Following a disappointing 1999 season, the Colorado Rockies were set to undergo a seismic shift. Having already traded Ellis Burks in the summer of ’98, Dante Bichette was next to be dealt away in late October to the Cincinnati Reds; finally, Vinny Castilla was shipped to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Of the original five members of Blake Street Bombers…

There may have been 27 seasons of Major League Baseball in Denver, but there hasn’t always been a lot to celebrate. There are nine winning seasons. A handful of  superstars. Five postseasons (thanks, Wild Card). Just one World Series appearance. And now, finally, a Hall of Famer… but that celebration will have to wait another year. So, when an award like…

In the nearly 120 seasons of modern professional baseball, there exist some incredibly prestigious clubs. Of players who have hit 500 or more home runs, there are but 27. Only 23 have pitched a perfect game. And a mere 16 have won the Triple Crown. Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies is among an even more rare exclusive fraternity thanks…

You can’t have a much more productive day at the ballpark than Larry Walker on this date in 1999. It might even be argued that his performance planted a seed for his future employer to acquire the Canadian slugger down the line. Excluding a Mike Lansing RBI-single, Walker provided all of the offense in the 9-7 victory over the St.…

Long before Trevor Story (2016-present) occupied shortstop for the Colorado Rockies, there existed an era between that of Walt Weiss (1994-97) and Troy Tulowitzki (2007-15). Neifi Neftali Pérez (1998-2001) signed with Colorado as an international free agent at the age of 18 before his organization ever took the field in 1992. So long ago that he plied his trade in…

It may have been more than three weeks overdue due to the players’ strike of 1994, but the return of baseball to cities all across Major League Baseball was well worth the wait in Colorado. Officially opening its doors at 2001 Blake Street in the LoDo neighborhood of Denver on this date in 1995, the 47,228 in attendance welcomed one…

Rockies fans fondly remember Yorvit Torrealba as the catcher who helped lead Colorado throughout the 2007 season and hit .500 in the playoffs on the way to the club’s first and only World Series. As a 13-year veteran in major league baseball, the Venezuelan-born backstop has been a valuable member to several contending organizations during his time, including five postseason…

In a fashion seemingly typical for only a player aligned with the Colorado Rockies, Carlos González finished third in the National League MVP voting (2010) before being selected to his first All-Star Game (2012). Against the Pittsburgh Pirates and their manager Clint Hurdle on this day in 2012, González gave the former Rockies’ skipper a taste of what could have…

Following his first season as an All-Star as a 31-year-old, Colorado scooped up outfielder Michael Cuddyer for three-years at $31.5M. While his tenure with the Rockies produced only 280 games, the 32-year-old would eventually be named to the National League All-Star Game squad, selected for a Silver Slugger Award, and win the Tony Gwynn Award for leading the Senior Circuit…

Until making his first Opening Day roster to start the 2019 season, the daily schedule at Union Station for Tap Time was sporadic, at best. With zero options for Raimel Tapia to be sent back to Triple-A – lest he be placed on waivers and exposed to the other 29 teams to claim him – the 25-year-old outfielder tied for second on…

By the time he was 29-years-old, Randy Johnson still had difficulty hitting the broad side of the barn after four-plus seasons in the majors. When he finally tamped down a 5.7 walks-per-nine, the southpaw’s fastball could pierce right through that red-painted maple siding. Later, he would manage the same results with the ash bats held by opposing hitters who dared…

Entering their 22nd season of play, the Colorado Rockies had written the names of only two men onto the Opening Day lineup card at first base: Andrés Galarraga and Todd Helton. When Colorado signed Justin Morneau, few imagined the 33-year-old who suffered from lingering complications surrounding a concussion would be able to rebound and carry the torch of All-Stars. Donning…

Hitting a home run in consecutive pitches is an impressive feat for any team. For any player to do so in consecutive at bats is rather remarkable, too. But on consecutive days, to end one game and start another? That’s just Nazty. With two outs and two strikes on him, down 3-2 in the 12th inning to the Phillies, Charlie…

When the Colorado Rockies did not sign even one major league free agent this past offseason, it was a reminder they had once invested $172.5M in two starting pitchers. It was December of 2000 and less than three years later, neither would be seen in purple pinstripes ever again. Mike Hampton (eight-years, $121M) and Denny Neagle (five-years, $51.5M) were signed…

Greatness can be defined as having the quality of being unusual or considerable in degree. Going into the game in Atlanta on April 17, 2010, the Rockies had yet to experience anything more than a lone one-hitter during their 16-plus seasons of MLB play. Though four more one-hitters have been added – one for each year from 2016 to 2019…

Many years ago on this day, the world welcomed two impressive beings that would become vitally important members of the Colorado Rockies. One was born. One was hatched. Born in 1991 in Newport Beach, CA, Nolan James Arenado has been a force since making his major league debut in 2013, quickly winning a Gold Glove Award for defensive play at…

The indelible mark on our memories is left oftentimes by the sheer rarity of an event or the magnitude of a result. LoDo legends such as Carlos González and Nolan Arenado have their share of heartwarming efforts, but reflecting upon their best single-game performance comes down to their highlight-making cycles in 2010 and on Father’s Day in 2017, respectively. It was…

In a 14-4 drubbing of the Diamondbacks in 2004, the performance of one Rockies player may have gone overlooked in a box score filled with crooked numbers. The onslaught on Arizona starter Elmer Dessens lasted for four innings and nine runs, culminating with two innings and four runs against knuckleball reliever Steve Spark. Five players recorded two or more hits on…

Following an outstanding 2007 season that saw Matt Holliday fall short of winning the second NL MVP in franchise history, the Oklahoma native put forth an equally impressive 2008 in his final year before being traded to the Oakland Athletics. Entering a three-game series at home versus Atlanta, Holliday had a slash line of .182/.280/.364 through the first six games…