"To comprehend the equation of the Rockies' rotation and its centripetal force, time, energy, Coriolis effect, spin, angular velocity, circular orbit, gravitation influence at altitude, rigid body dynamics and relative health, Jim Tracy should seek assistance from a British rock-star physicist.

But, in our conversation about his starting pitching Thursday afternoon, several times the Rockies manager used the phrase "making the quantum leap."

Either he was talking about atomic electron transition or how the Rockies' starting pitchers have to make vast improvement.

Over the winter, the Rockies certainly have taken a quantity leap."