Ringolsby: Call Day's rotation bid a Classic example

Monday, January 23, 2006

Zach Day has an edge in the battle with Sunny Kim for the fifth spot in the Colorado Rockies rotation.

Day will be in spring training with the Rockies all spring.

Kim won't.

Kim is among 16 Rockies players on provisional rosters for the World Baseball Classic, which will be held in March. He is considered a lock to make the rotation for his native Korea, along with fellow Rockies right-hander Byung-Hyun Kim.

With the four Asian teams starting their first round, which will be played in Tokyo, earlier than the three other quarterfinals, the two Kims will be in Tucson for the first full-squad workout of the spring Feb. 24 but leave the next day for workouts with the Korean national team.

Day, meanwhile, will be in Tucson from start to finish this spring.

The Rockies will have at least two starters - three if Sunny Kim makes the rotation - involved in the WBC.

In addition to the two Kims with Korea, Jeff Francis will pitch for Canada. The good news is Canada is in the quarterfinals, which will be played in Phoenix. So the Rockies will have a chance to closely monitor Francis' progress.

In fact, at least six members of the Rockies' projected 12-man pitching staff could make the final roster cuts for the WBC.

Along with the two Kims and Francis, closer Brian Fuentes will be with the United States, reliever David Cortes will be with Mexico and reliever Jose Mesa is on the initial list for the Dominican Republic, although it's more likely he will be a fallback in case of problems with another pitcher.

Jose Acevedo, also on the initial roster for the Dominican, is a candidate for the Rockies staff.

"It's a concern, but all teams face the same situation," Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said of the absence of projected pitchers from spring training.

"We are looking at bringing in (the WBC-eligible pitchers) on Feb. 11 and having them throw the next day so we can see where everybody is before they take off."

The Rockies also plan to bring in four extra minor-league pitchers - Justin Hampson, Zack Parker, Jud Songster and Sandy Nin - to make sure they have enough arms for the exhibition season. That also could provide a chance to surprise for one of the young pitchers.

THE ROCKIES are among the teams that have been asked to supply the most players for the WBC competition. Sixteen players from their organization are on the provisional rosters. That ties the Rockies with the New York Yankees for the eighth-largest number of players involved in the competition.

Minnesota has 23 players, tops among the organizations, including eight with Australia. The Twins are followed by Philadelphia (22), Seattle (21), the New York Mets and Detroit (20), Los Angeles (19) and Atlanta (18).

While the Dodgers have three more players than the Rockies, San Francisco has only 11, Arizona 10 and San Diego eight. Tampa Bay has the fewest involved players, with five, just behind the Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Cincinnati, with seven apiece. Texas and San Diego have only eight and Oakland has 10.

And the Rockies have two significant foreign right-handed pitchers who would have been locks to make the teams for their countries if they were healthy - Chin-hui Tsao of Taiwan and Shane Lindsay of Australia. Tsao is rehabilitating from shoulder surgery. Lindsay has some wear and tear in his right labrum and is on a rehab program in Denver.

FUENTES IS A LOCK to make the U.S. team, which is not a big concern for the Rockies because Marcel Lachemann, a special assistant to O'Dowd, is the pitching coach for Team USA.

Matt Holliday was a late addition to Team USA, which was short on right-handed batters. Holliday said he wasn't even approached about the team until manager Buck Martinez called him eight days ago.

"It came out of nowhere," Holliday said.

THE ROCKIES are trying to finalize their spring roster, and they remain interested in a veteran utility infielder, which could be Royce Clayton if he is ready to accept a backup role, and another veteran reliever, which has led to continuing talks with Jim Brower and Brian Meadows.

Because of the versatility of projected starting second baseman Luis Gonzalez, who can fill in at third when Garrett Atkins gets a day off, a backup middle infielder with the Rockies could get 90 starts, which could appeal to Clayton.