MEDIA CLIPS – February 18, 2016
Weiss buoyed as pitchers & catchers report
By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | February 17
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Rockies manager Walt Weiss greeted pitchers and catchers on Wednesday's Spring Training
reporting date, but when he'll see shortstop Jose Reyes is anyone's guess.
Reyes was arrested Oct. 31 in Hawaii on a domestic-violence charge. He faces a hearing before MLB Commissioner Rob
Manfred, who could issue discipline that includes a suspension. However, MLB said Wednesday there is no timetable and
it continues to track the case. Reyes also is scheduled for a trial on Opening Day, April 4.
Will Reyes report to Spring Training with Rockies position players Tuesday? Yankees reliever Aroldis Chapman, who
faces a similar situation, has reported with his team's pitchers and catchers, so there is nothing stopping Reyes.
Who will be the shortstop if Reyes is suspended? How much contact will the Rockies have with Reyes, considering that
the case is solely in the league's hands?
"It's kind of a tough situation with the legal implications and everything," Weiss said. "You've got to tread lightly. So I don't
really know exactly all the details.
"It's been tough because of the legal implications. We texted around the holidays. But there's really not a protocol in place
for something like this. It's been a little tough for me from that perspective."
But enough with the downers.
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"Pitchers and catchers report" are a magic four words, and formal workouts begin Friday. Weiss enters his fourth year
trying to piece together a winner. Although he faces rotation uncertainty, as he always has, he believes he has potential in
the rotation, that the team has built a solid bullpen that gives him options, and even shortstop can be a positive.
For example:
• Lefty Jorge De La Rosa and righty Chad Bettis are the solid pieces of the rotation, but Weiss is excited about the
returning experience of righties Jordan Lyles (out most of last season because of right foot surgery) and Tyler
Chatwood(out since early 2014 with Tommy John surgery). He also wants to see how rookieJon Gray (on a tight innings
limit during a late-season trial last season) handles being turned loose.
"We've had to deal with injuries over the last few years with our starting rotation, hoping we catch a break in that area this
year," Weiss said. "Some things have to line up. Some things have to fall into place. But I like the type of guys that we
have. I'm excited about Chad Bettis and where he's at, where he's heading. Jorge has been good for us for a long time.
He's been a workhorse. There are some things to be excited about. There are kids on the way."
• The Rockies added former Cardinals closer Jason Motte, as well as veteran rightyChad Qualls and lefty Jake McGee.
Weiss also has several younger righties --Jairo Diaz, Justin Miller, Scott Oberg and Miguel Castro -- who could pitch
late in games. In fact, Weiss hasn't decided if he'll have a set closer; more important, he's OK with that.
"I'm not sure as I sit here today if we're going to break camp and I'm going to name a closer," he said. "I want to see how
the pieces fit together. I want to see how we can put together a back end of the game and what those pieces look like
before I start declaring roles at this point. We do have some flexibility, because we do have some guys that have done it -some guys at the Minor League level, some guys at the Major League level."
• If Trevor Story, a first-round pick (45th overall in 2011), is deserving of the shortstop job out of the gate, there is no plan
to put him in the Minors to hold down his service time to prevent him from reaching arbitration after his second year -- as
far as Weiss knows. That decision, however, comes from above him.
It's often done with hot prospects -- Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant comes to mind. The Rockies started 2013 with third
baseman Nolan Arenado in Triple-A, but called him up early and this year paid him $5 million to avoid arbitration as a
Super 2 (arbitration eligible despite having fewer than three years' service time).
"There will be some open competition if Jose is not here," Weiss said. "That's a good thing, that's always a good thing, but
as far as the service-time stuff, I don't think that's going to play into it."
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• This is a fresh chance for two first-rounders -- lefty Tyler Matzek, who struggled with performance anxiety and made just
five Major League starts, and righty Eddie Butler, who didn't make the most of his big-league chances and finished the
year in Triple-A.
"That is what's fun about Spring Training as you watch some of these things unfold," Weiss said. "I come in without a level
of expectation with some of these guys.
"Of course, you have to perform, especially when you're trying to earn a spot. But I'm just coming in with an open mind to
watch these guys compete."
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LeMahieu, Rox agree to two-year deal
$7.8 million pact averts arbitration hearing
By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | February 17
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- This relaxed time of players informally working out at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick had a
stressful element for Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu, with an arbitration case hanging over his head. Now he can
relax.
Just before a scheduled arbitration hearing Wednesday, LeMahieu and the club avoided it by reaching a two-year, $7.8
million contract. The contract leaves 2018 as an arbitration-eligible year. That out of the way, LeMahieu can concentrate
on the cautious optimism befitting a player who is considered a building block for a team hoping to improve.
"We've got a lot of guys coming off great years offensively and we have a great defense, the best defense in the league,"
LeMahieu said. "If we can finish this year and say we were extremely competitive late in the season, which we have the
capability of doing, it will be a very successful year. We can surprise a lot of people this year."
LeMahieu, 27, is coming off a career-best .301 batting average and .358 on-base percentage, and a .388 slugging
percentage. His only better slugging year was .410 in 2012, but that was in just 81 Major League games in his break-in
season. LeMahieu won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 2014. Although he fell short last season to the Marlins' Dee
Gordon, LeMahieu's 29 Defensive Runs Saved over the last three years rank second in the Majors to the 50 saved by
the Tigers' Ian Kinsler.
LeMahieu could be an important contributor this season, especially because shortstop Jose Reyes -- last year's No. 2
hitter in the order -- could be facing MLB disciplinary action over an offseason domestic-violence arrest. To the Rockies'
knowledge, Reyes has not had a hearing with Commissioner Rob Manfred, who could issue a suspension in addition to
other discipline and counseling/care.
LeMahieu has generally hit well lower in the order but feels he can perform well at No. 2, especially with center
fielder Charlie Blackmon -- his close friend and offseason workout partner -- leading off.
"Charlie is a great guy to hit behind," LeMahieu said. "He works counts, he grinds out at-bats, he works the pitcher. He
gets on base all the time. But it's like my whole career, I can care less about where I hit.
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"I think I'm a pretty good hit-and-run guy. If there is a time in the game where it's a good situation to hit and run, I'm
probably the guy to do that. It doesn't bother me. If that makes us successful and that gets the guy over for some other
guys to be successful, that's my job. I'm all about situational hitting, moving guys."
The Reyes uncertainty means his double-play partner is uncertain, but LeMahieu said that chemistry is "a little overrated."
Whether it's Reyes, or a farm-system product such as Trevor Story or Cristhian Adames, or a veteran such as Daniel
Descalso, "if each of us make the routine plays, it makes each of us look better."
LeMahieu said last season he didn't perform as well as in 2014, but there was not a major dropoff.
"I don't think I'm doing anything different. I just need to execute a little bit better and give our pitchers as much help as
they can get," LeMahieu said. "If I focus on that, good things will happen."
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Spring Training could shake up lineup, rotation
By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | February 17
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- All it takes during Spring Training for the following to be rendered obsolete (with the first workout
for pitchers and catchers set for Friday) is an injury no one wants but must prepare for, a surprise camp performance
everyone wants or a surprise move. Last year's shocker was the Rockies releasing right-handed pitcher Jhoulys Chacin in
the middle of his comeback from a shoulder injury.
This lineup projection is shaky to begin with for many reasons:
1. At least nine pitchers are competing for the five rotation spots, and only three are considered sure things, barring injury.
2. Assuming shortstop Jose Reyes receives a suspension for his offseason domestic violence arrest, his stand-in could
be prospect Trevor Story, but it also could be farm system product Cristhian Adames or veteran utility infielder Daniel
Descalso.
3. A platoon of left-handed-hitting Ben Paulsen and righty-swinging free-agent signee Mark Reynolds (one year, $2.6
million) makes sense at first base, but manager Walt Weiss will play a hot hitter over matchups.
4. The No. 2 spot in the order bears watching, assuming Reyes isn't available for that role. Second baseman DJ
LeMahieu and left fielder Gerardo Parra (three years, $27.5 million) hit for high average and have worked at-bats the
way a No. 2 hitter should, but both are notably better lower in the order. LeMahieu has a respectable career .681 OPS
hitting second, but the number is .783 at No. 7 and .748 at No. 8, and LeMahieu struggled in some hit-and-run situations
last season. Parra has a career .719 OPS at No. 2 but is at .733 at No. 8 and .793 at No. 6.
5. Weiss and general manager Jeff Bridich have built a bullpen of versatile relievers. The Rockies have left open the
possibility that the ninth inning will depend upon matchups and workloads rather than a traditional closer.
All that said, here is the Rockies' projection:
2015 record
68-94, fifth in the National League West
Projected batting order
1. CF Charlie Blackmon:
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.287 BA, .347 OBP, .450 SLG, 17 HR, 58 RBI, 43 SB in 2015
2. SS LeMahieu:
.301 BA, .358 OBP, .388 SLG, 6 HR, 61 RBI in 2015
3. RF Carlos Gonzalez:
.271 BA, .325 OBP, .540 SLG, 40 HR, 97 RBI in 2015
4. 3B Nolan Arenado:
.287 BA, .323 OBP, .575 SLG, 42 HR, 130 RBI in 2015
5. LF Parra:
.291 BA, .328 OBP, .452 SLG, 14 HR, 51 RBI in 2015
6. C Nick Hundley:
.301 BA, .339 OBP, .467 SLG, 10 HR, 43 RBI in 2015
7. 1B Paulsen:
.277 BA, .326 OBP, .462 SLG, 11 HR, 49 RBI in 2015
8. SS Story:
.279 BA, .350 OBP, .514 SLG, 20 HR, 80 RBI in Double-A and Triple A in 2015
Projected rotation
1. LHP Jorge De La Rosa, 9-7, 4.17 ERA in 2015
2. RHP Chad Bettis, 8-6, 4.23 ERA in 2015
3. RHP Jordan Lyles, 2-5, 5.14 ERA in 2015
4. RHP Tyler Chatwood, Did not pitch in 2015
5. RHP Jon Gray, 0-2, 5.53 ERA in 2015
Projected bullpen
Closer: RHP Jason Motte, 8-1, 6/7 saves, 3.91 ERA in 2015
RH setup man: Chad Qualls, 4.38 ERA in 2015
LH setup man: Jake McGee, 2.41 ERA in 2015
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Walt Weiss confident in Rockies’ rotation, unsure of Jose Reyes’ future
Shortstop Reyes goes on trial April 4 for allegedly assaulting his wife
By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | @psaundersdp | February 17
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — As pitchers and catchers reported to camp Wednesday, Walt Weiss began his fourth year as the
Rockies' manager with guarded optimism about the starting rotation, confidence in a revamped outfield and facing a huge
question mark at shortstop.
The quandary at short involves starter Jose Reyes, who could be facing suspension under Major League Baseball's new
domestic violence policy. Reyes is scheduled to go to trial April 4, the day Colorado opens the regular season at Arizona.
Reyes was arrested Oct. 31 for allegedly assaulting his wife in their hotel room in Wailea, Hawaii.
Regardless of what is decided in a court of law, commissioner Rob Manfred likely will hand down a suspension. However,
there is nothing preventing Reyes from participating in spring training. Reyes, due to make $22 million this season, is
Colorado's highest-paid player.
Rockies position players are scheduled to hold their first workout next Thursday. Weiss, however, does not know if Reyes
will be present.
"I'm not sure," he said. "It's kind of a tough situation with the legal implications and everything. You've got to tread lightly.
So I don't really know exactly all the details."
If Reyes is suspended, his absence could open the door for prospect Trevor Story.
"There will be some open competition, if Jose is not here," Weiss said, adding that he doesn't believe the Rockies would
delay Story's major-league debut in order to delay his service clock from beginning.
Asked if Story could compete for a starting job if Reyes is absent, Weiss answered: "Sure."
Here is what Weiss had to say on other topics:
• The starting pitching, which he believes will be improved if right-handers Jordan Lyles and Tyler Chatwood can stay
healthy:
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"We didn't make the big acquisition (during the offseason), but we 've got some guys who really weren't a part of it last
year. I'm optimistic about our starting rotation.
"We've got to keep our fingers crossed. We've had to deal with injuries over the last few years ... we're hoping we catch a
break in that area this year. It's going to be a very competitive rotation."
• The signing of free-agent outfielder Gerardo Parra, who will start in left field, replacing slugger Corey Dickerson, who
was traded to Tampa Bay:
"As far as his skills set, offensively he can do some things. He's a very tough out. He's a good baserunner.
"When I look at our club last year, there were times where we were very heavy-footed. I think we've gotten a little more
athletic, and he has a lot to do with that.
"(He's a) top-level defender at any spot in the outfield. And he plays with a chip on his shoulder. We saw that firsthand
with him being in the (National League West) over there in Arizona."
• On flexible roles in a revamped bullpen, which includes hard-throwing newcomers Jake McGee, Jason Motte and Chad
Qualls:
"I'm not sure, as I sit here today, if we're going to break camp and I'm going to name a closer. I don't know. I want to see
how this thing plays out. I want to see how the pieces fit together.
"I want to see how we can put together a back end of the game and what those pieces look like before I start declaring
roles at this point."
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DJ LeMahieu signs two-year, $7.8 million deal with Rockies
LeMahieu won a Gold Glove in 2014 and was a first-time all-star last year
By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | @psaundersdp | February 17
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Rockies all-star second baseman DJ LeMahieu didn't want to deal with salary arbitration. Now he
doesn't have to worry about it for two years.
The Rockies and LeMahieu avoided an arbitration hearing Wednesday, agreeing to a two-year deal worth $7.8 million, a
major-league source confirmed. LeMahieu will receive $3 million in 2016 and $4.8 in 2017.
LeMahieu was originally asking for a one-year deal worth $3.3 million, while the Rockies countered with $2.8 million.
LeMahieu, who won a Gold Glove in 2014, was a first-time all-star last season, setting career highs in games (150), atbats (564), hits (179), home runs (six), RBIs (61), walks (50) and stolen bases (23).
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Five years on, the Colorado Rockies have created a vibrant social media community
The on-field product hasn’t been good lately, but that hasn’t stopped the Colorado Rockies from having a good time on
social media.
By Bobby DeMuro / Purple Row | @BobbyDeMuro | February 18
Tyler Maun is addicted to Twitter.
"Every once in a while I catch myself watching TV or something, and I pick up my phone and check Twitter and there’s
nothing interesting so I put my phone down, and then ten seconds later I do the same thing," he says. "And I repeat it for
the next three hours. It’s so dumb, so pointless, and it’s something very vapid that I think ‘oh, I have to be possibly
connected to whatever is going on.’"
Those who routinely use Twitter are likely nodding their heads right now, perhaps having been guilty of the same mindless
offense on occasion. As social media continues to expand, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other networks continue to
gain users hand over fist as brands, organizations, celebrities, and, yes, even baseball teams try to figure out where they
stand online.
Maun, who reports for MiLB.com, knows a thing or two about the social media space for professional baseball teams,
having worked in broadcasting for minor league clubs. He also knows a little bit about the social media community
of Rockies fans—colloquially known as Rockies Twitter, at least for the die-hards on the 140-character social network—
having hashed it out every day as part of the Purple Dinosaur Podcast.
"When you are connected with something like Rockies Twitter, it makes you feel like you are part of a community that’s
bigger than yourself," Maun explains.
"Especially when you’re a Rockies fan and it’s a pretty lonely existence a lot of the time. I think that’s what’s really been
one of the biggest assets for the Rockies being on social media, is uniting all of these people."
Communities in the real world are definable by their characteristics: location, shared experience, and so forth. It's no less
meaningful online, of course, even though digital communities are not as easy quantifiable nor as widely recognized,
especially in a corner of the Internet as specific as Twitter. But to Maun, the niche that Rockies Twitter has carved online
is not insignificant, as it has appeal far beyond just Coors Field.
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"[Social media] is an asset for a team like the Rockies," he explains. "When you are a fan of a team that has a limited
following compared to other teams, it makes you feel connected to that community in a way that you hadn’t before. Not
only that, but the Rockies go a step above and beyond because not only are you a part of this community, but they are,
too. They are an organization that gets what it’s all about."
To hear that from a grizzled Twitter veteran is certainly quite an affirmation for the Rockies' social media efforts, but that
endorsement has been a long time coming.
This month marks exactly five years that Julian Valentin has been with the Colorado Rockies, nominally their assistant
editor of digital media publications. A former soccer player at Wake Forest and then professionally with Major League
Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy, Valentin works in communications for the organization. However, you likely know him even
if you don't know him; he's the man behind the Rockies' social media feeds, including Facebook and Twitter.
"What I love about my job, and what I try to keep in mind at all times, is the importance of the role as a communications
tool, as a branding tool, and as a way to connect and engage with our fans," Valentin tells me. "Social media is a huge
asset, and we try to make sure that everything we do is inclusive of all parts of the organization, and we are consistent
across all platforms in telling our story of the Colorado Rockies."
Twitter is now ten years old, Facebook several years older than that—an eternity in the age of apps and niche social
networks—but it's easy to forget their recent proliferation to the point of now being ubiquitous. Even five short years ago
when Valentin started with the Rockies, his duties were more closely tied to Rockies Magazine and the team's other print
publications than anything in the digital media realm.
"When I was hired in 2011, they had just added the digital media component to it, because that’s about the time that
people started to understand that this is the next wave of communications, marketing, and branding," Valentin says about
a digital shift that now seems so obvious and unrelenting, even if just a few years ago it was still new and uncertain.
"So that was added in 2011 to the existing position, and in my time that I’ve been here since then, my job has grown to
target more of the digital side of things."
A testament to the digital shift so many corporate marketing and communications departments have had to endure, the
Rockies now employ two social media managers—Lauren Jacaruso joined the organization in May, and runs the Rockies'
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Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat accounts along with Valentin—and the pair constantly seeks active
collaboration from their marketing, communications, and sales teams.
"We have a great rapport, so we are getting ideas from everywhere, all corners of the organization," Valentin says. "Our
office is located with the communications offices, so we are really in tune with all the stuff that’s going on with the greater
communications side of the organization. And I think what that does for us, it keeps it fresh for us and it keeps it exciting
on our end, but from a fan’s perspective, it keeps it fresh for them as well."
Internally, Valentin and Jacaruso have identified four social networks critical for the Rockies to have a daily presence:
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Every day, they split up those accounts, each taking two to publish pictures,
GIFs, and video, and to interact with fans. Along with help from Major League Baseball Advanced Media in New York City
(which is available to and used by all 30 Major League teams) there's no shortage of funny, timely, and Rockies-centric
content going up online, both in season and out.
"You never know who’s working each account, because we have a great synergy and a great consistency, and we are
always in communication with each other," Valentin says of his daily plan with Jacaruso. "But it’s a way to kind of break
things up and make sure we are keeping things consistent and fresh."
Keeping things fresh is difficult when it comes to creating content for a team that's lost at least 88 games in each of the
last five years. Spend some time on the Rockies' Twitter or Facebook pages and there's no shortage of negative
comments about the team, its owners, and its general direction—but, interestingly enough, Valentin welcomes the anger
and dissent.
"We do a great amount of listening to our fans on social media, and that’s really important," Valentin says, "but venting is
fine, and honestly, it’s passion. That’s what being a fan is all about. It’s about connecting with your team, and being
passionate about your community and being passionate about your team."
From his perspective outside the organization, Maun seems to agree with that sentiment.
"I think the Rockies know their place in the sports landscape, and they’re continually positive," Maun offers. "I think Julian
is very aware that being the Rockies' social media guy, he’s going to have to deal with a lot more trolling than, say, the
Broncos' social media guy."
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The abuse that the Rockies' Twitter and Facebook accounts take from a relatively small subset of very loud fans is
directed, of course, at the team's on-field product. In that way, it's easy for Valentin to let mean tweets roll off his back,
since it's typically misguided, regardless of how passionate the angry fans may be.
"Honestly, it’s not often that we see anything that’s a reflection of the content we are putting out," Valentin says of social
media trolling. "It’s rare that somebody says ‘this is a stupid tweet,' or 'this is a dumb post, why did you pick this picture?'
Mainly it’s general frustration or general passion over something bigger than the actual post itself, and not an attack on
the way we do our job in the digital space."
While Valentin shows remarkable patience with some of the less-than-ideal conversations that take place online, Maun
has no qualms about being more critical towards social media trolls.
"It's something people forget, or the vast majority of people on social media don’t really care, but if you are tweeting at the
Rockies' account, Julian has no control over the product on the field," Maun notes. "So when people tweet ‘you suck, get
better players,’ the guy doing social media doesn’t have much sway in that regard. I think that’s where social media really
runs into the realm of being a total waste."
That's not to say Twitter or Facebook are totally worthless pursuits; far from it, if both fans and baseball teams approach it
in the right way. It's just that, like any community, certain members will behave in certain ways, regardless of policing or
any specific community standards.
"Social media is kind of the place where no matter what, a certain percentage of people are going to log on just to be
trolls, and just to be terrible," Maun admits. "But the ultimate game of it, I think, is to create that community."
As the Rockies—and Cleveland Indians—have found out, creating that community sometimes means trying new things
on a whim and taking a chance with the response.
When Joel Hammond woke up one Sunday last fall, he had an idea: troll Valentin and the Rockies with a Twitter
challenge surrounding that day's NFL game between the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns. Hammond isn't just a
regular Twitter user, though; as the Indians' assistant director of communications, his trolling would come from the AL
Central ball club's official account, and if done right, could be a viral hit during a time when neither baseball team was
still playing games.
One short tweet later, the wheels were set in motion:
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"There are instances where things are planned, but that was kind of on a whim," Hammond tells me. "In the offseason
you’re trying to find a way to keep yourselves in the conversation. I was just sitting at home Sunday morning saying this
oughta be fun. And given that it was Denver, and Julian and I know each other real well, I just threw it out there. I didn't
even give Julian a heads up that it was coming."
What resulted was a fun Twitter exchange between the two teams that did exactly what Hammond was hoping
for, getting picked up by sports and entertainment websitesfrom every corner of the web. When the Broncos beat the
Browns in overtime that day, the Indians were saddled with Dinger's face for 48 hours, though that was a small price to
pay for Hammond.
"That did it," he admits. "It was picked up all over the country, national big online outlets picked it up, so it really
accomplished our goal of trying to stay in the conversation. We’ve been lucky on our end as far as that goes."
Valentin and Hammond—and thus, the Rockies and Indians—didn't just get together on a random football bet, though.
The two social media pros initially connected the year before during the All Star Game's Final Vote, when Colorado's
Justin Morneau and Cleveland's Corey Kluber were paired up for fans to elect to the game via Twitter, using the hashtag
"#ClevelandRox."
For Valentin, a partnership with Cleveland was perfect from the start.
"We wanted to be with the Indians, because we really like their social voice, and they stay really engaged in the social
space," he says of Hammond's work. "And that was really important to try to see if we could secure that partnership, and
we did, and it just evolved into something we kept going over the years. I really like the way they do Twitter, they get it,
they are fun, they are engaging, and their fans are really locked into what they’re doing."
The Indians' voice on Twitter is very unique—sarcastic, dry, and constantly engaged with their fans—but that unique style
took Hammond time to implement, and even now he constantly walks the line of being edgy without going too far online.
"It took a while for sure, but now that it’s there, people get it and like it," Hammond says of the Indians' Twitter account.
"We’re kind of lucky, where our job is to know where the line is and not cross it, like some other accounts have done. As
long as we’re not doing that, we have been given some freedom to try what we think might work."
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If it sounds like running a team's social media outreach is a bit of a unique strange job, well, yes. After all, to hear him tell
it, Valentin's gig with the Rockies has in some ways been five straight years of monitoring angry tweets about the team's
ownership or lack of pitching. But just how much listening does Valentin do on social media, anyways?
"We listen to everything," he tells me matter-of-factly. "We see every tweet, whether you mention the Rockies or not.
Anything that uses the words ‘Rockies’ or ‘Rox,’ I see it, and I have since I was hired in 2011. I’ve probably missed maybe
a handful of tweets in five years."
Hammond tips his proverbial cap to Valentin, applauding the latter's commitment to understanding Rockies Twitter at the
most painstaking of levels.
"We monitor everything that’s going on out there, so we know what fans are saying," Hammond says of the Indians'
approach before comparing it to Valentin. "Probably not as granularly as Julian does, though. We want to do more of
that."
Even Maun marvels almost incredulously at Valentin's commitment to staying on top of what's happening in the Rockies'
social media channels.
"You’d think you can go on and troll a social media account because they are this big corporate monolith and they’re just
not going to see it, but I think they do," Maun says of the Rockies' social media awareness. "That’s the difficult thing. If I’m
the Rockies, the thing that’s crazy to me is that Julian and that staff, they actually have to search through all of that."
There's a point to all that listening on Valentin's end, and it's not Big Brother-esque. Rather, for the Rockies, monitoring
conversations on social channels means better serving fans at the ballpark. And though Valentin monitoring five years of
mad tweets and frustrated fans sounds difficult, to say the least, he's able to focus on the greater good his job brings
rather than the day-to-day frustration.
"Nothing we do is haphazard, nothing we do is by accident," Valentin says of his social media outreach. "Everything we
put out there is very well thought out. We think about copy, timing, the images that are being used. Certainly I’m a person
behind the account and I see everything, but I have really thick skin, and it doesn’t really get to me. I see the bigger
picture."
Others have noticed the bigger picture, too. In September, Forbes highlighted the Rockies for their social media
outreach with female fans. FanGraphs has given the Rockies high marks for Twitter media use and fan engagement,
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and named the Rockies the most emoji-friendly team in baseball last summer, no doubt spurred on by Valentin's
decision to live-tweet an entire game last June using only emojis.
National notice of his work is nice, but Valentin doesn't put too much weight in those rankings, telling me there aren't really
any right or wrong answers in social media right now as teams like the Rockies try to find their voice online. Rather, for
him, using emojis and communicating in experimental ways with fans on Twitter and Facebook comes down to one
word—engagement—and the ability to build the team's brand in non-traditional ways that appeal to digital natives and
social media-conscious fans.
"That has sort of become a hot button word, it’s a buzz word in the industry nowadays," Valentin tells me about
engagement, "but for us what that means is, when fans are scrolling through their feeds, we want them to see our content,
and we want them to stop what they are doing and click on it. We try to create content that doesn’t get lost for somebody if
they have 500 people that they are following."
It's tough to measure social media initiatives sometimes, and while metrics trying to quantify which teams do the best on
certain social networks will always fall short in one way or another, the broader idea of creating an engaged, vocal
community is important for Valentin and Hammond alike—even if it's not a hit with the sales numbers.
"We’ve turned supporters into season ticket holders through our account, and we’ve turned people who we don’t know
into advocates on behalf of our brand, so to us it definitely matters," Hammond says of the Indians' reliance on social
media. "You’re not generating millions of dollars in ticket revenues through social, but you’re certainly generating
incremental revenue and you’re certainly creating the ambassadors and advocates for your brand.”
Engagement and advocacy can be fickle and specific, though, as the Rockies' goals and policies on one platform won't
necessarily transfer over to another. Twitter is best for live updates in play-by-play tweets and GIFs, for example, while
Facebook is better used for news and Instagram ideal for appealing visual content. With that, after paring down and
growing the team's main social media accounts, Valentin's latest challenge has been to figure out why what works on
some networks won't hold sway on others.
"Each of our platforms has its own voice and its own personality, and we try to create specific content to each platform as
well," he says. "We try to keep it fresh with the expectation that our fans are going to be following us on all platforms,
knowing they want a different experience when they go to Facebook and a different experience when they go to another
platform."
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With that, though, Valentin does have a favorite account—and those who follow it daily right now probably shouldn't be
surprised with his pick.
"When we first started Instagram, I was incredibly proud of how we built that, but I saw a need last year to really overhaul
our Twitter account, and now that’s probably my greatest source of pride," Valentin says. "We’ve been able to slowly
change the voice of that, engage with fans in a new way, and we have some great stuff we are looking forward to doing
there and on Snapchat this coming season."
Cameron Rogers and Dan Lucero are different in so many ways, one a nearly lifelong Rockies fan born and raised in
Melbourne, Australia, by Dodgers loyalist parents and who hasn't yet been to Coors Field, and the other a professional
radio broadcaster and Colorado native who has spent most of his adult life out of state and away from his beloved
baseball team.
Yet while Rogers is 8,761 miles away from Denver and Lucero now less than 150, one thing links them: the Rockies.
Their respective distances from the club are a fact of each man's fandom, and because neither can easily get to a game
at Coors Field on a random weeknight, social media is the simplest way each can connect with the club they've called
theirs since 1993.
"I moved all over the Midwest for work, and went from 2008 through 2014 living outside of Colorado," Lucero, who now
lives several hours outside of Denver in Sterling, tells me.
"During that time, social media became the strongest tie that bound me to my Rockies fandom. Twitter in particular is just
about the perfect medium for being a sports fan. It's like being on one big couch or in one big sports bar, following along
with the games. It's been a lot of fun connecting with people who care just as much about this stupid baseball team as I
do, with the boundaries of age, gender and location washed away."
Rogers, who's seen baseball news evolve in Australia very slowly over the years, cites Twitter as his fandom platform of
choice, too.
"Until a few years ago, I generally had a sports ticker of some sort running in my browser all day during the baseball
season," the Aussie tells me. "This changed from year to year depending on who had the latest developments, who had
the most stable solution, and which sites were not blocked by the office tech team. A few years ago this all changed when
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I realized that the majority of these tickers were past the post, and Twitter was a much easier way to stay up to date with
in game developments."
When Valentin talks about monitoring conversations about the Rockies online, or about engagement with the team's fans,
he's referring to men and women like Lucero and Rogers. And to Valentin's credit, fans have noticed the club's consistent
and improved presence online, even during some lean years on the field.
"Rooting for the Rockies has been more fun since the team bolstered their social media presence," Lucero admits.
"Following a baseball season is a grind, but the Rockies social media folks seem to strike just the right balance to make
following the team more fun. It's tough to find stuff to get excited about in the midst of 90-loss seasons but the social
media team does it, night in and night out, and I can't imagine it's easy all the time."
The Rockies are just two weeks away from their first spring games, and Valentin—along with everybody else in the
organization—is already looking ahead to a new season. For the Rockies' social media team, that new year begins with
their own spring training of sorts; in the coming weeks, Valentin will address the team's big leaguers about social media
policies and outreach for the summer ahead.
"We’re here to help them and we want them to get involved," Valentin tells me of his yearly talk to the Rockies' Major
League camp at Salt River Fields. "If they don’t want to create their own accounts, feel free to use us. So I’ll speak to
them, it’ll be an encouraging message, we’d like to get involved, and we are here for them however it may be."
That pays off down the road, too; come summer time, when Valentin has an idea for a tweet or Facebook post, he
reaches out to the clubhouse and finds receptive players open to the idea of getting involved with the Rockies' digital
media outreach.
Part of that plays out from Valentin's experience as a professional athlete, too.
"It’s not one conversation in spring training and then we never talk to them again," Valentin says of his relationship with
players. "I think that helps, dealing with the big leaguers, is their understanding that I’ve been there in some ways, and I
know what they’re going through. I’m really strategic about who I ask to do what, so that it’s comfortable for everybody,
and vetting those requests so that the chance of us getting a ‘yes’ and the buy in is going to be there."
That's as far as he's willing to go when pushed for specifics come spring or summer time, though.
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"I can’t give away all my secrets," Valentin jokes. "But last year was about improving Twitter in particular, and this year
we’re trying to take everything to the next level. You’ll see some nice visuals, consistency with the in-game voice, and
watching Rockies games on TV while following along on Twitter will be a great way to connect with the team. We think of
what we do as a way to supplement what fans are doing anyways, watching and listening to games all the time."
Rockies Twitter is far from monolithic—Rogers, Lucero, even Maun collectively will never entirely represent the informal
community—and yet there are undeniably shared experiences from most of those on the short-form social network. As
such, you begin to hear similar stories of fans' experiences within that community.
"I love the diversity of Rockies Twitter," Lucero admits. "the fact that we're from all over the place, do all kinds of different
things for a living, are disparate in age, but we all bond over this lousy baseball team all year long. In some ways I feel like
the fact that the team has mostly stunk in the 'Twitter age' has helped make the group a little more authentic. Who'd spend
all this time agonizing over the Rockies at this point if they weren't really and truly invested?"
There's also that, of course; that the Rockies haven't been good for five years only adds to the solidarity shown by those
on Rockies Twitter.
Whether it's commitment to a team or sheer lunacy—or perhaps a little of both—members of the community seem to
understand the inherently absurd nature of their fandom.
"In the last three years, just three Rockies games have been shown in Australia," Rogers says of his reasons for following
the team so closely online. "One of those was an alternate broadcast when another game was washed out, another one
was a game where we got one-hit but I recorded and watched the whole game anyway because I’m a stubborn fool who
doesn’t know when to quit.
"My wife couldn’t believe it," he continues. "'You know the result. You know you lost. You’re already angry, and you’re still
going to spend the next three hours watching it?' Yep. And I did."
That Rogers would bring up a story about a family member is perfectly appropriate, since others go right to the family
metaphor to describe the Rockies' online community. And as you'd imagine, just like a family, things get hairy between
community members sometimes during the season—often directly coinciding with a tough run of games for the big league
club.
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"I hate to use a really cheesy analogy, but Rockies Twitter is like a family trip home for the holidays," Maun tells me. "At
the beginning of every season, everybody is really excited to see each other, and they’re all laughing and joking and
catching up on things, talking about their optimism for whatever. And then, you know, by day four, everybody’s at each
other’s throats and they want to kill each other."
But as Valentin has experienced, and as Maun is quick to note, the anger stems not from disputes within the community
itself, but rather frustration over the team's general direction. And for Maun, that frustration is the downside of the tug-ofwar that is cheering for this particular baseball team.
"Are there days when I want to strangle everybody on Rockies Twitter? Absolutely," he admits. "But there are days when
you’re going to be frustrated with anybody in your life. We’re all pulling on the same end of the rope."
"It may be frustrating and annoying to deal with certain aspects of it, but we’re all hoping for the same thing," he
continues. "That’s the overriding sensation. We may all be annoyed with each other at times, but we’re still all ultimately
going for the same goal."
That goal has proven elusive since 2009, and beyond that and Rocktober, far more elusive all the way back to 1995, but
hope springs eternal, as it goes.
And maybe hope—however ill-advised or unlikely—is the appropriate takeaway for the Rockies' social media community,
especially as players report to spring training and a new year begins with even the faintest bit of optimism.
"I liken following the Rockies to playing golf," Rogers offers. "I’m a hack golfer, and I don’t play often. When I do, I tend to
travel twice as much distance as my mates, I lose balls, I curse a lot, and breaking 100 is generally the aim. So why do I
keep playing? For that one glorious shot each round, the one miracle moment when everything clicks and I drop an iron
shot a foot from the pin (before I 3-put)."
"That one drive that goes straight down the middle, though," he continues, "the miracle putt that you drain from 30 feet
away. Why do I follow the Rockies so closely despite seasons of disappointment? For those minor glorious moments that
happen each season."
Call it blind or ignorant optimism, call it true Rockies love, or just call it the dirty work that goes into being a sports fan, but
Rogers' metaphors are the kind of glue that holds together the Rockies' online community. Just as Valentin hopes that
one Rockies tweet will stand out in an otherwise busy feed, so stands out a shining on-field moment every so often, and
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until the Rockies put a winning team on the field again, those fleeting moments are enough for a group of fans committed
to the team's online community as much as the team itself.
"Social media and Twitter especially is such an everyday part of our lives," Valentin concludes. "We use it all the time, and
it’s something we do almost unconsciously. We don’t even think about it."
Tyler Maun can attest to that.
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Colorado Rockies, DJ LeMahieu settle for 2-year, $7.8 million deal
The Rockies final arbitration case of the offseason has been settled, and apparently just in time to avoid a hearing.
By Cameron Goeldner / Purple Row | @Goeldfinger | February 17
The Colorado Rockies on Wednesday settled their arbitration case with second baseman DJ LeMahieu, according to
Jon Heyman. The deal will buy out a year of arbitration for LeMahieu and reportedly totals two years and $7.8 million.
Though the Rockies will pay significantly more in average annual value than LeMahieu's submitted figure of $3.3 million
for this season, the deal has a chance to become advantageous for the club if the 2015 All-Star puts himself in a position
for what would've been another big raise prior to 2017. In all, LeMahieu will receive $3 million -- just below the previously
established midpoint -- this year and $4.8 million next season, tweets Heyman.
LeMahieu came to the Rockies in 2011 as a part of the deal that sent Ian Stewart to the Cubs. Though he won a Gold
Glove in 2014, the 2015 season saw the LSU product break out, as he was named to his first All-Star team and hit
.301/.358/.388 with 61 RBI. This is his first offseason as an arbitration-eligible player. LeMahieu will be eligible for free
agency following the 2018 campaign.
Of the three players for whom the Rockies filed arbitration figures, LeMahieu was the last to settle, and apparently did so
right before he was scheduled to go to hearing. Charlie Blackmon previously agreed to a deal worth $3.5 million, not
long after Nolan Arenado and the club settled at $5 million.
LeMahieu's agreement comes just in time for the first official full squad workout of spring training, which will be next
Thursday, Feb. 25.
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