The Rockies began as an expansion team for the 1993 season and played their home games for their first two seasons at Mile High Stadium. Since 1995, they have played at Coors Field, which has earned a reputation as a hitter's park, as demonstrated by the 1995 team that had four players (Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla, Andrés Galarraga, and Larry Walker) each hit for 30 home runs; they were nicknamed the "Blake Street Bombers." The Rockies have qualified for the postseason five times, each time as a Wild Card winner. In 2007, the team earned its only NL pennant after winning 14 of their final 15 games in the regular season to secure a Wild Card position, capping the streak off with a 13-inning 9–8 victory against the San Diego Padres in the tiebreaker game affectionately known as "Game 163" by Rockies fans. The Rockies then proceeded to sweep the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS and NLCS and entered the 2007 World Series as winners of 21 of their last 22 games. However, they were swept by the American League (AL) champions Boston Red Sox in four games. As the Rockies were swept in their only World Series appearance, they are one of only two teams never to win a World Series game, along with the Seattle Mariners, who have never reached the World Series.
Denver had long been a hotbed of minor league baseball as far back as the late 19th century with the original Denver Bears (or Grizzlies) competing in the Western League before being replaced in 1955 by a Triple-A team of the same name. Residents and businesses in the area desired a Major League team.[7][8] Denver's Mile High Stadium was built originally as Denver Bears Stadium,[9] a minor league baseball stadium that could be upgraded to major league standards.[8] Several previous attempts to bring Major League Baseball to Colorado had failed. In 1958, New York lawyer William Shea proposed the new Continental League as 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. The new league quickly evaporated, never 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. Following the Pittsburgh drug trials in 1985, an unsuccessful attempt was made to purchase the Pittsburgh Pirates and relocate them. However, in January 1990, Colorado's chances for a new team improved when Coors Brewing Company became a limited partner with the AAA Denver Zephyrs.[10]
In 1991, as part of Major League Baseball's two-team expansion (along with the Florida (now Miami) Marlins), an ownership group representing Denver led by John Antonucci and Michael I. Monus was granted a franchise.[11] They took the name "Rockies" due to Denver's proximity to the Rocky Mountains, which is reflected in their logo; the name was previously used by the city's first NHL team, now the New Jersey Devils. Monus and Antonucci were forced to drop out in 1992 after Monus's reputation was ruined by an accounting scandal.[12] Trucking magnate Jerry McMorris stepped in at the 11th hour to save the franchise, allowing the team to begin play in 1993. The Rockies shared Mile High Stadium with the National Football League (NFL)'s Denver Broncos for their first two seasons while Coors Field was constructed. It was completed for the 1995 Major League Baseball season.
The Rockies in June 2007. Later the same year, Colorado won its first NL pennant
In 1993, they began play in the National League West. That year the Rockies set the all-time Major League record for attendance, drawing 4,483,350 fans, still the MLB record. The Rockies were MLB's first team based in the Mountain Time Zone. They have reached the Major League Baseball postseason five times, each time as the National League wild card team. Twice (1995 and 2009), they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. In 2007, the Rockies advanced to the World Series, only to be swept by the Boston Red Sox. The team's stretch run was among the greatest ever for a Major League Baseball team. Having a record of 76–72 at the start of play on September 16, the Rockies proceeded to win 14 of their final 15 regular season games.[13] The stretch culminated with a 9–8, 13-inning victory over the San Diego Padres in a one-game playoff for the wild card berth. Colorado then swept their first seven playoff games to win the NL pennant. At the start of the World Series, the Rockies had won a total of 21 out of 22 games. Fans and media nicknamed their improbable October run "Rocktober".[14]
Colorado made postseason berths in 2017 and 2018. In 2018, the Rockies became the first team since the 1922 Philadelphia Phillies to play in four cities against four teams in five days, including the 162nd game of the regular season, NL West tie-breaker, NL Wild Card Game and NLDS Game 1,[15] eventually losing to the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS.
Like their expansion brethren, the Marlins, they have never won a division title since their establishment and they, along with the Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates, are also one of three MLB teams that have never won their current division. The Rockies have played their home games at Coors Field since 1995. Their spring training home, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona, opened in March 2011 and is shared with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Controversies
On June 1, 2006, USA Today reported that Rockies management, including manager Clint Hurdle, had instituted an explicitly Christian code of conduct for the team's players, banning men's magazines (such as Maxim and Playboy) and sexually explicit music from the team's clubhouse.[16] The article sparked controversy, and soon-after The Denver Post published an article featuring many Rockies players contesting the claims made in the USA Today article.[17] Former Rockies pitcher Jason Jennings said: "[The article in USA Today] was just bad. I am not happy at all. Some of the best teammates I have ever had are the furthest thing from Christian," Jennings said. "You don't have to be a Christian to have good character. They can be separate. [The article] was misleading."
On October 17, 2007, a week before the first game of the 2007 World Series against the Boston Red Sox, the Colorado Rockies announced that tickets were to be available to the general public via online sales only, despite prior arrangements to sell the tickets at local retail outlets. Five days later on October 22, California-based ticket vendor Paciolan, Inc., the sole contractor authorized by the Colorado Rockies to distribute tickets, was forced to suspend sales after less than an hour due to an overwhelming number of attempts to purchase tickets. An official statement from the Rockies claimed that they were the victims of a denial of service attack. These claims, however, were unsubstantiated and neither the Rockies nor Paciolan have sought investigation into the matter. The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation started its own investigation into the claims.[18][19] Ticket sales resumed the next day, with all three home games selling out within two and a half hours.
In March 2021, Ken Rosenthal and Nick Groke reported in The Athletic that, during the 2020 season, the Rockies had made baseball operations personnel work as clubhouse attendants in addition to their front office duties, resulting in work days lasting up to 17 hours.[20] Former staffers described doing laundry for players while team personnel asked them for scouting and statistical information. The article further described a general atmosphere of dysfunction and unaccountability in Colorado's front office.[20] General manager Jeff Bridich resigned the following month.[21]
On April 10, 2024, during a charter flight on a United Airlines Boeing 757, coach Hensley Meulens posted a video of himself seated in the captain's seat mid-flight.[22][23] The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident.[24]
One of the Rockies' team colors is purple which was inspired by the line "For purple mountain majesties" in "America the Beautiful." The shades of the color used by the club lacked uniformity until PMS 2685 was established as the official purple beginning with the 2017 season.[25]
The Rockies' home uniform is white with purple pinstripes, and the Rockies are the first team in Major League history to wear purple pinstripes.[26] The front of the uniform has the word "Rockies" in silver trimmed in black, with letters and numerals in black trimmed in silver. During the Rockies' inaugural season, home uniforms lacked names on the back, but names were added for the following season. In 2000, numerals were added to the chest.
The Rockies' road uniform is grey with purple piping. The front of the uniform originally featured the team name in silver trimmed in purple but was changed the next season to purple with white trim. Letters and numerals are in purple with white trim. In 2000, piping was replaced with pinstripes, "Colorado" was emblazoned in front, chest numerals were placed, and black trim was added to the letters. Prior to the 2012 season, the Rockies brought back the purple piping on their road uniforms, but kept the other elements of their 2000 uniform change.
The Rockies originally wore an alternate black uniform during their inaugural 1993 season, but for only a few games. The uniform featured the team name in silver with purple trim, and letters and numerals in purple with white trim. In the 2005 season, the Rockies started wearing black sleeveless alternate uniforms, featuring "Colorado" letters and numerals in silver with purple and white trim. The uniforms also included black undershirts, and for a few games in 2005, purple undershirts. The Rockies retired the black sleeveless uniform in 2022, replacing it with the "City Connect" uniform (see below).
From 2002 to 2011, the Rockies wore alternate versions of their pinstriped white uniform, featuring the interlocking "CR" on the left chest and numerals on the right chest. This design featured sleeves until 2004, when they went with a vest design with black undershirts.
In addition to the black sleeveless alternate uniform, the Rockies also wear a purple alternate uniform, which they first unveiled in the 2000 season. The design featured "Colorado" in silver with black and white trim, and letters and numerals in black with white trim. At the start of the 2012 season, the Rockies introduced "Purple Mondays" in which the team wears its purple uniform every Monday game day, though the team continued to wear them on other days of the week.[27]
Prior to 2019, the Rockies always wore their white pinstriped pants regardless of what uniform top they wore during home games. However, the Rockies have since added alternate white non-pinstriped pants to pair with either their black or purple alternate uniforms at home, as neither uniform contained pinstripes.
The Rockies currently wear an all-black cap with "CR" in purple trimmed in silver and a purple-brimmed variation as an alternate. The team previously wore an all-purple cap with "CR" in black trimmed in silver, and in the 2018 season, caps with the "CR" in silver to commemorate the team's 25th anniversary.
In 2022, the Rockies were one of seven additional teams to don Nike's "City Connect" uniforms. The set is predominantly green and white with printed mountain range motifs adorning the chest. The lettering was taken from the official Colorado license plates. The right sleeve has a yellow patch featuring the shortened nickname "ROX", the "5280" sign representing the altitude of Denver, two black diamonds representing Double Diamond skiing, and the exact longitude and latitude of Coors Field. The left sleeve has the interlocking "CR" in white with green trim, and purple piping was added to represent purple seats at Coors Field. Caps are green with a white panel, featuring a "CO" patch with various Colorado-inspired symbols, including colors from the state flag and mountain ranges. In 2023, the Rockies tweaked their "City Connect" uniform, pairing it with white pants on day games and green pants on night games.[28]
Home white pinstriped uniform, as worn by David Dahl.
Todd Helton is the first Colorado player to have his number (17) retired, which happened on August 17, 2014.[29]
Jackie Robinson's No. 42, was retired throughout all of baseball in 1997.
Larry Walker, the first member of the Baseball Hall of Fame wearing a Colorado Rockies hat, became the second Colorado player to have his number (33) retired, which occurred in 2021.
Keli McGregor had worked with the Rockies since their inception in 1993, rising from senior director of operations to team president in 2002, until his death on April 20, 2010. He is honored at Coors Field alongside Helton, Walker, and Robinson with his initials.[30]
Larry Walker – voted by MLB fans as the most outstanding player in the history of the franchise, based on on-field performance, leadership quality and character value
The Rockies developed an on-and-off rivalry with the Arizona Diamondbacks, often attributed to both teams being the newest in the division.[32] Colorado had joined the NL West in 1993, while the Diamondbacks are the newest team in the league; founded in 1998.[33][34] The two teams have met twice in the postseason; notably during the 2007 National League Championship Series, which saw the Rockies enter the postseason as a wild card, and went on to upset the division champion Diamondbacks in a sweep en route to the franchise's lone World Series appearance.[35][36] The two teams met again in the 2017 National League Wild Card Game, which Arizona won.
The Rockies also have clashed in divisional matchups with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants particularly as both teams often thwarted the Rockies' postseason ambitions by winning the division. The Rockies have never won the NL West while the Dodgers and Giants have combined for 21 division titles since the Rockies began play in 1993.[37][38][39]
The Rockies led MLB attendance records for the first seven years of their existence. The inaugural season is currently the MLB all-time record for home attendance.
Colorado Rockies games are produced by MLB Network and televised locally on Rockies.TV, a streaming service with no blackouts that is available with MLB.tv for $199.99 a year or $39.99 a month, or without MLB.tv for $99.99 a year or $19.99 a month. Games air on the following cable providers and networks:[44]
Spectrum (Gunnison and Telluride) (CH. 305 or CH. 445)
Spectrum (Lincoln) (CH. 435 or CH. 445)
Jeff Huson and Drew Goodman are the usual TV broadcast team, with Ryan Spilborghs and Kelsey Wingert handling on-field coverage and clubhouse interviews. Jason Hirsh and Cory Sullivan host the pre-game and post-game shows. Corrigan, Spilborghs, and Sullivan also fill in as play-by-play or color commentator during absences of Huson or Goodman. From 1997 to 2023, most regular season games were produced and televised by AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain.[45][46]
The Rockies' flagship radio station is KOA 850AM, with some late-season games broadcast on KHOW 630 AM due to conflicts with Denver Broncos games. The Rockies Radio Network is composed of 38 affiliate stations in eight states.
In January 2020, long-time KOA radio announcer Jerry Schemmel was let go from his role for budgetary reasons from KOA's parent company. He returned in 2022, replacing Mike Rice, who reportedly refused the COVID-19 vaccine.[47]
As of 2013, Spanish language radio broadcasts of the Rockies are heard on KNRV 1150 AM.
^Harding, Thomas (April 23, 2021). "Rocky Mountains at center of '21 ASG logo". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved October 10, 2023. The logo features a star in the Rockies' signature purple -- bordered in the Rockies' familiar silver, white and black -- with the MLB batter logo and "2021 All-Star Game" and "Colorado" also in the team's colors
^"Colorado must be ready when major leagues beckon". The Daily Sentinel. January 7, 1990. p. 29. Archived from the original on January 2, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2020. Denver received a big boost this past week when Coors Brewing Co. signed a letter of agreement to become a limited partner in the Denver Zephyrs, a Class AAA franchise playing in the American Association. ... "The addition of Coors is a tremendous boost to our efforts, said Suplizio. Multiple ownership is a requirement by Major League Baseball and no one else has the muscle that we've been able to muster in the Rocky Mountain region.
^"Rockies Timeline". Rockies.com. MLB Advanced Media. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2021. July 4 - The Rockies unveil their traditional 1993 uniforms (home, away, and Sunday alternate) at a Team USA-Team Cuba baseball game at Mile High Stadium before 61,165 fans. Included on the home uniform is purple pinstripes, making the Rockies the first team in Major League history to feature purple stripes. The club's road uniform is gray and the alternate is black. Also, the team improves its logo.
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