Colorado Rockies - The Clinton Years (1993-1999)
 
   
 

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        Yr P W L   Yr P W L   Yr P W L             1990    
        1993 6 67 95   1995 2 77 67   1998 4 77 85             Decade    
        1994 3 53 64   1996 3 83 79   1999 5 72 90             Click    
                  1997 3 83 79                       on Logo    
                                                     
                                                       
   
  Titles: Top Rockies Players of the Nineties  
  1995 - Wild Card - Lost LDS to Atlanta  
    Pitchers:  
  BallPark: Kevin Ritz (7.27) -   18  
  Mile High Stadium (1993 - 1994) Pedro Astacio (6.6) -   17  
  Coors Field (1995 - 1999) Darren Holmes (4.65) -   14  
    Armando Reynoso (9.46) -   12  
  Team Name: Bruce Ruffin (6.7) -   12  
  Rockies Darryl Kile (4.11) -   10  
    Marvin Freeman (5.8) -  9  
  Owner:  Jerry DiPoto (5.42) -    9  
  Consortium led by Larry McMorris Roger Bailey (4.7) -   8  
    Jamey Wright (4.03) -   7  
  General Managers: Dave Veres (4.07) -    6  
  Bob Gebhard Steve Reed (8.8) -  6  
    Curt Leskanic (6.28) -  6  
  Managers: John Thomson (4.98) -    5  
  Don Baylor (1993 - 1998)    
  Jim Leyland (1999) Catchers:  
    Joe Girardi (0.96) -   19  
  No Hitters: Jeff Reed (4.2) -   17  
  None    
    First Basemen:  
  Hall of Famers: Andres Galarraga (14.49) -   48  
  Larry Walker   Todd Helton (5.88) -   23  
  Todd Helton    
  Jim Leyland Second Basemen:  
    Eric Young (9.45) -   47  
  Rookie of the Year: Terry Shumpert (2.3) -   7  
  None    
    ShortStop:  
  Cy Young Award: Nelfi Perez (1.5) -   21  
  None Walt Weiss (3.82) -   18  
       
  MVP: Third Base:  
  Larry Walker (1997) Vinnie Castilla (14.57) -   51  
    Charlie Hayes (4.09) -   13  
  Notable Events:    
    Outfield:  
   1993 - The Rockies have never been a deep pockets organization and their Larry Walker (26.55) -   57  
   on the field  performance over the years has reflected that.  Dante Bichette (4.76) -   54  
  The management situation was not great in the Nineties. The franchise's Ellis Burks (11.96) -   42  
   original ownership group were caught up in an embezzlement scandal Mike Kingery (1.49) -   16  
   and had to relinquish the Colorado franchise prior to a ptich being thrown Quniton McCracken (0.33) -   10  
   by the Rockies. The franchise was almost relocated to Tampa in '92  before    
   a local ownership group led by trucking company executive Jerry McMorris Notable Events:  
   was found to buy the club and keep it in Denver. However, this hastily     
   brought together group never functioned very well which was reflected in 1996 / 1997 - The Rockies follow up their foray into the post season in '95  
    poor on field performance. Bob Gebhard a former journeyman major league  with two slightly above .500 83-79 seasons before descending back down  
    pitcher was named GM  into the depths again. Altho' they never had quite enough talent to  
     consistently contend - due to the shallow pockets of ownership, there has  
  1993 - 1B Andres Galarraga, 32, is signed as a low budget FA.  also been the elephant in the room when it comes to the Rockies.  
   Andres would become the poster boy for what playing in Denver could do   With the rarified air in Denver, the types of players who succeed in   
  for a hitter. When the Rockies got Andres, it looked like he was washed up Colorado, ain't so good elsewhere and vice versa. If you are a good   
    at a young age. He went from .243 in '92 to .370 in '93 and never looked back. fastball hitter, but not so good against the breaking stuff, you'll do well  
  In retrospect, Denver was given too much credit for the Galarraga-effect    with the Rockies.  
  as Andres put up huge numbers at the age of thirty seven when he moved On the mound, if you have a good fastball and can place it well and can  
   over to Atlanta in '98 44-121-.305. Of course, all of this happened right in the  change speeds well, you'll survive in Coors, but without a top notch   
   middle of the 'roids era so who can say anything at this point about huge breaking pitch or two, you won't do so good outside of Coors.  
   fluctuations in performance of his or anyone else's with any certainty?  If the Rockies ownership had deep pockets, they could conceivably field  
     close to two competitive teams, one with home skills and one with road  
   1993 - speed demon 2B Eric Young, 26, is the 11th pick in the expansion   skills. They don't. Finding a hybrid with all of the skills to excel in both  
    draft from LA  venues is like looking for unicorns. In fact, what the Rockies end up with a  
     lot of times are guys with Coors skills because they're relatively cheap,  
  1993 - 3B Vinnie Castilla, 25, is the 40th pick in the expansion draft from   not much of a market for those types outside of Denver.  
   Atlanta. Vinnie should have been the poster boy for the Denver effect.     
  At least Galarraga showed he was a big time hitter elsewhere. Castilla was 1996 / 1997 - The Rockies bludgeoned people:  
   a monster in Denver, but only a mere mortal away, solid, but not outstanding. □ Andres Galarraga - 47-150-.304; 41-140-.318  
   Vinnie's best season outside of Coors was 22-76.277 at age 35 in Atlanta. □ Vinnie Castilla - 40-113-.304; 40-113-.304    
    Not bad, by any means, but his worst season as a starter out of six in Denver not a typo, Vinnie had the exact same numbers both seasons  
    was 32-90.309 and the other five were much better including 35-113.270 □ Ellis Burks - 40-128-.344; 32-82-.290  
   at age thirty six.  □ Dante Bichette - 31- 141-.313; 26-118-.308  
    □ Larry Walker - 18-58-.276 (in only 272 AB's); 49-130-.366  
  1993 - OF Dante Bichette, 29, is picked up in a trade with Milwaukee  □ Eric Young - .324 average, 53 SB's; .282, 32 SB's  
   for Kevin Reimer. The weakest of the three big Denver sticks that the    
   Rockies obtained in '93, Bichette is nonetheless a monster in Colorado. 1996 / 1997 - The Rockies were also bludgeoned by people - the starters:   
   Prior to the trade, in '92, the numbers were 5-41.287 in Milwaukee. In '93,  □ Kevin Ritz - 17-11 5.28 in '96 ; 6-7 5.87 in '97  
  the numbers became 21-89-.310. And they would only get much better   Jamey Wright 4-4 4.93 in '96; 8-12 6.25 in '97  
  after that.   Roger Bailey 2-3 6.24 in '96; 9-10 4.29 in '97  
      Mark Thompson 9-11 5.30 in '96; John Thomson 7-9 4.71 in '97  
   1993 - Colorado had a few useful first round free agent draft picks during □ Armando Reynoso - 8-9 4.96 in '96  
   the decade: □ Marvin Freeman 7-9 6.04 in '96  
    1993 - Righty Jamey Wright, 18, 28th overall pick, spent six of his nineteen    Bryan Rekar - 2-4 8.95 in '96  
   year jouneyman career with the Rockies    Frank Castillo 6-3 5.42 in '97  
    1995 - 1B Todd Helton, 21, 8th  overall pick, HOF worthy superstar   Bill Swift 4-6 6.34 in '97  
  □ 1996 Righty Jake Westbrook, 18, won over a hundred games in his career,     
   was foolishly dealt away to Montreal in '97 for 2B Mike Lansing  1997 - Righty Aaron Cook, 18, is selected in the 2nd round of the draft,   
  □ 1999 - Righty Jason Jennings, 20, 18th overall pick, had a productive  he debuts in 2002  
  six seasons in Colorado and was NL Rookie of the Year in 2002    
  □ 1994 - OF Ellis Burks, 29, is signed as a FA. Burks was a real good hitter  1998 - Slugging outfielder Matt Holliday, 18, is selected in the 7th round   
   outside of Coors and his numbers weren't significantly different in Denver. of the draft.  He debuts in 2004 and develops into one of the top   
    He was an asset and could play anywhere. outfielders in the game   
    1995 - OF Larry Walker, 28, is signed as a FA. Walker was a very nice    
   player in Montreal. He turned into a monster at Coors.  1998 - OF Juan Pierre, 20, is a 13th round pick in the amateur draft.  
       
    1995 - Coors field opens, the first baseball only ballpark built in the NL since 1998 - The Rockies, after three consecutive above .500 seasons,   
   Chavez Ravine in LA in 1962. The park was funded by a 1% sales tax voted feel that they need pitching to get them to the next level (agreed).  
     thru in 1990 in anticipation of Denver getting a big league franchise some day  They sign righthander Darryl Kile from the Astros. He proceeds to go   
   in the future. A good thing because the Rockies ownership consortium would 21-30 with  a 5.80 ERA combined in two seasons with Colorado.   
   have not been up to getting a ballpark funded and built. The plans for the  By comparison, his record the two seasons sandwiching his Rockies tenure,   
  stadium were expanded after the Rockies drew four and a half million fans he went 39-16 with a 3.10 ERA combined with Houston and St. Louis.   
   iheir first year. It was a wise move as, altho' they never came near the initial  Kile's best pitch was a big breaking curveball and you have to wonder what   
  season's mark, the Rockies have always drawn very well despite not being  everybody was thinking giving a curveballer a huge contract to pitch in Coors.  
  very good most of the time.    
     
  1995 - Colorado goes 77-67 in a season whose opening was delayed by the    
   strike and the Rockies make it into the playoffs as a wild card, losing to    
    the Braves in the NLDS. This season was a bit of a mirage as the team's   
  run totals only projected to a .500 record. Their bullpen was unusually  
  strong behind Darren Holmes, Curt Leskanic, Steve Reed and Bruce Ruffin,    
   giving them a lot of close wins as a strong bullpen tends to do.