Golden Colorado

Two of the most dominant young talents in Major League Baseball play for the Colorado Rockies. Unfortunately, because the attention deficit disorder that permeates American culture these two players--who could be the first teammates to win the NL Cy Young and MVP in the same season since Chris Carpenter and Albert Pujols did in 2005--possess the notoriety of third rung MMAers. (Author's Aside: How in fact is MMA classified? Are there wrungs, levels, weight classes? The "competition" seems to be based on the anti-concept of anarchy so DBSF always assumed someone just threw on some Stain'd or Puddle of Mudd and two red-staters hoped in the ring and went to town.)

In fact, unless you can answer that Buster Olney is A) A Confederate Civil War General (led at the battle of Shiloh), B) an ESPN baseball analyst, or C) Knocked Riddick Bowe out years after Bowe emitted even the faintest hint of relevancy then you likely have no idea who Ubaldo Jimenez and Carlos Gonzalez are. (In deference to transparency, until this morning when he saw a Sportscenter segment on Gonzalez, DBSF would have likely assumed he was a back-up short stop for the White Sox.)

As of today, Jimenez is in (distant) contention for the NL Cy Young and Gonzalez is not only beginning to solidify himself as the NL MVP (over Albert Pujols who is having his regular spectacular year) but, if he catches Pujols in HRs (Gonzalez is 4 behind) he could be the first NL player to win the triple crown since Joe Medwick in 1937.

Consider the numbers for the two: Jimenez 18-6, 2.79 ERA, and 178Ks in 190.1 IP. Not to mention, Jimenez plays half his games at Coors Field which with its light air imparts wiffle ball like qualities on most fly balls. Gonzalez .340 32 HRs, 100 RBIs, 94 runs, 23 SBs and (will likely be a gold glover). Gonzalez putts up Larry Walker w/ steroids numbers without the mullet (or the steroids). With Jimenez just turning 26 and Gonzalez still 24 the Rockies look well-positioned in the NL West.