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Rockies flex muscle away from Coors
In recent seasons, the Colorado Rockies have been more like boppers than bombers when it comes to hitting home runs. This season has been a bit different, at least in games played on the road.
Going into Friday's series opener in Houston, the Rockies had 26 homers in their first 18 road games of the season. At that pace, Colorado would establish a franchise record with 117 homers on the road. The current mark is 115, set in 1997.
Last season the Rockies hit 64 homers in road games, and 150 total for the season. The franchise record for total homers in a season also set in '97, when the "Blake Street Bombers" crew of Larry Walker, Vinny Castilla, Dante Bichette, Andres Galarraga and Ellis Burks combined to hit 188 of the club's league-high 239 homers.
While the Rockies are swinging at a pace to crack the club record for homers on the road, they also are on an early pace to finish with a franchise-low 52 homers at home -- having hit just 11 in their first 17 games at Coors Field.
NOTEWORTHY
A recent issue of The Hockey News listed the comeback stories for six NHL players , among them former Colorado Avalanche players Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne. Asked of Selanne's knee injury during the 2003-04 season, Kariya said, "People don't realize, when I was in Colorado I was there when the doctors looked at an MRI and said they couldn't believe (Selanne) was skating on his knee. That's how bad it looked."
Ricardo Mayorga tested positive for the diuretic known as Lasix for his fight last week against Oscar De la Hoya. Mayorga weighed in at 153 1/2 pounds for the World Boxing Council super welterweight title bout. Diuretics are alleged to cause rapid weight loss. When the fighters met at center ring before the start of the fight, HBO broadcaster Jim Lampley told viewers that Mayorga was overheard to say in Spanish that he weighed 172 pounds.
Now that Jimmy Smith has announced his retirement from the NFL, the Denver Broncos' Rod Smith moves up to fourth place among active wide receivers with 797 career receptions. And speaking of receivers, will Smith's retirement from the Jacksonville Jaguars lead for trade talks with the Broncos involving disgruntled Ashley Lelie?
Athletics and Beyond will host its first youth football clinic May 26-28 at Montbello High School. Former Montbello High athlete (and current University of Wyoming assistant) Harvey Patton is one of several coaches who will take part in the clinic and workshop. For more information call 303-725-0811, or go to the Web site www.athleticsandbeyond.com.
When the Rockies return to Coors Field on Monday to open a three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, it will mark the club's 900th home game played at the ballpark. The Rockies will be looking to gain the franchise's 500th win at Coors Field, having gone 499-400 in games played at the park since it opened in 1995.