Brad Hawpe

One question, hundreds of answers. Which member of the Colorado Rockies had the greatest offensive season at his position?

Is Larry Walker the greatest player to grace Coors Field? Has any shortstop had a more productive year than Neifi Perez? Just which pitcher swings a better bat than Mike Hampton? Does Matt Holliday deserve a spot in the all-time Rockies' outfield?

Colorado Rockies right fielder Brad Hawpe is not on the market as previously speculated.

FoxSports.com is reporting that Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd has no interest in dealing the 2009 All-Star despite being a non-factor during the NLDS for the Rockies.

When Troy Tulowitzki struck out on that nasty slider from the Phillies Brad Lidge, the Colorado Rockies’ offseason officially began. Just like with every team, the Rockies face some difficult offseason decisions.

One of those difficult decisions for the Rockies is whether or not to trade RF Brad Hawpe. 

The Rockies have a surplus of young, talented outfielders. Seth Smith, Dexter Fowler, and Carlos Gonzalez seem to have the three outfield spots locked down for 2010.

They say that sometimes you can predict the outcome of a baseball game strictly from the first batter to take his hacks.

Unfortunately for the Colorado Rockies, that saying rang true in their opening bout with the Philadelphia Phillies in Game One of the National League Division Series.

When Dexter Fowler swung at Cliff Lee's first pitch of the game, flying out weakly to right field, it was a sad portent of things to come for the red-hot Rox in their eventual 5-1 drubbing at the hands of the NL East Champions.

As the unending pageantry of the All-Star pregame show continues its free-fall from glitzy longing for past glories to sob story shlock, I think it's high time to take a look back at the first half of the season that was for yours, mine, and our Colorado Rockies.

On May 27, when the Rockies record stood at 18-28 and the team had just suffered through a, well, insufferable three-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers, the outlook appeared a bit grim for the boys in the purple pinstripes.

At the beginning of June, the Colorado Rockies were in the basement of the NL West, a comfortable place for them, sitting at 20 and 29, 13.5 games out of first.

At the end of June, the Rockies were only 7.5 games back of first, and only 1.5 games out of the NL wild card.

Many things were positive for the Rockies in the month, so let's take a look into some specific numbers that helped Colorado climb the mountain in the standings.

So the Rockies, who have historically gone into a June Swoon and been completely out of the pennant race by now, have staged a surge that, had it occurred in August, would've been equal in improbability to The Great Hot Streak of 2007.

They've pulled themselves from the cellar to 37-35 and third in the National League West. 

This has been done with great pitching and superior defense, which were the strengths of the 2007 team (and their strong moral fiber, of course).

But can it be sustained?

It can be, if we keep succeeding in these areas:

On Friday night in Pittsburgh, the Colorado Rockies embarked on a 10-game road trip that, in mid-May, would define whether or not they still had a chance at winning the National League West in 2009.

Through 20 games in April, the Rockies have been good in some areas, but they could use some improvement in others. 

They've won three of their last four, raising their record to 8-12 and putting them five games behind the division-leading Dodgers. Their offense has scored the second-most runs in the division, but the pitchers allow more runs than any other team in the division.

The Good: Individual Performance

Rockies' outfielder Brad Hawpe is alright.

After a horrifying scare that left the .328-, two-home-run hitter stunned on the ground last night, the Rockies' right fielder was released from the hospital earlier Tuesday.

Hawpe, who was on second base at the time, was beamed with a throw from Padres' catcher Nick Hundley. He was hit right below the helmet and right above the shoulder; the ball seemed to make contact with his neck.