Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies | |||||
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2024 Colorado Rockies season | |||||
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Major league titles | |||||
World Series titles (0) | None | ||||
NL Pennants (1) | 2007 | ||||
West Division titles (0) | None | ||||
Wild card berths (3) | |||||
Front office | |||||
Principal owner(s) | Monfort brothers | ||||
President of baseball operations | Jeff Bridich | ||||
General manager | Jeff Bridich | ||||
Manager | Bud Black |
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team's home venue is Coors Field, located in the LoDo (Lower Downtown) area of Denver. The Rockies have won one National League championship (2007). The team mounted a rally in the last month of the 2007 regular season, winning 21 of their final 22 games, and reached the 2007 World Series. However, they were swept by the American League (AL) champion Boston Red Sox in four games. They are one of two MLB franchises to have never won a division title (the other team are the Rockies' expansion brethren, the Miami Marlins).
History
Denver had long been a hotbed of Denver Bears/Zephyrs Minor League Baseball and many in the area desired a Major League team. Following the Pittsburgh drug trials, an unsuccessful attempt was made to purchase the Pittsburgh Pirates and relocate them. However, in 1991, as part of Major League Baseball's two-team expansion (they also added the Florida (now Miami) Marlins), an ownership group representing Denver led by John Antonucci and Michael I. Monus were granted a franchise; they took the name "Rockies" due to Denver's proximity to the Rocky Mountains, which is reflected in their logo. Monus and Antonucci were forced to drop out in 1992 after Monus' reputation was ruined by an accounting scandal. Trucking magnate Jerry McMorris stepped in at the 11th hour to save the franchise, allowing the team to begin play in 1993. The Rockies shared Mile High Stadium (which had originally been built for the Bears) with the National Football League (NFL)'s Denver Broncos for their first two seasons while Coors Field was constructed. It was completed for the 1995 Major League Baseball season.
In 1993, they started play in the Western division of the National League. Since that date, the Rockies have reached the Major League Baseball postseason three times, each time as the National League wild card team. Twice (1995 and 2009) they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. In 2007, the Rockies advanced to the World Series, only to be swept by the Boston Red Sox.
The Rockies have played their home games at Coors Field since 1995. Their newest Spring training home, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona, opened in March 2011 and is shared with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Season record
Uniform
At the start of the 2012 season, the Rockies introduced "Purple Mondays" in which the team wears its purple uniform every Monday game day.[2][3]
Quick facts
- Founded: 1991
- Began play: 1993 (National League expansion)
- Uniform colors: Black, purple, white
- Logo design: Purple mountain with baseball
- Team mascot: Dinger, a purple anthropomorphized triceratops
- Playoff appearances (3): 1995, 2007, 2009
- Owners: Linda G. Alvarado (Alvarado Construction, Inc.), Marne Obernauer, Jr. (Beverage Distributors Corp.), Clear Channel Communications, Denver Newspaper Agency, Fox, SAMT Sports 2013 LLC (Jay Stein & David Eskenazi), and Dick and Charlie Monfort[4]
- Chairman & CEO: Dick Monfort
- President: Vacant
- General Manager: Jeff Bridich
- Local television: Root Sports
- Spring training facility: Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, Scottsdale, Arizona (2011–present)
Baseball Hall of Famers
No inducted members of the Baseball Hall of Fame have played for or managed the Rockies.
Colorado Sports Hall of Fame
Colorado Rockies in the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame | |||||||||
No. | Name | Position(s) | Seasons | Notes | |||||
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— | Jerry McMorris | Owner | 1992–2005 | ||||||
KSM | Keli McGregor | President | 2001–2010 | Attended Colorado State University | |||||
9, 14 | Vinny Castilla | 3B | 1993–1999 2004, 2006 |
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14 | Andrés Galarraga | 1B | 1993–1997 | ||||||
17 | Todd Helton | 1B | 1997–2013 | ||||||
25 | Don Baylor | Manager | 1993–1998 | ||||||
33 | Larry Walker | RF | 1995–2004 |
Individual awards
NL MVP
- 1997 – Larry Walker
NLCS MVP
- 2007 – Matt Holliday
NL Rookie of the Year
- In 1998, Todd Helton finished second in Rookie of the Year voting (won by Kerry Wood)
- 2002 – Jason Jennings
- In 2007, Troy Tulowitzki finished second in Rookie of the Year voting (won by Ryan Braun).
Silver Slugger Award
- Dante Bichette (1995)
- Vinny Castilla (1995, 1997–98)
- Andrés Galarraga (1996)
- Eric Young (1996)
- Ellis Burks (1996)
- Larry Walker (1997, 1999)
- Mike Hampton (2001–02)
- Todd Helton (2000–03)
- Matt Holliday (2006–08)
- Carlos González (2010, 2015)
- Troy Tulowitzki (2010–11)
- Michael Cuddyer (2013)
- Nolan Arenado (2015–16)
- Charlie Blackmon (2016)
Hank Aaron Award
- 2000 – Todd Helton
Gold Glove Award
- Larry Walker (1997–99, 2001–02)
- Neifi Pérez (2000)
- Todd Helton (2001–02, 2004)
- Carlos González (2010, 2012–13)
- Troy Tulowitzki (2010–11)
- Nolan Arenado (2013–16)
- DJ LeMahieu (2014)
Manager of the Year Award
- 1995 – Don Baylor
- 2009 – Jim Tracy
DHL Hometown Heroes (2006)
- Larry Walker – voted by MLB fans as the most outstanding player in the history of the franchise, based on on-field performance, leadership quality and character value
Team award
- 2007 – Warren Giles Trophy (National League champion)
- 2007 – Baseball America Organization of the Year
Team records (single-game, single-season, career)
Championships
Retired numbers
Todd Helton is the sole Colorado player to have his number (17) retired, which was done on Sunday, August 17, 2014.
Jackie Robinson's number, 42, was retired throughout all of baseball in 1997.[5]
Keli McGregor had worked with the Rockies since their inception in 1993, rising from senior director of operations to team president in 2002, until his death on April 20, 2010. He is honored at Coors Field alongside Helton and Robinson with his initials.[6]
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Current roster
Minor league affiliations
Level | Team | League | Location |
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AAA | Albuquerque Isotopes | Pacific Coast League | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
AA | Hartford Yard Goats | Eastern League | Hartford, Connecticut |
Advanced A | Lancaster JetHawks | California League | Lancaster, California |
A | Asheville Tourists | South Atlantic League | Asheville, North Carolina |
Short Season A | Boise Hawks | Northwest League | Boise, Idaho |
Rookie | Grand Junction Rockies | Pioneer League | Grand Junction, Colorado |
DSL Rockies | Dominican Summer League | Boca Chica, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
Radio and television
As of 2010, Rockies' flagship radio station is KOA 850AM, with some late-season games broadcast on KHOW 630 AM due to conflicts with Denver Broncos games. Jerry Schemmel and Jack Corrigan are the radio announcers which both serve as backup TV announcers whenever Drew Goodman is not on the broadcast. The Rockies Radio Network is composed of 38 affiliate stations in eight states.
As of 2013, Spanish broadcasts of the Rockies are heard on KNRV 1150 AM.
As of 2013, all games will be produced and televised by Root Sports Rocky Mountain. All 150 games produced by Root Sports Rocky Mountain will be broadcast in HD. Jeff Huson, Drew Goodman and George Frazier form the TV broadcast team with Marc Stout, Jenny Cavnar, Ryan Spilborghs, Jason Hirsh and Cory Sullivan handling the pre-game and post-game shows.
See also
References
- ^ "2012 Colorado Rockies Information Guide" (PDF). Colorado Rockies. February 24, 2012. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ^ "Rockies Introduce Purple Mondays Campaign During 'Year of the Fan'" (Press release). Colorado Rockies. April 6, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
- ^ "Rockies introduce 'Purple Monday' campaign". KKTV. April 6, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
- ^ "Front Office". Colorado Rockies. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
- ^ Harding, Thomas (February 6, 2014). "Helton calls No. 17 jersey retirement 'very special'". MLB.com. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
- ^ Harding, Thomas (September 28, 2010). "Rox unveil McGregor memorial at Coors Field". MLB.com. Retrieved June 28, 2016.