MEDIA CLIPS – March 31, 2017

Gray eager to bring power stuff to OD stage By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | March 30th, 2017

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Maybe it is in the mane.

Late last season, a executive was discussing the transformation of Rockies right-hander from a tentative late-season callup in 2015 to a threat in '16. As the blond locks grew, he checked off areas of pitching growth. By the time he fanned a Coors Field-record 16 on Sept. 17 in a shutout of the Padres, his hair was long enough to whip as wildly as opponents swung.

"I guess you have to have confidence to pitch with hair like that," the longtime baseball observer said.

Gray, who will get a trim for a charity donation in a month or so but has no plans to go crew cut, will let his hair hang down once again on Monday, when he makes his first start against the Brewers at Miller Park.

"He's intimidating," Rockies Tony Wolters said. "He's a little lion out there. You can see him bobbing his head when he's feeling good. It freaks out the hitter. I get excited."

Gray has more than just a fear-inducing look. At an imposing 6-foot-4 with a that averaged 95 mph last season and a put-away slider, Gray set a Rockies rookie record with 185 last season. Now a curve he learned last year became a strikeout pitch this spring. So the 25-year-old can overpower hitters and make them look bad.

Just imagine if Gray were actually mean.

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"When I go out and pitch, I don't, I'm not myself," Gray said. "I'm not Jon, I guess, when I'm going out there. I'm someone else. An angry individual, I guess.

"I love to pretend. Every five days, I get to be somebody else."

Gray would have a hard time finding reason to be angry. On Monday, he will become the fourth-youngest to start an Opening Day in club history -- behind (1993) and (2003), both 24, and Jhoulys

Chacin ('13), who was a couple months younger than Gray now.

At the end of each year, Rockies general Jeff Bridich and the staff have exit interviews, where they assign an area of improvement. Pitching and Bridich were light on specifics and heavy on wanting Gray to pitch with belief that he can dominate.

"He started believing, 'I can overpower guys. I don't have to tickle the zone. I can attack the zone,'" Foster said. "You started seeing it last year. The fans started seeing it. I certainly started seeing the belief on the mound."

Now Gray can spread some of that confidence to the rest of a young rotation. It includes another second-year man in and 89-start veteran Tyler Chatwood, with three rookies in line for two spots -- righty German

Marquez, who appeared in six Major League games (three starts) last season, and two others who would be making their debuts in lefty and righty .

"I've done it before," Gray said. "I've about every bump in the road there is, and I'm always finding ways to get past it to move on. I know these guys are going to do the same exact thing."

On Opening Day, Gray's hair will be flowing. More importantly, so will his confidence and excitement.

"It's exciting," Gray said. "It's the best place to compete. We're all competitive people. That's exactly where we want to be right there, right in the middle of that storm. I'm just waiting for that day."

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Rox make flurry of moves before camp breaks Gray gets OD nod; Musgrave, Patterson, Bemboom sent to Minors; rotation to be announced Friday

By Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com | March 30th, 2017

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Rockies officially named Jon Gray as their Opening Day starter in Milwaukee on Monday as expected, and are likely to announce the rest of their starting rotation for the regular season Friday.

The Rockies also announced left-handed pitcher Harrison Musgrave, outfielderJordan Patterson and catcher Anthony

Bemboom were sent to the Minors.

"I told [Gray] it's a feather in the cap," Rockies manager said. "It's a special day for all of us in baseball. To be named your team's starter to kick off the season, again, a nice feather in the cap."

As for the rest of the rotation, Tyler Anderson is on track to start the second game of the four-game series against the

Brewers on Tuesday and Tyler Chatwood will likely start the third game of the season. The final two spots in the rotation will be filled by Kyle Freeland, 23, Antonio Senzatela, 22, or German Marquez, 22, with one of those three likely landing in the .

Freeland and Senzatela would be making their Major League debuts. Marquez made his big league debut at the end of last season.

Black also said left-handed pitcher Chris Rusin, who was slowed by an oblique injury this spring, will throw two and 30 pitches in a Minor League game Friday. Black also expects catcher Ryan Hanigan, who signed a Minor League deal with the club earlier this week, to report to Triple-A Albuquerque Friday.

"We all have talked about the importance of catching depth," Black said. "He's a veteran guy that works well with .

He's a receiver, blocker, thrower and I really liked his work in Cincinnati."

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Blackmon's 3 RBIs back Anderson's effort By Barry M. Bloom and Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com | @boomskie | March 30th, 2017

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Tyler Anderson and Clayton Richard made their final spring starts for the Rockies and Padres, respectively, on Thursday with vastly different results as Colorado downed San Diego, 10-5, at Peoria Stadium to conclude the Padres' desert end of .

Anderson's final tuneup went three innings and 38 pitches. DJ LeMahieu had a hit in each of the first three innings, including a double, two singles and a pair of RBIs, andCharlie Blackmon added 3 RBIs to back up Anderson's pitching.

The left-hander allowed two runs on three hits with a walk and three strikeouts, and hit an RBI single in the second .

"The only thing that was really bad about today was the leadoff walk [in a two-run Padres second], but the rest, I'll take it,"

Anderson said. "I was just working on getting pitches down with two strikes where you want them to. They weren't really down, but that's all right."

Conversely, the veteran left-hander Richard was taken for three runs on six hits before he was lifted with two out in the second inning. He also allowed one walk and fanned three. For the Padres offensively, Ryan Schimpf had a second- inning RBI triple and Dusty Coleman doubled in a fourth-inning run.

The Padres concluded the Cactus League portion of their schedule at 11-21-3. The Rockies still have a pair of games against Seattle before leaving Arizona to open the regular season. All three teams open on the road Monday.

A swarm of bees stopped play for a moment in the top of the ninth inning, causing all the players on the infield to fall flat to their stomachs. The swarm collected around a microphone installed on the screen above and to the left of the Padres' first-base-side dugout.

Rockies manager Bud Black said he saw the hive.

"But then I saw something happening over here, where all the players got on the ground," said Black, standing to the left of the infield after the game. "It was reminiscent of Petco Park a couple of years ago. Remember that when the keeper had to come down to the left-field corner?" 4

Rockies up next: Right-hander Tyler Chatwood, the Rockies' likely No. 3 starter, is slated to make his final spring start against the Mariners at 7:40 p.m. MDT at the Peoria Sports Complex. The game will be broadcast live for free on

MLB.TV. Jordan Lyles, Greg Holland, Adam Ottavino, Harrison Musgrave, and Jairo Diaz are also expected to pitch.

Padres up next: The Padres broke camp after the game and headed back to the San Diego area. Their final exhibition game is Friday at 6.p.m. PT against their affiliate Lake Elsinore Storm. Trevor Cahill will make his final preseason start during the game, which will be played at the Lake Elsinore field, located in Riverside County about 90 minutes north of Petco Park. Listen in live on Gameday audio.

Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV.

Barry M. Bloom is a national reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Boomskie on Baseball.

Follow @boomskie on Twitter.

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Black talks season outlook in manager Q&A By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | March 30th, 2017

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Rockies manager Bud Black isn't afraid of youth on the mound or behind the plate. He also knows what security a strong bullpen can bring.

Most of all, in his first year as Rockies manager, Black has been greeted by some talented and accomplished players who are ready to win.

Black knew all this in November, when he accepted the offer to replace Walt Weiss as manager. Seeing the team in flesh and blood has deepened Black's belief in the club as Spring Training winds down this week.

Black addressed several aspects of his first Rockies club in a recent question-and-answer session. Here are some highlights of how he addressed several subjects:

On culture and talent

"From the other dugout from many years, watching Rockies baseball, you could tell that the players were starting to develop -- [DJ] LeMahieu, [Nolan] Arenado, [Charlie] Blackmon, to go along with [Carlos] Gonzalez, it was a nice core of position players.

"Then here comes , young , the young catching. From the other side it looked really, really good and promising. That's what I've seen now here in camp; the realization of these young guys as big-leaguers. Now we've got to get the young starting pitching caught up with these fellows."

On whether young pitching can win big

"I'm going to go back a couple generations, or a generation, but you can go back to when the sort of turned over from 1983 to 1984, and when you talk Bret Saberhagen, Mark Gubicza, Danny Jackson, , all guys in their early-to-mid 20s who got a chance to pitch. And these fellows performed. That's my hope, that our young pitchers, our young starters, can get an opportunity, take that opportunity, run with it and perform.

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"At some point you're a young pitcher. And for some guys it takes a little longer. Fortunately, I had a rough rookie year, then sort of found it and got better. But I'm hoping between myself and our pitching coaches, we can get some of these guys moving along a little quicker than it took me."

On the experienced bullpen

"That's so critical this day and age, the bullpen. Any manager or general manager will tell you how important that is to your team's success.

"So it starts with the . Even going back to my days in Anaheim, we had Troy Percival and we had Frankie

Rodriguez, and we had great guys in front of them -- [Scot] Shields, [Brendan] Donnelly, [Ben] Weber, [Scott]

Schoeneweis. Then when I got to San Diego, we had Trevor Hoffman, All-Star, Heath Bell, All-Star, Huston Street, All-

Star, and guys in front of them -- Mike Adams, Luke Gregerson, Joe Thatcher; guys who performed.

"With this group, you look at Greg Holland. You look at Mike Dunn. You look at Adam Ottavino. You've got four guys who we project for our 'pen. You add the veteran Chad Qualls when he bounces back from his arm issue to make an impact in our 'pen. Our bullpen has a veteran feel to it. We'll have some young guys out there, too, to cover some innings.

But most of the important work will come from veteran guys."

On the readiness for productive players to become winners

"Talking to these fellows in the wintertime and talking to these guys this spring, they're ready. They feel as though they're ready to take that step, track down the Dodgers and Giants -- teams that have been in front of us for a couple of years.

"They're up for that challenge. These guys are now solidified as Major League players. The next step is to solidify themselves as perennial contenders. That's where we need to get to. That's where so many teams want to get to, where each and every year you feel good about our chances. But again, that's a collective team effort. That takes all facets.

We've got to get the pitching up to speed with that."

On if there is enough depth and talent in key areas to contend now

"That's why we play. We'll find that out. But we like the talent. Again, we need the talent realized in between the lines. But

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on a scouting scale, if you look at our players, we have some talent. A lot of these young pitchers, these , are not overly battle-tested over a length of a season or even a couple of years. These are young players.

"But what I like about them is the makeup; the ability to gather information, process it, put it into play. These guys have been sponges as far as information. But it's going to take quick studies by a number of these players to be big leaguers and contributors right away at the big league level."

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Arenado prime candidate to win NL MVP By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | March 29th, 2017

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- If the Rockies make the dramatic climb to playoff contention after six straight losing seasons, it's possible that star Nolan Arenado could have yet another wall to scale.

Arenado would join Larry Walker, and Matt Holliday -- star Rockies who put up numbers worthy of regular- season awards but had to battle the misunderstanding and mistrust of offensive numbers for someone playing nearly half of his games at Coors Field.

All 30 MLB.com beat writers are projecting major award candidates from the team they cover. In Colorado's case, the competition includes its own park, where hitting stats are difficult to measure or understand. As much as Arenado, Carlos

Gonzalez, or DJ LeMahieu could find themselves under consideration if healthy, it's possible that a pitcher has the best chance to take home major hardware at season's end.

Walker broke through in 1997 with the Baseball Writers' Association of America Most Valuable Player

Award. Helton finished fifth in the NL MVP Award voting in 2000, and The Associated Press named him its Player of the

Year. In 2007, when the Rox were in the , Holliday finished second in the NL MVP Award voting behind the

Phillies' Jimmy Rollins.

Arenado has already dealt with this issue. In 2015, he and the Nationals' belted an NL-best 42 homers.

Interestingly, 22 of Arenado's dingers came on the road, yet he finished eighth in the NL MVP Award voting. Last year, when he tied for the homers lead again with 41, Arenado finished fifth.

Arenado's OPS splits of .960 at home and .835 on the road in 2015 and 1.030 at Coors Field and .832 while away last year are held against him.

Blackmon could push himself into contention with another career year, after having his best year in every statistical category last season, as he had OPSs of .939 home and .926 on the road. LeMahieu is coming off his first NL title, and he hit .391 at home and a respectable .301 on the road. Gonzalez has 65 home runs and 197 RBIs over the past two seasons, but with Colorado's typical home-road splits.

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But the biggest award candidate just might be a pitcher.

Closer Greg Holland missed last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery in October 2015. Before that, he earned 125 saves over three seasons with the Royals, who made it to Game 7 of the 2014 World Series and won it in '15.

Holland has bet on himself to return. His one-year contract with the Rockies is worth $7 million, but clauses based on appearances and games finished could allow him to double his salary this year and activate an option for next year. There is also a $100,000 bonus for the NL Comeback Player of the Year Award.

In the odd way that Coors Field is judged, the pain of surgery and missing a year can put a player closer to major honors than consistent production.

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Sources: Rockies sign Hanigan to Minors deal By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | March 28th, 2017

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- In an effort to add experience to their catching mix, the Rockies reached a Minor League agreement with Ryan Hanigan, who was recently released by the Phillies, Major League sources said Tuesday. The contract has not yet been announced by the club, and Hanigan will have to pass a physical.

Hanigan, 36, caught 10 seasons for the Reds (2007-13), Rays (2014) and Red Sox (2015-16). According to Major League sources, Hanigan's deal carries a $1.25 million Major League salary.

Hanigan will join the Rockies on Friday, the next-to-last day before breaking camp, and begin the regular season at Triple-

A Albuquerque. He offers postseason experience (with the Reds in 2010, 2012 and 2013), and insurance for a club that plans to begin the regular season with second-year man Tony Wolters and rookie Dustin Garneau behind the plate.

Additionally, rookie Tom Murphy will begin the year on the 10-day disabled list with a hairline fracture of the right forearm.

The Rockies hope he will return in late April.

Hanigan has been an above-average receiver and thrower much of his career. He is a right-handed batter with a career

.250/.345/.334 slash line.

Hanigan signed a Minor League contract with the Phillies in the offseason, and batted .389 in nine Grapefruit League games. But the Phillies released Hanigan and Bryan Holaday on Wednesday, which leaves their catching tandem Cameron Rupp and Andrew Knapp.

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Trevor Story’s spectacular play highlights Rockies’ win over Padres Stephen Cardullo continues push for spot on opening day roster with 2-for-4 day at the plate By PATRICK SAUNDERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: March 30, 2017 at 5:14 pm | UPDATED: March 30, 2017 at 5:23 pm

Rockies 10, Padres 5, at Peoria Sports Complex

PEORIA, Ariz. — Trevor Story’s dive-‘n-roll stole the show Thursday afternoon in the Rockies’ 10-5 victory over San

Diego. The dove for Yangervis Solarte’s hot shot up the middle, gloved it, rolled over and simultaneously — and blindly — flipped the ball to DJ LeMahieu, who completed the spectacular double play to end the first inning.

“It was unbelievable. He’s a stud athlete, huh?” Rockies Tyler Anderson said. “He made a great play even getting to the ball, and then to have the wherewithal to stay with it? Unreal. Then DJ made the quick throw. That’s a fun infield we have.”

Added manager Bud Black: “I sort of wish that had been during the regular season. We’d see that running for decades.

What a great play that was. It just shows what Trevor can do and what he and DJ can do together.”

For starters: Anderson, in line to start the second game of the regular season Tuesday at Milwaukee, tapered down his workload, pitching three innings and throwing 38 pitches (28 strikes). It was an uneven performance by Anderson, who gave up two runs on three hits with three strikeouts. He was most unhappy with a lead-off walk to open the Padres’ two- run second inning.

“I was working on some pitches where I didn’t quite get my results,” Anderson said. “I think I just kind of let a couple of batters get away from me. I was working on getting pitches down with two strikes and I didn’t really get them down.”

Hits: LeMahieu, the defending National League batting champion, hiked his spring average to .344 with three hits and two

RBIs. … Charlie Blackmon went 1-for-4 and drove in three runs. … Stephen Cardullo, still hoping to make the 25-man roster, went 2-for-4 and is hitting .379. … Lefty reliever Mike Dunn pitched a scoreless eighth. He has allowed no runs and one hit, while striking out 12 and walking three over 9 ⅔ innings. … Reliever Carlos Estevez, who’s had an excellent spring, allowed one hit in his scoreless inning of work, whittling his ERA to 1.93.

Misses: Right-hander German Marquez, a dark-horse candidate for a spot in the rotation, scuffled through three innings, giving up two runs and four hits. He struggled with fastball command early. … Nolan Arenado went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, leaving five men on base.

Up next: Rockies at Mariners, 7:40 p.m. (MDT) Friday at Peoria Sports Complex 12

Rockies probables: RHP Tyler Chatwood, RHP Greg Holland, RHP Adam Ottavino, LHP Harrison Musgrave, RHP Scott

Oberg, RHP Jairo Diaz

Mariners probables: LHP Drew Smiley, LHP James Paxton, RHP Evan Scribner, RHP Nick Vincent, LHP Marc

Rzepcyzski, RHP Edward Diaz

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Jon Gray named Rockies’ opening day starter for 2017. After that, questions remain. The 25-year old will be Colorado’s 18th opening day starter in 25 years By NICK GROKE | [email protected] and PATRICK SAUNDERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: March 30, 2017 at 10:47 am | UPDATED: March 30, 2017 at 1:56 pm

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — With just one full season behind him, Rockies right-hander Jon Gray might not have the resume of an , but the 25-year-old, gun-armed ace will start opening day for the Rockies, Colorado manager Bud Black confirmed Thursday.

Gray, who will pitch against the Brewers in Milwaukee on Monday to open the season, will lead the youngest rotation in the Rockies’ 25-year history.

“It’s really exciting, it’s the first game of the season,” Gray said. “But then again, it’s another game. I’m just looking to get hitters out.”

The Rockies have used 18 different pitchers on opening days in their 25 years.

Gray sports the most powerful arm in Colorado’s green rotation. He had 185 strikeouts in 168 innings last season. Anderson finished with the rotation’s best ERA a year ago, 3.54 over 19 games.

The Rockies took Gray with the third overall pick in the 2013 draft out of the University of Oklahoma. He made his major league debut in late 2015. A year ago he went 10-10.

“I told him it’s a feather in the cap,” Black said of starting on opening day. “It’s a special day for everybody in baseball. He gave me a Jon Gray smile.”

Black would not confirm the remainder of the Rockies’ rotation. But left-hander Tyler Anderson, 27, will likely start

Tuesday, followed by Tyler Chatwood, 27. Their schedules line up for regular rest on those days. Anderson was set to start in a Cactus League game Thursday and Chatwood on Friday, both in Peoria.

The final two spots in the rotation remain up for grabs. Kyle Freeland, 23, and Antonio Senzatela, 22, seem to be the leading candidates. Both have pitched as starters in recent weeks in the Cactus League. But Freeland and Senzatela

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would be making their big-league debuts. German Marquez, 22, is also in the discussion. He debuted as a September call-up last season.

One of those three will likely land in the bullpen to begin the season, as a second long reliever with Jordan Lyles.

Harrison Musgrave, 25, was scratched off the possibles list on Thursday when the Rockies sent him to minors camp. He had been used in recent games as a long reliever.

The Rockies also sent Jordan Patterson and catcher Anthony Bemboom to the minors. And veteran left-hander

Chris Rusin, once a candidate for the rotation before an oblique injury in early March set him behind, will throw in a minor- league game Friday. He will go two innings or about 30 pitches in preparation for an eventual long-relief role in the bullpen.

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Kiszla: Does pitcher Jon Gray have right stuff to break curse of being Rockies starter on opening day? Gray is the Rockies’ 18th opening-day starting pitcher in 25 years

By MARK KISZLA | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: March 30, 2017 at 5:30 pm | UPDATED: March 30, 2017 at 5:31 pm

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — He might not be stuck with the most mind-freaking job in sports, but Rockies pitcher Jon Gray is definitely on the shortlist.

Bestowed the honor of taking the mound for the season at Milwaukee, Gray responded with a nonchalant grin and said, “I’m just looking to go out there and get that first W.”

Me? I would have reacted to the news like that dude Edvard Munch painted in “The Scream,” then scurried home, jumped in bed and hid under the covers for a week.

“It’s a feather in the cap to be named the opening-day starter. It’s a special day for all of us in baseball,” Colorado manager Bud Black said Thursday.

For fans, the annual return of baseball is all about the poetry, odes inspired by the heady mix of beer for breakfast, the smell of freshly cut grass and hope springing eternal. What’s the reality? Being named the opening-day starter for the

Rockies might indeed be an honor, but it also can be a curse that quickly ruins a perfectly fine pitching career.

With a shout of “Play ball!” the Rockies will open their 25th season as a National League franchise in 2017. Try to wrap your mind around this factoid without freaking out: Gray will be the 18th different starting pitcher for Colorado on opening day.

Want to be the ace for this team? Are you sure? From David Nied to , and from to , the list of casualties condemned to this dirty job is long and ugly.

The real burden for Gray is not the significance of the first start but the responsibility to lead a young Rockies pitching staff in all the starts that follow, against the likes of San Francisco stopper Madison Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw, who has won the Cy Young Award three times for the .

“You want to set the tone … Go out there and do your job every time,” Gray said.

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There was never a doubt about his slider, a pitch so nasty it earned Gray a $4.8 million signing bonus before he won a single game in the big leagues. Whether Gray had the stuff to be an ace at Coors Field, a place wickedly unfair to pitchers, was always a question about his mental toughness.

Gray is 25 years old, with a scant 38 career starts. Where he has grown most as a pitcher is not as obvious as his long, shaggy hair. The maturity of Gray can be measured by the calluses on his heart. Yes, his mind was initially blown by the cheap home runs manufactured at Coors. He nevertheless learned to love the ballpark as his home.

“I had to take ownership of everything that happens. The negativity. The good things. Own it all,” said Gray, who realized that playing the victim earned him neither victories nor sympathy. “I was in the passenger seat. Now I’m in the driver’s seat.”

We all want to believe this year will be the first time since 2010 the Rockies will enjoy a winning season. The optimism begins with Gray.

Without question, his shoulders are strong enough to handle the job. It’s the strength of the head on those shoulders that will determine whether Gray thrives in the job.

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Rockies’ confidence in their young catchers kept them from chasing free agents The Rockies not only went young on the mound, they went young for the full 60 feet, 6 inches By NICK GROKE | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: March 30, 2017 at 5:40 pm | UPDATED: March 30, 2017 at 5:41 pm

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — With spring training in its last gasps, the Rockies stopped to look around this week. Their season- opening pitching rotation probably will be among the youngest in the 25-year history of the franchise. And the entire will be young. So the Rockies wondered out loud whether now is the time to find a veteran catcher.

The answer to their own question came quickly.

“Among the guys who have become available,” manager Bud Black said, “there is not a big gap of talent between who we have and who we might get.”

The Rockies on Tuesday reached agreement on a minor-league deal with veteran catcher Ryan Hanigan, who was cut by the Phillies on Monday. The Rockies acquired him for depth. If he makes the team this year, he will be paid $1.25 million.

Hanigan is an insurance policy. For now, the Rockies will move forward with three inexperienced catchers, starting with

24-year-old Tony Wolters. Dustin Garneau, 29, will be his backup until Tom Murphy, a 26-year-old slugger, returns from a broken hand next month.

The Rockies not only went young on the mound, they went young for the full 60 feet, 6 inches.

“We feel good about these guys,” Black said of the catchers. “What they’ve shown this spring, with their receiving ability, the blocking, working with our pitchers and knowing our pitchers, knowing what I expect, it is a situation that is very important to us.”

Derek Norris, an all-star catcher with the Athletics in 2014, was released two weeks ago by the Nationals. On the surface, he seemed to be a perfect fit for the Rockies, a team with a green catching corps and injury issues. And he was a catcher for Black with the Padres in 2015.

But Norris ended up with the Rays; he signed a $1.2 million contract with incentives last week. Those incentives are for big-league time and the Rockies, it appears, didn’t want to make promises. They are all in on their young corps.

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“I don’t have very much major-league experience, in the veteran sense. But I have worked with all these guys,” Garneau said, glancing at the row of starting pitcher lockers in the Rockies’ clubhouse at Salt River Fields. “I’ve caught them a lot in the minor leagues and a few in the majors. I have a a good feel for what they can do. We have a good rapport.”

At spring training, Black often has pulled aside his battery for instruction. A former pitcher and pitching coach, Black said he knows the importance of a pitcher-catcher relationship. He has personally shepherded those bonds at spring training.

Last week in Goodyear, Ariz., 22-year-old right-hander Antonio Senzatela walked to the Rockies’ dugout after an error- marred fifth inning that pushed Senzatela to the ropes. Black stopped him at the bottom of the steps and huddled with

Garneau.

“He’s watching. He’s not in my ear, but he’s definitely watching,” Garneau said of Black. “He’s making sure you’re doing the right thing, staying on the same page. Between innings, he’s coming down, talking to me, talking to pitchers. If there’s one pitch called, he’s asking why. He’s very in tune with the pitching game.”

Black, in a sense, is a surrogate catcher among catchers with little experience. Wolters made the Rockies’ season- opening roster last year in a surprise, only three months after they converted him from a middle to catcher. He played in 71 games, 59 behind the plate. Garneau played in 24 games last year, Murphy 21. None received as much field time as 32-year-old veteran Nick Hundley.

The Rockies let Hundley go in free agency, turning instead to their youthful trio. So while it seemed Norris might be a good fit, the Rockies weren’t looking for another Hundley when they already had one.

“Their relationship will translate into good pitching performances,” Black said of his catchers’ familiarity with a young pitching staff led by right-hander Jon Gray, 25. “Bringing a new fellow in, there would be a learning curve with that fella, to get acclimated to what we do on the pitching side and with our pitchers.”

Young backstops

The Rockies seem headed toward having the youngest pitching rotation in their 25-year history, but the entire battery will be young too. Three inexperienced catchers will help shepherd those pitchers from behind the plate:

Catcher Age Games At-bats Avg. OPS

Tony Wolters 24 71 205 .259 .723

Dustin Garneau 29 46 138 .196 .584

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Tom Murphy 26 32 79 .266 .949

Note: Career stats; OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage).

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“It’s a different world now,” Dick Monfort says, after Rockies extend Coors Field lease long-term Coors Field, already the third-oldest ballpark in the National League, was ensured a longer life By NICK GROKE | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: March 30, 2017 at 7:18 pm | UPDATED: March 31, 2017 at 8:39 am

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The four-year ordeal to keep baseball at Coors Field for three more decades proved to be a new experience for Rockies owner Dick Monfort. On Wednesday, he agreed to extend his club’s lease at the ballpark through

2047. But not without difficulty.

“The days of municipalities building new stadiums without financial help from clubs is over,” Monfort said Thursday. “When

Coors Field was built, it was built by the taxpayers and that’s the way it went back then. It’s a different world now. We had to figure out the best way to offset some of the costs.”

The Rockies and the Metropolitan Baseball Stadium District, the state division that owns Coors Field, agreed on a 30-year lease that will cost the club $200 million. approved the long-fought deal early Wednesday morning. And Coors Field, already the third-oldest ballpark in the National League, was ensured a longer life.

But to make the financial arrangement work, the Rockies horse-traded with the District for a 99-year lease on a plot of land directly south of the stadium. Now the Rockies are in the real estate business.

Metro area taxpayers, through a 0.1 percent sales tax, ponied $162 million for the construction of Coors Field, which opened in 1995. The District did not want to ask the public for more money. But the original 22-year lease was set to expire Friday. If the Rockies and the District failed to agree, the lease would have rolled over for five more years, then five again, with three possible extensions.

Monfort was not interested in moving the team or the stadium, he said. But he needed to figure out a way to pay for upkeep.

“Our only option was to figure out a long-term lease,” Monfort said. “We could have gone through three five-year deals and let the park deteriorate knowing that in 15 years we may be out or relocate. But we wanted to stay where we’re at.”

Coors Field will be 53 years old at the end of this lease. But unlike football stadiums and basketball and hockey arenas, baseball stadiums often increase in value and prestige with age. Wrigley Field and Fenway Park are each more than 100 years old.

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The public owns Coors Field, but the Rockies are responsible for its survival. Monfort, and his brother Charlie, became primary owners of the Rockies in 2005, a decade after Coors Field opened. They inherited the ballpark as it aged.

The Rockies and the District each gathered engineering studies that suggested stadium upkeep over 30 years would cost about $200 million, for everything from sewer lines to wireless internet and concrete sidewalks. This season, after a three- year effort, Coors Field will have new seats throughout the stadium.

The Rockies, Monfort said, have immediate plans for improvements. The 10-year-old scoreboard above left field will be replaced before next season.

“The software that runs that, we are so far behind everybody else, it’s a joke,” Monfort said. “We’re worried things will break down. We have a real concern.”

As part of the deal, the Rockies bargained for control of a surface-level parking lot next to Jackson’s Denver sports bar, south of Coors Field. The land is zoned by Denver for an eight-story building and a variety of uses. Monfort said he wants to build something baseball-related.

“I’m not a developer by any means, so I’ll have to forge forward,” Monfort said. “But we can make it something that is really unique. My goal is to have it as an extension of the stadium.”

Monfort said he has scouted several cities and how teams have expanded the stadium outside its gates, including St.

Louis, where the Cardinals built a “Ballpark Village” entertainment area next door to Busch Stadium.

His first idea, Monfort said, is to build a hall of fame. The Rockies have a large storage area at Coors Field for baseball memorabilia that is rarely seen, even by people who work for the club.

“Baseball stadiums really have the ability to last for a long time,” Monfort said. “They can gain in popularity. It makes sense to keep it up, and it saves a (heck) of a lot of money. We have a great park already, if we can enhance it, I’m excited.”

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Rockies strike deal “in the 11th hour” to keep Coors Field as long-term home The Rockies agreed to a $200 million, 30-year lease with the Metropolitan Baseball Stadium District By NICK GROKE | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: March 29, 2017 at 4:44 pm | UPDATED: March 30, 2017 at 4:50 pm

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Rockies on Wednesday struck an “11th hour” deal with Colorado after four years of difficult negotiation designed to keep the team at Coors Field for 30 more years.

The Rockies agreed to a $200 million, 30-year lease with the Metropolitan Baseball Stadium District, the state division that owns Coors Field. In trade, the Rockies will be allowed to lease and develop a valuable plot of land directly south of the stadium for 99 years. For that, the team will pay the district $125 million.

“This was difficult and long, but we’re going to have baseball in Colorado for three more decades,” said Matt Sugar, spokesman for the district. “The greatest benefit will be that the taxpayer won’t have to pay a dime.”

Major League Baseball approved the deal Wednesday morning. Coors Field, the third-oldest stadium in the National

League, will remain the Rockies’ home through 2047, when the stadium will turn 53 years old. Only Wrigley Field in

Chicago and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles are older in the NL.

“We are proud that Coors Field will continue to be a vital part of a vibrant city, drawing fans from near and far and making our Colorado residents proud,” Rockies owner Dick Monfort said in a statement.

A 22-year lease between the Rockies and the district was set to expire Thursday. If the sides had failed to agree on a new deal, the lease would have rolled over for five more years. But the Rockies in October indicated they were not interested in that extension option.

The Rockies will pay about $2.5 million a year in rent, plus the lease on the new land, totaling $200 million over the term.

Their previous lease cost about $100,000 per year in rent and $900,000 in annual capital costs. Most of the money the

Rockies will pay to lease the LoDo land will be front-loaded in the first 30 years.

The district and the Rockies each commissioned studies that determined capital improvements over the next 30 years — everything from sewer lines to new seats to internet access — would cost about $200 million. To raise those funds, the district considered and rejected several ideas, including a new sales tax, a seat tax and direct funds from the state and city, among other options.

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Instead, the Rockies used the negotiation to bargain for a piece of land across 20th Street, south of Coors Field. The plot, currently a parking lot, sits between Jackson’s sports bar, Fado Irish Pub and the ChopHouse steak restaurant.

When the stadium opened in 1995, two years after the Rockies’ first season, Denver’s Lower Downtown neighborhood boomed and real estate prices shot up. Denver previously zoned that plot for an eight-story building that can include retail, office and residential spaces. That zoning remains in place.

The Rangers last year got voter approval for a $1 billion new stadium, half funded by taxpayers, to replace Globe

Life Park in Arlington. That stadium, which opened one year before Coors Field, will be torn down for the new field. And the this season will open SunTrust Park outside the city, a $622 million new stadium that cost the public about $400 million. It replaces Turner Field, a downtown stadium that opened two years after Coors Field.

“We wanted to lock them up for 30 years,” said Bob Lee, a director on the seven-member district board who, with Jim

Basey, led the committee in charge of the negotiation.

Coors Field was built with funds from a 0.1 sales tax that paid $162 million. For the district, the land swap avoided having to ask for more public funding for stadium upkeep, Sugar said.

“We struggled and struggled to not have to go back to the taxpayer,” he said.

In 2014, in response to a running competition among bars and restaurants around the stadium, the Rockies used part of the money they owed the district for annual upkeep to build a rooftop above right field. New construction lopped off the third deck and built a two-story section that fans often refer to as a “party deck.”

The St. Louis Cardinals in 2014 opened the “Ballpark Village” area across the street from Busch Stadium, a team-owned area that includes retail, restaurants, entertainment and parking.

Since its inception, Coors Field’s deal is unique among stadium contracts between pro sports teams and cities. The

Rockies do not own their own home, and neither the team nor the district owns potentially lucrative stadium naming rights.

The Coors company bought in as a limited partner in the original Rockies investment group in 1990. In exchange, the company received naming rights in perpetuity.

“It really did come down to the 11th hour,” Lee said. “It sure feels good now.” 24

Bullpen Power Rankings: Who can bring it late? ESPN InsidersMar 30, 2017

The provided the latest reminder that teams can rely on strong late-game relief to stay in games and get deep into the postseason. Ranked by their projected wins above replacement (WAR) from ESPN Insider's Dan

Szymborski, we count down which will help seal their teams' wins during the 2017 season.

13.

Projected WAR: 4.1 | K rate: 22.0% | BB rate: 8.9%

Projected ERA: 4.45 | FIP: 4.15 | ERA+: 106

The Rockies' bullpen might end up sharing more saves than any team in baseball because of its deep blend of different looks, velocities and arm angles. Adam Ottavino, Greg Holland, Mike Dunn, Carlos Estevez, Jake McGee, Jason

Motte and Chad Qualls have all saved games, and as Bud Black learns his bullpen and tries to navigate through the challenge of playing half his games at Coors Field, the Rockies' saves will be spread out more than any team in baseball this year. -- Jim Bowden

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What's your team's one big question for 2017? ESPN Insiders Mar 28, 2017

We asked ESPN's Insiders to give us their take on what the single most important question each team has to sort out heading into the 2017 season. Getting a happy answer will be much more difficult for some of the 30 ballclubs than others.

Colorado Rockies: They have the offense, defense and bullpen to go the distance, but is their starting pitching ready for contention? It's going to be tough to get past either the Dodgers or Giants. Jon Gray looks ready to become a true ace, and both Tyler Chatwood and Tyler Anderson seem solid, but that leaves two huge holes. Chad Bettis is undergoing chemotherapy for testicular cancer; it's unknown when/if he'll return. To reach the postseason, the Rockies need German

Marquez, Kyle Freeland and/or Antonio Senzatela to step up. -- Jim Bowden

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Rockies face an “impossible” task. Here’s how they plan to defend Coors Field’s vast outfield. The Rockies have two fields at their spring training complex built to the same dimensions as Coors Field By MATT FAYE | Cronkite News March 30, 2017 at 8:47 pm

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Wide-open spaces don’t scare Rockies .

As spring training winds down and the team prepares to head back to Coors Fieldfor a new season, Colorado’s outfielders are comfortable with the challenge presented by the vast acreage of their home ballpark.

Coors Field has the second-largest outfield in Major League Baseball behind only Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, according to FanGraphs.com. With the size of the park, coupled with the thin air in the Mile High City, the team’s outfielders have to cover a lot of real estate.

“You can’t cover the whole outfield, that’s impossible,” said coach Ronnie Gideon, who has been the primary instructor working with the Rockies outfielders this spring. “It’s a handful of things put together, but at the end of the day, it comes down to what your gut feel is with where you want to play.”

Those around the clubhouse acknowledge the unique challenges that come with such a large outfield. Charlie Blackmon, who enters his seventh season with the club, said he plays deeper than normal at home in an attempt to eliminate triples.

But it’s a give-and-take strategy. While Blackmon looks to take away extra-base hits, that leaves room for lesser-hit balls to fall in behind . Based on his experience, Blackmon believes it’s the best way to play outfield at Coors.

“That comes from a couple years of experience just knowing how big the outfield is, how far away the outfielders are playing from each other and how far that fence is from where you would normally play,” Blackmon said of his approach.

Blackmon is the key to the Rockies’ defensive positioning, according to Gideon, but he’s just one player the team’s coaching staff relies on to prepare the outfield. In addition to utilizing analytics, both Gideon and manager Bud Black said they have a staff meeting with the outfielders before each series to discuss what strategy they’d like to employ against a specific team.

“Those are the guys in the fire, those are the guys who have instinctual capabilities, and I like that,” Black said. “Whether it’s Charlie, whether it’s DJ (LeMahieu), whether it’s CarGo (Carlos Gonzalez), we talk about these things. I think it’s great to have the player investment in how we go about things.”

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The approach changes depending on what type of ballpark the Rockies are playing in. Blackmon said changing strategy from a vast Coors Field to more intimate ballparks on the road can be a challenge.

“You’re used to this giant field and then you go to Cincinnati or somewhere where all the outfielders feel like they’re bunched in,” Blackmon said. “Next thing you know you’re bumping into each other trying to catch balls that normally at home only one outfielder gets to.”

The transition is even tougher on players with less experience at Coors Field. Outfielder David Dahl played just 32 games at Coors after being called up last season, and veteran Chris Denorfia figures to serve in a backup role in the outfield after signing with Colorado in the offseason.

Gideon said he and his players lean on Blackmon to help those less experienced at playing at Coors Field.

“Charlie’s a big voice,” Gideon said. “He’s been around here and knows how to play center field in Coors Field.”

But the dimensions at Coors won’t be completely unfamiliar for newcomers to Colorado this season. The Rockies have two fields at their spring training complex at Salt River Fields that exactly mimic the dimensions at Coors Field.

The 22-year-old Dahl, who will miss opening day because of a nagging rib injury, credits playing the duplicate outfields and Blackmon for helping him grow comfortable with the outfield size.

“Charlie (Blackmon) definitely did help me out as far as letting me know I need to move, when to play a little deeper, how fast the grass is, just little things like that,” Dahl said. “But it’s something, too, that you need to get out there and see on your own.”

Despite the preparation the Rockies outfielders put in, defensive strategy often is determined by the team’s pitching staff.

Although the Rockies have a set approach for playing at Coors, they’ll adjust based on the strengths of the pitcher who is on the mound and the hitters the Rockies are facing.

“Our pitchers have to understand where we’re playing, also,” Gideon said. “We’re pitching and playing defense to their strengths, not the hitter’s strengths.”

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The Rockies quietly improved here, and it’s one of their keys for 2017 By Jake Shapiro on March 31, 2017 | BSN Denver

The Colorado Rockies and the base paths for the past few years have gotten along as well as a couple post-shotgun- wedding. Over the course of the Walt Weiss era, it’s almost a disservice to the word atrocious to say that the team was atrocious at . One of Bud Black‘s main focuses has been improving the run game.

It’s not just Black that wanted to see an uptick in this area of the game which has held the club back. Since Jeff Bridich took the helm it’s clear that one of his goals has been to make Denver’s franchise an athletic and versatile one.

Aside from Black, Colorado’s coaching staff has been revamped as a whole. Out went Eric Young, largely in charge of the base running and in are Tony Diaz at first base coach, as bench coach while Duane Espy and Jeff

Salazar round out the offensive side of the staff.

“Being able to apply pressure with power, average and good base running that’s dangerous,” Black said. “We have the first two, but if we can get an aggressive team, that is very distributing and that’s what we want. (Charlie) Blackmon,

(Trevor) Story, (David) Dahl, CarGo have good speed, DJ (LeMahieu) and Nolan (Arenado) are good base runners.”

The already existing nucleus of players, the added and Alexi Amarista will provide more speed than most think. A main reason the Rockies didn’t take extra bases in the past was philosophy.

“There is a component of when to run and who to run,” Black described. “I think there is an offensive philosophy that you would like to have in place where you are able to apply pressure on the opponent in a number of different ways, not only in the batter’s box but on the bases. Base stealing, or the ability to stretch out bases and pressure opponent’s defense, it’s important.”

Factoring in full seasons from Dahl and Story and fully healthy, leash-off Blackmon, the team has the potential to jump from the bottom ten in base running to the top ten.

“It’s not so much about the stolen base, it’s about how we run the bases,” Black said. “That’s what I want and that’s what our guys want as well. Charlie two years ago stole 40 plus bases and last year he was down, we’d like to think he could increase that.”

While it’s cliche for your to snag 40 bags, it’s unique to say the least to have a catcher that you’d consider a threat on base. 29

“Tony Wolters is aggressive, he still thinks he’s Dave Roberts, both of them being from Rancho Buena Vista High school.”

Wolters has already had a few attempts in spring. He only had five last year, but he — a former middle infielder — is built perfectly to get out and run a little bit.

“I know from the other side, Rickey Henderson was a different animal, Marquis Grissom, Otis Nixon, those guys were true base stealers,” Black recalled when he pitched in the bigs. “But the sneaky fast guys, with good big leads that bothers you, opposed to a guy with a two-foot lead, great you can pick your leg up and pick your pitches, you have to leadoff well.”

In the past the Rockies have gotten out and run, in fact, the Blake Street Bombers are the only team in MLB history to steal 200 bags in a year and sock 200 dingers. When Black was asked if he would like that out of his team, he responded,

“how about that, that’s what I’m talking about.”

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It’s Kyle Freeland time for the Colorado Rockies By Jake Shapiro on March 30, 2017 | BSN Denver

With Jeff Hoffman, German Marquez, , Antonio Senzatela, , Ryan Castellani, Yency

Almonte, and others all in the Colorado Rockies system, Kyle Freeland might be the most forgotten high- level pitching prospect in baseball. 2014’s eighth overall pick is having a splendid spring with a 3.48 ERA across 20-and- two-thirds innings, which have included 19 strikeouts. The left-handed pitching prospect, who you may have written off for his low strikeout rate in the minors—he’s ready.

The Rockies and Freeland have had an interesting relationship, they not only reconstructed his arm, their coaches have reconstructed his repertoire throughout his three seasons in the minors. His strikeout dropped to an alarming below six per nine in the low minors in 2015 but nobody that knew Freeland, or the Rockies plan was concerned. The Thomas

Jefferson High School graduate was being taught a and being told to exclusively throw it at times. The Rockies had the strictest of leashes on his pitch mix and good news for the club it appears their developmental plan has worked out.

The leash started to come off in 2016 as told by Freeland’s call up to Triple-A, a few starts into his 12 starts as an Isotope it became clear that the Rockies thought he was just about ready. A 3.96 ERA in the hitter heavily , a strikeout rate that climbed back up to seven per nine, and a slightly improved walk rate from Double-A told the story.

While an overall jump in his walk rate showed he was searching for more strikeouts, a thing he was told to do last year.

The point is, you have to take Freeland’s minor league numbers with not just a grain of salt but like a beach full of grains of salt. His spring stats and the show he’s flashed over the past six months, are telltale signs he’s ready to take the mound at 20th and Blake.

With Jon Gray announced as the Opening Day starter and Tyler Chatwood and Tyler Anderson expected to start on the road to maximize the amount of appearances they’ll make this year, there is about a 50-50 chance Freeland will start the home opener. As my peer Drew Creasman points out, that would be quite the story.

Story aside, the injuries to the rotation have opened up a spot for Freeland, the same guy we at BSN Denver were told could have easily been called up in August of last year. As the elder of the trio of rookies fighting for the two spots in the starting five, the one with the most developed stuff and the pitcher with the most high minors experience, Freeland is a clear cut choice for Colorado to start the season on the Southside of the mound in Lower Downtown.

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Jon Gray has a secret childhood ghost story, two Yorkies with seven legs total and a 97 mph fastball Christian Clark | Denverite Posted on March 27, 20177:19 am

This winter, Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jon Gray made somewhat of a habit out of going to Starbucks with his wife,

Jacklyn, and their two Yorkies, Trunks and Sophie.

A couple times a month, they’d all load in Gray’s vehicle and head to the popular coffee chain near the Rockies’ training facility in Scottsdale, Arizona. The adults got their caffeine fix there and the dogs got “Puppucinos.”

“It’s whipped cream in a cup for dogs,” Jon explains. “And if you go to In-N-Out they give you a puppy patty. It’s like a burger patty without salt.”

On the field, Gray is a hard-throwing righty who’s talented and confident enough to say with a straight face that he can become the best pitcher in franchise history. But off the field, this is Gray: Compassionate, quirky and interested in things that men who throw 97 mph typically aren’t.

In 2016, Gray completed one of the finest rookie seasons by a Rockies pitcher ever. He set a franchise rookie record by striking out 185 batters. His 9.91 strikeouts per nine innings mark ranked ninth in the MLB among all starting pitchers.

Gray, who made nine major league starts in 2015 before making 29 in 2016, showed signs of putting it all together.

Rockies pitching coach Steve Foster likened his development to that of a Chinese bamboo shoot.

“In its first four years, if it’s gotten proper sunlight and it’s in the greenhouse and it’s watered a little bit, it grows a maximum of 2 centimeters per year,” Foster says. “So 2 in the first year, 2 in the second year, 2 in the third year and 2 in the fourth year. Then in the fifth year, the Chinese bamboo chute can grow up to 85 feet tall.

“So when I think of him, I think of the Chinese bamboo shoot. I saw and heard of little growth for the first portion of his pro career. Then last year — shooooooo — he shot up, man.”

As the season wore on, Foster saw a pitcher who learned to put mistakes behind him instead of letting them compound.

He watched Gray develop a “as quick as anybody” he’s ever worked with. And he witnessed a young pitcher who began to embrace playing at the pitcher’s graveyard that is Coors Field, where Gray posted a 4.30 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 83 2/3 innings.

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Everything culminated in a mid-September game against the . Gray fanned 16 batters one his way to earning a complete-game victory. The Rockies won 8-0. Gray’s 16 strikeouts were the most in Rockies franchise history. It was also a Coors Field record; Gray surpassed Randy Johnson’s previous high of 14 from 2001.

“Hands down that was the best game I’ve seen pitched at Coors,” says second baseman D.J. LeMahieu, who’s been with the Rockies since the start of the 2012 season. “I think I’ve only seen three complete games there. Sixteen strikeouts, that’s pretty incredible. He’s got stuff that plays anywhere.”

When Gray’s not playing baseball, his interests run the gamut from mundane — golfing, fishing and videos games — to more peculiar activities like drawing and ghost hunting. The paranormal has been of interest to Gray since he had a spooky experience as a 10-year-old. He doesn’t like to delve into what happened. But whatever it was inspired him to last year take up ghost hunting as a hobby.

With some of his ghost hunting equipment in tow, Gray investigated the supposedly haunted Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee on a road trip last August. He didn’t discover anything out of the ordinary, but Gray insists that it was a valuable experience.

The man who’s the Rockies’ best hope to develop into a legitimate ace knows he’s a different from the typical player. He identifies as a nerd in his Twitter profile. “Also a Nerd,” it reads. “Big Time.” He’s not shy to share about his relationship status there — “Husband to @MrsGrayWolf22” — or his “children” — “Rescue Father of Yorkies.”

One of the Yorkies the Grays adopted six months ago, Trunks, only has three good legs. There’s no bone in his front right leg. All that’s there from the elbow down is a little bit of skin and some semblance of a paw.

“He’s basically a three-legged dog, but when he runs around he’s like a jet,” Gray says. “You can’t stop him. He’s freaking awesome.”

Watching a disabled lap dog run around the house isn’t an activity you’d expect from a guy who throws a 12-to-6 curve and a slider that buckles hitters at the knees. Gray isn’t like most guys that capable, and that sits just fine with him and his team.

“You know what? If he had jumped out of the truck and had two pit bulls that probably would’ve made a lot more sense,”

Foster says. “But you’ve got two little cute Yorkies, and he loves them. And I think that that’s fine. That’s cool. But yeah, I probably would’ve pictured two pit bulls. Or a German Shepherd. I don’t know.”

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Colorado Rockies 2017 preview

Dieter Kurtenbach @dkurtenbach Mar 30, 2017 at 8:12a ET | Sports Illustrated

LAST SEASON

75-87 (third place in NL West)

WHAT’S NEW

Key additions: 1B/OF Ian Desmond (free agent from Rangers), RP Greg Holland (free agent from Royals), RP Mike

Dunn (free agent from Marlins), OF Chris Denorfia (free agent from Padres), IF/OF Alexi Amorist (free agent from Padres)

Key subtractions: SP (free agent to Diamondbacks), IF Daniel Descalso (free agent to

Diamondbacks), C Nick Hundley (free agent to Giants), RP Boone Logan (free agent to Indians), OF Ryan Raburn (free agent to Reds)

3 STRIKES

1. Makings of a sleeper. In the major leagues in 2017, there aren’t many teams that are expected to make a leap, but the

Rockies might be the one team that breaks through. They’ve always had the hitting, but for the first time in a long time,

Colorado enters the season with a viable argument that it has the pitching to compete for a playoff spot. It won’t be easy

— it will require a near 15-game turnaround – but it is possible with this roster.

2. Rocky Mountain Blues. So why do the Rockies think they have the pitching to get the job done this year? Because they almost had the guns necessary last year. Jon Gray has all the makings of an ace, and one that doesn’t seem to care about pitching at altitude, either. Tyler Chatwood posted a 3.87 ERA in 158 innings last season, and Tyler Anderson was surprisingly strong in 19 starts, forcing evaluators to recalibrate their projections of what he can be at the major-league level. And there are at least four talented, major league-ready young pitchers who could round out the rotation. Add in a surprisingly good bullpen, and you have a Rockies team that could allow fewer than five runs per game. That still might sound like a lot, but when you have an offense like the Rox, five is more than enough to cover.

3. The best player that’s not a household name. Nolan Arenado starts the season on the MVP shortlist, but because the Rockies rarely compete into the late summer months, he is not a household name in the way that Harper, Trout and 34

Kershaw are. That’s a shame because he’s absolutely in their class. Arenado is a legendarily great glove at third base — his highlight reel is one of the great joys in baseball — and his bat isn’t necessarily Coors-aided. He doesn’t need to up his game to earn MVP consideration, but if the Rockies break through, he’s going to get a lot of deserved love.

BEST-CASE SCENARIO

The young rotation reaches another level in 2017 and the Rockies allow fewer than 4.8 runs per game, while the offense, prolific as it is, leads the National League in runs scored. The Rockies win 88 games and play in the Wild Card Game.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO

The starting pitching plateaus at altitude and no matter how many runs the offense scores, the Rockies can’t get over the hump — reaching .500 a few times but ultimately falling significantly short of the postseason, again.

SURPRISING STAT

The Rockies might have played in the World Series, but they’ve never won the . This is their 25th season!

BEST BETS

Projected win total (via Atlantis Casino Resort): 79.5

World Series odds (via Vegas Insider): 60/1

TOP FIVE FANTASY PLAYERS

1. Nolan Arenado, 3B: Despite hitting 83 homers over the past two seasons, Arenado continues to fight for national recognition. Fantasy owners know who he is and he remains a first-round pick based on average draft position.

2. Carlos Gonzalez, OF: He sacrificed power for contact in 2016 as his homers dipped from 40 to 25 year over year, while his average jumped from .271 to .298 in 2016. CarGo still managed to match his 2015 run total (87) and drive in 100 last season.

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3. Charlie Blackmon, OF: Like a fine wine, Blackmon is improving with age. He posted career-best fantasy stats last season at 30 years old. He’s a near lock for 20 homers and stolen bases in 2017.

4. Ian Desmond, OF: Despite Desmond’s hand fracture, Rockies manager Bud Black expects him back by end of April.

Desmond never seems to get cheated during an at-bat, so the thought of his power playing inside Coors Field leaves fantasy pundits salivating. He will earn first base eligibility this season, too.

5. Jon Gray, SP: He still needs to cut down on his walks, but thanks to a 9.9 K/9 rate, Gray is one of the first fantasy relevant Rockies’ starting pitchers in some time.

PREDICTION

The Rockies flirt with the postseason well into August before the bats go silent for a stretch and the starting pitching isn’t there to help them.

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