5 Things For Rockies Fans Be Excited For This Season
By Mark Haas
DENVER (CBS4) - The pause was only a second or two, but it felt longer, followed by a sigh. The question to Walt Weiss was "What should Rockies fans be excited for this season?"
But after the awkward silence, the Rockies manager did have plenty of things for fans to look forward to in 2016.
1. Carlos Gonzalez and Nolan Arenado
"For starters we have two of the more talented players in the league," Weiss said.
He's talking about Carlos Gonzalez and Nolan Arenado, the latter a 3-time Gold Glover, who last year had a break-out year at the plate and is now one of the best all-round 3rd basemen in the game.
"I try and make it simple as possible, just hit the ball hard and play hard," Arenado said. "I don't set number goals for on the field. I think if I play 162 games and stay healthy the numbers will be there in the end."
Speaking of staying healthy, how good was CarGo the 2nd half of last year? The Rockies right fielder ended the season on fire and for the first time in a while didn't have to spend his off-season rehabbing from injuries.
"I feel like I am in great shape, I put in lots of work after the good end of year and I hope to carry that into season 2016," Gonzales said. "I am excited for the new teammates and for the young talent."
2. Trevor Story
With Troy Tulowitski now in Toronto, Trevor Story was the star of spring training and will make his big league debut in the season opener.
"It will be a dream come true," Story said. "My lifelong dream is to play in the big leagues."
3. Tyler Chatwood
On the mound, it won't be a debut, but it's easy to root for pitcher Tyler Chatwood. He's back in the rotation after missing almost two years recovering from a 2nd Tommy John surgery.
"I am a guy that gets butterflies no matter what," Chatwood said about his return. "But in my career I have been good at controlling that and using it positively."
4. Jorge De La Rosa
And when it comes to positive pitching, no one has won more games as a Rockie than Jorge de la Rosa, and no one has won more at Coors Field than their ace.
"The key for me is don't think too much," De La Rosa said. "Just make the pitch and you can make outs anywhere."
5. Improved Bullpen
The staff should have a good defense behind them, with four Gold Glovers including DJ LeMahieu, and a new and improved bullpen to protect leads.
"It's huge," LeMahieu said about the new relievers acquired. "As an offense when we face a team with a good bullpen, if we don't get to the starter it is an uphill battle. That's what we hope teams think about us."
So yeah, I guess there are some things to be excited about in 2016.
"We are going to get after people every night, and show up the next day and do it again," Weiss said. "I like the makeup of our club."
Mark Haas is a sports anchor/reporter for CBS4. Read his bio or follow him on Twitter @markhaastv or on Facebook.
