The 2009 Dyn-O-Mite Colorado Rockies Preview: Sluggers

We have entered the Twilight Zone of spring training.

The time where most of the players still getting time on the fields are just looking not to get injured before the season starts while still getting enough work in to earn their paychecks when the games finally start to matter.

Since we have arrived at this most agonizing of hours when Opening Day can be seen on the horizon but five days still await the first pitch, it's about time for an official, dyn-o-mite 2009 preview of yours, mine, and our Colorado Rockies.

Let's begin with the beef of the roster, the one aspect of this ballclub that could keep the team in contention well into the dog days of summer: the offense.

If Ian Stewart is given a shot to start at second over Clint Barmes, it is not inconceivable that the Rockies could finish the season with seven starters with at least 20 home runs.

Here is the projected lineup for the Rockies:

CF Ryan Spilborghs: Finally given a chance to start after spending the last two seasons as the Rockies' super-sub, Spilly looks to turn his dynamic spring (.352, 18 RBIs, 12 extra-base hits in only 54 at-bats) into a superb summer.

SS Troy Tulowitzki: Out to prove that his disastrous 2008 was a severe aberration in a lifetime of success on the baseball field, Tulo will seek to once again enter the upper-echelon of shortstops and redefine his role as the team's outspoken leader.

1B Todd Helton: If his performance in Spring Training is any indication, Beltin' Helton is well on his way back to the production Rockies' fans have come to expect from the Face of the Franchise. With 14 RBIs, 8 extra-base hits, and a .515 average in only 33 at-bats this spring, Todd's back looks healthy enough to keep him slugging for 135 games this year.

3B Garrett Atkins: Though Atkins struggled through a sub-par 2008, much like the rest of the Rockies' regulars, he still managed a team-high 99 RBIs. Atkins remains a right-handed rock in the middle of a lineup loaded with lefties and has crushed the ball this spring to the tune of a .462 average.

RF Brad Hawpe: Though set back by the injury bug during the majority of March, Hawpe has returned to the lineup this past week with positive results. A slugger who has averaged 25 home runs and 95 RBIs the last three seasons, Hawpe looks to continue the trend he began last year with his .282 batting average against left-handed pitching.

C Chris Iannetta: Iannetta emerged in 2008 as one of the top offensive catchers in baseball which caught the eye of Team USA executives who picked Iannetta as their second catcher to Atlanta's Brian McCann in this year's World Baseball Classic. If Iannetta isn't seen as one of the top three catchers in baseball by season's end, it will be a shock.

2B Ian Stewart/Clint Barmes: Ian Stewart should win this position, hands down, if the Rockies wish to contend in 2009. His power could not only aid in the daunting task of replacing the departed production of Matt Holliday, but also give the Rockies a Paul Bunyan-esque power in their lineup. Barmes is a fine player, but would be better used as a super-utility man coming off the bench.

LF Seth Smith: Given the shot to take over left-field duties from Matt Holliday, Smith has hit the ball well this spring (.300, nine extra base hits.) While he won't come close to Big Daddy's prodigious numbers, he could form a fine platoon with a right-handed bat (Matt Murton, Dan Ortmeier, or (fingers crossed) Dexter Fowler.)

Bench: The million dollar question as of April 1 is whether or not blue-chip prospect Dexter Fowler will earn himself a roster spot when the smart money says he could use some experience playing every day at Triple-A.

Fowler has displayed a golden glove in center-field with his gazelle-like strides while constantly flashing his thousand-watt smile that would put Smilin' Bob from those Enzyte commercials to shame.

Spilly is set in center as we speak, but he doesn't have a true center-fielder's range. Fowler could potentially win a Gold Glove within the next two years and in Coors Field's cavernous gaps could endear himself to Rockies' pitchers and fans alike with his ability to track down fly balls.

If Skip Hurdle believes that Dex needs some Triple-A seasoning to begin the year, he will likely give the fourth outfielder spot to utility man Dan Ortmeier.

Ortmeier, a right-handed bat, has had a nice camp and can also play first base, but he's not a difference-maker at the plate or in the field.

Whoever loses out on the second base job, either Stewart or Barmes, will definitely take a roster spot with Jeff Baker probably nabbing the last position if he's not traded before Opening Day.

Yorvit Torrealba will back-up Chris Iannetta behind the plate, even though Dan O'Dowd had tried to trade the veteran catcher to give him a chance to start with another team.

With Opening Day now only five days (and change) away, I will soon tackle the '09 pitching staff in the thrilling conclusion to the preview of the 2009 Rockies.

Rox Need to Make Room for Stewart

The Colorado Rockies are facing a serious dilemma whether they understand the dire circumstances or not.

With only a week and a half of Spring Training left, top-notch power prospect Ian Stewart is beginning to mash the ball in such a way that it would be nearly impossible, if not irresponsible, to keep him off the Opening Day roster.

The problem is, Ian Stewart remains a man without a position.

A third baseman by trade, Stewart is blocked on the big league club by Garrett Atkins, who has been one of the Rockies' most consistent offensive performers in the last four years.

When trade rumors swirled this past offseason about Atkins heading to a myriad of teams around Major League Baseball, Stewart was seen as the man who made Atkins expendable.

Ever since bursting onto the scene in 2004 with the Single-A Asheville Tourists by putting up some seriously prodigious numbers (.319, 30, 101, .398 on base percentage, 19 steals), Stewart received an invitation to big league camp in 2006 and put on another eye-popping performance.

In twenty-two games, Stewart hit .396 and slugged five home runs on his way to being named the Rockies' Spring Training MVP.

Much ado was made about Stewart's potential with the big club and while his subsequent Minor League numbers never quite approached his Asheville level, Stewart's power could not be denied.

He eventually reached the Major Leagues for a cup of coffee in 2007 and got a serious look in 2008 when Todd Helton's health became an issue.

In his first stint in 2008, Stewart struggled under the bright lights and posted a paltry .218 batting average with three home runs and five RBIs in eighteen games before packing his bags and heading back down I-25 to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

When Helton's back finally gave out on him in early June, Stewart was once again recalled as Atkins moved across the diamond to supplant Helton at first base.

This time, the results were much more encouraging.

After striking out a whopping 28 times in his first 56 at-bats in 2008, Stewart worked diligently on improving his swing and timing at the plate. The hard work soon started to pay off.

The lefty Stewart batted .270 in the second half, including an utterly ridiculous .370 clip against left-handers that proved to the Rockies' brass that he wasn't just a one-dimensional right-on-left slugger.

A .365 on base percentage is solid for a corner infielder, but could obviously still be improved upon and most of his ten home runs were of the oh-my-god-did-you-see-how-far-that-ball-went variety including a triple decker at Coors Field against the Brew Crew in June.

His average was up around the .290 mark before a late-season slide sent him to his final statline of .259, 10, 41 for his first (mostly) full season in the big leagues.

With Atkins entrenched at third base for at least one more season before he becomes a free agent, Skip Hurdle and Dealin' Dan tried to find a spot for their powerful product around the diamond.

They experimented with the 6'3", 205 lb beast at second base, though his body type doesn't exactly match the stereotypical second-baseman build. In twelve games at second base, Stewart played admirably considering he'd never manned the position before, committing only one error in 55 chances.

They told him to take fly balls in left field over the winter, to which he obliged, though he didn't see much action there during the spring as Seth Smith had a hold on the job before the first pitch was even thrown and has done nothing to lose his grip since.

Initially Hurdle said that Stewart's days as a second baseman were done with but recently has changed his tune as Stewart has been seen taking ground balls at second while his bat has started to heat up this spring. He brought a .294 average into Tuesday's tilt with the Cubbies with two home runs and seven RBIs in 14 games.

Herein lies the crux of the problem for Colorado.

With Atkins at third (barring his groin injury from lasting into the season's opening weeks), a healthy Helton at first, and Seth Smith getting a shot to replace Matt Holliday in left, Stewart presumably becomes the odd man out.

Sending Stewart to Triple-A at this point would do him no good. He has already validated everything he needed to prove in the Minor Leagues and needs consistent big league at-bats to become the star the Rockies believe he will blossom into.

My solution is to allow him to start the season at second base ahead of Clint Barmes.

While Barmes is a solid player and a good fielder, he will never come close to approaching the numbers Stewart could put up with 500 at bats in a season.

Barmes would be better used to replace Jeff Baker as the team's super-utility man since he can play every infield position and even center field if called upon.

Adding Stewart as an everyday option in the Rockies' lineup not only makes the starting nine much more dangerous, it allows Stewart the opportunity to develop his natural ability and adapt to a second base position that he proved he could manage last season.

A lineup with Ian Stewart joining Ryan Spilborghs, Troy Tulowitzki, Todd Helton, Garrett Atkins, Brad Hawpe, and Chris Iannetta gives the Rox a starting nine that has a serious shot to boast seven players with at least twenty home runs by season's end.

That's a stat that could strike fear into the heart of even the heartiest NL West hurler.

Let's hope that Hurdle and O'Dowd realize the opportunity they have on their hands to not only help in the effort to replace the production of Matt Holliday, but to make their offense one of the most potent in baseball.

Hope Springs Joe Morgan and Steve Phillips... Crap

Holy hell. I need some mental respite from the WBC final. Steve Phillips and Joe Morgan in one telecast? Somebody waterboard me or something. If a Morgan/Phillips duet isn't torture, I don't know what is. I thought Obama was supposed to change things.

Anyways... How about them Rockies?

PECOTA told me they would win 78 games and somehow that seems about right. The offense is anything but intimidating and the rotation includes Jorge De La Rosa by default. Ugh. There are still some light spots in spring training.

Let's ignore the guranteed jobs (Cook, Jimenez, Marquis, De La Rosa (crap), Street, Corpas, Buccholz, Embree, Grilli, Iannetta, Atkins, Helton, Tulo, Hawpe) and focuse on the rest.

Clint "The Hacker" Barmes more or less has the 2b job on lock, but he's kinda not really very good mostly. His defense is average and all he really provides is average, literally. His bat has little pop and he has no discipline. His spring line, though a small sample size, shows pretty much how he is as a player (.262/.279/.452). He'll get some hits, he'll never take a walk, and he'll have some Coors Field power (that .452 slugging won't happen on the road in the regular season).

On the other hand, you have Ian "The Strikeout" Stewart. He has a daunting .297/.366/.622 line in the spring. He'll provide subpar second base defense but a ton of power and actually a bit of on-base percentage (unlike Barmes). They aren't going to take third away from Atkins and at this point, Stewart has no business being in the minors. They have to put him somewhere. Why not second?

Another intriguing idea is Omar Quintanilla. He's hit quite well throughout his minor league career, he's hitting well this spring (.325/.400/.500), and, as we all know, he knows how to play some D. He probably isn't good enough to play a full season at second, but why not pretend?

Then there is the outfield mess. Spilly is an all around terrific hitter, especially against southpaws, but, let's be honest, he's not an everyday center fielder. Dexter Fowler is already a gold glove caliber center fielder. No, he doesn't have any AAA experience, but neither does Hanley Ramirez. Pujols had all of 14 AAA ABs. It wouldn't be the end of the world to let him learn on the fly. Plus, every single pitcher on the roster would much rather see Fowler gliding to fly balls in the outfield. Fowler wouldn't hit like Spilly, but there would be a noticeable difference in team ERA if Fowler was the everyday CF. It's Dex time in Lodo.

If Dex is center, all you have to do is Platoon in right and left. Seth Smith and Brad Hawpe murder right handers and Matt Murton and Spilly murder left handers. Put all that together and you have an average to decent defense and an above average offense. The pitchers would like that too.

I'll finish up with them in a day or two...

P.S. Jay Cutler says he will report to Broncos Country when things become mandatory and Mc D says that Cutler is "our quarterback." Let's hope they kiss and make up. It's time to end this mess.

Beltin' Helton Back on Track

Don't worry, everybody.

Let out that breath you've been holding in.

Stop refreshing denverpost.com to check for updates on the Jay Cutler trade saga.

Everything is copacetic in Colorado.

How is that possible, you ask?

Todd Helton is back.

Though two and a half weeks remain before rosters are set for Opening Day, Helton is already partying like it's 2001 and we've all got spots on the guest list.

Since 2005, the last season in which Helton belted at least twenty home runs, his degenerative back condition had begun to take its toll on his performance.

Once a perennial All-Star and batting champion whose prodigious offensive numbers channeled those of the late Ted Williams, among others, Helton's numbers dropped considerably as the injuries hampered his mobility and his ability to drive the ball to all fields.

Last season, the pain in Helton's back became so severe that it caused numbness in his left leg, further hindering the function of his legs. His once-powerful swing became one-dimensional and he was unable to hit pitches with the kind of authority we had grown accustomed to seeing.

On July 2, with his batting average at a paltry .266 and seven home runs to his name, Helton went on the disabled list, only to return for two pinch hit at-bats in 2008.

Helton finally made the decision to go under the knife as he headed for Southern California to undergo arthroscopic surgery.

Some were wondering if this surgery could be the end for Helton, who until Albert Pujols surpassed him, had been the active career leader in batting average and had spent his entire career loyal to the one organization that had drafted him and built their team around him.

Helton, however, is not one to take news of his demise sitting down.

Months of rehabilitation both on and off the field have brought us to the present, with Helton's name being penciled in on Clint Hurdle's lineup two to three times a week.

In only fourteen at-bats this spring, Helton leads the team in home runs with three, which gives us an inkling that the once-almighty power stroke that has deserted him in recent years, might make a comeback in 2009.

Helton will most likely not take in a full week's worth of action until the season starts, and even then Skip Hurdle will be sure to keep him well-rested by giving him plenty of scheduled off-days like he has done in the past.

Will we ever see the same Helton who averaged a .337 clip with thirty three home runs, 113 RBIs, and a .434 on base percentage during his first eight seasons?

Probably not.

But if Helton's back stays in shape and he can see action in 135-140 games, there's no reason why we couldn't see a similar line to his 2007 campaign in which he hit .320 with seventeen home runs, 91 RBIs, and a .434 on base percentage.

In a year where the Rockies need multiple regulars to rebound from abysmal '08 seasons, Helton's resurgence would be the most satisfying.

A healthy Helton not only puts butts in the seats for fans who ache to root for their hometown hero, but it adds another dimension to a Rockies lineup in dire need of top-tier production to replace the departed Matt Holliday.

Helton still commands a pitcher's respect and his plate discipline remains one of the greatest in the game.

With Helton driving in Spilly and Tulo while setting the table for Atkins and Hawpe, the Rockies lineup could once again become a force to be reckoned with in the wide-open NL West.

So turn your attention from the turmoil in Dove Valley and start setting your sights on summer nights at Coors Field because Beltin' Helton is on his way back.

Frankie K Makes Case for Rotation

It seems the Rockies have finally remembered that while Spring Training games don't necessarily mean anything come April, it doesn't hurt to come away victorious every now and then.

After losing the first seven games in Arizona, the Rockies have now won their last six, the most recent coming Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels (redundancy alert) of Anaheim and Most Parts of Southern California not Including San Bernadino or Sea World.

Though still three and a half weeks from the Apr. 6 opener, some key players on the Rockies' roster are starting to emerge from their winter hibernation. Aaron Cook enjoyed his most impressive start of the spring yesterday against Cleveland by tossing five scoreless innings while striking out seven and walking none.

Ubaldo Jimenez, in his lone World Baseball Classic appearance, nearly set baseball in the Netherlands back a decade by striking out a WBC-record ten in only four innings.

Manny Corpas also returned from the WBC yesterday to add another scoreless inning to his spring total keeping his ERA a sparkling 0.00. It sure looks a lot better than his closer's role counterpart Huston Street who needed a spotless inning in Thursday's ballgame to get his ERA under 20.00.

But the man who's making me optimistic for our 2009 starting rotation is the man who will hopefully earn the chance to round it out: Franklin Morales.

Once a hotshot prospect in the Rockies system (and still is, I guess since he only just turned 23) Franklin aided the Rox in their Rocktober run in 2007 and made the Opening Day rotation in 2008 only to find himself in AAA a month later with a battered ego and a 6.39 ERA.

It also came to light this year that he pitched all last season with back pain, yet refused to bring it up to anyone in the organization who could have helped him, either with the pain or with his flawed mechanics caused by his adjustments to try and alleviate the stiffness in his back.

His regression in 2008 was reflected in his numbers in AAA. He never regained any form of consistency, going 10-5 but sporting a 5.47 ERA and an appalling 83/82 K/BB ratio.

This spring, however, with a clean bill of health and a clearer mind on the mound, Morales has impressed the Rockies' brass with his fastball command and presence on the hill.

Though his ERA currently stands at an unimpressive 4.85, that number is skewed from a start against the Angels where he allowed seven runs in three innings pitched.

His initial appearance of the spring showed a flash of the Morales of old as he tossed two scoreless, hitless innings against the White Sox. He also struck out two, and more importantly, didn't walk a batter.

His next start against the Angels set him back, but he responded to that awful outing with a scoreless, four inning start against the Giants where he struck out three and walked none.

Thursday, facing the Angels again, Morales made the necessary adjustments from facing the Angels previously and threw four innings, allowing only two runs on four hits. He also picked off two baserunners (for what that's worth).

In the race for the fifth spot in the Rockies' starting rotation between Morales, Greg Smith, Greg Reynolds, Josh Fogg, Jason Hirsh, and Matt Belisle, Morales has shown the Rockies what they needed to see to put their faith back in a prospect once thought to be the future of the starting five.

Three out of four nearly spotless appearances will certainly go a long way in seeing Morales' name penciled in to start every fifth day in 2009.

Mc D vs. Shagler vs. Predator: Requiem

Hello again, my pretties. Oh, how I've missed you. Yay, and like John Travolta before me, I'm making a comeback. I was on the 60-day DL with non-baseballfootballitis. Luckily due to spring training and the draft coming up, my life has meaning. Oh and these frickin' Jay Cutler shenanigans.

Today on First and 10 they asked Dr. Skip Bayless, Sports MD if the Broncos/Cowboys should swap Jay Cutler for Tony Romo. Seriously? Have we come this far?

First of all, Football Outsiders ranked Jay Cutler as the fifth most valuable QB in football last year and Tony Romo eleventh. Who trades a 25-year old, Pro Bowl, top-5 QB? Nobody. Not nobody not no how.

This discussion should not happen, but it is. Cutler is under contract and only Matt Millen or a chimpanzee of average chimpanzee intelligence would trade Cutler, even for a number 1 overall pick. Ignoring this rather obvious fact, everyone involved in this situation is a moron: Mc D, Shagler, Bus "Whose career can I destroy now?" Cook, Pat "Furcoats and Trophy Wives" Bowlen.

Let me break it down for you:
Mc D - You are not all-hailed lord of football. Good leaders make their subjects enjoy what they do for their organization without feeling subjugated. Stalin shot anyone who opposed him. Don't be like Stalin! Also, I know you and Matt Cassel are BFFs but Football Outsiders had him as the 17th best QB. Comparing him and Cutler is like comparing Scot "With Legs Wide Open" Stapp's songwriting to Bob Dylan. Or that twirly Bono douche from Coldplay who probably hires someone to throw confetti over him wherever he goes to Thom Yorke. Stop.

Shagler - Ohhhhh does baby want a cookie? Or a gigantic contract? Stop crying and play football. If I made a couple million dollars a year, I would sure as shit be glad to do my job. Mike Shanahan would have rather have coached John Elway for every day of his career, but he got stuck coaching a crybaby like you. Why didn't you complain then? Pick up a football and stop whining. Trades are discussed in every sport. You are not above everyone. You haven't even won a playoff game yet. Get off your high horse and stop crying.

Bus Cook - Aaaannnnnnddddddd there you have it. We have another Scott Boras, but for football! You boned Brett Favre and now you've come for Jay Cutler. Please just fire yourself and go ruin a sport that nobody cares about, like women's basketball. Or hockey (Canada excluded).

Pat Bowlen -You shouldn't have let it get this far. At least you are taking a side and it's probably best to take your coach's side. Still, you're captian of the Broncos ship and you have a mutiny on your hands. Slap Shagler around til he plays and show Mc D you're in charge.

Please, Elway, make this stupid soap opera stop. It is embarrassing for Broncos fans everywhere and never should have happened in the first place.

(Now that I'm off the DL, I'll try and get back into posting at least a couple times per week.)

Soundtracks of the Rockies: 2009 Edition

Surfing around on the Internet can show you many things. Some are informative, some are worthless, and some are definitely not safe for work.

While scrolling through some articles on www.sportstimeohio.com, a blog associated with the television home of the Cleveland Indians, I came across an article that gave me not only inspiration for a blog entry, but some belly laughs as well.

The article was written by Indians beat writer Paul Cousineau, a very intelligent and thorough journalist, about which popular songs he believes should be adopted by the 2009 Cleveland Indians' ballplayers as their batters' and pitchers' ditties for the upcoming season.

That got me thinking about the 2009 Colorado Rockies and which songs would work with which players? Each ballplayer has their own choice of song that comes over the stadium loudspeakers whenever they come to the plate or come into pitch.

Here are a few choices that I think the Rockies should seriously consider making their own personal ditties.

Todd Helton

"The Last Waltz" by the Band

Though Helton professes to be healthy thus far this spring, chronic back injuries are incredibly difficult to come back from, especially to the form Helton displayed early on in his career when he was a flirting with .400 on a yearly basis.

This beautifully intricate waltz by one of the most underrated bands of all time, The Band, closed out their Martin Scorcese-directed 1978 documentary of the same name. The Band didn't have a closing statement. They let their music do the talking as the lights slowly faded out in the Winterland Ballroom.

We can only hope Helton has a few more waltzes left in his lumber.

Troy Tulowitzki

"Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J

One only needs the opening snarl of Ladies Love Cool James to pump up even the most apathetic of fans.

"Don't call it a comeback. I've been here for years. Rockin' my peers, and puttin' suckas in fear."

If the Rockies are going to have any chance at recapturing Rocktober, they're going to need Tulo to return to his 2007 form where he enjoyed the greatest season ever by a National League rookie shortstop.

Garrett Atkins

"Unappreciated" by Cherish

Swamped by offseason rumors that he would be wearing a different uniform come 2009, Atkins has to feel a bit miffed that his name was thrown around so freely during the Hot Stove talks.

Atkins is still a Rockie, however, and what better way to show your organization how you really feel then with a teenage, girl-group r'n'b ballad?

Brad Hawpe

"Count on Me" by Whitney Houston

Hawpe has been nothing but consistent in his three years as a starter (.289 average, 25 home runs, 95 rbis in a normal season) and with Matt Holliday taking his All-Star bat to Oakland, Hawpe will be counted on to shoulder more of the offensive load.

Whitney Houston's duet with Cece Winans about accountability in turbulent times is the perfect anthem for Hawpe's role in 2009. And it'll put a stop to that gawd-awful Nickelback song he's been using for the last two seasons.

Chris Iannetta

"Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen

Iannetta entered last season as the backup to Yorvit Torrealba and emerged on the fringe of the league's upper echelon of offensive backstops (18 homers, 65 RBI, .390 on-base percentage in 104 games). As the starter this season, he's looking to keep that positive momentum going.

No word yet if he's named his bat, Mr. Farenheit.

Ryan Spilborghs

Spilly doesn't need my help. He's a batter's ditty-connoisseur.

Aaron Cook

"99 Red Balloons" by Nena

This German pop smash single would be the perfect song for everybody's favorite red-headed right-hander. Perhaps the 99 red balloons will stand for each one of Cookie's strikeouts this year (plus one to make it an even 100).

Jeff Francis

"Sunshine on My Shoulder" by John Denver

Though Francis' shoulder is going to keep him out for the season with his decision to undergo surgery, this mellow, optimistic number from the legendary folk singer-songwriter should keep his thoughts positive while he rehabs for 2010.

Ubaldo Jimenez

"The Way" by Fastball

What better band to represent the pitcher who had the highest average fastball in baseball last year than a band called, well, Fastball?

Anyone can see the road Jimenez walks on is paved in gold as he looks to build upon his impressive first full season in the big leagues (12-12, 3.99 ERA, 172 strikeouts).

Jason Hirsh

"Running out of Time" by Hot Hot Heat

This poppy rock song can get some pep in Hirsh's step before he takes the hill.

Once a top prospect, Hirsh has never taken advantage of his chances in the big leagues and at 27, may be running out of opportunities.

Manny Corpas

"Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson

Corpas, who was admittedly out of shape and lacking focus in 2008, has reportedly shown up to camp fit and prepared to win his closer's job back. He'll have to battle Huston Street, but it seems as if he's taken a long look in the mirror and is ready to go out and make a change.

Huston Street

"New Kid in Town" by the Eagles

Street, an acquisition brought to the Mile High City in the Holliday deal, won't know many of his new teammates before he reports to Tucson, but he'll soon be just one of the guys once he starts throwing zeroes on the scoreboard.

Ian Stewart

"Ready to Roll" by Flashlight Brown

This pumped-up anthem should prepare Stewart to excel in 2009, no matter what position he's playing, be it third base or left field.

Carlos Gonzalez

"Superstar" by Lupe Fiasco

"If you are what you say you are, a superstar, then have no fear, the crowd is here."

Gonzalez has been named the top prospect in two separate organizations (the Diamondbacks and Athletics) and has come to Colorado looking to replace Holliday. Eventually, he'll have to stop living off his potential and start leading with his production.

If you guys have your own picks, be sure to leave them in the comments. I'm going to start making a playlist.