ROCKIES' FARM REPORT: Diaz has hope despite Casper's rough start

Published June 28, 2007 at midnight

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Rookie Casper manager Tony Diaz dismissed the explanation, regardless of any shred of logic it contained about his team's 0-9 start.

The Rockies nightmarish beginning has come against Idaho Falls, a Kansas City affiliate, and Ogden, which is part of the Los Angeles Dodgers chain.

Casper is the bottom rung in Colorado's farm system. Not so with Idaho Falls and Ogden.

The Royals and Dodgers each have a short-season club below Idaho Falls and Ogden. So the players on those two teams tend to be older than those playing for Diaz.

He has told his players he does not want to hear any of them mention the word "young." Essentially, Diaz has told them that is an unacceptable crutch.

"What I said is that the only difference is they have a little more experience," Diaz said. "But as far as the talent, if our guys continue to improve on the fundamentals of the game, talent will take experience every time -- if we are fundamentally sound.

"And one of our biggest challenges is to heighten their awareness to anticipating situations and just being aware of what's going on and what's about to happen. Those guys (playing for Idaho Falls and Ogden) are older and have a little more experience; so sometimes they can forsee situations a little bit better. It's our job to get these guys in that mind frame. Once we get that consistently, we're going to compete and not only compete, we're going to win ballgames."

The Rockies began the season with two 11-inning losses against Idaho Falls -- 7-6 and 10-7 -- and suffered a 10-inning 7-6 loss there in the seventh game of the season. Casper has been outscored 67-34 in nine games, having scored three runs or less in five of them.

At Ogden last weekend, Diaz had a reunion with P.J. Carey, the Dodgers field coordinator who arranged his schedule to be in Ogden when Casper made its initial visit. Carey managed Casper when it joined the Rockies farm system in 2001 and from 2003-2006. Diaz was the hitting coach for Casper every year Carey managed there and was Carey's hitting coach in 2000 when the Rockies had an affiliate at Tucson in the Arizona Rookie League before happily leaving for Casper.

"P.J. really likes our bunch," Diaz said. "He gave me the advice, 'You got to be patient but you guys'll be fine.' "

Patience is as vital as breathing for a staff member in Rookie ball, particularly so when working with a team trying to crawl out of an 0-9 chasm.

"It obviously demoralizes the team a little bit, especially because we've been in five games we could've won," Diaz said. "But the reality of the business is even though we could've won those games, we did some things that were not conducive to winning.

We hurt ourselves whether it was through baserunning or errors defensively or situational hitting. I think we're keeping it in perspective. We keep pounding those things so they become more aware of it, and we're going to get out of it. I continue to tell those guys that this record is quite deceiving. It's like a bikini. It shows a lot, but it doesn't show everything."

Slow starts are the norm for Casper, albeit never to this degree. After nine games, the Rockies have never been above .500 with their record as follows:

2001 -- 2-7

2002 -- 4-5

2003 -- 2-7

2004 -- 4-5

2005 -- 3-6

2006 -- 2-7

The best finish for the Rockies in any of those seasons was 38-38 in 2005, when the Rockies finished second in the South Division, eight games out of first. This year, the Rockies batters lead the league with 89 strikeouts and are next to last in on-base percentage (.318) and runs (34). Their pitchers have a 5.85 ERA -- the highest in the league.

"We got to attack the game rather than hope for things to happen," Diaz said. "We've got to stress the little things and focus on the process rather than the result. And I think once we commit to the process, the results are going to take care (of themselves) on their own."

There have been hopeful individual signs, enough of them for Diaz to be certain that better days are ahead and his team "could make some noise in this league."

Third baseman Shane Lowe, who turns 20 in August, is hitting .333 with one homer, three RBI and three stolen bases. He signed a 2007 contract after turning down a scholarship to the University of Nebraska and has already outgrown shortstop at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds. Lowe has 16 strikeouts in 33 at-bats and has made six errors, numbers at the start of a career that mean next to nothing in the grand scheme of player development.

"He's probably the best athlete we have," Diaz said. "He's going to strike out a lot. He's been switch hitting for less than a year, which a lot of people don't realize, but he's adapted quite well from the left side. He can be an exciting ballplayer. This guy can run.

"I like the way he goes to the plate to compete. He's a fighter. He doesn't quit. Defensively he's had as hard a time as anybody and he just keeps coming."

Diaz praised center fielder Scott Robinson (.278-1-3) as "a pure hitter" who hits balls from gap to gap. "He reminds me of Ryan Spilborghs when he first signed as far as his hitting approach," Diaz said. "His set up at the plate and his swing path. It's conducive to (hitting balls to) right-center."

Robinson was taken in the 30th round last year out of Henry County (Georgia) High School but is beginning his professional career this year. He's raw in most phases of outfield play like reading balls off the bat and tracking them and needs to improve his throwing.

First baseman Jeff Cunningham (.412-2-4), who was drafted in the seventh round this year out of the University of South Alabama, is a left-handed hitter whom Diaz said reminds him of right fielder Seth Smith, except Cunningham has more power than Smith who has hit at every level and is currently playing for Triple-A Colorado Springs.

"Same load and very quiet, balanced approach at the plate," Diaz said. "And he can drive the ball to all parts of the field."

Catcher Wilin Rosario (.278-1-2) is an 18-year-old with a magnificent arm but whose receiving skills need polish. Rosario has six strikeouts in 18 at-bats, hardly a surprise to Diaz.

"He's another guy who will strike out quite a bit because of his inexperience. But he's got plus bat speed. When this guy takes BP, it's a different sound (of the ball off the bat) . . . He likes to be in the spotlight. He likes to be the man when it's a crucial situation. That's great to have in a catcher."

Reliever Leonel Lopez, who will be 22 in August, spent the past three years as an infielder on the Rockies team in the Dominican Summer League where he averaged .220 with a .324 on-base percentage in those seasons.

Coming out of the bullpen for Casper, Lopez has made four scoreless appearances totaling 4 1/3 innings with two hits allowed, no walks and five strikeouts.

"He throws 90-92 (mph), 93 at times," Diaz said. "When (roving pitching coordinator) Jimmy Wright was in town for our mini-camp, they tinkered a little bit with his slider, the grip. His slider rotation has gotten a lot better in a matter of two weeks. Now he's got a weapon."

Diaz was explaining all this very early Thursday morning, his cell phone interrupted as he took a trip through "the middle of nowhere." Following an 8-0 loss at Idaho Falls, Diaz and his team were on a bus back to Casper, making a 375-mile trip that Diaz was confident would lead to better tomorrows.

Triple-A Colorado Springs (42-34, first place by one game)

Sky Sox Web site | Sky Sox Roster

The Sky Sox have won six straight -- one short of their season-best seven-game winning streak May 7 -13 -- eight of their past nine games and 15 of their past 20. On Wednesday, they moved into sole possession of first place in their division for the first time since April 21, 2004 . . . Second baseman Jayson Nix (.299-3-25) had a 12-game hitting streak end Monday with an unsuccessful pinch-hitting appearance but went 2-for-4 Tuesday for his ninth multi-hit game of the month. He has raised his average from .233 on June 3 -- he was hitless in 16 at-bats at that point -- by going 31-for-75 with eight doubles, one triple, three homers, 17 RBI and 18 runs in 19 games . . . First baseman Joe Koshansky (.325-10-63) is tied for second in the Pacific Coast League in RBI, thanks to a 15-RBI spree in his past nine games. He drove in at least one run in seven of those games, had four three-RBI games and hit two homers in a game for the first time this season Tuesday at Portland . . . Marc Kaiser (5-3, 5.77) has walked five in each of his past four starts, a span of 21 innings, and has 48 walks, compared to 27 strikeouts, in 68 2/3 innings for an average of 6.3 walks per nine innings . . . Kaiser is second in the league in walks behind teammate Ubaldo Jimenez (5-4, 6.55), who has 51 walks in 78 1/3 innings for an average of 5.9 walks per nine innings. Jimenez has been better lately with four walks in 11 innings in his past two starts. Even so, his lack of fastball command is reflected in staggering pitch counts in those two games -- 107 pitches in six innings June 17 and 106 pitches in five innings Saturday . . . Shortstop Clint Barmes (.331-3-27), whose 4-for-5 game Monday raised his average to a season-best .332, has a hit in seven straight games and 19 of his past 20. He was hitting .274 at the end of May but has hit .406-2-18 this month, going 41-for-101 with eight doubles, two triples and two homers . . . After not playing Saturday and Sunday because of sinus problems, Ian Stewart (.294-10-46) came out of a 3-for-26 slide that had dropped his average 20 points to .286 by going 5-for-10 in two games at Portland on Monday and Tuesday with a double, triple, home run and five RBI . . . Closer Ryan Speier (1-1, 3.18 with 20 saves) leads the league in saves. He has two more than Tucson's Chad Harville. Speier has two blown saves, the most recent on June 4; he also led the Texas League with 37 saves in 2004.

Double-A Tulsa (40-37 overall, 5-2 second half, first place by 1 game)

Tulsa Drillers Web site | Drillers Roster

Pitcher Greg Reynolds (4-1, 1.42), the Rockies first-round pick and second player drafted overall last year, has no structural damage in his shoulder. Player development director Marc Gustafson said Reynolds will remain in Denver for a couple weeks to undergo therapy for inflammation in his rotator cuff. That injury caused Reynolds to miss a month after a May 15 start and after his shoulder bothered him again when Reynolds finally pitched June 19, the Rockies brought him to Denver to be examined . . . Samuel Deduno (4-2, 3.77) is 4-0, 2.48 in his past five starts, allowing 27 hits in 36 1/3 innings in that stretch with 10 walks and 36 strikeouts. Deduno has been particularly sharp in his past three games, going 2-0, 1.17 and giving up four runs, three earned, and 15 hits in 23 innings with seven walks and 26 strikeouts . . . Third baseman Christian Colonel (.310-9-47) was hitting .209 on May 1 but has since hit .358. On June 3, Colonel's average was at .272 and had fallen 16 points thanks to a 2-for-18 slump. He has since hit safely in 19 of 22 games while batting .393 (35-for-89) with six homers, 21 RBI and 13 doubles. Colonel leads the Texas League with 29 doubles, six more than anyone else, and hits (88) and is tied for the league lead in RBI . . . Despite an on-base percentage of .304, second baseman Corey Wimberly (.233-0-14) is tied for league lead with 15 stolen bases. He didn't make his Tulsa debut until May 1 due to a hamstring injury. Wimberly, with just one stolen base dating back to June 14, came out of a 4-for-33 skid by going 2-for-4 on Wednesday. It was just his second multi-hit game since June 6 . . . Closer Steven Register (0-1, 4.58) is 25-for-29 in save situations and leads the league in saves. Register has seven walks and 33 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings with just two home runs allowed but has yielded 46 hits and opponents are hitting .313 against him . . . Reliever Juan Morillo (4-2, 2.21) had three walks and 14 strikeouts in 13 innings in May and has four walks and 14 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings this month after finishing April with 10 walks and six strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings . . . Left fielder Matt Miller (.265-7-34) was 11-for-70 with five hits in his past 32 at-bats before going 5-for-10 in his final three games before the All-Star break . . . While winning his past two starts, Ryan Mattheus (5-4, 3.78) has pitched 15 scoreless innings with four walks and 14 strikeouts. Mattheus has pitched at least seven innings in five of his past six starts and threw a season-high eight innings last Friday at Springfield. A sinkerball-slider pitcher, Mattheus has allowed six homers in 85 2/3 innings and one homer in 26 innings in four June starts . . . Ching-Lung Lo (3-5, 5.56) missed a start due to back spasms not expected to cause a lingering concern. Lo, who is likely to pitch when his turn in the rotation next arises, has not pitched more than six innings in any of his 14 starts.

High Single-A Modesto (37-40 overall, 3-4 second half, third place, 2 ½ games behind)

Modesto Nuts Web site | Nuts Roster

Center fielder Dexter Fowler will miss the rest of the season after having two pins placed in the broken pisiform bone in his right wrist. He'll have the wrist immobilized four weeks and then begin range-of-motion exercises, with the Rockies optimistic he can be ready to play in the Arizona Fall League. Fowler sustained a fracture not common to baseball players June 17 when he unsuccessfully tried to make a catch and broke this small, pea-shaped bone in his wrist . . . Catcher Neil Wilson (.262-4-36) has a hit in seven straight games and 11 of his past 12, going 14-for-45 with three doubles, one triple, three homers and 12 RBI. Wilson had his sixth three-RBI game Tuesday and has 23 RBI on 24 hits this month and 36 RBI on 38 hits for the season . . . The Nuts broke a four-game losing streak and won for just the eighth time in 25 games Tuesday when they beat Rancho Cucamonga 11-4. That 11-run outburst was one fewer run than Modesto scored in the first five games of the second half . . . The beneficiary of those runs was Chaz Roe (2-8, 4.11), who broke a three-game losing streak and won for the first time in seven starts since May 19. In his 15 previous starts, covering 89 innings, Roe had not received more than four runs of support from his teammates while he was in a game . . . A 5-3 win Wednesday over Rancho Cucamonga gave the Nuts two consecutive victories for the first time since June 5-6 . . . Brandon Hynick (9-2, 2.12) had no walks in his last start Saturday against Visalia, something he has done in nine of 15 starts, but didn't strike out anyone for the first time this season. Hynick has walked just 11 of the 409 batters he has faced in 101 2/3 innings and has 71 strikeouts. After giving up 52 hits in 69 innings in 10 starts in April and May and limiting opponents to a .204 average, Hynick has allowed 41 hits in 32 2/3 innings in five starts this month when opponents have hit .301 . . . Left fielder Cole Garner (.187-1-15) is 3-for-33 in his past 11 games with 18 strikeouts and has 72 strikeouts in 187 at-bats this season . . . Alan Johnson (6-4, 2.71) is 2-1, 1.19 in his past three starts with six walks and 19 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings. The loss during that stretch was a 2-0 defeat June 21 against Visalia with Johnson allowing two runs, one earned, in 6 2/3 innings . . . With five walks and 74 strikeouts in 237 at-bats, right fielder Daniel Carte (.274-6-43) has a .311 on-base percentage. Carte was hitting .338 on May 24 but since then has gone 16-for-95. However, Carte has gone 6-for-15 in his past four games with three doubles and one homer . . . Outfielder Travis Becktel (.205-4-22) had back-to-back two-hit games Monday and Tuesday against Rancho Cucamonga. His only other consecutive multi-hit games were April 12-13 when he had three hits each day. Becktel's home run Tuesday was his first since May 1. He was hitting .304 on May 4 but had gone 13-for-115 with just two hits in his previous 37 at-bats before those back-to-back two-hit games . . . Third baseman Phillip Cuadrado (.215-3-19), who last played May 29, is in Denver rehabilitating a strained posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and is expected to return in a couple weeks . . . Pitcher Tomas Santiago (1-3, 4.97) was activated Wednesday. He last pitched May 12 and had been sidelined with an abdominal strain.

Low Single-A Asheville (47-29 overall, 5-2 second half, tied for first place)

Asheville Tourists Web site | Tourists Roster

Knuckleball pitcher Simon Ferrer (5-4, 4.79) threw 117 pitches in his first professional complete game Monday, a five-hitter with a career-high seven strikeouts in a 13-1 win against Greensboro. While going 2-1, 2.10 in his past four starts, Ferrer has four walks in 25 2/3 innings. Ferrer, an infielder his first four professional seasons, threw his complete game came one day after he turned 27. That's by no means old for a knuckleball pitcher, but the Rockies are likely to promote Ferrer before too long to see how he fares against better hitters this season . . . Winning the first three games of their series against Greensboro through Wednesday gave the Tourists their longest winning streak since they won three straight May 26-28. Asheville outscored Greensboro 29-7 in those three victories, and starting pitchers Ferrer, Esmil Rogers (2-0, 2.68) and Keith Weiser (9-4, 3.39) combined to go 3-0, 1.19 with seven runs, three earned, and 17 hits allowed in 22 2/3 innings along with four walks and 20 strikeouts . . . First baseman Michael Paulk (.322-7-55) homered Wednesday for the fourth time in six games. Paulk has hit five homers in 84 at-bats this month after hitting two in 192 at-bats in April and May . . . Back-to-back three-hit games Tuesday and Wednesday during his 12-game hitting streak have given second baseman Daniel Mayora (.339-10-45) his highest average since he was hitting .341 on May 15. Mayora is second in the South Atlantic League in batting, nine points behind the leader, second in doubles (26) and third in hits (93) . . . James Burok (3-1, 1.06) has been scored upon in just three of 30 games and only once in 26 games since April 11. The lone home run Burok has allowed to the 133 batters he has faced in 34 innings came April 5 in his first game of the season. Opponents are hitting .161 this season against Burok and .117 (9-for-77) since the beginning of May . . . Outfielder Bret Berglund (.237-4-29), a Denver native, went 3-for-3 with two doubles and four RBI on Tuesday. Before that game, Berglund had three hits in his previous 38 at-bats and six RBI dating back to May 4, none after June 2. Berglund, who is 13-for-18 in stolen base attempts, was hitting .327 on April 29 but since then has gone 20-for-101.

Short season Single-A Tri-City (2-7, third place, 2 games behind)

Tri-City Dust Devils Web site | Dust Devils Roster

The Dust Devils broke a seven-game losing streak Wednesday with a 5-3 win against Everett. After scoring 10 runs in an opening-night 10-4 romp at Vancouver, the Dust Devils scored 18 runs in their seven losses -- three runs or fewer in six of the defeats and four runs in the other. The Dust Devils are seventh in the eight-team Northwest League with 28 runs, an average of 3.5 per game . . . Outfielder Kevin Clark (.308-2-4) has hit both of Tri-City's home runs. At Rookie Casper last year, the left-handed hitting Clark hit .242-5-23 in 56 games. The Dust Devils are tied for sixth in the league with two homers in 262 at-bats, not really surprising since the wind typically blows in at Dust Devils Stadium . . . Shortstop Helder Velazquez (.294-0-4) has four multi-hit games and five strikeouts in 34 at-bats. The 18-year-old Velazquez showed he could make steady contact last year at Casper when he averaged one strikeout every 5.8 at-bats and hit .255-2-19 in 40 games. Velazquez can throw from all angles with plus arm strength, possesses great actions at shortstop and at the plate has good hand speed with projectable strength. He hit two doubles off the wall Tuesday at pitcher-friendly Dust Devils Stadium . . . Second baseman Everth Cabrera (.400-0-5) has the same number of walks (6) and strikeouts in 30 at-bats. Like Velazquez, Cabrera, while not as rangy, is a gifted defensive player who is very, very agile and has good arm strength from all angles . . . Marco Duarte (0-0, 3.75) allowed two hits and one run in seven innings Tuesday with two walks and five strikeouts. Duarte, 20, showed the ability to add and subtract with an 86-90 mph fastball. He has a very good feel for a changeup, which could become a plus pitch, and the makings of an average curveball . . . Shen-An Kuo (1-0, 2.92), a 21-year-old right-hander from Taiwan, allowed four hits and one run in 7 1/3 innings in his second start Sunday against Everett with no walks and seven strikeouts. Kuo has an 85-88 mph fastball, with his command of that pitch currently his strong point. He controlled his slider very well against Everett and has the makings of a changeup that could be an asset. Kuo left with a 2-0 lead and a runner on first with one out in what became a four-run Everett eighth and a 5-2 loss for Tri-City . . . Andrew Groves (0-2, 17.18) threw two wild pitches while working an inning and allowing a run in that game but suffered through an excruciating blown save and was the losing pitcher Tuesday when Duarte's start dissolved into a 5-3 loss to Everett. Groves, taken in the 11th round out of Purdue, took the mound in the ninth with the Dust Devils leading 3-1. He gave up a leadoff walk, with one out threw a wild pitch to a batter he eventually hit, moved within one out of a save with a strikeout but then hit a batter, issued a bases-loaded walk, hit a batter to force in a run and gave up a two-run double. In addition to being scored upon in his first three professional games, Groves has allowed 10 base runners in 3 2/3 innings.

Rookie Casper (0-9, fourth place, 8 games behind)

Casper Rockies Web site | Rockies Roster

Arm soreness kept David Christensen (.179-1-2) from playing left field until Tuesday. The Rockies second-round pick out of a Parkland, Fla., high school last year, Christensen, 19, has returned to Casper. He hit .198-5-20 there last year with 93 strikeouts in 207 at-bats, and Casper manager Tony Diaz has noticed a difference this year. "I'm very impressed with his work ethic and his mental approach this year," Diaz said. " He's a lot more mature. He's more of a man. He works his butt off and doesn't make excuses. He's been playing defense the last few days and has done a phenomenal job in left field." . . . In his first two professional starts, Parker Frazier (0-1, 19.06) has allowed 18 hits in 5 2/3 innings, including 10 hits and six runs in 2 2/3 innings Wednesday at Idaho Falls. The 18-year-old Frazier is 6-5 and 160 pounds and was drafted in the eighth round out of a Tulsa high school. His father, George, is a Rockies broadcaster and former major league reliever. Frazier's control and slider are assets, and his fastball will improve as he grows and gains strength. Right now that pitch is 84-88 mph and averaging 86 mph, and as Frazier has discovered the hard way, fastballs up in the strike zone at that velocity are going to lead to trouble.

etkinj@RockyMountainNews.com

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