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They want to be Rockies, but any MLB team will doBn (, \kn II t kkosIt may not he the pro' pany line, bu! at lelt; hers of ihe AlbuquciSouthpaw pitcher \aron l.i outfielder Brandon Barnes ha\ here before, Laffey as an I sot er in 2013 and Barnes as an ofWhen this was written, in . May. both, warned to he b iek leagues. In late May, Barnes vwith the Colorado Rockies, an he's still thereBarnes. 28, played in 132 gthe Rockies last season, but reRBIrs, although he leuhits, triples and runsI hat s atle m I eiidv withBarntKyle Parker, Iiklt;hie club s 4(i- nuDrew Stubbs, a h( olorado but was demoted to the AAA squad in May when he didn’t produce.Rockies fans,-he said, may not recognize the new and improved Barnes, wrw was with the Houston organization until he. was dealt to the Rockies in the trade that sent outfielder Dexter Fowler to the Astros. Barnes has been in the PCI. before, playing with Round Rock andnew stance, he said. 'W ith my (new)think (team officials) they maybe want to see that get a little better,” Barnes said. “For the most part, I just need to keep being me. and doing what 3 do and good things will happen.”I he new batting stance was tinkered with at the end of last summer, he said, with advice front all-star shortstop froy Tulovvitzki and hitting coach Brian Doyle.“1 just ktnda went for it and tried to he the best version of me that I can be, and I felt that was the best version,” he added, and just keep it on the safe track of solid at-bats and a solid approach.Lifting the leg, as hitters like Dick McAulific and Hall of l amer Mel lt;)U were known for, is a tuning mechanism.'wmmmBrandon Barnessek w hen I bunt ” Barnes liked the enter field, the beialSpark unique. AIuqifefijdt* was me us AAA debut a en Houston promo A to triple-A. of an inclineg back here, being with a different organization, you know, a great groupof guy s on and off the field - top to bottom whether it’s at the big-leaguelevel o! down all the way through justan incredible amount of integrity here in this hallclub and this organization, soI’m looking forward to starting another year being blessed with the opportunity to continue to play this game.”A lot of teams apparently have liked what they've seen: Before signing with Colorado, which he did on Nov,22. 2014. he’d been with the Indians. Mariners, Yankees, Royals. Blue Jays (twice). Mets. Dodgers, Brewers,Orioles and Nationals organizations and pitched in the majors for five of them, compiling a 25-29 overall mark. Just as the Rickies’ outfield is crowded. ••lt;». too. is the team's bullpen - and I .at lev is battling a handf ul of Isotopes pitchers vvbo'd also like to be back in Denver, among them tel low lefty Rex Brothers “As a starter. 1 didn't fare too well here in *13; on the road, 1 was tine. Laffey said I think one of those things guys talk, about, you hear about the altitude, you hear about the ball Hying here, hut it’s one of those things you more vou caninHoi cut r nron i of those thiaid IfYou’d think bein MLB historv to 1 mers of the insulthis first two •-park variety or•nine I av rostercan i comroi eliminate it from your mind and kindof try to be more concerned with wha you can control, using your strengths attack hitters and then adjusting from there, I think that's where you're gain to see guys have a lot of success here.Laffey. an articulate, talkative guy continued We've got a lot of guys oi this staff, too. with live arms; you’reaAaron Laffey has been working out of the Isotopes bullpen this season Out of the15 games he'd appeared in. three were starts; the Isotopes have used 17 differ ent guys to start games this season. Through Monday. Laffey was 1-2 with a 5.24 ERA this seasonr the tans andas a rooave those goodlights ft.” Barnes said.Barnere. help this lean:i said, hailayer and, hope-1 h.:Hh those guys.”with allId, to be blunt, ist Is - ! i L i * ■ ,, t jfA'irtifj'bag tigs know iwe likes or peren-nzales. ( harheomg to see ve i the mid~9(Kable to kin•We hit it off ri e’s just a good, hi allplayer. And I'dguy that jus! kind; wing and we still i just a great leader, It may sound st of minor league h; tied in with the fbi those on the big-le only wants what's “These guys ar would never w ishbut theyre not.You're goingto see a lot of •djustnnents 1 mideemonessolar, hemisses. whicti is going to be■ an adv un-14 season and carrying thostagc for this Ylallcluh into this2015 seasoni and eontinuc lo try:rcat relationshipLaffey sailj he's adjustinj* from beingto get Hi-iter every d.iiy. nomatter wbatup then: !n the bigin the startingi rotation tocoit is.”• friendstor life ' 1the game from the bullpenLikeBarnes, he'si n-to-Farth. keep thiose friend-I’m goint.; to be comingback herespiritualguy, thank ful forwhal he 1aas.m a differentrole, liHiking for ward toW it. I’vebeenlid; !Vprobatety hissettling into tha! role and. hiapeful fv.extremeIv blessed .He ing ante tosailimpacting the: big-league baIklub atplav a kids' game to,r £ s..mg,” hesaid.gbt away1 ist yearsome point this vear.The mlt;aments that ireal I vstick outtoI've doneboth through:ait mv entireme vvcrt:* pitching inthe playof fs insay T. argo:' He’s acareer, and 1 ■a- really enjoyied once 12007 againsf the Red Soxin Fcnvv;took me• under hisdid start koinjg down to the 1bullpen.”that wa1- a big moment for■ me, as aalk eveor dav He'she explained.It's a different kind ofpportiunity to inakeib. but Bariand Ian injurynothing IBarnes said.mosphere down there. The game's MTipietely different. You’re out there, •purated from everybody.You can actually sec how guys tack hitters a lot better from out there an the v icvv here from inside the igout, he said. You get to see guys' vings a lot better, how they're attack-u guvs. whether they’re going in orit the best and to remainicalthv ail year and doit ( argo»f the besthap-ptayers in baseball.“W hafevcr happens wi pens. I feel like my career's in God's hands, so whatever I do in based onthat.”Laf fey, who turned 30 on income taxfiling day, has been here before, making 11 starts and compiling a 4-3 record with a 5.61 I RA two seasons ago before the Dodgers released him on July 1 that year.I think it's going to he a lot different tor me than it was the last time I was here.” Laffey said. 2013 was kind of a crazy, hectic year tor me. starting from the very beginning, in spring training But ! learned a lot from that season andIf a real rush every time that pin *nc 111 igs k lit:nv jng it clt;mid be your time, so getting a chance to get in the hallgamc pretty much any night, and being as close to an everyday player as po able, puts a different kind of intern: ly to it,” Laffey said. Ihere’s some randomness and some uncertainty, which 1 really enjoy about the bullpen.After 2013,1 put myself through a pretty dramatic change,” he recalled I tried to do too much in 2013; I tried to change too many things during the course of the season and I made those adjustments in the winter, before the 2014 season. \nd last year I ended up having my best career year, start to finish. nurnhers-w ise (12-6. 3.67 I R A tor triple-A Syracuse in the Internationalthe playoff roster.When ! was designated by the Mariner- kind of a time of uncertainty and ended up getting claimed by the Yankees: I was a big Yankee Ian growing up. My dad was a Mantle* DiMaggioMaris fan. and 1 inherited that and to have the opportunity to go to the field for a month, every day. and sit on the bench next to Derek Jeter, which was amazing experience He's one of the greatest guys in the game, not just as a player but as a person as well. J here's plenty more (highlights) if 1 sat here and had plenty of time to think about it.He was back at Yankee Stadium in 2009, pitching with the Indians in the new” Yankee StadiumBeing with a lot of organizations I'm getting to plav with a lot of guys that I've played against, and really getting to create some good and strong relationships and bonds it’s been great.”He may be described as trying to dumb-down the game.I try to simplify; I try to take the statistical thing out of it.” he said. Keeping the game within, not trying totried to focus on (in spring training) was being, the best version of you.I think that speaks volumes: Knowing yourself, first and foremost, hav ing accountability for yourself, and being able to analyze yourself in a way to know what you have to do every day to get better. And to go out there and put that ‘player plan’ into effect, and have ft come out on the field is the biggest part I want to go out there andcontrol what 1 can control.” IsoTopics: a four-game series with the Tacoma Rainiers Thursday at 7:05 p.m. at Isotopes Park. The teams meet again Friday and Saturday at 7:05, and then close it out Sunday in a 6:05 start.After Monday ’s 3-0 victory over FT Paso in the first game of a rare three-game series, the lopes were 29-36 overall and in third place, 6.5 games out of lirst place, in the Pacific South Div ision.... The second annual Barnyard Wiffle Bull Invitational is set lor Dee 13-14 at The Office Sports Academy in Anaheim, where Barnes trains in the offseason. All of the proceeds f rom the event go to the Pediatric ( ancer Research Foundation. Play ers must he at least 15, and you never know who you may be play ing with or against on the five-player teams... When the ’Topes host IT Paso on Thursday. Aug. 6. more than just the eyes of Albuquerque will watch the game. I he interdivisional rivalry will be featured on CBS Sports Network us the Minor League Baseball Game of the Week. This season. 18 teams, six leagues and 15 MLB affiliates will be featured on the Thursday night Minor League Baseball (Tame of the Week
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Rio Rancho, New Mexico, US
Wed, Jun 17, 2015
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