his 29 batters.

After a rough first start last Tuesday, Bettis rebounded Sunday. He threw first-pitch strikes to 17 of the 26 hitters he faced, including nine of the last 12. It was progress.

"The emphasis is on our attitude," veteran Nick Hundley said. "Go out and win games, having our pitchers win games, believing that we can beat people. We'll win games on the mound as opposed to at the plate."

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First week for Story, White tough to top

By Richard Justice / MLB.com | April 11th 2016

Sometimes things happen that remind us why we love this sport the way we do. Maybe that's ultimately what Rockies shortstop Trevor Story and Astros Tyler White represent.

These two kids -- White is 25, Story 23 -- were long shots to make their clubs in Spring Training. Both had done enough to earn elite prospect status within their two organizations, but neither was considered a can't-miss prospect like a Francisco

Lindor or Carlos Correa.

Here's what opened eyes: performance. All both players needed was an opportunity. Both started spraying line drives around the field, taking advantage of every opportunity. In Spring Training, White .353, Story .340. In the end, the decision for Colorado and Houston to keep both of them on the big league club was no decision at all.

That in itself was a sweet story, an accomplishment, the kind both players would remember for the rest of their lives.

Baseball people remind us not to trust spring statistics that they mostly don't translate to the regular season.

Only that was just the beginning for Story and White. Just when you think baseball can't keep producing waves of amazing young talent, these kids have roared into our hearts and minds with two of the greatest debut weeks in history.

Hard to believe that just a few days ago, most baseball fans had never heard of either Story or White. Now their at-bats have become must-watch television, as they've made the most difficult sport on earth look ridiculously easy.

Story, the Rockies' No. 11 prospect, started hitting home runs at a pace no one else had ever hit them in his first week -- six in his first four games and seven for the week, along with a .333 batting average. And White almost matched him, getting 10 hits -- including three home runs and a cool .556 batting average -- in six games.

On Monday, they became the first players making their debuts to receive the opening Player of the Week honors of a new season, Story in the National League, White in the . As they begin their second weeks, Story is leading the Major Leagues in home runs, White in batting average.

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When players like this make it, they're victories -- not just for the individual players, but for an entire organization. For the scouts who signed them, the instructors who helped develop them and the trainers, doctors, teammates and others who offered assistance.

Story was the 45th overall pick of the 2011 Draft, someone scouted both as an athletic shortstop and a pitcher who threw

96 mph. Story hit 70 home runs in five Minor League seasons -- including 20 in 2015 -- so he had power, but not extraordinary power.

Because Colorado had Troy Tulowitzki, Story played second base and third last season, and he performed so well he was added to the 40-man roster. When Tulowitzki was traded and then Jose Reyes placed on administrative leave, the

Rockies had an opening, and Story grabbed it.

White, the Astros' No. 13 prospect, was a much longer shot, a 33rd-round Draft pick in 2013 who was thankful just to hear his name called. He was only 5-foot-11 and didn't match the classic prototype teams look for at the position.

Players who are 33rd-round Draft choices have to prove they belong at every level as teams focus on the higher picks.

White did that, hitting at every level. Still, Houston, with a loaded farm system, had other players get more attention.

By the time White hit a combined .325 at -A Corpus Christi and -A Fresno last season, the Astros were convinced he'd earned a shot to compete for the job. Draft status means little, especially to Astros general manager Jeff

Luhnow. As the Cardinals' scouting director, he'd found future All-Stars in the eighth (Allen Craig) and 13th (Matt

Carpenter) rounds.

One day last offseason when Luhnow was running down his club's options at first base, he kept steering the conversation back to a kid named Tyler White. At the time, White was third or fourth on the club's internal depth chart, behind an array of hot prospects and higher Draft picks. Still, Luhnow discussed White in glowing terms.

"I'm not sure I've ever been more confident of someone hitting .300 in the Major Leagues," Luhnow said.

And so, three months later, it has played out beyond what even Luhnow could have imagined.

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That's true for Story and the Rockies, too, and a sport that has welcomed Bryce Harper, , Jacob deGrom and a long list of others in recent years, has two more dazzling young talents.

Story and White have been around long enough to know that beginnings are just that, that there are miles to go. This beginning, though, it's as good as it gets.

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Giants vs. Rockies preview: Game times, TV schedule, live streaming info, matchups and more The San Francisco Giants are coming to Coors Field already in first place. It must be an even year.

By Ryan Schoppe / Purple Row | April 12th 2016

Coming off a 3-1 series win on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants visit Coors Field hoping to continue their early season success. With a 5-2 record, and two series wins under their belt already, the Giants are in first place in the National League West and well on their way in their inevitable march to another World Series title in an even numbered year.

With the Rockies hoping to re-establish their dominance, they're going to have to find a way to quiet down a potent Giants lineup while not getting shut down by a retooled rotation.

Really Good: Lineup

The Giants lineup might be the best that they've had in recent memory, well-rounded and seemingly never ending. The

Giants have the highest slugging percentage of any NL team in the non-Trevor-Story-aided division. Combined with Coors

Field's proclivity to aid extra base hits, a struggling Rockies rotation has their work cut out for them.

Very Good: Rotation

The Giant invested a considerable amount of money in giving some worthy rotation mates and so far the results have been promising for them. The Rockies do get to face the two starters who had their biggest struggles in their first starts. Jeff Samardzija struggled with command in his start while Peavy had a BABIP-influenced line similar to what most of the Rockies starters have had to endure.

Good Enough: Bullpen

At first glance, the bullpen's ERA would make one thing that they've been the best part of the Giants hot start; however, digging a little bit deeper, while they've managed to reduce runs scored so far, their lack of strikeouts doesn't bode well for their future success. At this point, the Giants are hoping that their strong rotation will be able to hide the flaws in the pen.

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Who to watch: Hitter

Buster Posey has been the Giants' best hitter for most of this decade, and this season that doesn't appear to be changing.

Alternating between catching and playing first base, Posey always hits the ball well, though he does perform better as a hitter when playing first base.

Against the Rockies, and especially at Coors Field, Posey has hit the ball well with a 1.000+ OPS in both splits. If the

Rockies pitchers can find a way to contain Posey it will go a long way to helping the Rockies secure a series win.

Jeff Samardzija combined with Johnny Cueto represent a large portion of the Giants plan to reboot their team after a disappointing 2015 season and make another at baseball dominance. While the Rockies won't face Cueto this go around, they will face Samardzija in the series opener.

Samardzija struggled in his Giants debut allowing eight hits and giving up three walks in 5⅓ innings of work. Considering the amount of capital invested in him, the Giants obviously hoped that they would be able to fix some of the issues that plagued him last year. One start in, that doesn't appear to be the case yet, and this next start against the Rockies will be the next test.

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Hartford Yard Goats start inaugural season with near-perfect record The Double-A Yard Goats got their franchise off the ground with a successful 4-1 start.

By Cameron Goeldner / Purple Row | @Goeldfinger | April 12th 2016

The first week in Hartford's history was a good one, as the team went 4-1 and took their first series win against the

Richmond Flying Squirrels. Kyle Freeland was the first pitcher on the bump for the team, and he delivered the first pitch in team history for a strike, before Jackson Williams tossed the ball to the dugout. The team is loaded, with five of the

Rockies' top-10 prospects (according to Baseball America) playing for the team. With week one of their two-month long road trip about in the books, let's take a look at how things played out.

The first game also resulted in the first win for the team, as they picked up a 5-4 victory in what was originally supposed to be their first home game. Kyle Freeland threw five strong innings, giving up four hits, one run, walking one and striking out three on his way to the win. Rosell Herrera and Ryan McMahon led the way for the team offensively, going 4-for-4 with three RBI and 3-for-3 with a walk, respectively. Pinch-hitting for Freeland in the fifth, Dillon Thomas hit a double with one out and came around to score the first run in Yard Goats history on a single from Herrera. Two batters later, it was

Herrera's turn to score off of a Pat Valaika single. This gave the Yard Goats the lead for good, as Matt Carasiti closed the game out.

In game two of the four game set, it was once again Hartford who came out on top as the Yard Goats grabbed the 8-3 win. Zach Jemiola got the start, going 4.2 innings while allowing eight hits, one run, walking one and striking out four.

Carlos Hernandez came on in relief of Jemiola and got the win thanks to his 1⅓ scoreless in which he only allowed one hit. The brunt of the offense came from Pat Valaika, David Dahl and Ryan McMahon. The trio drove in six of the team's eight runs. Also of note, McMahon played half of the game at first base, which was his first in-game test at the position.

Raimel Tapia had an encouraging game as well, despite going 0-for-3 he managed two walks from the lead off position.

It's been a bit of a rough start for Tapia so far, hitting just .143 in four games, but his on base percentage is over 150 points higher at .294. While it's too early to draw any meaningful conclusions, it's interesting to note that the the three walks he has taken so far have already eclipsed his total for the 23 games he played in the Arizona Fall League this winter, when he only walked twice.

In the third game of the season, and part one of a Saturday doubleheader, it was another Hartford win. This time, the score was 5-1 as the Goats got the seven-inning win. Antonio Senzatela got his first Double-A start and made the most of it, allowing three hits, one run, walking one and striking out six in his six innings. Dahl homered for the second time in as 10 many games, and drove in three runs in the process. Juan Ciracio and Pat Valaika drove in the other two runs for the team and Rayan Gonzalez came on and closed the game out without allowing a hit.

Unfortunately for the team, all undefeated franchises must eventually lose, and for the Yard Goats that first loss came in the second part of the doubleheader. The 4-0 defeat saw the offense sputter, as the team was only able to muster one hit and five total base runners. It was an equally rough outing for starter German Marquez, the prospect acquired as part of the Corey Dickerson trade. In his debut inning with his new organization, he allowed three runs and committed a throwing error. When all was said and done, he pitched three innings, allowed four hits, struck out five and watched four runs score. The silver lining for Marquez was that only one of the four was earned, due to a fielding error by Juan Ciracio on the very first ball in play.

The Yard Goats began their second series on Monday at New Hampshire, and grabbed the 4-1 victory. Matt Flemer threw six strong innings, giving up five hits, one run and walking one. Konner Wade followed Flemer with two strong innings in which he allowed only one hit before Matt Carasiti came in and got the save. Pat Valaika led the offensive charge for the team, going 2-for-3 with two RBI. David Dahl tallied his third of the season, and Correlle Prime got his first hit as well as his first RBI in a 1-for-4 performance.

Player of the week:

Granted, it wasn't a full week, but it was Pat Valaika who powered the Yard Goats in their inaugural series (plus one). The

23-year-old was 7-for-18 in the first five games of the season, finishing with a slash line of .389/.400/.500, recording six

RBI and scoring three runs himself. He also walked once and struck out four times. Valaika was a ninth round pick out of

UCLA in 2013.

Rosell Herrera's strong week deserves to be mentioned as well. In four games, the former top-100 prospect went 5-for-11, hitting .455/.571/.545 with three RBI, two walks, one strike out and four runs scored.

The Yard Goats will play two more games against New Hampshire before they head to Portland for a four game set, the first time they will officially be on the road. At this time next week, they will be in the middle of a three game series with

New Hampshire.

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Five Things: Home runs are unsustainable

By Isaac Marks / Purple Row | @IsaacSMarks | April 12th 2016

Note: All theories based off statistics based on six games, AKA a small sample size. It's not enough to accurately prove anything. Just roll with it.

Trevor Story’s record-setting beginning to his career has been nothing short of brilliant. His ability and demeanor is everything that Rockies fans wanted and his power output is, by far, the most exciting part of the young season. The rest of the team is feeding off his power; the Rockies and their 17 home runs are leading by three over the next team, the San Francisco Giants. The crazy part about it, though, is that the Rockies are tied with the New York

Yankees for fifth in runs scored with 35. Why weren’t the Rockies generating more runs? The power is there, the Rockies are getting on base at a league-average rate, shouldn’t those two statistics translate into a higher run rate?

The Rockies have generated 26 of their 35 runs off of home runs. That’s a 74 percent runs from home runs rate (RFHR), which is unbelievably high. The next closest team is Houston, who has scored 28 runs and 19 came off homers, a 68 percent rate.

I went through each game this season and calculated how many runs were generated by homers in major league baseball through the first week. Out of the 768 runs scored this year, 310 have come on home runs. That’s 40 percent of all runs scored, a much more normal rate. The Rockies have nearly doubled the league average so far.

Hell, the Rockies are generating more runs that Carlos Gonzalez did in his 40 home run, 97 RBI season last year.

Gonzalez, a power hitter, is expected to generate a solid amount of runs via homers, so a high RFHR rate is expected.

The Rockies, a team, are made of players that range from CarGo’s power to Jorge De La Rosa’s dangerous home run swing; in other words, they shouldn’t be close to Gonzalez’s RFHR. They’ve surpassed it; Gonzalez produced a 72 RFHR rate. For reference, the National League co-home run leader, Nolan Arenado, posted a 57 RFHR.

There are two teams that have scored less than ten percent of their runs via the long ball, and both are from Los Angeles.

The Dodgers have generated four runs from homers but have scored 42 in their first seven games leading to a 9.5 RFHR percentage. The Angels have scored 12 runs in six games with only one solo home run, an 8.3 RFHR. At least the

Rockies don’t have that problem.

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I love home runs as much of the next guy, but this unbelievable rate is unsustainable. Expect a regression over the next few weeks. With that regression in mind, the Rockies will need to figure out how to compensate for those runs elsewhere, because you can’t always hit home runs.

Unless your name is Trevor Story.

Five Things that are good or bad

1. Trevor Story has more home runs than over half of the teams in baseball.

Story has seven. Sixteen teams have fewer than seven. Three teams have seven. Story is generating more power in 21 at-bats than teams have generated in seven games. He also has 12 RBI; the same amount that the Los Angeles Angels and Minnesota Twins have as a team.

Will it sustain over the rest of the month, let alone the entire season? Of course not. But appreciate it while it’s happening because it’s never been done before.

This is good.

2. Jorge De La Rosa is struggling.

De La Rosa has given up more earned runs than innings pitched so far. The last time he did that was on May 20 and 25,

2009. He did it once in July 2010, but was coming off an injury and a limited pitch count. It’s a bit concerning considering that the last time his ratio numbers were this bad, De La Rosa was 26 and coming out of the bullpen for Milwaukee and

Kansas City. It’s safe to say DLR doesn’t have his good stuff to start the season, but see disclaimer at top of screen. At this point, the terror alert has gone from green to blue. Don’t panic, but keep an eye on it.

This is bad.

3. No rainouts!

Unlike on the East Coast, the weather in Colorado was beautiful over the weekend and looks to stay that way through the

San Francisco series. As a reluctant east coaster, I’ve come to appreciate how great Colorado weather is. Appreciate it while you can.

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This is good for you, bad for me.

4. The best commercial of the decade is here.

If Gonzalez’s fu manchu doesn’t make you laugh hysterically, I don’t know how to help you.

Your browser does not support iframes.

This is so good I can barely contain my excitement.

5. No TOOTBLAN’s this week!

For those of you don’t know, a TOOTBLAN (Thrown Out On The Basepaths Like A Nincompoop) is a statistic that records idiotic base running outs. The Rockies had a lot of these over the last few years. I will be tracking the Rockies

TOOTBLAN’s and providing insightful analysis to each one. Plus, TOOTBLAN is fun to say.

This is good.

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Tony Wolters' first major league start was memorable and should inspire confidence Tony Wolters collected some statistics in his first major league start—a hit, a run scored, and a caught runner—but the most positive sign is found in his work with the pitching staff.

By Eric Garcia McKinley / Purple Row | @garcia_mckinley | April 12th 2016

DENVER – Tony Wolters made the most of his first major-league start. He caught the best performance of the year by a

Rockies’ starter so far. He recorded his first major league hit. He scored a decisive run after advancing from first to third on a single. He even threw out a would-be base stealer. Wolters was central to the Rockies victory on Sunday. But to hear it from him, he was just out there doing what he’s supposed to do.

Wolters had butterflies before the game, as anybody would; however, he recognized them for what they were and expressed the ability to channel his emotions into productive play. "Once I catch that first pitch," Wolters indicated, "I’m good." After that, "it’s just a game." It’s not a feeling that will go away with his future starts. In fact, Wolters mentioned Nick

Hundley sharing that he still gets anxious before a start. Harnessing the emotion for competitiveness in what, Wolters admits, "is a kid’s game," exemplifies the rookie's baseball aptitude and can stand as evidence as to how he’s overcome the odds and is on the active roster right now.

Rockies claim Tony Wolters off waivers Newcomer Wolters excited for chance to compete Wolters joined the Rockies as a waiver claim from Cleveland in mid-February. The skillset that recommended him at the time is unchanged: He can play multiple positions in addition to catcher. The difference between then and now is that he’s starting to realize the potential of just how valuable that skillset is. It’s not the "multiple positions" part—a lot of players can do that—it’s the "in addition to catcher" component. His ability to manage the most demanding, and possibly most important aside from pitcher, position on the field is what can separate him from the dime a dozen utility players in baseball.

One of the first things Wolters did when he joined the Rockies in Scottsdale was to make "a point to get to know every single" pitcher on the staff. To build this rapport, he projects what might be his best qualities on to his battery mates.

"Every single one of these pitchers are playing for the love of the game," Wolters stated, "and they just want to win." For

Wolters, his role as the catcher is to help his partner fulfill this ambition, which is ultimately team-oriented.

On Sunday, his battery mate was Chad Bettis, who threw seven innings of two-run baseball while walking zero batters and striking out six. Asked how much of Bettis’s performance could be attributed to his work with Wolters behind the plate, manager Walt Weiss asserted that Wolters has put in a lot of work to "develop relationships with the pitchers." Indeed, "it was one of the reasons we broke camp with him." Wolters excelled in some of the more unquantifiable aspects of 15 catching: calling a game, sequencing, and generally cultivating a comfortable environment between he and the pitching staff.

In their postgame comments, Bettis and Wolters played a game of displacing credit to the other person.

Bettis: "We went over the game plan of how to attack these guys;" Wolters "took control. He didn’t miss and there weren’t many shake" offs; "we clicked well and worked well together."

Wolters: "Chad had a great plan and we executed it;" "I’m proud of him and glad I got to catch him;" "it was a day off for me."

When describing his rapport with Bettis, Wolters began by saying "we’ve been together for … " It sounded as if he was going to say something like "years" rather than the six weeks or so Wolters has been with the club. In any case, he reiterated that they continued their conversations in between innings. They went over the plan and they executed it.

Of all the positives that took place during Wolters’s first major league start, his work behind the plate should inspire the most confidence. He exhibited essential skills at the most demanding position on the field, which also happens to be a component of the game that can make the difference between a win and a loss. There’s still work for him to do.

Specifically, he has not yet shown offensively that he can handle major league pitching, though he has only made a few trips to the plate. But if his catching acumen is really as good as it looked in his first start, the difference between Tony

Wolters, major leaguer, and Tony Wolters, organizational filler, might just be getting his bat to acceptable levels. If he can do that, he can leave behind the "super utility" descriptor and firmly embed himself as a major league catcher.

Whatever happens, he’ll have this excellent major league debut to hang his hat on, even if he views it mostly as a small part of a team effort. But maybe that’s exactly what it was—maybe that’s what could make him a valuable part of the

Rockies.

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Rockies, Jeff Bridich will remain patient with pitching prospects Despite the big league staff's historic early struggles, the Rockies' GM won't force the issue with his impressive minor league pitching depth.

By Bryan Kilpatrick / Purple Row | @purplerowBK | April 11th 2016

DENVER -- While we're only two series into the 2016 season, it appears the are in for more of the same this year from a pitching staff that has been among the worst in the league for each of the last couple of seasons.

Rockies pitchers through six games own a league-worst 7.98 ERA and are third worst (152 ERA-) in the park-adjusted version of that metric. The rotation, which owns a 7.04 ERA, has lasted six or more innings in just two of six outings. The bullpen, admittedly due in part to an unexpected injury to Jason Motte, is awkwardly assembled and hasn't been overly effective.

In spite of all of that, Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich is remaining patient, particularly with the team's top pitching prospects. Kyle Freeland and Jeff Hoffman, arguably the most polished and advanced hurlers in the Rockies' minor league system, both turned in impressive early season outings. But Bridich understandably wants to see more from all sides.

"It's their job to put pressure on us at this level to make decisions," Bridich said before the Rockies' home opener last

Friday. "Kyle did a very nice job throwing strikes and getting outs, putting [Hartford] in the position to win that game. He showed up very well in major league camp. Jeff Hoffman showed up very well in major league camp. Antonio Senzatela,

Shane Carle -- I'm gonna miss a few guys here talking about it."

"It's nice to see," Bridich added, "but the main thing is take the ball every fifth day, stay healthy and focus on pitch to pitch

-- outing to outing -- to make sure you're taking care of your business."

Hoffman did just that in his 2016 debut, tossing six innings of shutout baseball for Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday. The performance led Baseball Prospectus to declare Hoffman good enough for the majors right now:

He has more than enough velocity to compensate [for "room for growth in his command"], and while he's not a finished product just yet, Hoffman looked like he was ready for the big leagues. We can't know how he'll take to Colorado, but he has the pure stuff of a no. 2 starter right now.

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The "not a finished product just yet" part of that snippet -- along with the fact that it's so early in the season and that no major decisions need to be made right now -- is why Bridich and the Rockies' player development staff will continue to have Hoffman, Freeland and the others work their craft in the minors for the foreseeable future.

"We're looking for the best opportunities for all of our starters at the minor league level to get the innings and turns they need," Bridich said, adding that the Rockies' biggest question overall still needs to be answered.

"Do we stay healthy," Bridich floated, "and do these young starters who are pushing up and developing stay healthy?"

In the meantime, rotation incumbents Jorge De La Rosa and Jordan Lyles are going to have to get better. More length will help the bullpen work through its early season weirdness, simultaneously reducing the pressure Bridich and the front office might feel in regards to rushing prospects through the system quicker than they'd like.

Either way, Bridich will be paying close attention.

"There's a lot of following games on the phone," Bridich said of his commitment to keeping tabs on the minor leagues even after shedding the role of player development director following his promotion to GM in 2015. "If I can't get the games on MiLB.com, there's a lot of texting going on between myself, Zach Wilson and all the guys in player development. That's how we're wired."

"We're very interested in how all of our players and coaches are doing at every level," Bridich added. "It's a daily thing, and it should be. That's why we're in this business."

It's hard to imagine Bridich and his staff not being pleased about the early performances of Freeland, Hoffman, Senzatela and several other pitchers who are expected to play key roles on future Rockies teams. But there's still a lot of time for things to truly unfold.

"It's exciting to see those players do well at the minor league level but you've got to pay attention because there are guys who are going to struggle," Bridich explained. "We have to make sure we talk about that, too."

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Trevor Story's tale reminiscent of Jeremy Lin's punny rise to fame A helping of sports commentary each weekday

By Joe Nguyen / The Denver Post | April 12th 2016

It's a story for the ages.

A 23-year-old athlete seemingly plucked from obscurity and thrust into the spotlight. Only he didn't just take advantage of the opportunity, he erupted and carried it into uncharted territory.

In his first week as a starter, he set records and captured national attention.

Rockies rookie shortstop Trevor Story is doing it now, but back in 2012 the hype train was on then-New York Knicks guard

Jeremy Lin.

Lin's rise was far crazier — an undrafted Asian-American kid from Palo Alto, Calif., who exploded onto the scene in one of the world's biggest markets. Whereas Story was a first-round draft pick and a top prospect in the Rockies' system — he was expected to pan out.

The "Trevor-ending Story" isn't quite "Linsanity" 2.0. But the media loved two things about both tales: A feel good narrative and names ripe for puns.

Lin went from the end of the bench and became the first NBA player to score at least 20 points and dish out seven assists in his first five starts. And headline writers had a ball: Lincredible. Linspiration. Linfectious. Um, this one.

Fast forward to the Rockies' rookie phenom run. He became the first player ever to hit home runs (six in total) in each of his first four games. He's at seven in six games now if you're keeping count. And with a name like Story's...

The never-ending Story. Story Time. True Story. Greatest Story ever told. A Story for the ages.

The rookie won the National League player of the week award on Monday (no surprise there). And while the Rockies are looking to find some stability with their pitching — seriously, a 7.98 ERA through six games? — fans can only hope that at least with their shortstop, it'll be the same ol' Story.

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How Trevor Story is defining a new normal for rookie Story has as many home runs as the Marlins, Mets, Pirates and Angels combined.

By Nick Groke / The Denver Post | @nickgroke | April 11th 2016

With every lofty swing and trot around the bases, Trevor Story is defining a new normal — not just for Rockies rookies, but for power-hitting shortstops.

Sunday, Story hit his seventh home run in six games, a 425-foot blast to the left-center field bleachers at Coors Field. He has hit a total of 2,902 feet of home runs in the Rockies' 3-3 start. He is the first player in major-league history, rookie or otherwise, with seven homers in a season's first six games.

"If that's normal, that would be pretty nice," Colorado manager Walt Weiss said.

Shortstop traditionally is a defense-first position. Troy Tulowitzki, the Rockies' longtime star at the spot before being traded to the Blue Jays last summer, is the rare shortstop who has an elite bat. And rookies should struggle when they arrive in the big leagues.

Story is rejecting both scripts. In the process, his power surge is tearing up the Rockies' best-laid plans.

Take, for example, his spot in the batting order. Weiss hits him second in the lineup, ahead of Carlos Gonzalez, whose job is to drive in runs. Hitting in the middle of the lineup, Gonzalez usually comes to bat with runners on base.

That's why he had 97 RBIs last year.

But Story, not counting his home runs, has been on base only three times this season (one walk and two singles). That makes it hard for Gonzalez to clear the bases.

"I'm OK with it," Gonzalez said. "I'll take 40 RBIs with 40 homers if we reach our goals. Our goal is to win."

After Story's latest long ball Sunday, his seven homers were more than 16 teams — and he had as many home runs as the Marlins, Mets, Pirates and Angels combined.

"It's always good to do well. It's a good boost for my confidence," Story said. "But even if I wasn't hitting home runs, I think

I'd still be confident."

After the Rockies traded Tulowitzki, Jose Reyes became their presumptive starting shortstop. He is the Rockies' highest- paid player, at $22 million this season. But Reyes' domestic violence charge in Hawaii, and a likely pending suspension from Major League Baseball, gave Story a shot.

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Story has taken advantage of the opportunity. A year ago, Reyes hit his seventh home run in his 116th game. Story has done that this year in 110 fewer games.

"In this game," Gonzalez said, "confidence is No. 1. The more confidence you feel out there, the more the ability is going to show. Right now that's his game."

Story's record-setting first week gave him the National League player of the week award Monday. The 23-year-old is one of just four rookies to win the honor in a season's first week since the award made its debut in 1974. Other rookies honored: the Dodgers' Fernando Valenzuela (1981), the White Sox's Salome Barojas (1982) and the Astros' Tyler White, who won the American League award Monday.

Story's home run Sunday, which helped salt away a 6-3 victory over the Padres, was immediately followed by Gonzalez's second home run of the game. Gonzalez hit two solo shots.

"I don't want to make him mad or take his stakes," said Story, who is hitting .333. "But I guess that's a good problem to have."

Footnote. The Associated Press reported that a judge in Hawaii approved dismissing the domestic abuse charge against

Reyes.

Deputy Maui Prosecuting Attorney Kerry Glen said Monday the judge signed off on the move but will give prosecutors about two years to refile charges if Reyes' wife cooperates in the case. Glen said it's impossible to move forward with prosecution without cooperation from Reyes' wife, who refuses to speak with prosecutors.

Reyes was arrested Oct. 31 at the Wailea Four Seasons Resort.

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Rockies rookie Trevor Story named NL player of the week Rookie Tyler White wins AL honor

By The Denver Post | April 11th 2016

Trevor Story's record-setting first week in the big leagues netted him the National League player of the week award, MLB announced Monday.

Story led both leagues in home runs (7), RBIs (12), total bases (30) and slugging percentage (1.111). He hit 9-for-27 over seven games, with two singles, and he scored seven runs.

The 23-year-old became the first player to hit seven home runs in his first six career games. He is also the first player to go deep seven times in his team's first six games in a season.

Story homered twice in his big league debut in Arizona, and had his second multi-homer game in his Coors Field debut.

The Texas native's helmet and batting gloves were sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame. His seven home runs came on a variety of pitches, counts, off lefties and righties and both on the road and at home.

Story became one of four rookies to ever win the player of the week award, since it was first given out in 1974, during the first week of the season, after the Dodgers' Fernando Valenzuela (1981), the White Sox's Salome Barojas (1982) and the

Astros' Tyler White, who won the AL award Monday.

White hit .556 (10-for-18) with three HRs and nine RBIs.

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Jose Reyes' domestic abuse charge gets dropped by judge in Hawaii Reyes can still ask the judge to dismiss the case outright, taking away prosecutors' ability to refile charges.

By The Associated Press / The Denver Post | April 11th 2016

HONOLULU — A Hawaii judge has approved dismissing a domestic abuse charge against Colorado Rockies shortstop

Jose Reyes.

Deputy Maui Prosecuting Attorney Kerry Glen said Monday that the judge signed off on the move but will give prosecutors about two years to refile charges if Reyes' wife cooperates.

Glen says it's impossible to move forward with prosecution without cooperation from Reyes' wife, who refuses to speak with prosecutors.

The former New York Mets shortstop was arrested Oct. 31 at the Wailea Four Seasons Resort.

Reyes was released after posting $1,000. The bail will be returned now that the charge is dismissed.

Reyes can still ask the judge to dismiss the case outright, taking away prosecutors' ability to refile charges. So far, defense attorney David Sereno hasn't filed a motion requesting that.

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Trevor Story's helmet, batting gloves in HOF after historic week

By Associated Press / ESPN.com | April 12th 2016

Cooperstown already has Trevor Story's helmet and batting gloves after his historic seven-homer first week, but the

Baseball Hall of Fame isn't getting his bat.

"They asked for the bat," the Colorado Rockies shortstop said Sunday, "but I couldn't give up the bat."

Nobody in major league history ever had a first week like Story's: a record seven home runs in his first six games, including homers in his first four starts.

"It has been fun so far," the rookie said Sunday after hitting a solo shot in Colorado's 6-3 win over the San Diego Padres, giving him 12 RBIs and putting him on a pace for a ridiculous 189 home runs and 324 RBIs this season.

On Monday, Story was named the National League Player of the Week. Fellow rookie Tyler White, of the , earned the honor in the American League. The pair are the first players to win the awards in their first week since

Fernando Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Dodgers (April 6-12, 1981) and Salome Barojas of the Chicago White Sox (April

12-18, 1982).

Story, who averaged 14 home runs in his five minor league seasons, has no explanation for his sizzling start other than he's locked in at the plate, where, he said, "I just clear my mind, compete with my eyes and react with my hands."

Rockies manager Walt Weiss told Story when he reported to spring training that he had a chance to win the starting shortstop job with veteran Jose Reyes on paid leave while facing legal issues.

He wondered how the 23-year-old would handle his opportunity.

"You see young players go either way. Sometimes it's too much for them at an early age," Weiss said. "Trevor went the other way. He elevated his game. I never saw the game get too fast for him in spring training. It's nice when pressure brings out the best in people."

Story already has as many homers as Reyes hit in 116 games last season.

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