Hardball Retrospective – The “Original” 2009 Colorado Rockies by DerekBain March 13, 2015 In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Consequently, Mike Piazza is listed on the Dodgers roster for the duration of his career while the Giants claim Bobby Bonds and the Indians declare Roger Maris and Manny Ramirez. I calculated revised standings for every season based entirely on the performance of each team’s “original” players. I discuss every team’s “original” players and seasons at length along with organizational performance with respect to the Amateur Draft (or First-Year Player Draft), amateur free agent signings and other methods of player acquisition. Season standings, WAR and Win Shares totals for the “original” teams are compared against the “actual” team results to assess each franchise’s scouting, development and general management skills. Expanding on my research for the book, the following series of articles will reveal the finest single-season rosters for every Major League organization based on overall rankings in OWAR and OWS along with the general managers and scouting directors that constructed the teams. “Hardball Retrospective” is available in digital format on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, GooglePlay, iTunes and KoboBooks. Additional information and a discussion forum are available at TuataraSoftware.com. Terminology OWAR – Wins Above Replacement for players on “original” teams OWS – Win Shares for players on “original” teams OPW% – Pythagorean Won-Loss record for the “original” teams Assessment The 2009 Colorado Rockies OWAR: 44.4 OWS: 297 OPW%: .561 GM Dan O’Dowd acquired 65% (28 of 43) of the ballplayers on the 2009 Rockies roster. 29 players were selected during the Amateur Draft though staff ace Ubaldo Jimenez was signed as an amateur free agent. Based on the revised standings the “Original” 2009 Rockies captured the National League pennant following a fierce battle with the Dodgers for the Western division title. Chone Figgins accrued 26 Win Shares and received his lone All-Star nomination during the 2009 campaign. He established career-highs with 114 runs scored, 101 walks and a .395 OBP while swiping 42 bags from the leadoff spot. Troy Tulowitzki (.297/32/92) pilfered 20 bases and registered 101 runs on the way to a fifth-place finish in the N.L. MVP balloting. Matt “Big Daddy” Holliday compiled a .313 BA, swatted 24 long balls and knocked in 109 runs. Todd Helton eclipsed the .300 mark for the eleventh time in twelve campaigns, batting at a .325 clip while contributing 38 two-baggers. Brad Hawpe laced 42 doubles and slugged 23 circuit clouts to merit a trip to the Midsummer Classic. LINEUP POS WAR WS Chone Figgins 3B 4.72 26.32 Seth Smith DH/LF 2.61 13.43 Troy Tulowitzki SS 5 25.72 Matt Holliday LF 4.7 26.18 Brad Hawpe RF 0.45 18.96 Juan Uribe 3B 3.01 16.45 Todd Helton 1B 3.41 23.24 Chris Iannetta C 2.27 9.76 Craig Counsell 2B 2.53 14.12 BENCH POS WAR WS Everth Cabrera SS 2.44 13.48 Clint Barmes 2B 1.34 14.32 Juan Pierre LF 1.31 11.2 Ian Stewart 3B 1.13 11.98 Dexter Fowler CF 1.1 14.4 Jeff Baker 3B 1.03 7.96 Jayson Nix 2B 0.7 6.54 Cory Sullivan LF 0.16 3.14 Josh Bard C 0.1 4.61 Eric Young Jr. 2B -0.25 0.21 Jeff Salazar CF -0.32 0.13 Jody Gerut CF -0.41 4.01 Garrett Atkins 3B -0.58 5.21 Ryan Spilborghs LF -0.91 6.16 Ubaldo Jimenez whiffed 198 batsmen and accrued 15 victories along with a 3.47 ERA in his second full season in the Rockies’ starting rotation. Aaron Cook posted a record of 11-6 with a 4.16 ERA following his All-Star season in ’08. Justin Miller (3-3, 3.18) led an otherwise undistinguished bullpen staff. ROTATION POS WAR WS Ubaldo Jimenez SP 6.05 19.07 Aaron Cook SP 2.88 11.26 Esmil Rogers SP 0.06 0.21 Jhoulys Chacin SW 0.08 0.39 Franklin Morales RP 0.31 4.19 BULLPEN POS WAR WS Justin Miller RP 0.66 4.47 Matt Daley RP 0.55 3.97 Mark DiFelice RP 0.43 3.66 Alberto Arias RP 0.21 3.27 Jason Jennings RP 0.2 3.92 Ryan Speier RP 0.02 0.26 Steven Register RP 0.01 0.08 Sean Green RP -0.14 2.73 Pedro Strop RP -0.2 0 Manny Corpas RP -0.25 0.88 Juan Morillo RP -0.36 0 Jorge Sosa RP -0.38 0.09 Jamey Wright RP -0.53 3.69 Luis Ayala RP -0.59 1.47 David Patton RP -0.68 0.02 The “Original” 2009 Colorado Rockies roster NAME POS WAR WS General Manager Scouting Director Ubaldo Jimenez SP 6.05 19.07 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Troy Tulowitzki SS 5 25.72 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Chone Figgins 3B 4.72 26.32 Bob Gebhard Pat Daugherty Matt Holliday LF 4.7 26.18 Bob Gebhard Pat Daugherty Todd Helton 1B 3.41 23.24 Bob Gebhard Pat Daugherty Juan Uribe 3B 3.01 16.45 Bob Gebhard Pat Daugherty Aaron Cook SP 2.88 11.26 Bob Gebhard Pat Daugherty Seth Smith LF 2.61 13.43 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Craig Counsell 2B 2.53 14.12 Bob Gebhard Pat Daugherty Everth Cabrera SS 2.44 13.48 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Chris Iannetta C 2.27 9.76 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Clint Barmes 2B 1.34 14.32 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Juan Pierre LF 1.31 11.2 Bob Gebhard Pat Daugherty Ian Stewart 3B 1.13 11.98 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Dexter Fowler CF 1.1 14.4 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Jeff Baker 3B 1.03 7.96 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Jayson Nix 2B 0.7 6.54 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Justin Miller RP 0.66 4.47 Bob Gebhard Pat Daugherty Matt Daley RP 0.55 3.97 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Brad Hawpe RF 0.45 18.96 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Mark DiFelice RP 0.43 3.66 Bob Gebhard Pat Daugherty Franklin Morales RP 0.31 4.19 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Alberto Arias RP 0.21 3.27 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Jason Jennings RP 0.2 3.92 Bob Gebhard Pat Daugherty Cory Sullivan LF 0.16 3.14 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Josh Bard C 0.1 4.61 Bob Gebhard Pat Daugherty Jhoulys Chacin SW 0.08 0.39 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Esmil Rogers SP 0.06 0.21 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Ryan Speier RP 0.02 0.26 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Steven Register RP 0.01 0.08 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Sean Green RP -0.14 2.73 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Pedro Strop RP -0.2 0 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Manny Corpas RP -0.25 0.88 Bob Gebhard Pat Daugherty Eric Young 2B -0.25 0.21 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Jeff Salazar CF -0.32 0.13 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Juan Morillo RP -0.36 0 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Jorge Sosa RP -0.38 0.09 Bob Gebhard Pat Daugherty Jody Gerut CF -0.41 4.01 Bob Gebhard Pat Daugherty Jamey Wright RP -0.53 3.69 Bob Gebhard Pat Daugherty Garrett Atkins 3B -0.58 5.21 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Luis Ayala RP -0.59 1.47 Dan O’Dowd Pat Daugherty David Patton RP -0.68 0.02 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Ryan Spilborghs LF -0.91 6.16 Dan O’Dowd Bill Schmidt Honorable Mention The “Original” 2007 Rockies OWAR: 42.0 OWS: 264 OPW%: .546 Matt Holliday (.340/36/137) topped the Senior Circuit in batting average, RBI, hits (216) and doubles (50), earning a runner-up finish in the 2007 NL MVP vote. Troy Tulowitzki (.291/24/99) accrued 104 tallies and placed second in the Rookie of the Year balloting. Todd Helton ripped 42 doubles and third-sacker Chone Figgins manufactured a career-best .330 BA. Garrett Atkins (.301/25/111) and Brad Hawpe (.291/29/116) contributed to Colorado’s offensive onslaught. Jeff Francis paced the starting staff with a 17-9 record while Manny Corpas posted an ERA of 2.08 and saved 19 contests. On Deck The “Original” 1992 Brewers References and Resources Baseball America – Executive Database Baseball-Reference James, Bill, with Jim Henzler. Win Shares. Morton Grove, Ill.: STATS, 2002. Print. Retrosheet – Transactions Database Seamheads – Baseball Gauge Sean Lahman Baseball Archive