Aaron Cook will make $4.5 million dollars in 2008 for the Rockies. Cook started 25 games last season for the Rockies and he was 8-7 with a 4.12 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. He worked 166 innings last season for the Rockies and he allowed 178 hits, walked 44 batters and whiffed 61. The Rockies hope Cook will give them a complete season without injury in 2008 as he is a solid starting pitcher.

The Rockies declined their half of a mutual option for $3.75 million bucks for the 2008 season making him a free agent. Hawkins pitched in 62 games this season for the Rockies and he was 2-5 with a 3.42 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. Hawkins pitched 55.1 innings last year from the Rockies and he allowed 52 hits, walked 16 batters and whiffed 29. Good bullpen help is hard to find for the price they would have paid Hawkins so it will be interesting to see how they replace him.

The Rockies fought hard in this game but it just wasn’t enough to extend the World Series. Todd Helton was a solid 2 for 4 with a run scored and a double. Brad Hawpe was 1 for 3 and the hit was a solo homer in the 7th inning off of Manny Delcarmen to give te Rockies some life. Garrett Atkins followed Hawpe’s homer with one of his own in the 8th inning off of Hideki Okajima to cut the Red Sox lead to 4-3.

Despite being the losing pitcher in the deciding game of the World Series Aaron Cook proved to be a warrior. He hadn’t pitched since August and he went out and worked the first six innings of the game and he allowed 6 hits, 3 earned runs and whiffed 2 batters while not walking any. Brian Fuentes had another rough night as he was greeted by Bobby Kielty who whacked a solo homer off of him which was the eventual game winning hit. Fuentes worked only 2/3 of an inning and he allowed 2 hits, 1 earned run and walked a batter. Manny Corpas finished up the game working the last 1.1 innings and allowing 0 runs while whiffing a batter.

The Rockies were swept in the World Series by the Red Sox who outscored them 29-10.

The Rockies fell too far behind early in this game to come all of the way back. Josh Fogg started the game and he was punished as he worked the first 2.2 innings and he allowed 10 hits, 6 earned runs, walked 2 batters and whiffed 2. Franklin Morales, Jeremy Affeldt and Matt Herges kept the Rockies in the game by pitching the next 4.1 innings and allowing only 1 hit, 0 runs and whiffing 5 batters. Brian Fuentes ruined a good comeback by the Rockies as he worked the 8th inning and he allowed 3 hits, 3 earned runs and walked 1 batter. LaTroy Hawkins finished up in the 9th inning by allowing 1 hit and 1 earned run putting the game further out of reach.

Matt Holliday was only 1 for 5 but the hit was a three-run homer to close the gap in this game. Kazuo Matsui had another solid game as he was 3 for 5 with 1 run scored and a stolen base. Brad Hawpe was solid as he was 2 for 5 with a triple and a RBI. Yorvit Torrealba also had another good game as he was 2 for 5 with a RBI. This loss made the Rockies down 3 games to 0.

The Rockies wasted some good pitching last night because they couldn’t hit the baseball. Matt Holliday went 4 for 4 but the rest of the team was only 1 for 25 against the Red Sox. Ubaldo Jimenez started the game and he was the losing pitcher as he worked the first 4.2 innings and he allowed 3 hits, 2 earned runs, walked 5 batters and whiffed 2. The Rockies got good work from their bullpen as they kept the game close. Jeremy Affeldt, Matt Herges, Brian Fuentes and Manny Corpas combined to worked 3.1 scoreless innings in which they allowed 3 hits, walked 2 batters and whiffed 1. The Rockies are now down 2 games to none to the Red Sox in this series.