Cheers and Jeers: Kudos Tulo, a Rockies summer swoon and Pac-12 ‘After Dawn’
Jul 26, 2019, 6:00 AM
For a week into Denver Broncos training camp, this week’s “Cheers and Jeers” focus heavily on the Colorado Rockies.
From Troy Tulowitzki’s retirement to the team’s latest summer swoon, there’s plenty of diamond talk fodder.
But don’t worry. Football season is here. There’s plenty to talk about there, too.
Cheers | Troy Tulowitzki
Here come the jokes about heavily legs forcing Troy Tulowitzki into retirement. Har har. Good one guys.
But it’s not a leap to argue that Tulo, at least in part, helped salvage baseball down at 20th and Blake.
Tulowitzki has the third-highest lifetime career WAR (39.4) in Rockies franchise history, behind just Todd Helton (61.2) and Larry Walker (48.3). He was a five-time All-Star for Colorado, tied with Nolan Arenado and Helton for the most by a Rockies player.
Plus, he ranks in the top 10 in nearly every franchise career stats category.
Not to mention, he helped spark a franchise that had finished last or second-to-last in its division for nearly a decade to a 90-win season in 2007 and a trip to the World Series.
So, a tip of the cap to No. 2.
Jeers | The July Colorado Rockies
We’ve all heard of the Rockies “June Swoon,” but my goodness can the team please exit the month of July already?
Through Thursday afternoon, Colorado has a 4-15 record this month, by far the worst showing by winning percentage in the 2019 season. Even in April, when they started off losing 12 of their first 15 games, the Rockies managed to finish the month with a .423 winning percentage.
If Colorado finished off the month undefeated, they’d still boast a lowly .400 winning percentage during July and would still be a game under .500 on the year.
Thank goodness for football season.
Cheers | Kyle Freeland
After getting roughed up a little bit in his first two outings since being recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque to start the second half of the season, Kyle Freeland went out and shut down the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night.
Freeland tossed six innings, giving up one unearned run on four hits with four strikeouts and only one walk.
The fiery lefty also got ejected from the game for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire John Libka, but that’s a good thing. He wasn’t arguing about his own pitches but rather those of teammate Chris Iannetta.
Already having thrown 109 pitches, Freeland knew he was likely about to be replaced and tried to fire up a dugout that could use some electricity.
Jeers | The Pac-12 Conference
Catching kickoff at Folsom Field at 10 a.m. might soon be a reality if the Pac-12 has its way.
Conference commissioner Larry Scott recently told NBC Sports that the conference has recently discussed with its television partners, Fox, about creating a noon Eastern Time kickoff slot, meaning 10 a.m. in Boulder and 9 a.m. on the West Coast.
Yes, the move would allow more eyeballs on the talented athletes in the conference, which could lead to more postseason accolades.
But it just seems a little silly to expect anyone but real die-hard college football fans, let alone college students, to show up for the Pac-12 “After Dawn.”
Cheers | The Denver Broncos
Speaking of football season, it’s wonderful the Broncos will return to Broncos Stadium at Mile High during training camp this weekend.
It will be the first time the team has held a training camp practice at the stadium since the 2014 season.
The free, public event allows those in Broncos Country who might not have the time or energy to make it out to UCHealth Training Center for practice or the money to attend a home game during the season.
Jeers | LSU
Look, it’s understandable that college football programs need to do things like renovate facilities so they’re state of the art or manufacture cool, new uniforms each year to attract today’s recruits.
And don’t count me among the crowd of people saying that money spent on athletics on the college level could be used in a better way.
But, LSU’s new $28 million locker room is ridiculous.
Honestly, it’s not really even about the absurd amount of money the university spent on updating the place where players change their clothes.
But, sleep pods? Really?
Just as with regular, everyday jobs, it’s just not healthy to spend too much time at the office.
It’s especially unhealthy if you’re a student-athlete who isn’t (though should be) and employee of the university and who really should be spending time going to class, being among his non-football-playing peers and, you know, sleeping in his own bed.
