The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. They are in the Western Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains which pass through Colorado.
On July 5, 1991, the National League approved Denver and Miami, Florida as the sites for two expansion teams to begin play in 1993.
The Rockies along with the Miami franchise, the Florida Marlins joined the National League in 1993. Pitcher David Nied from the Atlanta Braves organization was the Rockies’ first pick in the expansion draft. Nied pitched 4 seasons for the Rockies. The team’s first home at-bat was a memorable one, as lead off batter Eric Young hit a home run for the Rockies.
Rockies played their first game against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium on April 5, 1993. David Nied was the starting pitcher in a game the Rockies lost, 3-0. The Rockies tasted the first win in franchise history on the franchise’s first home game at Mile High Stadium, an 11-4 win.
The Rockies struggled in their first year of existence like many other expansion teams. Despite the losses, the club saw a home attendance of 4,483,350 for the season, setting a Major League record that stands to this day. The team finished the season with 67 wins, setting a record for a National League expansion franchise. Rockies first baseman Andres Galarraga has the honor of winning the batting title after hitting .370 for the season.
The trade of Walker set in motion a series of moves that would lead to a complete 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 the Hampton trade, was traded to the Boston Red Sox. 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.”
In Rockies history, Jennings had been the winningest pitcher. Following the 2006 season, Jennings was traded to the Houston Astros for outfielder Willy Taveras and pitchers Jason Hirsh and Taylor Buchholz.
Denver is at 5,280 feet above sea level. It is by far the highest city with a Major League Baseball team. Phoenix is the second-highest major league city and it is just 1,085 feet above sea level. The effects that the altitude plays on baseball games in Colorado are pronounced. Denver’s altitude makes it difficult for the Rockies to field a competitive team.
Coors Field has long been regarded as the most hitter-friendly ballpark in the majors. Because of the altitude, fly balls hit there carry farther than they would at a sea-level ballpark, increasing the numbers of home runs. In addition, It is difficult for pitchers to grip the ball properly due to the dry air in Denver. The pitches do not break as much as they would elsewhere.
The Rockies built a spacious outfield at the ballpark in an effort to decrease the number of home runs that would be hit at the park. Coors Field has the deepest outfield fences in the majors; this leads to increased numbers of singles, doubles, and triples.
The Rockies have never finished lower than fifth in the National League in runs scored in their fourteen years of existence. They often lead the league in that category by a wide margin.
Rockies hitters often have wide discrepancies in their performance on the road as opposed to at home due to the relative ease of hitting at Coors compared to other ballparks. In his ten-year career, Todd Helton has a .371 batting average at home while hitting just .294 on the road.
Rockies management, including manager Clint Hurdle, had instituted an explicitly Christian code of conduct for the team’s players. They have banned men’s magazines (such as Maxim) and sexually explicit music from the team’s clubhouse. By embracing a Christian-based code of conduct they believe will bring them focus and success.
In 2002, a humidor was installed to store baseballs at the manufacturer’s specification.The Coors Field humidor is designed to keep the baseballs at the exact same size and weight as they are originally constructed for Major League Baseball. It is theorized that if every team had baseballs that were stored before the game in exactly the same conditions, it might serve as an equalizer for the teams, as well as eliminate the controversy of “tampering” with the baseballs.
For more information about Colorado Rockies Tickets visit:
http://www.ticketluck.com/sports-tickets/Colorado-Rockies/index.php
Macie is a staff writer for Ticket Nest ( www.ticketnest.com ) and enjoys writing about her travel, theater and concert experiences. She can be reached at macie@ticketnest.com
Article from articlesbase.com
