The Casper Journal :: Casper's Community Newspaper

Greetings from the desert -- from Tucson, Ariz., and the spring training camp of the Colorado Rockies.

With sunny skies and 80-degree temperatures, the Rockies have been attempting to pick up this spring where they left off during their incredible stretch drive last fall. That improbable September finish propelled Colorado to the National League Championship, and the club has benefited this spring from the momentum that was built up in 2007.

In recent days, I enjoyed the chance to watch the Rockies play at their home base at Hi Corbett Field here in Tucson, as well as the TEP (Tucson Electric Park), spring training base of the Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks.

It has been especially rewarding to watch the progress of some former Casper Rockies players. For instance, seeing Seth Smith belt a three-run home run in a Colorado win over the D-Backs last Saturday.

Wyoming baseball fans obviously are well aware of the contributions of pitchers like Manny Corpas and Ubaldo Jimenez.

But to me, it is especially rewarding to see former Casper Rockies grads like Dexter Fowler, Eric Young Jr., Chris Nelson, Neil Wilson and Corey Wimberley go through extensive practice in the Tulsa Drillers camp.

Tulsa is the AA farm club for Colorado, and all five of these young athletes are important individuals in the Colorado farm system. Watch for them to start making an impact in future seasons.

With the regular season about to get underway, expectations and enthusiasm for Rockies baseball never has been higher.

One negative note, I have been told that Colorado Rockies games will not be broadcast on Casper radio stations this season.

Whether that is the fact or not, I cannot help but be excited about the prospects this season.

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