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155-788: The History of the Colorado Rockies began in 1991 when a Major League Baseball (MLB) expansion franchise for Denver, Colorado was granted to an ownership group headed by John Antonucci. In 1993 , the Colorado Rockies started play in the National League (NL) West division. Since that date, the Rockies have reached the MLB postseason four times, each time as the National League wild card team. Twice (1995 and 2009) they were eliminated in
310-469: A 0.1 percent sales tax to help finance a new baseball stadium. Also, an advisory committee was formed in 1990 by then-Governor of Colorado Roy Romer to recruit an ownership group. The group selected was led by John Antonucci, an Ohio beverage distributor, and Michael I. Monus , the head of the Phar-Mor drugstore chain. Local and regional companies—such as Erie Lake, Hensel Phelps Construction, KOA Radio , and
465-511: A 1.5 game lead or a 3.5 game lead, Colorado once again built a large lead against Matt Cain in the finale of the series on September 16. Thanks to 8 brilliant innings from Jorge de la Rosa , and home runs from Troy Tulowitzki and Ian Stewart , the Rockies took a 4–0 lead into the bottom of the 9th. With closer Huston Street injured, the Rockies turned to Franklin Morales , but the Giants started
620-568: A 3–2 pitch from David Weathers deep to right field for a walk-off 2-run home run, propelling Colorado to a 7–5 win. The win combined with the Braves loss seemed to once again shift momentum. The Braves lost again the following night, and the Rockies 10–6 win set their magic number at 1. On October 1, the Rockies beat the Milwaukee Brewers 9–2, completing a season sweep of the Brewers and clinching
775-609: A 4.52 ERA. In the process, Jennings became the first Rockies player to win the National League Rookie of the Year award. With Hampton out of town and Neagle injured much of the year, Jennings became the centerpiece of the Rockies' pitching staff in 2003. Despite a fourth straight All-Star season by Helton and 36 homers by outfielder Preston Wilson , the Rockies finished just 74–88. In addition to Jennings, though, young pitchers Shawn Chacón and Aaron Cook showed promise. In 2004,
930-470: A 5.20 ERA—a far cry from his numbers the prior year as a member of the Houston Astros , when he went 19–7 with a 2.57 ERA. Kile became one of a long line of free-agent pitchers who struggled after signing with the Rockies. The team's struggles led to the firing of manager Don Baylor , the only manager in franchise history, following the season. Jim Leyland , a two-time NL Manager of the Year who had won
1085-404: A 6–6 tie, the Rockies came back in the bottom of the 13th by scoring three runs off of closer Trevor Hoffman to win 9–8. Second baseman Kazuo Matsui started off the inning by hitting a double. Tulowitzki followed with a double of his own, thus allowing Matsui to score. Left fielder Matt Holliday then came up to bat and hit a triple, scoring Tulowitzki. After an intentional walk to Helton,
1240-465: A 9–1 home stand. When they returned to San Francisco for their final series with the Giants on September 14, the Rockies had once again built a large Wild Card lead. But as in the previous series, San Francisco won the first two games behind Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito , cutting the Rockies wild card lead to 2.5 games. In a pivotal swing game that could have had the Rockies leave San Francisco with either
1395-651: A batter could foul off any number of pitches with no strikes counted against him; this gave an enormous advantage to the batter. After the 1919 World Series between the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds, baseball was rocked by allegations of a game-fixing scheme known as the Black Sox Scandal . Eight players— "Shoeless" Joe Jackson , Eddie Cicotte , Claude "Lefty" Williams , George "Buck" Weaver , Arnold "Chick" Gandil , Fred McMullin , Charles "Swede" Risberg , and Oscar "Happy" Felsch —intentionally lost
1550-477: A career .252 hitter who did not play in the majors in 1993, batted .349 in 301 at-bats. The club once again led the majors in attendance, drawing 3,281,511 fans for the season. Had it not been for the strike that ended the season, they were on pace to break their own season attendance record. Prior to the 1995 season, the Rockies acquired free-agent outfielder Larry Walker , previously of the Montreal Expos . He
1705-406: A chance for recreation and for taking their minds off their work even more than before." With the approval of President Roosevelt, spring training began in 1942 with few repercussions. The war interrupted the careers of stars including Stan Musial , Bob Feller , Ted Williams , and Joe DiMaggio , but baseball clubs continued to field their teams. Branch Rickey, president and general manager of
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#17330848005041860-421: A chance to pull into a tie for the division lead if they could sweep. On August 25, the Rockies won 5–4 on another walk-off thanks to Troy Tulowitzki's bases loaded, one out single in the bottom of the 10th. However, Los Angeles, won the next two games, and with their wild card lead down to 3 games, the Rockies traveled to San Francisco for another 3-game set. After losing each of the first two games by two runs,
2015-500: A contending team, the Rockies traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals in August for three minor-leaguers. The trade of Walker set in motion a series of moves that led to an overhaul of the club's roster. Castilla and Jeromy Burnitz , who led the team with 37 homers in 2004, were allowed to leave as free agents following the season. Catcher Charles Johnson , who had been acquired along with Wilson in
2170-478: A formal classification system for minor leagues, the forerunner of today's system that was refined by Branch Rickey . Several other early defunct baseball leagues are considered major leagues, and their statistics and records are included with those of the two modern major leagues. In 1969, the Special Baseball Records Committee of Major League Baseball officially recognized six major leagues:
2325-414: A franchise record 27-game hitting streak. However, both Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez missed time with injuries. The club faded in the second half of season, finishing in last place at 74–88. Towards the end of the season, Todd Helton announced his retirement after a 17-year career, playing his final home game on September 24. Gonzalez and rookie third baseman Nolan Arenado both received Gold Gloves at
2480-562: A free agent. His replacement was Todd Helton , who had been the club's first-round draft pick in 1995 out of the University of Tennessee . After a 4–1 start, the club lost its next eight games and struggled to a 77–85 record, finishing only ahead of the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West. Pitcher Darryl Kile , signed as a free agent in the offseason, struggled in Colorado, going 13–17 with
2635-518: A frustrated Leyland retired following the season, not to manage in the majors again until 2006, when he won an AL Pennant with the Detroit Tigers . On April 4, 1999, the Rockies made history as they played their Opening Day game against the defending National League champion San Diego Padres at Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey in Monterrey , Mexico – marking the first time Major League Baseball opened
2790-500: A grand jury in Pittsburgh related to cocaine trafficking. The 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike from August 12, 1994, to April 25, 1995, caused the cancellation of over 900 games and the forfeit of the entire 1994 postseason. Routinely in the late 1990s and early 2000s, baseball players hit 40 or 50 home runs in a season, a feat that was considered rare even in the 1980s. It later became apparent that at least some of this power surge
2945-584: A little better in subsequent campaigns—but in their eighth season (1969) the Mets became the first of the 1960s expansion teams to play in the postseason, culminating in a World Series title over the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles. In 1966, the major leagues moved to the "Deep South" when the Braves moved to Atlanta. In 1968, the Kansas City Athletics moved west to become the Oakland Athletics . In 1969,
3100-411: A major-league record by scoring 658 runs at home on the season, and Burks and Bichette became the first pair of teammates since Darryl Strawberry and Howard Johnson of the 1987 New York Mets to both steal 30 bases and hit 30 homers in the same season. However, the pitching staff—a strong point for the team in 1995—was beset by injuries: Bill Swift , who went 9–3 in 1995, started just three games, and
3255-599: A man for many reasons. Color is not one of them." That year, Robinson won the inaugural Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award (separate NL and AL Rookie of the Year honors were not awarded until 1949). Less than three months later, Larry Doby became the first African-American to break the color barrier in the American League with the Cleveland Indians. The next year, a number of other black players entered
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#17330848005043410-416: A miraculous over the shoulder diving catch after a long run, and doubled off Albert Pujols , who thought the ball was going to drop and was nearly at third base, to end the game. Much like the 2007 play-in game when it was not clear whether or not Matt Holliday had touched home plate with the game-winning run, there was question as to whether Barmes actually caught the ball, as photos later emerged showing
3565-431: A one-armed outfielder, got the chance to advance to the major leagues. However, MLB rosters did not include any black players through the end of the war. Black players, many of whom served in the war, were still restricted to playing Negro league baseball . Wartime blackout restrictions , designed to keep outdoor lighting at low levels, caused another problem for baseball. These rules limited traveling and night games to
3720-493: A rare occurrence of viral myocarditis. On May 24, Kazuo Matsui , former Rockies second baseman during the 2007 championship season, was resigned to the club following his unconditional release from the Houston Astros . The Rockies placed Matsui in the Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox minor league team. On July 6, the Rockies were losing 9–3 in the 9th inning against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals , when
3875-469: A rematch of their August match-up, Betancourt got Édgar Rentería to pop out on the infield for the first out. However, pinch hitter Randy Winn followed with an RBI groundout , cutting the deficit to 4–3 and moving the tying run to 3rd. With a full count, Betancourt struck out pinch hitter Nate Schierholtz to secure the save . As the Giants began to fade, the Atlanta Braves started making
4030-653: A rival to the two existing major leagues. In 1960, the Continental League announced that play would begin in April 1961 with eight teams, including one in Denver headed by Bob Howsam . However, the new league quickly evaporated, without ever playing a game, when the National League reached expansion agreements to put teams in New York City and Houston , removing much of the impetus behind the Continental League effort. Later on,
4185-646: A row, the most of any team in the 2007 season and an all-time franchise record. The only loss during that streak was on September 28 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, a loss that clinched the Diamondbacks' playoff spot. Their 90–73 regular season mark set a franchise record. They also finished ahead of the Dodgers in the division for the first time in franchise history. Furthermore, Colorado set the single-season MLB record for fielding percentage by one team (.98925). Despite
4340-420: A run at the Rockies that was starting to look similar to Colorado's 2007 run. From September 8 through September 28, the Braves won 16 of 19 to pull from nearly 7 back to just 2 back in the season's final week. It took several dramatic wins for Colorado to hang on to its lead. On September 25, the Rockies played host to the St. Louis Cardinals . With Aaron Cook returning from an injury, the Rockies won 2–1 in
4495-528: A single-game MLB attendance record in their first home appearance with 78,672 fans. In 1961, the first Washington Senators franchise moved to Minneapolis–St. Paul to become the Minnesota Twins . Two new teams were added to the American League at the same time: the Los Angeles Angels (who soon moved from downtown L.A. to nearby Anaheim ) and a new Washington Senators franchise. The NL added
4650-534: A successful Baltimore chop, the batter hits the ball forcefully into the ground, causing it to bounce so high that the batter reaches first base before the ball can be fielded and thrown to the first baseman. The adoption of the foul strike rule—in the NL in 1901, in the AL two years later—quickly sent baseball from a high-scoring game to one where scoring runs became a struggle. Before this rule, foul balls were not counted as strikes:
4805-563: Is a professional baseball league and the highest level of organized baseball in the United States and Canada . One of the "Big Four" major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada , MLB comprises 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. Formed in 1876 and 1901, respectively,
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4960-576: Is reflected in their logo; the name was previously used by the city's first NHL team (who are now the New Jersey Devils ). With the arrival of the Rockies, they displaced the Milwaukee Brewers -affiliated AAA American Association club, the Zephyrs , who had represented the market since 1955 to New Orleans, Louisiana . The Rockies' first pick in the expansion draft was pitcher David Nied from
5115-466: Is the case with many first-year expansion teams, the Rockies struggled in their first year. During one stretch in May, the team went 2–17. The team did not experience its first winning month until September, when they went 17–9. Still, the team finished the season with 67 wins, setting a record for a National League expansion franchise. In addition, despite the losses, the club saw a home attendance of 4,483,350 for
5270-433: The Atlanta Braves and had won 15 games in 2000. The two star pitchers were expected by the Rockies to change the team's fortunes. Instead, the two flopped, much as their predecessors had. Hampton, after a strong first half in 2001, completely fell apart in 2002, going 7–15 with a 6.15 ERA and demanding a trade following the season. Neagle went 19–23 in three years with the Rockies; he was injured in 2003 and never pitched in
5425-469: The Atlanta Braves organization. Nied pitched 4 seasons for the Rockies. After a 1992 accounting and embezzlement scandal at Phar-Mor tarnished Monus' reputation, both Monus and Antonucci were forced to sell their stakes in the franchise. For a time, no credible offers surfaced from Denver interests, and it looked like the franchise might move to Tampa, Florida before even playing a game. Finally, trucking-company executive Jerry McMorris became head of
5580-802: The Boston Braves became the Milwaukee Braves , the St. Louis Browns became the Baltimore Orioles , and the Philadelphia Athletics became the Kansas City Athletics . The 1958 Major League Baseball season began to turn Major League Baseball into a nationwide league. Walter O'Malley , owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers and "perhaps the most influential owner of baseball's early expansion era," moved his team to Los Angeles, marking
5735-580: The Chicago Cubs . Colorado won the first two games of the NLCS against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix, then won their third game against the Diamondbacks in Denver on Sunday, October 14. That pushed the Rockies' combined late-season (September 16 and after) and post-season run to 20 wins and just 1 loss, the single loss coming against Arizona on September 28, 2007 – the 160th game of the regular season. This made Colorado only
5890-479: The Colorado Springs Sky Sox , went 78–65. Declining attendance meant that the club's payroll could no longer support a franchise stocked largely with veterans from other clubs. In addition, Walker, who had been with the team since 1995 and was widely regarded as the best player in team history, was now 37 years old, and injuries prevented him from playing much of the time. Because he could still be useful to
6045-473: The Great Depression and World War II without any of its teams folding. Shortly after the war, Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier . Some teams moved to different cities in the 1950s and 1960s. The AL and NL added eight clubs in the 1960s: two in 1961, two in 1962, and four in 1969. Player discontent with established labor practices, especially the reserve clause, led to the organization of
6200-530: The Great Depression , baseball's popularity had begun a downward turn in the early 1930s. By 1932, only two MLB teams turned a profit. Attendance had fallen, due at least in part to a 10% federal amusement tax added to baseball ticket prices. Baseball owners cut their rosters from 25 men to 23, and even the best players took pay cuts. Team executives were innovative in their attempts to survive, creating night games, broadcasting games live by radio, and rolling out promotions such as free admission for women. Throughout
6355-597: The Houston Astros and the New York Mets in 1962. The Astros (known as the "Colt .45s" during their first three seasons) became the first southern major league franchise since the Louisville Colonels folded in 1899 and the first franchise to be located along the Gulf Coast . The Mets established a reputation for futility by going 40–120 during their first season of play in the nation's media capital—and by playing only
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6510-828: The Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort and Spa in Indian Wells, California, the Hilltop Steak House in Boston, and other real estate ventures in Colorado. At the University of Northern Colorado , Dick serves on the board of trustees along with the board of directors at University of Colorado Hospital , Denver Zoo , and the Colorado Economic Development Board. Dick now resides in Denver, Colorado with his wife Karen. Charlie Monfort graduated from
6665-512: The Major League Baseball Players Association to collectively bargain with the owners, which in turn led to the introduction of free agency in baseball. Modern stadiums with artificial turf surfaces began to change the game in the 1970s and 1980s. Home runs dominated the game during the 1990s. In the mid-2000s, media reports disclosed the use of anabolic steroids among MLB players; a 2006–07 investigation produced
6820-605: The Mitchell Report , which found that many players had used steroids and other performance-enhancing substances , including at least one player from each team. Each team plays 162 games per season, with Opening Day traditionally held during the first week of April. Six teams in each league then advance to a four-round postseason tournament in October, culminating in the World Series , a best-of-seven championship series between
6975-409: The Montreal Expos . The winning pitcher was Bryn Smith who beat his former team for the win. One of the most memorable plays in the game, and in team history, occurred in the bottom of the first inning when 2nd baseman, Eric Young of the Rockies hit a leadoff home run . The game was played before 80,227 fans, to date the largest crowd to see a single regular-season Major League Baseball game. As
7130-545: The Pittsburgh Pirates were rumored to be relocating to Denver following the Pittsburgh drug trials in 1985, but that move did not happen. Repeated rumors of a move to Denver by the Oakland Athletics also proved false. Nonetheless, by the late 1980s, an MLB team seemed to be a possibility in Denver. The Colorado Baseball Commission, led by banking executive Larry Varnell, was successful in getting Denver voters to approve
7285-583: The Rocky Mountain News —rounded out the group. On July 5, 1991, the National League approved Denver and South Florida as the sites for two expansion teams to begin play in 1993; with this, MLB now had teams in all four time zones in the contiguous U.S.; the Rockies were the league's first Mountain Time Zone -based team. The name "Rockies" was chosen due to Denver's proximity to the Rocky Mountains, which
7440-598: The Texas Rangers . In 1977, baseball expanded again , adding a second Canadian team, the Toronto Blue Jays , as well as the Seattle Mariners . Subsequently, no new teams were added until the 1990s and no teams moved until 2005. By the late 1960s, the balance between pitching and hitting had swung in favor of the pitchers. In 1968—later nicknamed "the year of the pitcher" —Boston Red Sox player Carl Yastrzemski won
7595-560: The University of Utah in 1982 with a bachelor's degree in Marketing and Business Management where he served as president of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, succeeded by Eddie Hillard. Charlie started working for the family business Monfort of Colorado, Inc. also in 1988 as president of International Sales until 1996. In 1996, Charlie became president of ConAgra Foods International; later leaving in 1998 to concentrate on his previous commitment to
7750-650: The World Baseball Softball Confederation jointly manage the international World Baseball Classic tournament. In the 1860s, aided by soldiers playing the game in camp during the Civil War , "New York"-style baseball expanded into a national game and spawned baseball's first governing body, the National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP). The NABBP existed as an amateur league for 12 years. By 1867, more than 400 clubs were members. Most of
7905-636: The World Series with the Florida Marlins two years earlier, was expected to bring the Rockies back into contention in 1999 . Instead, the Rockies dropped even further, finishing 72–90 and in last place in the West as the Diamondbacks won the division in just their second year of existence. Helton was blossoming into a young developed hitter, batting .320 with 35 homers and 113 RBI; Castilla, Walker, and Bichette also hit more than 30 homers each. Once again, though,
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#17330848005048060-780: The first and second Negro National Leagues (1920–1931 and 1933–1948), the Eastern Colored League (1923–1928), the American Negro League (1929), the East–West League (1932), the Negro Southern League (1932), and the Negro American League (1937–1948). In 2021, baseball reference website Baseball-Reference.com began to include statistics from those seven leagues into their major-league statistics. In May 2024, Major League Baseball announced that it
8215-557: The 1960s and 1970s, as baseball expanded, NFL football had been surging in popularity, making it economical for many of these cities to build multi-purpose stadiums instead of single-purpose baseball fields. Because of climate and economic issues, many of these facilities had playing surfaces made from artificial turf , as well as the oval designs characteristic of stadiums designed to house both baseball and football. This often resulted in baseball fields with relatively more foul territory than older stadiums. These characteristics changed
8370-458: The 1990s. During the 1980s, baseball experienced a number of significant changes the game had not seen in years. Home runs were on the decline throughout the decade, with players hitting 40 home runs just 13 times and no one hitting more than 50 home runs in a season for the first time since the Dead-ball era (1900–1919). The 1981 Major League Baseball strike from June 12 until July 31 forced
8525-424: The 2000 season O'Dowd made two very splashy signings in the free-agent market, signing Denny Neagle to a five-year contract worth $ 51 million, followed five days later by signing Mike Hampton to an eight-year, $ 121 million contract. Two years earlier, Hampton had won 22 games and finished second in voting for the Cy Young Award as a member of the Houston Astros , while Neagle had been a 20-game winner in 1997 for
8680-421: The AL and NL caused shock waves throughout the baseball world. At a meeting at the Leland Hotel in Chicago in 1901, the other baseball leagues negotiated a plan to maintain their independence. A new National Association was formed to oversee these minor leagues. After 1902, the NL, AL, and NA signed a new National Agreement which tied independent contracts to the reserve-clause contracts. The agreement also set up
8835-435: The American League batting title with an average of just .301, the lowest in the history of Major League Baseball. Detroit Tigers pitcher Denny McLain won 31 games, making him the only pitcher to win 30 games in a season since Dizzy Dean in 1934. St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Bob Gibson achieved an equally remarkable feat by allowing an ERA of just 1.12. Following these pitching performances, in December 1968
8990-420: The American and National Leagues both added two expansion franchises . The American League added the Seattle Pilots (who became the Milwaukee Brewers after one disastrous season in Seattle) and the Kansas City Royals . The NL added the first Canadian franchise, the Montreal Expos , as well as the San Diego Padres . In 1972, the second Washington Senators moved to the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex to become
9145-409: The Brooklyn Dodgers, began making efforts to introduce a black baseball player to the previously all-white professional baseball leagues in the mid-1940s. He selected Jackie Robinson from a list of promising Negro league players. After obtaining a commitment from Robinson to "turn the other cheek" to any racial antagonism directed at him, Rickey agreed to sign him to a contract for $ 600 a month. In what
9300-513: The Dodgers were eliminated by the Rockies from playoff contention, and the Diamondbacks were expected to clinch the National League West division title. The Padres held a steady lead on the National League wild card spot. The Diamondbacks eventually clinched the NL West division title, but the Rockies shot up with one of the greatest comebacks in baseball history. They were a major-league best 20–8 in September, after trailing 6 games on September 1. They won their last 14 of 15 games, including 11 in
9455-711: The Dodgers when they came to town, abandoning the Negro league teams that they had followed exclusively. Robinson's promotion met a generally positive, although mixed, reception among newspaper writers and white major league players. Manager Leo Durocher informed his team, "I don't care if he is yellow or black or has stripes like a fucking zebra. I'm his manager and I say he plays." After a strike threat by some players, NL President Ford C. Frick and Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler let it be known that any striking players would be suspended. Robinson received significant encouragement from several major-league players, including Dodgers teammate Pee Wee Reese who said, "You can hate
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#17330848005049610-513: The Great Depression, no MLB teams moved or folded. The onset of World War II created a shortage of professional baseball players, as more than 500 men left MLB teams to serve in the military. Many of them played on service baseball teams that entertained military personnel in the US or in the Pacific. MLB teams of this time largely consisted of young men, older players, and those with a military classification of 4F , indicating mental, physical, or moral unsuitability for service. Men like Pete Gray ,
9765-444: The Hampton trade, was traded to the Boston Red Sox . Royce Clayton , the club's starting shortstop in 2004, also was allowed to leave. Along with Holliday, who had performed ably while Wilson and Walker were out, the club promoted Garrett Atkins , Brad Hawpe , Clint Barmes , and J.D. Closser , who spent most of 2004 in Triple-A. Jennings and Chacon combined with Joe Kennedy , Byung-hyun Kim , and top prospect Jeff Francis to form
9920-415: The MLB Playing Rules Committee voted to reduce the strike zone from knees to shoulders to top of knees to armpits and lower the pitcher's mound from 15 to 10 inches, beginning in the 1969 season. In 1973, the American League, which had been suffering from much lower attendance than the National League, sought to increase scoring even further by initiating the designated hitter (DH) rule. Throughout
10075-412: The NA proved ineffective. The league placed its emphasis on clubs rather than on players. Clubs could now enforce player contracts, preventing players from jumping to higher-paying clubs. Clubs were required to play the full schedule of games instead of forfeiting scheduled games when the club was no longer in the running for the league championship, which happened frequently under the NA. A concerted effort
10230-406: The NL and AL cemented their cooperation with the National Agreement in 1903, making MLB the oldest major professional sports league in the world. They remained legally separate entities until 2000, when they merged into a single organization led by the commissioner of baseball . MLB is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan . Baseball's first all-professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings ,
10385-438: The NL and American Association champions met in a postseason championship series—the first attempt at a World Series . The two leagues merged in 1892 as a single 12-team NL, but the NL dropped four teams after the 1899 season. This led to the formation of the American League in 1901 under AL president Ban Johnson , and the resulting bidding war for players led to widespread contract-breaking and legal disputes. The war between
10540-404: The National Association (NA), was formed in 1871. Its amateur counterpart disappeared after only a few years. The modern Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves franchises trace their histories back to the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players in the 1870s. In 1876, the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs (later known as the National League or NL) was established after
10695-502: The National League, American League, American Association, Union Association (1884), Players' League (1890), and Federal League (1914–1915). The status of the National Association as a major league has been a point of dispute among baseball researchers; while its statistics are not recognized by Major League Baseball, its statistics are included with those of other major leagues by some baseball reference websites, such as Retrosheet . Some researchers, including Nate Silver , dispute
10850-433: The Padres pitched to utility infielder Jamey Carroll , who then hit a sacrifice fly , allowing Holliday to score from third base. Holliday's winning run came off of a controversial slide in which home plate umpire Tim McClelland called Holliday safe, despite replays showing Holliday may have never touched the plate. McClelland educated the media and fans after the game as to the call: Padres catcher Michael Barrett blocked
11005-427: The Rockies acquired Vinny Castilla , who had been with the club for its inaugural 1993 season, once again, and he hit 35 homers. However, Wilson and Larry Walker spent much of the season on the disabled list, forcing the Rockies to play Matt Holliday , who had been slated to start the season at Triple-A. While the Rockies struggled to a 68–94 record—the second worst record in club history—the club's Triple-A affiliate,
11160-404: The Rockies could reduce their magic number to 3 with a win. Colorado built a 5–2 lead and turned the ball to Street. However, with one out and two on, Street blew his first save of the season, allowing a game-tying home run to Jason Kendall . In the bottom of the 11th, Chris Iannetta pinch hit with the winning run on first. Seldom used and having batted only 12 times in the month, Iannetta hit
11315-480: The Rockies faced the San Francisco Giants in what ended up being a 14 inning game which lasted close to 5 hours(4:57), the second longest game in Rockies history. After multiple scoreless innings, the Giants managed to score three runs in the top of the 14th to place them ahead of the Rockies, 4–1. After several Colorado at-bats, the bases were loaded and Ryan Spilborghs stepped up to the plate. Spilborghs hit
11470-492: The Rockies led all of major league baseball with 151 total runs. The Rockies had two players selected to the All-Star Game : right fielder Brad Hawpe and starting pitcher Jason Marquis . On August 10, Troy Tulowitzki hit the team's 5th franchise cycle . He became the second player in major league history to hit for the cycle and have an unassisted triple play , which he did on April 29, 2007, in his career. On August 24,
11625-610: The Rockies named Dan O'Dowd as his replacement. After hiring Buddy Bell as the club's third manager, O'Dowd proceeded to make a series of offseason deals that changed the face of the franchise. Popular outfielder Dante Bichette was traded to the Cincinnati Reds . Later, he traded Kile to the Cardinals and, in a four-team trade, sent Vinny Castilla to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays . With those two deals, Larry Walker remained as
11780-613: The Rockies opened up a 5–2 lead against Matt Cain in the finale of the series on August 30. But with two outs and the bases loaded in the 7th, in a scene eerily similar to the Ryan Spilborghs walk-off, Édgar Rentería hit a go-ahead grand slam off of Rafael Betancourt , propelling the Giants to a 9–5 win and a tie in the Wild Card standings entering September. Colorado responded by winning 10 of their first 11 games in September, including
11935-508: The Rockies record-setting performance, the National League coaches and players did not vote in any of Colorado's players for the NL Gold Glove award. The two most puzzling omissions were first baseman Todd Helton and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki . Both players had a better fielding percentage, more total chances, better zone rating, more putouts, more double plays turned, better range factor and more assists than their counterparts who won
12090-412: The Rockies stormed back for 9 runs in the inning. Rockies Chris Iannetta and Seth Smith each hit 3-run home runs off of closer Ryan Franklin , with Smith's homer being a walk-off home run . It is currently the largest 9th inning come-from-behind victory in franchise history. On July 30, the Rockies hit an MLB record-setting 11 consecutive hits against the Chicago Cubs . The Rockies sent 18 batters to
12245-409: The Rockies were 44–43 in the first half of the season and were in contention in the NL West for much of the season. However, the team faded in the second half and wound up at 76–86, tied for fourth place in the division. Despite this, several of the young players showed promise. Matt Holliday hit 34 homers and was named to the All-Star Game ; Garrett Atkins batted .329 and hit 29 homers. In addition,
12400-402: The Rockies' second playoff appearance in three years. The victory also marked the club's 91st win of the season, breaking the franchise record set in 2007. The team broke its record of 22 games over .500 in this victory also. Despite making the race very close, in the 161st game of the season, the Dodgers snapped their five-game losing streak – and the Rockies' five-game winning streak – to clinch
12555-500: The Rockies. This came after founding owner Mickey Monus was ensnared in a massive accounting scandal surrounding his Phar-Mor discount drugstores. Dick Monfort later replaced Benton in the ownership group, and became vice chairman of the Rockies on December 8, 1997. On March 31, 2003, Charlie was named CEO of the Colorado Rockies, succeeding president Keli McGregor who had taken the role from McMorris in 2001. In 2005, Dick and Charlie Monfort purchased McMorris’ financial interest in
12710-726: The Rockies. Charlie also serves on the board of trustees at Colorado Mesa University (formerly Mesa State College) in Grand Junction, Colorado . All along with being a board member of the Kempe Foundation, the Special Olympics , and the Monfort Family Foundation. Charlie has son Kenny, daughter Ciara, son Lucas, daughter Danica and stepson Brenden. On September 2, 1992, Jerry McMorris welcomed Charlie Monfort and Oren Benton to join him in buying controlling interest in
12865-599: The San Diego Padres, 4–0, in the shortest nine-inning game in Coors Field history – one hour and 58 minutes. On July 4, 2008, Colorado defeated the Florida Marlins , 18–17, after at one point being down, 13–4. The nine-run deficit that the Rockies overcame made it the largest comeback win in team history. The Rockies ended the season finishing third in the National League West with a 74–88 record, failing to make
13020-686: The West title. The Rockies entered the playoffs against the Philadelphia Phillies as the NL Wild Card for the second time in three years. They lost to the Phillies 3–1 in the NLDS. On April 17, Ubaldo Jiménez pitched the first no-hitter in franchise history against the Atlanta Braves. Keli McGregor , President of the Rockies, was found dead on April 20, 2010; it was later revealed that he had died of
13175-600: The World Series in exchange for a ring worth $ 100,000 ($ 1,712,780.35 in 2022 dollars). Despite being acquitted, all were permanently banned from Major League Baseball. Baseball's popularity increased in the 1920s and 1930s. The 1920 season was notable for the death of Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians . Chapman, who was struck in the head by a pitch and died a few hours later, became the only MLB player to die of an on-field injury. Both leagues quickly began to require
13330-481: The award instead ( Chicago Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee and Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins ). Helton also had fewer errors (2) than Lee (7), while Tulowitzki had as many errors as Rollins (11), but did so on 834 total chances compared to Rollins' 717. As a result of the Rockies' remarkable September run, the team finished the regular season tied with the Padres for the National League wild card spot in
13485-453: The ball apparently sliding down his arm as he went to the ground. Ironically, Holliday, traded from Oakland to St. Louis in July, was in the opposing dugout watching the play. On September 29, their lead down to 2 games and their magic number at 5, the Rockies opened their final home series against Milwaukee . During the game, Atlanta had their 7-game win streak snapped by Florida 5–4, meaning
13640-410: The bottom of the 9th on a Yorvit Torrealba sacrifice fly . Two days later, the Rockies took a 4–3 lead into the bottom of the 9th. Back from injury, Huston Street attempted to close out a two inning save, but got into a jam. The Cardinals put runners on the corners with one out for Ryan Ludwick . Ludwick flared a flyball into shallow right. Rockies second baseman Clint Barmes , playing in, made
13795-474: The cancellation of 713 total games and resulted in a split-season format. In 1985, Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb 's all-time hits record with his 4,192nd hit, and in 1989 Rose received a lifetime ban from baseball as a result of betting on baseball games while manager of the Cincinnati Reds . Rose was the first person to receive a lifetime ban from baseball since 1943. 1985 also saw the Pittsburgh drug trials which involved players who were called to testify before
13950-577: The center field fence, and the Huntington Avenue Grounds of the Boston Red Sox , which was 635 feet (194 m) to the center field fence, thus home runs were rare, and "small ball" tactics such as singles , bunts , stolen bases , and the hit-and-run play dominated the strategies of the time. Hitting methods like the Baltimore chop were used to increase the number of infield singles. On
14105-451: The club's success was due to a strong bullpen, as relievers Darren Holmes , Curt Leskanic , Steve Reed , and Bruce Ruffin all posted earned-run averages below 3.40. The pitching staff's ERA of 4.97 was the lowest in club history until the 2006 team had a 4.66 ERA. The Rockies lost in the NLDS to the eventual 1995 World Series champion Atlanta Braves , 3 games to 1. The Rockies once again led
14260-573: The condition of the baseball itself. The baseball used American rather than the modern Australian wool yarn and was not wound as tightly, affecting the distance that it would travel. More significantly, balls were kept in play until they were mangled, soft and sometimes lopsided. During this era, a baseball cost three dollars, equal to $ 52.72 today (in inflation-adjusted USD ), and owners were reluctant to purchase new balls. Fans were expected to throw back fouls and (rare) home runs. Baseballs also became stained with tobacco juice, grass, and mud, and sometimes
14415-500: The end of the season. After a 17–8 start to the season in April, the Rockies went 8–21 in May and struggled the rest of the year, finishing in fourth place with a record of 73–89. Jorge de la Rosa was lost for the season due to Tommy John Surgery and did not return until the end of the 2012 season. On July 30 with the team out of contention, the Rockies traded Ubaldo Jiménez to the Cleveland Indians for Alex White , Matt McBride , and Drew Pomeranz . On April 17, Jamie Moyer became
14570-523: The end of the season. Early in the season, Nolan Arenado broke Michael Cuddyer's franchise record hit streak by hitting safely in 28 straight games. Like 2013, the Rockies started the season surprisingly well at 22–14. After that point, the Rockies began to fade quickly as bad pitching and injuries began to take their toll. Tulowitzki and Gonzalez both suffered season ending injuries in July. The Rockies ultimately finished 66–96, in fourth place. Major League Baseball Major League Baseball ( MLB )
14725-616: The first game in Philadelphia, 4–2. The Rockies also won the second game in Philadelphia, 10–5, with the help of Kazuo Matsui 's 4th inning grand slam . On October 6, 2007, the Rockies completed a three-game sweep of the Phillies by winning 2–1 in Colorado. The three-game sweep was Colorado's first post-season series win in team history. The Rockies went on to play in the NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks , who swept their own NLDS against
14880-571: The first major league franchise on the West Coast. O'Malley also helped persuade the rival New York Giants to move west to become the San Francisco Giants. Giants owner Horace Stoneham had been contemplating a move to Minnesota amid slumping attendance at the aging Polo Grounds ballpark when O'Malley invited him to meet San Francisco Mayor George Christopher in New York. After Stoneham
15035-406: The first round of the playoffs. In 2007, the Rockies advanced all the way to the World Series , only to be swept by the Boston Red Sox . Although Denver has a rich baseball history in the minor leagues dating to 1885, there had been several previous attempts to bring Major League Baseball to Colorado that had failed. In 1958, New York lawyer William Shea proposed the new Continental League as
15190-412: The first team ever to sweep both the division series and league championship series in the same postseason. The club moved to 21–1 over all games played after September 15. By then, the amazing streak of wins became known among fans as "Rocktober". In the 2007 World Series , the Rockies faced the Boston Red Sox , and were swept in four games; the first game was 13–1, the second game was 2–1, the third game
15345-503: The first time in club history that it did not lead the league in attendance. Despite the major changes made to the team in the offseason, the team wound up with its first winning season since 1997. Helton, in his third full year in the majors, was becoming a bona fide superstar, winning the batting title with a .372 average and also leading the league with 147 RBI while hitting 42 homers. However, he finished just fifth in MVP voting, perhaps because
15500-406: The first walk-off grand slam in Rockies history, his second career grand slam, and his first walk-off homer in the 14th inning to squeak by the Giants, 6–4, Monday in front of about half of the 27,670 fans who remained at Coors Field . The play has since been dubbed "SpillySlam". This particular win expanded the Rockies' Wild Card lead to four games over Giants. In an ecstatic interview after
15655-479: The game, Jim Tracy stated that he told the Rockies' preceding batter, relief pitcher Adam Eaton , not to swing: "Even if Miller threw three balls down the Middle, take the strikeout because I wanted Spilly to get a chance to hit." The strategy worked in the Rockies' favor; Eaton walked with the bases loaded, scoring Dexter Fowler to cut the Giants' lead to 4–2. Following the win, Colorado hosted Los Angeles with
15810-429: The hole " between the corner and middle infielders. Starting pitchers were no longer expected to throw complete games ; it was enough for a starter to pitch 6–7 innings and turn the game over to the team's closer , a position which grew in importance over these decades. As stolen bases increased, home run totals dropped. After Willie Mays hit 52 home runs in 1965, only one player ( George Foster ) reached that mark until
15965-401: The inning with 3 straight hits to pull to within 4–1. Rafael Betancourt was summoned once again, and induced a ground ball off Juan Uribe 's bat. However, an errant throw by Tulowitzki sailed past Clint Barmes and into right field , scoring another run and putting runners at 1st and 3rd. Pinch runner Eugenio Vélez then stole second base, putting the tying run in scoring position. In
16120-463: The internet throughout North America and in several other countries. MLB has the highest total season attendance of any sports league in the world; in 2023, it drew more than 70.75 million spectators. MLB also oversees Minor League Baseball , which comprises lower-tier teams affiliated with the major league clubs, and the MLB Draft League , a hybrid amateur-professional showcase league. MLB and
16275-515: The juice of licorice, which some players would chew for the purpose of discoloring the ball. Also, pitchers could manipulate the ball through the use of the spitball (In 1921, use of this pitch was restricted to a few pitchers with a grandfather clause ). Additionally, many ballparks had large dimensions, such as the West Side Grounds of the Chicago Cubs, which was 560 feet (170 m) to
16430-593: The league in attendance for the season. In 1996, with all four Blake Street Bombers returning, the Rockies expected to contend, but an injury to Walker hurt the team. Walker played in only 83 games and batted .276 with 18 homers. However, outfielder Ellis Burks picked up the slack with an All-Star season, batting .344 with 40 homers and 128 RBI—one of three Rockies to hit forty or more homers that season, along with Galarraga and Castilla. The four Blake Street Bombers—now consisting of Bichette, Burks, Castilla, and Galarraga—once again hit at least 30 home runs each. The team set
16585-415: The league.) Once again, three Rockies (Walker, Galarraga, and Castilla) hit 40 or more homers; Walker also won the first Gold Glove in franchise history. As in 1996, though, the team's pitchers struggled and had a 5.25 ERA, and the Rockies could not improve upon their finish from the previous season. The Rockies were broken up after the 1997 season when an aging Galarraga signed with the Atlanta Braves as
16740-591: The major leagues. Satchel Paige was signed by the Indians and the Dodgers added star catcher Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe , who was later the first winner of the Cy Young Award for his outstanding pitching. MLB banned the signing of women to contracts in 1952, but that ban was lifted in 1992. There have been no female MLB players since then. From 1903 to 1952, the major leagues consisted of two eight-team leagues whose 16 teams were located in ten cities, all in
16895-557: The major-league status of the Union Association by pointing out that franchises came and went and that the St. Louis club was deliberately "stacked"; the St. Louis club was owned by the league's president and it was the only club that was close to major-league caliber. In December 2020, Major League Baseball announced its recognition of seven leagues within Negro league baseball as major leagues:
17050-557: The majors again before the Rockies released him after the 2004 season. The Rockies went 73–89 in both years that Hampton and Neagle were in Colorado, and the amount of money owed them (the Rockies paid a sizable portion of Hampton's salary even after he was traded to the Atlanta Braves) crippled the team for the next several years. Under previous general manager Gebhard, the Rockies had largely neglected their farm system and mostly relied on signing veteran free agents from other clubs; this
17205-471: The nature of professional baseball, putting a higher premium on speed and defense over home-run hitting power since the fields were often too big for teams to expect to hit many home runs and foul balls hit in the air could more easily be caught for outs. Teams began to be built around pitching—particularly their bullpens—and speed on the basepaths. Artificial surfaces meant balls traveled quicker and bounced higher, so it became easier to hit ground balls " in
17360-527: The northeastern and mid-western United States: New York City had three teams and Boston , Chicago, Philadelphia , and St. Louis each had two teams. St. Louis was the southernmost and westernmost city with a major league team. The longest possible road trip, from Boston to St. Louis, took about 24 hours by railroad. After a half-century of stability, starting in the 1950s, teams began to move out of cities with multiple teams into cities that had not had them before. From 1953 to 1955, three teams moved to new cities:
17515-435: The oldest pitcher in MLB history to record a win. Troy Tulowitzki suffered a season-ending groin injury in late May. The Rockies finished the year with a 64–98 record, the worst in franchise history. At the end of the season, Jim Tracy resigned as manager and was replaced by Walt Weiss . The Rockies surprised in early 2013, starting the season 13–4, and remaining around the .500 mark through the end of June. Michael Cuddyer had
17670-529: The only experienced players on the team—struggled as well; Helton hit just 20 homers, the fewest of his career, and missed the All-Star Game for the first time since 1999 and also went on the disabled list for the first time in his career. Wilson also spent time on the disabled list and, as the Rockies fell out of contention, was traded to the Washington Nationals . After starting the season 15–35, though,
17825-475: The only player of the Blake Street Bombers still with the team. Walker wound up playing in only 87 games in 2000 due to injuries and hit just nine homers, as the Rockies had a completely different look from prior years. Perhaps not surprisingly given the injury to Walker and the trading of two of the team's most popular players, the Rockies finished third in the National League in attendance in 2000, marking
17980-562: The ownership group and served as the initial public face of management. His relationship with the other partners was somewhat poor, and his role in the leadership of the franchise diminished over time. His situation was not helped by the 1999 failure of his trucking firm and subsequent related legal issues. Finally, in 2005, McMorris was forced to sell his stake in the team to Charlie and Dick Monfort . The Monforts were former executives with ConAgra , which acquired their family's meatpacking and distribution firm in 1987. Charlie had been CEO of
18135-611: The pitching staff posted a 4.66 ERA—the best in team history—and starters Jason Jennings , Aaron Cook , and Jeff Francis had good seasons. The Rockies trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers , the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres for most of 2007 Major League Baseball season ; however by August, Colorado showed a steady series of wins, while the Division-leading Dodgers began to struggle. By September,
18290-477: The plate and score 12 runs, eventually beating the Cubs by a score of 17–2. The hit streak consisted of four singles, four doubles, two home runs and a triple. The Rockies also broke a franchise record with 13 hits in a single inning. Rockies ended the season with a total record of 83–79 (finishing 3rd overall) by losing 13 of its last 14 games after getting close to 2–3 wins from the NL West leader at one point at almost
18445-478: The plate before securing possession of the ball, resulting in an automatic ruling of safe and making Holliday's apparent failure to touch the plate irrelevant. The Rockies completed the fifth greatest regular season comeback in Major League Baseball history. With the win, the Rockies made the playoffs for the first time since 1995, and went on to face the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS . Colorado won
18600-423: The playoffs. The team got rid of hitting coach Alan Cockrell , third base coach Mike Gallego and bench coach Jamie Quirk after the disappointing season. The Rockies also traded away Matt Holliday to the Oakland Athletics for pitchers Huston Street and Greg Smith , and outfielder Carlos González . After a poor start (19–28) to the 2009 season, Clint Hurdle was fired on May 29. His successor as manager
18755-416: The playoffs. The two teams played a wild card tie-breaker game at Coors Field on October 1 to determine the wild card. A Colorado home run was called back early in the game despite the fact that it clearly cleared the fence, hit a chair, and bounced back onto the field. The game lasted 13 innings, and although the Padres got two runs off of a Scott Hairston home run in the top of the 13th inning to break
18910-515: The point that the 1942 season was nearly canceled. On January 14, 1942, MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis wrote to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt , pleading for the continuation of baseball during the war. Roosevelt responded, "I honestly feel that it would be best for the country to keep baseball going. There will be fewer people unemployed and everybody will work longer hours and harder than ever before. And that means that they ought to have
19065-579: The primary owners of the Colorado Rockies Major League Baseball team. Both grew up in Greeley, Colorado , and are sons to Kenneth Monfort; previous owner of Monfort of Colorado, Inc. a meatpacking and distributing company that was acquired by ConAgra Foods in 1987. Dick Monfort is managing general partner, chairman and chief executive officer , while Charlie Monfort is the team's other general partner and vice chairman. Dick Monfort
19220-535: The regular season outside the United States or Canada. Colorado beat San Diego, 8–2, in front of a crowd of 27,104 people. Only a little over 2 weeks later, the Columbine High School massacre postponed a home game with the Montreal Expos (it was made up as part of a doubleheader in August). On August 20, 1999, Bob Gebhard , the only general manager in franchise history, announced his resignation. A month later,
19375-436: The season, setting a Major League record that still stands and is not likely to be broken. Rockies first baseman Andrés Galarraga won the batting title, hitting .370 for the season after Manager Don Baylor persuaded Galarraga to change from a standard batting stance into an open one in which he squarely faced the pitcher, allowing him to see incoming pitches properly. On April 17, 1994, the Rockies beat Montreal 6–5, moving
19530-626: The staff ERA ballooned to 5.60. As a result, the Rockies fell back to third place in the West with an 83–79 record. A healthy Walker became the first player in club history to win the NL Most Valuable Player award in 1997, batting .366 with 49 homers and 130 RBI. Walker came very close to winning the Triple Crown that year, leading the league in home runs but finishing second to Tony Gwynn in batting average and third in RBI (teammate Galarraga led
19685-679: The strongest clubs remained those based in the Northeastern United States. For professional baseball 's founding year, MLB uses the year 1869—when the first professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings , was established. A schism developed between professional and amateur ballplayers after the founding of the Cincinnati club. The NABBP split into an amateur organization and a professional organization. The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players , often known as
19840-462: The team finished fourth in the division and also possibly due to bias by voters because he played half of his games in hitter-friendly Coors Field . 2000 also marked the first of five consecutive All-Star Game appearances for Helton. The pitching staff also improved its ERA to 5.26, helping the team to an 82–80 record. Although previous big-name pitchers, including Bill Swift , Bret Saberhagen , and Darryl Kile , had struggled in Colorado, following
19995-440: The team had some success later in the year, going a respectable 30–28 in August and September as the youngsters became more experienced. However, perhaps because of the trade of Walker and several consecutive losing seasons, the team fell all the way to fourteenth in the National League in attendance; for the first time in team history, the Rockies drew under 2 million fans for the season. The 2006 season started with some promise;
20150-436: The team since 2003, and Dick had been vice chairman since 1997. In 2011, Dick succeeded Charlie as chairman and CEO. The first game in Rockies history was played on April 5, 1993, against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium . David Nied was the starting pitcher in a game the Rockies lost, 3–0. The franchise's first home game at Mile High Stadium , and first win in franchise history, came four days later with an 11–4 win over
20305-486: The team's pitching was a glaring weakness, as the staff had an ERA of 6.02. Kile, who was being paid over $ 8 million for the season, struggled mightily, going 8–13 with a 6.61 ERA, and he wound up being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals following the season. Kile finished fifth in voting for the Cy Young Award the following year, as he had in 1997 (the year before he joined the Rockies). The Leyland era lasted just one year, as
20460-481: The team's record to 6–5—the first time in franchise history that the club had a winning record. However, that was the only time during that season that the club had a record over .500, finishing at 53–64 and in last place in the National League West when the strike ended the season that August. Despite the club's poor record, several Rockies hitters gained notoriety for their exploits at the plate, assisted by
20615-429: The team's starting rotation. Other than Helton and Wilson, virtually all of the team's regular players were under the age of 30; the Rockies dubbed this group "Generation-R". The result of all the moves was a 67–95 record in 2005 , which tied for the worst record in franchise history, as the young players—many of whom had never been everyday players in the majors prior to that season—struggled. Helton and Wilson—virtually
20770-473: The team, becoming the primary owners. Charlie remained as managing general partner, chairman and CEO until 2011, when he handed both roles to Dick. Under their tenure, the Rockies have made the playoffs only four times while having just five winning seasons from 2005 to 2023. Prior to the 2023 season, Dick told a crowd at a local charity breakfast that the club was capable of achieving a .500 winning percentage in 2023. The 2023 Colorado Rockies went 59-103 with
20925-418: The thin and dry air of Denver, which purportedly allows balls to carry farther than at sea-level ballparks. Andrés Galarraga, a year after winning the batting title, hit 31 home runs, and teammate Dante Bichette hit 27; projected over a 162-game season, the two would have hit 43 and 37 home runs, respectively. The park's characteristics did not affect just home runs either: 33-year-old outfielder Mike Kingery ,
21080-533: The third team in the last half-century, and the first in the National League since the 1936 New York Giants , to have a 20–1 stretch at any point of a season. The fourth game of the NLCS was won by the Rockies by a score of 6–4, completing a four-game sweep of Arizona. Holliday was named the NLCS MVP, as he hit .333 with two home runs and four RBIs during the series. The NLCS sweep earned the Rockies their first National League pennant in franchise history. The Rockies became
21235-656: The two league champions first played in 1903. The New York Yankees have the most championships with 27. The reigning champions are the Los Angeles Dodgers , who defeated the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series . MLB is the third-wealthiest professional sports league by revenue in the world after the National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Baseball games are broadcast on television, radio, and
21390-454: The use of new, white baseballs whenever a ball became scuffed or dirty, helping bring the "dead-ball" era to an end. The following year, the New York Yankees made their first World Series appearance. By the end of the 1930s, the team had appeared in 11 World Series, winning eight of them. Yankees slugger Babe Ruth had set the single-season home run record in 1927, hitting 60 home runs; breaking his own record of 29 home runs. Afflicted by
21545-428: The way and have maintained stability in their front office, so they had pretty much everything we look for in an organization." The Colorado Rockies began the 2008 season after few offseason changes from the National League champion squad of 2007 . Major losses were all to free agency ( second baseman Kaz Matsui went to the Houston Astros and pitcher Josh Fogg went to the Cincinnati Reds ). The Rockies season
21700-408: The way with 40. The team debuted in its new ballpark on April 26, 1995, in an 11–9 win over the New York Mets , and proceeded to win seven of their first eight games in the new season. The season ended with a 77–67 record, good for second place in the West division and the club's first playoff appearance as the Wild Card winner. Although most of the attention focused on the power-hitting lineup, much of
21855-471: Was Jim Tracy , who was originally hired as bench coach for the Colorado Rockies in November 2008. In June 2009, the team rapidly improved and by the end of June, the Rockies set a franchise record for victories in a month with 21 in a 28-game stretch (one win better than the September 2007 Rocktober run). This improved their record from 20–29 and nine games under .500, to 41–36 and 5 games over .500. During June,
22010-399: Was "absorbing the available Negro Leagues numbers into the official historical record." The period between 1900 and 1919 is commonly referred to as the "dead-ball era". Games of this era tended to be low-scoring and were often dominated by pitchers, such as Walter Johnson , Cy Young , Christy Mathewson , Mordecai Brown , and Grover Cleveland Alexander . The term also accurately describes
22165-515: Was 10–5, and the fourth and final game was 4–3. Some attribute the poor play in the World Series to the long lay off from the NLCS. Baseball America named the Colorado Rockies the "Organization of the Year" for their accomplishments during the 2007 season. "We knew they were bringing great talent through their farm system, but we certainly didn't expect it to pay off with big-league success so quickly", said Will Lingo, editor of Baseball America . "They won with homegrown players, have more talent on
22320-683: Was a result of players using steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs . In 1993, the National League added the Florida Marlins in Miami and the Colorado Rockies in Denver . In 1998, the Brewers switched leagues by joining the National League, and two new teams were added: the National League's Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix and the American League's Tampa Bay Devil Rays in Tampa Bay . Monfort brothers Charles K. Monfort (born October 30, 1959) and Richard L. Monfort (born April 27, 1954) are
22475-512: Was founded in 1869. The first few decades of professional baseball saw rivalries between leagues, and players often jumped from one team or league to another. These practices were essentially ended by the National Agreement of 1903, in which AL and NL agreed to respect each other's player contracts, including the contentious reserve clause . The period before 1920 was the dead-ball era , when home runs were rarely hit. Professional baseball
22630-603: Was later referred to as "The Noble Experiment", Robinson was the first black baseball player in the International League since the 1880s, joining the Dodgers' farm club, the Montreal Royals , for the 1946 season. The following year, the Dodgers called up Robinson to the major leagues. On April 15, 1947, Robinson made his major league debut at Ebbets Field before a crowd of 26,623 spectators, including more than 14,000 black patrons. Black baseball fans began flocking to see
22785-574: Was made to curb gambling on games, which was leaving the validity of results in doubt. The first game in the NL—on Saturday, April 22, 1876 (at Jefferson Street Grounds in Philadelphia )—is often pointed to as the beginning of MLB. The early years of the NL were tumultuous, with threats from rival leagues and a rebellion by players against the hated "reserve clause", which restricted the free movement of players between clubs. Teams came and went; 1882
22940-436: Was one of the four Rockies known collectively as the "Blake Street Bombers" -— named after the street on which the new ballpark ( Coors Field ) was located—along with Galarraga, Bichette, and third baseman Vinny Castilla , who had played sparingly with the Rockies during the previous season. The quartet combined to hit 139 homers—each hitting 30 or more—in the strike-shortened and late-starting 1995 season , with Bichette leading
23095-449: Was persuaded to move to California, Time magazine put O'Malley on its cover. MLB Commissioner Ford C. Frick had opposed the meeting, but the dual moves proved successful for both franchises—and for MLB. Had the Dodgers moved out west alone, the St. Louis Cardinals —1,600 mi (2,575 km) away —would have been the closest NL team. Instead, the joint move made West Coast road trips economical for visiting teams. The Dodgers set
23250-455: Was possible due to the high attendance numbers in the club's first few years of attendance. However, as attendance began to dwindle—the Rockies fell to just sixth in the National League in attendance in 2002, and ninth in 2003 and 2004—the club could no longer afford to build through big-name free agents. In 1999, the Rockies spent their first-round draft pick on Baylor University pitcher Jason Jennings ; three years later, Jennings went 16–8 with
23405-487: Was rocked by the Black Sox Scandal , a conspiracy to fix the 1919 World Series . Baseball survived the scandal, albeit with major changes in its governance as the relatively weak National Commission was replaced with a powerful commissioner of baseball with near-unlimited authority over the sport. MLB rose in popularity in the decade following the Black Sox Scandal, and unlike major leagues in other sports it endured
23560-409: Was scheduled to begin on March 31 against the St. Louis Cardinals at St. Louis, however, the game was rescheduled to the next day because of foul weather. Colorado began the season on a high note, winning their opener on April 1, in a 2–1 comeback victory over the Cardinals. On April 17, 2008, Colorado beat the San Diego Padres , 2–1, in a 22-inning road game that spanned 6 hours and 16 minutes. It
23715-574: Was the first born of the two Monfort brothers. Dick graduated from the University of Northern Colorado , Greeley in 1976 with a bachelor's degree in Business Management. He joined Monfort of Colorado in 1974 as a cattle buyer. He then served as vice president federal cattle procurement from 1979–81, group vice president of cattle products 1983-1984 and executive vice president 1984-1987. When ConAgra bought Monfort of Colorado in 1987, Dick became president of ConAgra Red Meats. Dick also owns shares in
23870-463: Was the first season where the league's membership was the same as the preceding season's, and only four franchises survived to see 1900. Competitor leagues formed regularly and also disbanded regularly. The most successful was the American Association (1882–1891), sometimes called the "beer and whiskey league" for its tolerance of the sale of alcoholic beverages to spectators. For several years,
24025-409: Was the longest game in Rockies history, in terms of both total innings and total length of time. 659 total pitches were thrown in the game by 15 different pitchers (eight Rockies pitchers and seven Padres pitchers). The 22-inning affair was the longest since August 31, 1993, when the Minnesota Twins , at home, defeated the Cleveland Indians , 5–4, in 22 innings. On July 1, 2008, the Rockies defeated
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