Rocky Mountain hi? Or Rocky Mountain bye? That'll be the lingering question between the Colorado Rockies and Double-A affiliate Tulsa in the coming weeks.
The Texas League playoffs will have concluded by mid September, and it could be the final time the Rockies send their minor leaguers to Tulsa. Or maybe not, who knows?
In report by Barry Lewis at the Tulsa World - http://bit.ly/YWg5uh - the Drillers will hit the free agent market, and there will be plenty of MLB teams hoping to land the services of the Drillers and their gem of a ballpark, ONEOK Field.
If it is the end of Colorado's tenure in Tulsa, it's been a great run since 2003. The Rockies have kept Drillers fans supplied with plenty of talented players at both old Drillers Stadium and Tulsa's new downtown venue.
Some of the names easily recalled:
- Matt Holliday: No introduction needed. The former Stillwater star hit 12 home runs and drove in 72 runs as the Rockies and the Drillers got acquainted in '03.
- Jeff Francis: The smooth-throwing lefty was nearly unhittable in 2004 with the Drillers, sporting a 1.98 earned run average with a 13-1 record. Oh, and his 147:22 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings were just flat out silly.
- Troy Tulowitzki: The Rockies had a formidable foursome in the mid 90s known as the "Blake Street Bombers," which consisted of Larry Walker, Vinny Castilla, Andres Galarraga and Dante Bichette. Well, when Tulo was with the Drillers, there should have been a cute moniker thrown the way of the sluggers in 2006. After all, Tulowitzki — despite his MLB stardom — was fourth (FOURTH!) among Drillers in home runs in '06.
- Seth Smith: Might have been overshadowed by guys like Tulowitzki, Joe Koshansky or Ubaldo Jimenez in 2006, but Smith has done quite well for himself, including signing an extension with the Padres earlier this summer.
- Chris Iannetta: Much like Smith, Iannetta kind of flew under the radar with the Drillers in 2006, but he's now the No. 1 backstop for the Angels.
- Dexter Fowler: It was hard not to enjoy the speedster when he was younger. He led the Drillers in runs scored with 92 in 2008. The kind of player you hope Delta Cleary Jr. will become.
- Nolan Arenado: Many think Arenado is a Gold Glover in the making. He certainly didn't disappoint with the Drillers in 2012, leading Tulsa in total bases (221) while smacking 12 home runs and driving in 56.
Other not-so-heralded Rockies prospects:
- Cory Sullivan: Alongside Holliday in the outfield in 2003, Sullivan led the Drillers in runs (81), hits (167), doubles (34), triples (eight) and stolen bases (17). He even recorded 61 runs batted in while slugging .417. Not bad.
- Ryan Shealy: His 29 home runs and 99 runs batted in during the '04 season were eye-popping. Shealy's MLB star appeared to be burning bright, but in 169 games in the big leagues, Shealy mustered only 19 home runs while hitting .268 among the Rockies, Royals and Red Sox.
- Ryan Spilborghs: Probably one of my favorite Drillers during the Rockies regime, despite his short stint in Tulsa. In 2005, Spilborghs needed only 71 games to drive in 54 runs.
- Joe Koshansky: At 24 years old, Koshansky was well on his way to the middle of the order in a MLB lineup. After all, he hit 31 homers for Tulsa in 2006. Yet, his luster wore off over time and he only played in 35 big league games, hitting only three home runs during that time.
- Ian Stewart: Good enough to be in the first category, his name is a little less recognizable since his minor league success has yielded far less joyous times at the big leagues (save for back-to-back solid years in 2009-10).
- Christian Colonel: While most of Colonel's teammates were up helping the big league club make the World Series in 2007, Colonel stayed in Tulsa and hit 17 home runs while driving in 84 runs. Despite a promising season with Colorado Springs in 2008, Colonel never quite cracked the big league roster.
- Jhoulys Chacin: What the Drillers lacked in offensive pop in 2009, they had plenty of pitching. Chacin teamed up with Sam Deduno, Esmil Rogers and Chaz Roe for a pretty solid quartet. Those guys even had Al Alburquerque in the bullpen behind them.
- Charlie Blackmon: An All-Star in the bigs this year, Blackmon showed up in Tulsa at the age of 23 and was second in total bases (163) in 2010, the first year at ONEOK.
- Ben Paulsen: Paulen's success with the Drillers in 2011 finally paid off with a big league call-up this season. Back down in Colorado Springs now, Paulsen smashed three home runs for the Sky Sox in game over the weekend. Don't be surprised if he makes Justin Morneau expendable for the Rockies in the near future.
- Josh Rutledge: Overlooked a bit playing on the left side of the infield with Arenado, Rutledge has parlayed his days with the Drillers into solid MLB time.
- Kyle Parker: Put up monster numbers for the Drillers in 2013, and his days as a minor leaguer could be nearing an end. He'll be in a Rockies uniform in no time.
- Cristhian Adames: Much like Parker, his MLB career is likely to begin sooner rather than later.
- Christian Bergman: Not quite to Francis' level but still solid in 2013, Bergman had a 111:23 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
That's just to name a few — well, maybe more than a few.
So which MLB franchise could overtake the clubhouse at ONEOK Field? There are plenty of options, ranging from Baltimore (not likely to happen) to San Diego (ehh, maybe).
The Tulsa World report says the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are strong candidates to replace the Rockies in Tulsa. Other options include: Arizona, Detroit, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Oakland and Seattle.
Here's a look at some of the prospects each potential suitor has to offer:
- Arizona: Well, look no further than Broken Arrow alum Archie Bradley. However, Bradley has pitched the majority of the season at Double-A Mobile this season, so the Diamondbacks will likely start him in Triple-A in 2015 — provided, he's shown that he's ready to move up the minor league ranks. Other top prospects destined for Double-A: Touki Toussaint, Marcus Wilson and Andrew Velazquez.
- Baltimore: Another local star, Owasso's Dylan Bundy, could play in Tulsa, but if he's healthy after Tommy John surgery, the Orioles will likely have him in Triple-A and on stand-by for the bigs. Other top prospects destined for Double-A: Pitcher Hunter Harvey, catcher Chance Sisco and outfielder Josh Hart.
- Detroit: The Tigers aren't deep in their farm system, and a draft pick this year as the club's No. 1 overall prospect bares proof to that. Top prospects destined for Double-A: Outfielder Derek Hill, pitcher Jonathon Crawford, pitcher Kevin Ziomek.
- Los Angeles Dodgers: Two of LA's top three prospects are two dynamic sluggers: Corey Seager and Joc Pederson. Yet, both are already at or above the Double-A level. Other top prospects destined for Double-A: Pithcer Julio Urias, pitcher Grant Holmes, pitcher Chris Anderson.
- Milwaukee: With the vast number of Cardinals fans in Oklahoma, a move to facilitate another National League Central club's minor leaguers would be interesting, to say the least. Top prospects destined for Double-A: Outfielder Tyrone Taylor, shortstop Orlando Arcia and pitcher Kodi Medeiros. The Brewers' top nine prospects are all playing somewhere between rookie and high-A ball.
- Minnesota: The Twins would certainly be an interesting mix in Tulsa. The good thing is that Minnesota has a deep farm system, headed up by Byron Buxton, who is baseball's overall top prospect in the minors. Buxton has dealt with injury after injury this year, and he could find himself starting the 2015 season in Double-A, albeit for a brief stint more than likely. Miguel Sano suffered much the same fate as Buxton this year. Other top prospects destined for Double-A: Pitcher Kohl Stewart, shortstop Nick Gordon, pitcher Lewis Thorpe.
- Oakland: Always scouring the market for trades to bolster the farm system, the A's would provide plenty of talent in Tulsa. But the Athletics have had ties with Midland since 1999, so it's hard to imagine them switching from one Texas League club to another. Top prospects destined for Double-A: Shortstop Daniel Robertson, first baseman Matthew Olson and third baseman Renato Nunez. Dillon Overton, a former Oklahoma Sooner hurler, is also one of the A's top prospects, listed fifth overall while playing for the Vermont Lake Monsters in the New York-Penn League.
- San Diego: Much like Oakland, San Diego would be switching from a South Division club (San Antonio) to Tulsa in the North Division of the Texas League. And it's a little hard to believe the Padres farm system isn't deeper, given their prolonged drought from the playoffs coupled with high draft picks. Top prospects destined for Double-A: Pitcher Max Fried, shortstop Trea Turner, shortstop Jose Rondon.
- San Francisco: The Giants are rich in arms in the minors, with seven of the eight top prospects standing atop the mound. Five, though, are already at the Double-A level. Further down the prospect list for the Giants is former OU hurler Steven Okert, and not even on the prospect list in Single-A for San Francisco is former Tahlequah pitcher Dusten Knight. Prospects destined for Double-A: Pitcher Tyler Beede, pitcher Keury Mella, catcher Aramis Garcia.
 |
| Former Tahlequah hurler Dusten Knight it pitching in Low-A ball for the Giants this season. |
- Seattle: Once the parent club for San Antonio, the Mariners have used two Tennessee clubs — West Tennessee and Jackson — since leaving the Texas League. Could a return be possible in either Tulsa or San Antonio? Top prospects destined for Double-A: Outfielder Alex Jackson, outfielder Gabriel Guerrero, outfielder Austin Wilson.
The possibilities aren't endless, but they're certainly plentiful. Should make for a fun offseason. The bottom line: Tulsa, unlike in other professional or collegiate sports, will support whomever ends up at ONEOK Field. Let's just hope the prospects continue to be abundant and entertaining.
-- Ben Johnson
