Mile High Sports Rockies Podcast

Mile High Sports Magazine Editor-in-Chief Doug Ottewill was in Scottsdale last week in preparation for the 2018 Rockies Preview edition. Colorado has suddenly become a pitching-minded organization. Doug and Casey Light dive into how that transformation occurred and how it will shape the 2018 season. Plus, Doug explains why you don't want to interrupt Wade Davis' sudoku.

It's Dr. Seuss' birthday! In this edition of the Blake Street Irregulars podcast presented by Tap XIV, Casey Light and David Johnson look at "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" the Rockies can do right now to help meet expectations for 2018 that seem to be getting bigger every day. The starting 8 and the bullpen seem set, indeed. So, let's add a starter and address a bench need!

Charlie Blackmon makes his 2018 Spring Training debut, and he'll be hitting third in the lineup. Is Rockies manager Bud Black serious about moving Blackmon out of the leadoff spot? If so, what ramifications does that have for the rest of the lineup? Casey Light and Benny Bash explore the possibilities in this edition of the Blake Street Irregulars podcast presented by Tap XIV.

The Rockies open Cactus League play on Friday and expectations are as high as they have ever been for the club. Casey Light and Aniello Piro take a look at every position on the diamond and gauge whether or not the different bodies at that position can meet the expectations set in 2017 with a run to the playoffs. It's an extra-large, extended edition of the podcast, so settle in and get ready for some baseball!

Position players report to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Monday, but much of the chatter is about who is not there. Carlos Gonzalez and Mark Reynolds remain free agents, while the Rockies have put a top prospect atop the depth chart at first base. Casey Light and Benny Bash examine what message that sends to CarGo and Reynolds, not to mention stars like Nolan Arenado. That, plus what to expect from top prospect Brendan Rodgers, is all in this edition of the Blake Street Irregulars podcast presented by Tap XIV.

Pitchers and catchers are in Arizona, officially in uniform with coaches on hand! For the first time in what feels like Rockies history, the club has a plethora of plus-side arms to choose from in the bullpen. Casey Light and Doug Ottewill break down the eight bullpen spots Bud Black is likely to deploy to start the season, plus they examine how the abundance of available starters might impact bullpen roles.

Love is in the air this Feb. 14, and not just because it's Valentine's Day. Rockies pitchers and catchers have their first workout of the year, and expectations are sky-high this season. Casey Light and Benny Bash take a look at the seven starters who contributed significantly to last year's 87-win season and size up which of those will comprise Bud Black's Opening Day rotation.

Rockies pitchers and catchers report today, with their first workout scheduled for Wednesday. Casey Light and Shawn Drotar examine the four catchers on the 40-man roster and look at moves Colorado could still make to shore up the position.

As the Colorado Rockies' offseason begins in earnest, host Shawn Drotar and guest Casey Light discuss the addition of Bryan Shaw to the bullpen and the return of reliever Jake McGee. While rumors still swirl around the Rockies and their pursuit of closers Wade Davis, Brandon Kintzler, Alex Colome and even the potential return of Greg Holland, the pair dig deep into the Rockies' staff and find a number of intriguing possibilities for a young rotation and a veteran bullpen.Though the Rockies signed old friend Chris Iannetta to a free-agent deal, the Rockies still have question marks at catcher, first base and right field. Can Ian Desmond truly take over at first -- the role he was signed to play -- or will the Rockies need to mix and match with Gerardo Parra?Lastly, Shawn and Casey take a look at the Rockies' financial situation; with arbitration due to Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu, the possibility of signing superstar Nolan Arenado to a long-term contract get more complicated -- could the Rockies entertain

Longtime Minnesota Twins scout Ed Henderson joins host Shawn Drotar (Mile High Sports Radio) to reminiscence on the life and times of Roy Halladay -- one of the greatest athletes in Colorado history.Henderson scouted Halladay as a youth; following the man and his career from Arvada West High School to a legendary major-league career. From talking about Halladay's throwback mindset, to funny anecdotes to his Hall of Fame chances, Henderson's tales provide an intimate portrait of the beloved pitcher, lost far too soon in a tragic plane crash.***Brought to you by Tap XIV (tapfourteen.com) on Blake Street in Denver.Follow Shawn Drotar on Twitter: @sdrotar

The #Rockies have clinched their first postseason appearance since 2009, but it'll be a very brief one if they can't get past the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.Host Shawn Drotar and guest Casey Light break the game down; first looking closely at the starting pitching matchup -- Colorado's Jon Gray vs. Arizona's Zach Greinke -- while comparing and contrasting the way each man is expected to attack the other's batting order. The Rockies, with a pair of MVP candidates in Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado, are loaded with power throughout the lineup and have boom-or-bust potential, while the Diamondbacks sport a pair of the league's best hitters in Paul Goldschmidt and mid-season acquisition J.D. Martinez.Light, a former collegiate pitcher, talks about Gray's mindset prior to his first-ever postseason start, and the pair decide whether the Rockies' most-expensive free-agent acquisition -- 1B/LF Ian Desmond -- should even start this important winner-take-all battle.Win or lose, the Rockies finally appear to h

It's been eight years since the Colorado Rockies were in this position. The postseason is in finally in sight, and this time, the boys in purple don't need anybody's help.The Rockies haven't made it easy on themselves for much of this season, and the final weekend won't be any different. The mighty Los Angeles Dodgers are in town, and they won't roll over -- with the best record in baseball, the Dodgers want to hit the postseason in full stride.Hosts Shawn Drotar & T.J. Carpenter (Mile High Sports Radio) discuss the Rockies' matchup with the Dodgers; the nature of an offense that alternately looks explosive and punchless, how MVP candidates Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado need to lead the way -- and what Carlos Gonzalez could accomplish in his potential swan song in Colorado.***Brought to you by Tap XIV (tapfourteen.com) on Blake Street in Denver.Follow Shawn Drotar on Twitter: @sdrotarFollow T.J. Carpenter on Twitter: @TJCarpenterShow

We're down to the final dozen games of the regular-season, and the #Rockies' two-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers seems perilous -- but is it, really?The Rockies start this stretch run with six on the road against the Giants and Padres -- two teams that have been planning tee times for a month -- while the Brewers' schedule looks much harder on paper.They don't play the game on paper, though, and fortunately, the Rockies' best players have been playing like it in September -- especially Carlos Gonzalez.Hosts Shawn Drotar (Mile High Sports Radio) and Ryan Greene (5280 Sports Network) do the playoff math and figure that an 8-4 finishing kick would get the job done for the Rockies. Even a 7-5 one might be enough, but the Rockies could build confidence for the postseason by taking care of business themselves. Can they do it?***Brought to you by Tap XIV (tapfourteen.com) on Blake Street in Denver.Follow Shawn Drotar on Twitter: @sdrotarFollow Ryan Greene on Twitter: @RGmilehigh

The #Rockies swept the Dodgers in the first four game of their road trip, and came into the Arizona desert red-hot, beating the Diamondbacks in their series opener and looked to be primed for a run at the top wild-card spot.In the final two games of the series, however, the Rockies' German Marquez and Chad Bettis imploded on the mound, which -- if that wasn't bad enough -- was compounded by the entire offense going AWOL to boot.Now, the Rockies limp back to Coors Field, where a weekend set with the Padres looms; can the purple and black get their mojo back at a mile high?Hosts Shawn Drotar (Mile High Sports Radio) and Ryan Greene (5280 Sports Network) discuss what the Rockies learned -- and how they can take it with them in a pivotal road series against the Diamondbacks.***Brought to you by Tap XIV (tapfourteen.com) on Blake Street in Denver.Follow Shawn Drotar on Twitter: @sdrotarFollow Ryan Greene on Twitter: @RGmilehigh

Raise your hand if you picked the #Rockies to sweep the Dodgers... in a four-game series... in Los Angeles.Now, put your hand down -- because you didn't. No one did.The Rockies did so anyway, beating Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish and Alex Wood in the process; better plate discipline led to good power production, and solid relief pitching sealed the deal.Nevertheless, the Rockies didn't put any space between them and the Brewers or Cardinals; teams in hot pursuit of the final wild-card spot.Hosts Shawn Drotar (Mile High Sports Radio) and Ryan Greene (5280 Sports Network) discuss what the Rockies learned -- and how they can take it with them in a pivotal road series against the Diamondbacks.***Brought to you by Tap XIV (tapfourteen.com) on Blake Street in Denver.Follow Shawn Drotar on Twitter: @sdrotarFollow Ryan Greene on Twitter: @RGmilehigh

After the #Rockies were swept by the visiting Diamondbacks, did Colorado's chances of hosting the wild-card game fly out of town with Arizona?Hosts Shawn Drotar (Mile High Sports Radio) and Ryan Greene (5280 Sports Network) wonder if that's the least of their problems. With a sputtering offense that's stuck in neutral, how can the Rockies turn things around before their chances of making the playoffs at all disappear?***Brought to you by Tap XIV (tapfourteen.com) on Blake Street in Denver.Follow Shawn Drotar on Twitter: @sdrotarFollow Ryan Greene on Twitter: @RGmilehigh

As the #Rockies' struggles in August have made the wild-card chase more interesting than they hoped for, hosts Shawn Drotar (Mile High Sports Radio) and Ryan Greene (5280 Sports Network) discuss the ascension of Germán Márquez.The rookie fireballer struck out 10 Tigers and walked only one in his last outing, causing catcher Jonathan Lucroy to remark that the 22-year-old Márquez is the best pitcher he's ever caught at that age.But while Márquez has become the Rockies' best pitcher, closer Greg Holland's once-phenomenal season has become problematic. Since injuring his finger in a kitchen accident, Holland only has three saves -- and three blown saves -- in August, while sporting an unsightly 13.50 ERA.Shawn and Ryan suggest a possible solution -- one that wouldn't disrupt team chemistry -- but can the team afford to try it?***Brought to you by Tap XIV (tapfourteen.com) on Blake Street in Denver.Follow Shawn Drotar on Twitter: @sdrotarFollow Ryan Greene on Twitter: @RGmilehigh

As hosts Shawn Drotar (Mile High Sports Radio) and Ronnie Kohrt (Mile High Sports) look over the #Rockies' recent 5-11 record nearing the end of August, they focus on three players whose struggles have defined these wobbly weeks -- closer Greg Holland, right fielder Carlos Gonzalez, and shortstop Trevor Story.Manager Bud Black has stayed the course; avoiding making significant changes to their roles. Is that the hallmark of a savvy manager, or an admission that the Rockies really have no other viable choices... or both?***Brought to you by Tap XIV (tapfourteen.com) on Blake Street in Denver.Follow Ronnie Kohrt on Twitter: @ronniekradioFollow Shawn Drotar on Twitter: @sdrotar

Recording live at Tap XIV prior to the #Rockies' series finale against the Braves, host Shawn Drotar (Mile High Sports Radio) and "Broncos Blitz" host Ryan Greene discuss the playoff chase as it enters its final six weeks.For the first time in... ever (?), the Rockies' starting five of Jon Gray, Chad Bettis, Kyle Freeland, German Marquez and Jeff Hoffman looks all but set in stone, both for now, and for the foreseeable future.Now, if the club could just get their bats working at the same time.“We haven’t bunched hits together,” Bud Black told The Denver Post after their loss to the Braves on August 15 . “Some guys are getting hits, but they’re not coming in the same inning. To score runs, you have to get two or three hits in a inning. And we’re getting a hit here and a hit there. We’re just not getting the one big hit when we have some baserunners. Those guys who are getting hits aren’t doing it at the same time. We’re spreading it out.”Can the Rockies finish their watershed season strong?Brought to

Host Shawn Drotar (Mile High Sports Radio) and guest Ronnie Kohrt (Mile High Sports) discuss pitcher Chad Bettis' emotional return to the mound after battling -- and beating -- testicular cancer.Bettis threw a gem in the Rockies' victory over the Braves at Coors Field, and with his addition, the #Rockies' rotation finally looks complete. Can the team take advantage of the emotional and on-field lift, and finally put some ground between themselves and the Diamondbacks, now that the Cardinals and Brewers -- their next opponent, by the way -- are in hot pursuit?***Brought to you by Tap XIV (tapfourteen.com) on Blake Street in Denver.Follow Ronnie Kohrt on Twitter: @ronniekradioFollow Shawn Drotar on Twitter: @sdrotar