Clint Hurdle

Amid the myriad of problems the Colorado Rockies have encountered so far in this young season, the inconsistency of a supposedly strong bullpen has to grace the top spot on the list.

Coming into the season with the additions of former closer Huston Street and veteran lefty Alan Embree to fortify a bullpen already boasting Manny Corpas, Jason Grilli, and Taylor Buchholz, the bullpen was seen to be the least of the Rockies' worries.

But the problems began before the first pitch was even thrown.

I'm looking for something good to say about the three-game set the Colorado Rockies just completed at Chavez Ravine with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The only thing that comes to mind is this: I'm glad it's over.

Kurt Russell wasn't as happy to escape from L.A. back in 1996 as Clint Hurdle is today.

I can see only two bright spots from the entire series: Jorge De la Rosa's encouraging start on Friday when he found a way to pitch himself out of a number of jams, and Rockies' hitters swatting four home runs in the series.

We have finally arrived on the eve of Opening Day after a grueling and seemingly never-ending offseason, punctuated by our resident superstar's departure to the Bay Area.

With Matt Holliday now wearing Athletic green, the Rockies are projected by the national media to struggle in replacing the power Holliday produced on a daily basis in the purple pinstripes.

It was a difficult decision.

One that couldn’t be made until four simple days before Opening Day.

But nonetheless, it’s becoming a reoccurring decision for the Rockies organization lately.

Talk to anyone who has done an interview with Colorado Rockies prospect Dexter Fowler, and they will tell you the same two things—this kid has a smile made for television, and he can run like a gazelle.

At the beginning of the spring, it seemed a given that the top outfield prospect for the Rockies, Dexter Fowler, would start the year at Triple-A Colorado Springs. After all, he was called straight to the big leagues after tearing the cover off of the ball in Double-A Tulsa.