"Someone smarter than me — not exactly a select group, based on my e-mail — suggested an intriguing evaluation tool regarding the Rockies. The current team reminds me a lot of the Rockies' 1997 team, more than the 2007 team.

It's built to mash, and when it comes to pitching, well, it appears built to mash. So I was talking to a former big-leaguer about this issue recently, getting his opinion on the upcoming season. We agreed that the rotation has more ifs than a Rudyard Kipling poem, full of kids who are inexperienced and veterans who are maddeningly inconsistent.

What makes this group different from other suspect ghosts of Rockies past is that there is intriguing talent. This isn't a bunch of roster-fillers or mercenaries. Physical ability, how- ever, has never alone conquered or tamed Coors Field.

For the Rockies' rotation to be competitive, it must be mentally tough. The key is making that intangible meaningful. How? The ex-player suggested a fascinating solution: Grade the starting pitchers on whether they last longer than the opposing starters.

"I think in some cases, that is true," said general manager Dan O'Dowd when asked about the theory. "But I'd like to think when we get some experience that we will have guys that will go out and dominate.""