Jeff Francis News

In 1973, the designated hitter rule was introduced to Major League Baseball, George Steinbrenner bought the New York Yankees and Pete Rose won his one and only National League MVP award.

"Hey fans, did you hear about the Giants' Matt Cain and Noah Lowry, the Indians' Cliff Lee, the Reds' Aaron Harang, the D-backs' Jon Garland, the Rockies' Jeff Francis, or, how about the Jays' Roy Halladay? Any or all might be available at the trade deadline." The similarity is they're all due to be free agents after 2010, they play for small to ...

As the Rockies look to their second of three games with the Nationals, they'll be pulling for their one-two pitching punch to put on a repeat performance from last week's pair of gems.

A message to Rockies fans: One series loss does not mean the team is in a downward spiral! Yes, I will admit the two losses in a row were a surprise to me, but not troubling.

He could not simply turn it off. As Jeff Francis exercised in a barren Coors Field last Wednesday, baby steps into his long rehabilitation from major shoulder surgery, his identity as big-league pitcher was joined by another one more personal, and permanent: the physics major.

Every ball Colorado Rockies' right-hander Jason Marquis threw since Jan. 15 was validated during a casual conversation in the Coors Field weight room last month.

A tweak in his delivery is giving Jason Marquis more leverage on the mound and making the past history.

Beyond the loyalty, beyond the respect for the 2007 accomplishment, the reason Clint Hurdle wasn't fired sooner was the players.

For the Blue Jays, draft night started off as a bit of a yuk. With the 20th overall pick the Jays selected Chad Jenkins of the Kennesaw State Owls.

Don't expect any new tricks from Bill Schmidt's office at Rockies headquarters when his scouting department moves front and center for the annual amateur draft Tuesday through Thursday.

Two years ago, the Rockies' Draft-based approach was lauded. But that same homegrown team faltered to 74-88 last year and started this season poorly, which has put everything about the operation into question.

In the regular-season finale, he tripled in a run off San Diego's Trevor Hoffman and scored the game-winner on a sacrifice fly to send the Rockies into the postseason.

Jeff Francis' shoulder surgery drew a lot of attention, but Taylor Buchholz's elbow injury has been more devastating.

In March 1999, Oregon State assistant baseball coach Gary Henderson made a trip to B. C., seeking to recruit a young left-hander for the Premier League's North Delta Blue Jays.

On Monday, Tampa's Joe Maddon officially signed a three-year contract extension.

The Colorado Rockies have fired manager Clint Hurdle less than two years after their incredible 'Roctober' run to the World Series.

When I first started covering the Rockies in 2005, the club was marketed as "Generation-R." The advertising folks promised fans that the homegrown Kid Rocks, given time, were going to be quite all right.

Jeff Francis has been an idle spectator since having shoulder surgery in late February.

This is the town where the World Series started 104 years ago, with Cy Young on the mound for the Boston Pilgrims.

The Boys of Summer are back and Spring Training is ongoing. Soon we'll be glued to our screens, both big and small, watching play by plays.