Just a reminder. All picks (listed) There is a 50/50 chance Penny will not start today. If he does not, this game is no action win or lose. I play what I post, and if Penny does not start the game, I will not be playing. I know some of you play action no matter what, so I will be pulling for the Dodgers either way.
DENVER -- As a Rule 5 Draft pick who made the 25-man roster as much for the future as for the present, D.J. Houlton has had typical scrub assignments, among them the designated "emergency guy" in the bullpen during the starting pitcher's pregame warmups.
If something happens to the starter, Houlton's the stand-in. That hasn't happened this year, but it might on Sunday, as Brad Penny is tentatively scheduled to make his first Major League start of the year.
Tentatively, because the forecast calls for rain and temperatures in the 40s, and manager Jim Tracy has said, "If the weather is really bad, I'm pulling the plug" on Penny, who instead would pitch at home on Monday night and not return from arm problems during a winter storm watch.
All that leaves Houlton with the prospect of making his first Major League start in the rain and cold at hitter-friendly Coors Field.
"It should be real fun," deadpanned Houlton, who pitched at the Double-A level for Houston last year but possesses Major League stuff, as well as a sense of humor.
"I can't worry about it," said Houlton, who has a 1.42 ERA in five appearances. "If it's my first start, it'll be something to remember no matter if it's cold and rainy and it's Coors Field. Besides, I've never pitched in a blizzard, so that would be fun. Flurries once in Michigan in April, but no blizzard."
Houlton said that he's not overly psyched out by the challenge of Coors Field, even after watching the postmortem video of Jeff Weaver's Friday-night loss.
"I learned that [the Rockies] swing the bat," he said. "Those were pretty good pitches, and the way they hit them, they're usually outs. For some reason, they fell. I'll try to be a ground-ball pitcher, even though I'm naturally more of a fly-ball pitcher. Obviously, the curveball will not be as effective as usual. I've still got to throw it. You can't change everything." As for Penny, he said that he's ready either way, Coors Field in a blizzard or Dodger Stadium on Monday.