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How the Colorado Rockies Came to Be

There were high hopes to have the MLB in Colorado. In the early 90s, the formation of committee to turn the dream into reality was at work. The former Colorado governor, Roy Romer, initiated the recruitment of a group that will be responsible for the team ownership.

The granting of the franchise took place in 1991. The Colorado Baseball Partnership announced in the same year that the name of the baseball stadium would be Coors Field. Aside from that, the partnership also announced the official name of the team, which is the Colorado Rockies and revealed their logo. It got its name from Rocky Mountains, a magnificent view whose highest peak is in Colorado, the Mt. Elbert. The team was set to play on 1993.

For the Expansion Draft, they picked a pitcher from Atlanta Braves, David Nied. They lost their first game to the New York Mets. It did not take long before their first win though. They won over the Montreal Expos; four days after the Mets defeated them.

Their first year was a roller coaster ride. The team struggled during their first year. Although they did set a record after finishing with 67 wins for an expansion franchise in NL. They also garnered a major league record for the largest hometown crowd attendance.

There were also some interesting incidents during their first year. The leadoff home run of Eric Young was one of the major highlights of their win against the Expos. Prior to becoming one of the original Rockies, Young played for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had some good plays with the Rockies. In 1995, he was among the lead players who helped their team made their first postseason appearance. In 1996, he made the All Star and won the Silver Slugger Award. However, a trade led him back to the Dodgers in 1997.

Another famous Rockie was Andres Galarraga. He played for the team from 1993 until 1997. He also had some of his great baseball years with the Colorado Rockies. He became one of the best batters in the National League. After his contract with the team, he signed for the Atlanta Braves. He retired in 2005.

Larry Walker was also a major name for the team. Dubbed as the best Rockie ever, he was the first Rockie to win the Most Valuable Player award for the National League. He also won the first Golden Glove for the Rockies. Most of the team performed well. They had impressive homeruns in the late 90s. However, it seemed not enough. The team struggled and has to change team managers over the years.

Although they struggled, new bloods led to the rise of the Rockies in 2007. Although they lost the World Series to the Boston Red Sox, they managed to bag the Organization of the Year Award.

The Rockies had a good start. However, they encountered quite a few glitches as the team progressed. They had some of the greatest numbers in terms of home runs but it needed a major revamp before they finally got to an ideal position. Some of their major mishaps paved the way to finding some of the most promising young players in the league.

About the Author

Rick Grantham is an expert on sports equipment, specially on
Colorado Rockies Merchandise
for more information on the
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