For someone like myself that has been blessed to be involved with Major League Baseball for more than a quarter century, there is nothing like the sweet sounds of a ball thwacking into a catcher’s glove or the crack when a bat squarely meets a pitch. The early days of spring training can seem monotonous, at times, but they have never felt that way to me. The weather has been a little chilly by desert standards here in Scottsdale, but seeing the Rockies involved on the field in their preparations for the 2013 season brings a feeling of warmth to all of us down here.
Most of the position players have arrived, but since their official workouts don’t begin until this weekend, I will save my observations on them for later. The initial work over the next two weeks won’t reveal all that much regarding Jorge De la Rosa, Jhoulys Chacin, and Juan Nicasio, but to see them fully involved in all the drills—and doing them with such confidence—is uplifting. Simply stated, the Rockies need this trio to be healthy and effective if 2013 is going to erase the bad memories of last season. Likewise, the presence of Rafael Betancourt and Matt Belisle, two pitchers that work as hard as any I known during my career, has to be a positive influence on the others attempting to join them in the Rockies bullpen.
That brings us to the questions on the hill for 2013? Has the work done by Drew Pomeranz over the offseason prepared him to develop into the pitcher both he and the Rockies think he can be? Is this the time for Tyler Chatwood to make his breakthrough? Who is going to get the spots in the pen ahead of Betancourt, Belisle, Wilton Lopez, and Rex Brothers? What young pitcher is going to turn heads this spring? Those are the things I am excited to watch over the next 6 weeks.
Speaking of young pitchers, I am anxious to follow lefty Tyler Anderson, a #1 pick in 2011, as he participates in his first big league camp.
I have two CHECK IT OUTs for this blog. You know I am giving you some of my music loves, so if you’re into a strong voice and a great blues guitarist, check out Coco Montoya’s One Fool for Another. Then, tomorrow night on ABC, I am looking forward to seeing Zero Hour, starring Anthony Edwards. It sounds like a combination of National Treasure and 24. Let’s hope it lives up to expectations.
Jack Corrigan's Blog
About
- Jack Corrigan enters his 28th season broadcasting Major League Baseball and his 11th campaign with the Rockies Radio Network. Corrigan came to Colorado after 17 years in the Cleveland Indians television booth from 1985-2001. In addition to his work in baseball, Corrigan has been involved in play-by-play and color commentary for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA, as well as college football and basketball games for the Atlantic Coast Conference, Mid-American Conference and Patriot League. Jack is a budding novelist, with two published works and a third underway. His first novel, Warning Track, involved an aging baseball player dealing with the lure and repercussions of supplement use. Christmas Eve 1944 is based on a classified incident during World War II. His latest project deals with the early days of the FBI surrounding the attempted assassination of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. A native Clevelander, Jack is a graduate of St. Ignatius High School and Cornell University, where he played football for four seasons. He also has a master’s degree in Speech from Kent State University. During the off-seasons in Cleveland, Jack coached football at St. Ignatius H.S., the 11-time Ohio state champions and three-time national champions. Currently, he works as a volunteer wide receivers coach with Regis Jesuit High School in the Denver area. He is also involved with his own video company that has produced a myriad of projects for sports entities and other commercial and non-profit organizations. Jack and his wife, Lisa, have been married since 7/15/77, and they have two children. Megan, a graduate of Mercyhurst College, lives in Colorado with her husband, John, and their son, James. Michael, a Loyola Marymount University graduate, lives in Chicago and works for Zapwater Communications. Jack serves on the Board of Directors for Boys Hope/Girls Hope, a privately funded, non-profit, organization that helps at-risk children. He and Lisa are active with Seeds of Hope, a scholarship program that benefits inner city schools, as well as the Shannon Foundation, a group that helps to fund necessary medical care for children in need.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Jack's Blog - February 13th, 2013
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