Colorado Rockies

This is an article about the baseball team. For the National Hockey League Rockies team (1976-1982), see Colorado Rockies

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Colorado Rockies </br> Established 1993 </br>
Image:ColoradoRockies 100.png
Major league affiliations
National League (1993-present) West Division (1993-present)
Major league titles
World Series titles (0)	None
NL Pennants (0)	None
West Division titles (0)	None
Wild card berths (1)	1995
Major league nicknames
Colorado Rockies (1993-present)
Major league home ballparks
Coors Field (1995-present) Mile High Stadium (1993-1994)
Current uniform
Image:Nl 2005 colorado 01.gif
Retired numbers
♦ - Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson's #42 is retired by Major League Baseball The Rockies have not retired any numbers.
• This box contains major league affiliations only; National Association, Western League and other minor league affiliations are not included. • The "Established" date indicates when major league status was gained. • Postseasons prior to 1903 are not included as they were regarded more as exhibitions.        edit infobox

The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. They are in the Western Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains which pass through Colorado.

Contents 1 Franchise history 2 Quick facts 3 Baseball Hall of Famers 4 Current roster 5 Minor league affiliations 6 See also 7 External links

Franchise history

The Colorado Rockies joined the National League as an expansion franchise in 1993, along with the Florida Marlins. Their first pick in the expansion draft was pitcher David Nied from the Atlanta Braves organization. Nied pitched 4 seasons for the Rockies. The team's first home at-bat was a memorable one, as lead off batter Eric Young hit a home run for the Rockies.

The team set attendance records in its days back at Mile High Stadium, and was the second team (Toronto was first in 1991) in the history of Major League Baseball to record over 4,000,000 fans in annual attendance. The 1993 Rockies still have the largest ever season attendance, with 4,483,350, and the team led the National League in attendance every year from 1993 to 1999.

In 1995, the Rockies moved into a new stadium, Coors Field, where they have played their home games ever since. That year, they made their first and, to date, only post-season appearance as the National League Wild Card team where they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Atlanta Braves.

In 1996, the team had three players who hit at least 40 home runs each, Andres Galarraga with 47, and Ellis Burks and Vinny Castilla with 40 each. Dante Bichette added 31.

Since their inception, the Rockies have always tended to have a strong hitting squad and home record, which are offset by a weak bullpen and road record. This can be attributed to the conditions of Coors Field, whose thin air (due to the high altitude of Denver) makes hitting much easier, as the ball travels farther, and pitching more difficult, as the reduced air resistance makes breaking balls less effective than at sea level.

In 2001, the team signed top pitchers Mike Hampton to an 8 year, $121 million contract and Denny Neagle to a 5 year, $51 million contract to see if they could turn around the team's fortunes. However, the two went a combined 23-21 that season and Hampton was traded the next year after going 7-15. Neagle was granted free agency in 2004 after compiling a 19-23 record with the team. The experiment with the two pitchers was generally considered to be a disaster.

The Rockies have had a number of well-known players throughout the years, including Todd Helton, who came up through the club's farm system, Andres Gallarraga, Ellis Burks, Larry Walker, Andy Ashby, Darryl Kile, Dante Bichette, Mike Hampton, Preston Wilson, and Vinny Castilla.

Quick facts

Founded: 1991

Began play: 1993 (National League expansion)

Uniform colors: Black, Silver, Purple, and White

Logo design: Purple mountain with baseball

Playoff appearances (1): 1995

Baseball Hall of Famers

• none

Current roster

Pitchers 56 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Jaime Cerda 28 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Aaron Cook 60 Image:Flag of Panama.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Manuel Corpas 50 Image:Flag of Mexico.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} David Cortes 45 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Zach Day 18 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Mike DeJean 47 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Scott Dohmann 23 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Mike Esposito 26 Image:Flag of Canada.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Jeff Francis 40 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Brian Fuentes 32 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Jason Jennings 43 Image:Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Ubaldo Jimenez 49 Image:Flag of South Korea.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Byung-Hyun Kim (김병현) 51 Image:Flag of South Korea.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Sunny Kim 56 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Ray King 49 Image:Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Jose Mesa 68 Image:Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Juan Morillo 61 Image:Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Ramon Ramirez 62 Image:Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Eduardo Sierra 23 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Ryan Speier 71 Image:Flag of the Republic of China.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Chin-hui Tsao Catchers 55 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Danny Ardoin  7 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} J.D. Closser  8 Image:Flag of Venezuela.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Yorvit Torrealba Infielders 27 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Garrett Atkins 10 Image:Flag of Germany.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Jeff Baker 12 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Clint Barmes  4 Image:Flag of Venezuela.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Luis A. González 17 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Todd Helton 66 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Jayson Nix  6 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Omar Quintanilla 38 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Ryan Shealy 14 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Josh Wilson Outfielders 21 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Choo Freeman 11 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Brad Hawpe  5 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Matt Holliday  3 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Jorge Piedra 15 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Jeff Salazar 31 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Cory Sullivan

Manager 13 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Clint Hurdle Coaches 52 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Duane Espy (hitting) 26 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Bob Apodaca (pitching) 29 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Dave Collins (first base)   2 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Mike Gallego (third base)   9 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Jamie Quirk (bench) 53 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Rick Mathews (bullpen) 56 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Mark Strittmatter (bullpen catching) Disabled list 20 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Todd Greene (C, 15-day since June 6 - strained right hamstring) 39 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Blaine Neal (P, 60-day since July 23 - right elbow inflammation) Extended roster 25 Image:Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Eddy Garabito 48 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Tim Olson 19 Image:Flag of the United States.svg}|name={{{name|}}}}}}}} Ryan Spilborghs

Minor league affiliations

• AAA: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Pacific Coast League
• AA: Tulsa Drillers, Texas League
• Advanced A: Modesto Nuts, California League
• A: Asheville Tourists, South Atlantic League
• Short A: Tri-City Dust Devils, Northwest League
• Rookie: Casper Rockies, Pioneer League
• Rookie: VSL Rockies, Venezuelan Summer League

See also

• Rockies award winners and league leaders
• Rockies statistical records and milestone achievements
• Rockies players of note
• Rockies broadcasters and media
• Rockies managers and ownership

External links

• Colorado Rockies official web site
• These 10 are absolute wrecks of an exec - Dan O'Dowd, general manager, Colorado Rockies

Image:ColoradoRockies 100.png Colorado Rockies Franchise
AAA	AA	A	Rookie
Image:ColoradoSpringsSkySox 100.png Colorado Springs Sky Sox	Image:TulsaDrillers2 100.png Tulsa Drillers	Modesto Nuts Asheville Tourists Tri-City Dust Devils	Image:ColoradoRockies 100.png Casper Rockies

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