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    
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  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  
       
  Rookie of the Year: Second Basemen:  
  None Eric Young (9.45) -   47  
    Terry Shumpert (2.3) -   7  
  Cy Young Award:    
  None ShortStop:  
    Nelfi Perez (1.5) -   21  
  MVP: Walt Weiss (3.82) -   18  
  Larry Walker (1997)    
    Third Base:  
  Notable Events: Vinnie Castilla (14.57) -   51  
    Charlie Hayes (4.09) -   13  
   1993 - The Rockies have never been a deep pockets organization and their    
   on the field  performance over the years has reflected that.  Outfield:  
  The management situation was not great in the Nineties. The franchise's Larry Walker (26.55) -   57  
   original ownership group were caught up in an embezzlement scandal Dante Bichette (4.76) -   54  
   and had to relinquish the Colorado franchise prior to a ptich being thrown Ellis Burks (11.96) -   42  
   by the Rockies. The franchise was almost relocated to Tampa in '92  before Mike Kingery (1.49) -   16  
   a local ownership group led by trucking company executive Jerry McMorris Quniton McCracken (0.33) -   10  
   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 Notable Events:  
    poor on field performance. Bob Gebhard a former journeyman major league    
    pitcher was named GM 1996 / 1997 - The Rockies follow up their foray into the post season in '95  
     with two slightly above .500 83-79 seasons before descending back down  
  1993 - 1B Andres Galarraga, 32, is signed as a low budget FA.   into the depths again. Altho' they never had quite enough talent to  
   Andres would become the poster boy for what playing in Denver could do   consistently contend - due to the shallow pockets of ownership, there has  
  for a hitter. When the Rockies got Andres, it looked like he was washed up also been the elephant in the room when it comes to the Rockies.  
    at a young age. He went from .243 in '92 to .370 in '93 and never looked back.  With the rarified air in Denver, the types of players who succeed in   
  In retrospect, Denver was given too much credit for the Galarraga-effect   Colorado, ain't so good elsewhere and vice versa. If you are a good   
  as Andres put up huge numbers at the age of thirty seven when he moved fastball hitter, but not so good against the breaking stuff, you'll do well  
   over to Atlanta in '98 44-121-.305. Of course, all of this happened right in the  with the Rockies.  
   middle of the 'roids era so who can say anything at this point about huge On the mound, if you have a good fastball and can place it well and can  
   fluctuations in performance of his or anyone else's with any certainty?  change speeds well, you'll survive in Coors, but without a top notch   
    breaking pitch or two, you won't do so good outside of Coors.  
   1993 - speed demon 2B Eric Young, 26, is the 11th pick in the expansion  If the Rockies ownership had deep pockets, they could conceivably field  
    draft from LA  close to two competitive teams, one with home skills and one with road  
      skills. They don't. Finding a hybrid with all of the skills to excel in both  
  1993 - 3B Vinnie Castilla, 25, is the 40th pick in the expansion draft from   venues is like looking for unicorns. In fact, what the Rockies end up with a  
   Atlanta. Vinnie should have been the poster boy for the Denver effect.   lot of times are guys with Coors skills because they're relatively cheap,  
  At least Galarraga showed he was a big time hitter elsewhere. Castilla was  not much of a market for those types outside of Denver.  
   a monster in Denver, but only a mere mortal away, solid, but not outstanding.    
   Vinnie's best season outside of Coors was 22-76.277 at age 35 in Atlanta. 1996 / 1997 - The Rockies bludgeoned people:  
    Not bad, by any means, but his worst season as a starter out of six in Denver □ Andres Galarraga - 47-150-.304; 41-140-.318  
    was 32-90.309 and the other five were much better including 35-113.270 □ Vinnie Castilla - 40-113-.304; 40-113-.304    
   at age thirty six.  not a typo, Vinnie had the exact same numbers both seasons  
    □ Ellis Burks - 40-128-.344; 32-82-.290  
  1993 - OF Dante Bichette, 29, is picked up in a trade with Milwaukee  □ Dante Bichette - 31- 141-.313; 26-118-.308  
   for Kevin Reimer. The weakest of the three big Denver sticks that the □ Larry Walker - 18-58-.276 (in only 272 AB's); 49-130-.366  
   Rockies obtained in '93, Bichette is nonetheless a monster in Colorado. □ Eric Young - .324 average, 53 SB's; .282, 32 SB's  
   Prior to the trade, in '92, the numbers were 5-41.287 in Milwaukee. In '93,     
  the numbers became 21-89-.310. And they would only get much better 1996 / 1997 - The Rockies were also bludgeoned by people - the starters:   
  after that. □ Kevin Ritz - 17-11 5.28 in '96 ; 6-7 5.87 in '97  
    □  Jamey Wright 4-4 4.93 in '96; 8-12 6.25 in '97  
   1993 - Colorado had a few useful first round free agent draft picks during □  Roger Bailey 2-3 6.24 in '96; 9-10 4.29 in '97  
   the decade: □  Mark Thompson 9-11 5.30 in '96; John Thomson 7-9 4.71 in '97  
  □  1993 - Righty Jamey Wright, 18, 28th overall pick, spent six of his nineteen □ Armando Reynoso - 8-9 4.96 in '96  
   year jouneyman career with the Rockies  □ Marvin Freeman 7-9 6.04 in '96  
  □  1995 - 1B Todd Helton, 21, 8th  overall pick, HOF worthy superstar □   Bryan Rekar - 2-4 8.95 in '96  
  □ 1996 Righty Jake Westbrook, 18, won over a hundred games in his career,  □  Frank Castillo 6-3 5.42 in '97  
   was foolishly dealt away to Montreal in '97 for 2B Mike Lansing □  Bill Swift 4-6 6.34 in '97  
  □ 1999 - Righty Jason Jennings, 20, 18th overall pick, had a productive     
  six seasons in Colorado and was NL Rookie of the Year in 2002  1997 - Righty Aaron Cook, 18, is selected in the 2nd round of the draft,   
  □ 1994 - OF Ellis Burks, 29, is signed as a FA. Burks was a real good hitter he debuts in 2002  
   outside of Coors and his numbers weren't significantly different in Denver.    
    He was an asset and could play anywhere.  1998 - Slugging outfielder Matt Holliday, 18, is selected in the 7th round   
  □  1995 - OF Larry Walker, 28, is signed as a FA. Walker was a very nice of the draft.  He debuts in 2004 and develops into one of the top   
   player in Montreal. He turned into a monster at Coors.  outfielders in the game   
       
    1995 - Coors field opens, the first baseball only ballpark built in the NL since 1998 - OF Juan Pierre, 20, is a 13th round pick in the amateur draft.  
   Chavez Ravine in LA in 1962. The park was funded by a 1% sales tax voted    
     thru in 1990 in anticipation of Denver getting a big league franchise some day 1998 - The Rockies, after three consecutive above .500 seasons,   
   in the future. A good thing because the Rockies ownership consortium would feel that they need pitching to get them to the next level (agreed).  
   have not been up to getting a ballpark funded and built. The plans for the   They sign righthander Darryl Kile from the Astros. He proceeds to go   
  stadium were expanded after the Rockies drew four and a half million fans 21-30 with  a 5.80 ERA combined in two seasons with Colorado.   
   iheir first year. It was a wise move as, altho' they never came near the initial  By comparison, his record the two seasons sandwiching his Rockies tenure,   
  season's mark, the Rockies have always drawn very well despite not being  he went 39-16 with a 3.10 ERA combined with Houston and St. Louis.   
  very good most of the time. Kile's best pitch was a big breaking curveball and you have to wonder what   
  everybody was thinking giving a curveballer a huge contract to pitch in Coors.  
  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.