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.