Hawpe’s fresh start at old position
The North County Times writes about former Colorado Rockies outfielder Brad Hawpe‘s return to his original position, first base.
Manager Bud Black has only had a few chances to see Hawpe in action but believes he possesses the intangibles for the job. The little things — bunt plays, bunt defenses and footwork — can be taught, Black said. But the soft hands required are one aspect that can’t.
“This guy is a natural first baseman,” Black said of Hawpe, who logged 215 minor-league games at first base.
Read the full story here.
Reading about CarGo adding some weight this year, makes me think that Hawpe might benefit a bit from that as well. He shouldn’t need to move quite as much at 1st now. Not that he needs to get too heavy, but an extra 20lbs of good weight would probably do him well.
Did you know that if you disagree with the authors on this site that you will get blocked from making comments?
Disagreeing with the authors on this site does not get you blocked. Insulting people does. Anyone who wants to contribute to the conversation and discussion is welcome to do so, but if comments repeatedly insult people whether they are authors, commenters, players, managers or other people in the media, and offer nothing to the conversation, those comments will be held for moderation. Many regular commenters disagree with the authors of this site.
If anyone is down in AZ at Spring Training right now would it be possible to upload some pictures or video of the players? I’m itching to get some glances of the players practicing. Wish I could be in AZ in person!
And we can all see why many regular “commenters” do in fact disagree with the “authors”
Dude get over it
Feel free to take opinions elsewhere if you feel you are ‘blocked’, but by all means keep contributing with well thought out perspectives and be open to constructive critics that might disagree. We have many insightful contributors on here that have a respect for good journalism and have good perspectives. We are all coming from different angles and may have different perspectives, but what makes this site great is we can agree to disagree and move on while continuing to have opinions that can be explained and rationalized in a well thought out manner.
I know I have learned a lot from people like Agbayani, Wayne, Eric G, EdtheUmp, Rich M, Ceasar, ProgMatinee, Reader f/k/a Mike and many more that I am temporarily forgetting on here and for their perspectives I am very thankful. I may not always agree but I at least respect their insight and thoughts and enjoy reading and then contributing. Baseball is a great game and this site is a great one as well for its coverage and opinions on our Colorado Rockies. Please don’t spoil the thoughts and opinions we have on here.
I got blocked once because I was being rude and name calling because I was frustrated with a particular player. It lasted like 1 day, and I took my lesson (hopefully) learned from it, not to be so emotional. We’ll see if I learned not to be so emotional when games start.
I don’t really understand what there is to get so upset about yet so early in the season? If those directly rude posts above made it through, I hate to see what got blocked.
This site is a privaledge and its a great one because people aren’t blasting each other left and right.
“This site is a privaledge and its a great one because people aren’t blasting each other left and right.”
Exactly Prog,
That is why this is the only site I ever post on.
This is a great site. There have been lots of disagreements on this site, but the disagreements have been expressed in a civil, polite manner. I sometimes look at other sites, and the level of discourse on those other sites is much less polite and less sophisticated than the level of discourse on this site. I hope that we can always maintain that.
Back to the subject at hand, I’m hoping Hawper has a great season. I always thought he was a class act.
He was my wifes favorite player, something about a nice dimple and a cute butt. She is especially sad to see him go…. grin*
I agree Trip. He played hurt and he tried but it didn’t work out with the Rockies. His bat will be missed and I hope he regains his form. Hey he did hit the home run to opposite field at Petco so maybe he can succeed there too. Rough park and he is not AGon, but I wish him well.
Hyperbole, I guess, but things could have been so much different if Crawford didn’t rob him of the HR in the ASG in 2009. Things really unravelled thereafter.
Hyperbole indeed,prog.I thought it looked good last year in his few 1B innings w/Rox last year.Everyone was complaining constantly about his OF defense,so maybe this will jump start his career.Good guy,wish him well except against us.
True confession!
I would like to think that I am always respectful of the ITR site and other ITR posters here, but I realize that I sometimes become “somewhat” critical of the players (front office at times too) and their performance.
Steve and ITR, although I don’t believe that they have ever blocked me (to date), there probably have been numerous opportunities to do so. Just one fan’s opinion = but the players and front office are getting paid very well to perform, so when they don’t, I admit that I don’t feel too badly about calling them out on it.
The ITR authots and posters here provide their insight and opinion with no (or almost no) financial reward (I assume very litlle in the ITR authors case). For the record, I have often disagreed with Steve and even Tracy at times, and they have allowed my point of view to be posted here without censure. How many people have actually had a conversation and exchange of thought with a Hall of Fame baseball writer? WOW – you gotta love modern technology!
Not sure what caused the need for this “civil” discussion here, but if it was “jmoore” on an earlier “Stewart” post, I tried to moderate that at the time because I thought it was close to being over the line but unfortunately that blog had closed before I could post there. “jmoore” your support for and points about Stewart were fairly solid, however you can easily make those points without attacking the ITR author.
Back to Hawpe, I never saw the lacking defense that so many here have asserted (but then again I never do – see EY2), in fact I usually saw a very good right field arm. Streaky hitter for sure, but again I don’t lay most of the blame for the Rockies 2010 offensive problems on Hawpe’s performance. Heck Hawpe wasn’t even around for the final two weeks and that total offensive collapse at the end of the season.
My issue is that (unlike Barmes where the Rockies at least got Paulino) I wish we would have gotten something in return for Hawpe, once the front office had decided that he no longer fit the long yerm plan.
Sorry about the length of this post, I made it as short I possibly could while getting my thoughts out there!
Rich M,
Sorry I was drawn into this Hawpe thread, as the poster boy for attacking the ITR author. Not to belabor the subject, but I really fail to see where this accusation is true.
“however you can easily make those points without attacking the ITR author.”
Not sure that blog is even around anymore however even the title of the blog seemed to be just a little agressive to me by ITR standards. Now you will note that I thought your Stewart blog amd posts were “close” to being but not necesarily over the line.
For whatever the reasond when I read your blog I thought you were attacking Steve and that’s just not how we roll around here. Make it less personal, factual as possible and more even somewhat general, and I think you will be a valued poster and contributor here at ITR.
And FWIW I agree with you, if Stewart strike outs come down some, he should be fine. I am much more concerned about second base (Lopez by some reports was one of the worst players in the league in 2010) and our very own Mendoza Line catcher – that we have somehow annointed as the starter for 2011.
I know that I am challengingng the common FISSH idea here, but assuming health Fowler, Helton, Smith and probably Stewart will all be fine in 2011 – at leaat that’s my best guess. But that’s just me!
I agree that the civility and good manners make this a special site. I also like RockiesReview for the writing, although it does not get the blog traffic of ITR.
I also agree that Hawper looked like a natural at 1B. He seemed okay in RF as well and got the respect of runners who might have gone first to third. His bat was his only problem IMHO. Best of lick to him.
“luck” not “lick”. Ewwww.
It’s best if we just move past this topic and focus on baseball. It does no one good to speculate about how this particular subthread began and I ask everyone to please not accuse others of being responsible. We certainly appreciate the nice thoughts some of you have posted here in the past couple days. The vast majority of comments on this site are fair even when critical and even those that seem less fair more often than not make it onto the site. Comments are rarely moderated because this community is especially good at self-policing through ongoing debate. What makes this a particularly rich conversation is that we don’t always agree but the disagreements rarely get personal or accusatory. Let’s keep everything civil for the season ahead.
Please allow me just one attempt at being humorous? “The FISSH is a LI!” As it really should be about Lopez as the starter at secomd case and that ugly .197 2010 BA with Iannetta.