This morning, the Rockies traded away Nick O'Leary Jersey Jason Hammel, a starter that has posted relatively high BABIPs over the majority of his career. While his .280 BABIP last year doesnt look so bad, the distribution of when those hits came (.272 BABIP with bases empty, .291 BABIP with men on, .300 with RISP) combined with the .327 overall mark he posted in the prior two seasons led to the Rockies souring on his abilities and shifting him to the bullpen in August. Hammel was just the most recent inside a string of pitchers who have fallen out of favor with the Rockies because of high BABIPs, as the team traded away Kolby Listenbee Jersey Ubaldo Jimenez and Felipe Paulino during stretches of allowing hits last year, and had didn't bring back Jeff Francis last winter because of his proclivity for quitting base hits. Eventually, though, the Rockies are going to have to realize that its not the pitchers, its the park. Here would be the BABIPs for all pitchers at Coors Field for each from the last Ten years, where that ranks relative to another parks for the reason that specific year. 2011 .312 (29th)2010 .326 (30th)2009 .317 (29th)2008 .315 (29th)2007 .316 (26th)2006 .321 (28th)2005 .333 (30th)2004 .336 (30th)2003 .315 (t-30th)2002 .321 (30th) While installing the humidor prior to Marcus Easley Jersey the 02 season has reduced the amount of balls flying within the wall, it hasnt really done anything to alter the fact that Colorado is way and away the simplest park in baseball to obtain a base hit. The air still helps the ball carry better than it does on the ocean level, and the fact that Coors Field boasts an extremely spacious outfield causes it to be much easier for balls to fall between defenders, who are being inspired to cover an enormous quantity of territory. Actually, the inflation of BABIP may be the defining characteristic of Coors Field, and is the main driver of higher offensive levels around Ryan Davis Jersey the block. The Rockies cant keep abandoning every pitcher they have who gives up lots of hits. Its just area of the atmosphere they have to cope with, and they've to adjust their expectations accordingly. Getting frustrated and dumping every pitcher who posts a higher BABIP in Colorado is simply going to lead to the team eliminating lots of good pitchers. With Guillermo Moscoso, Jamie Moyer, and now Jeremy Guthrie, the team has acquired three pitchers who've le s than average career BABIPs. Clearly, the team is attempting to stop quitting so many base hits, and theyve now targeted guys who have a history of keeping guys from getting hits in other cities. Bringing in pitchers who depend on preventing hits and asking them to overcome the altitude appears like a questionable strategy at best, though. Maybe theyve finally figured out the type of pitcher that may overcome their house park and theyll obtain the last laugh, but Id say its much more likely that these guys see their BABIPs rise sharply because of their new environments, and also the Rockies will throw more mud at the wall the Ramon Humber Jersey coming year so that they can see what sticks.