Colorado Rockies - A major league baseball team
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball (MLB) sports team whose home city and state are Denver, CO. They are based in the Western Division of the National League and they are consequently named after the Rocky Mountains, which pass through their home state in the west.
The Colorado Rockies joined the National League in 1993 as an expansion franchise along with Florida Marlins. They chose David Nied from the Atlanta Braves as their first pick in the draft and he went on to start and pitch for four seasons for the Colorado Rockies. They set major attendance records while they played at Mile High Stadium and they were the second team in the history of Major League Baseball to officially have over 4,000,000 fans in attendance throughout the year. The Colorado Rockies team of 1993 still holds the record for having the largest season attendance ever with having 4,483,350 fans pass through their gates and this very team lead the National League in attendance all the way up until 1999.
In 1995, the Colorado Rockies moved into Coors Field, which was a new stadium for them. Ever since then, this has been their home. In 1996, Andres Galarraga, Ellis Burks and Vinny Castilla hit at least 40 home runs each and this was a huge accomplishment for the team. The first few years of the franchise were very exciting for the team because they were young and strong and had enough offensive power to give their opponents a run for their money, so to speak.
The Colorado Rockies have always had a strong hitting team and home record, which are exact opposite to their road record. One attribution for this could be the thin air at Coors Field (because of the high altitude in Denver) which makes hitting easier. Another factor in pitching is the low humidity in Denver. After signing big names year after year in hopes of having their dream team, in the early 2000’s, the Colorado Rockies decided on a different approach and went with the policy that they would build their team through their farm teams. They still do this now and in 2006, they saw the first year that they’ve had any expectations of doing well because many of 2005’s rookies returned with a year of major-league experience under their belts.
The Colorado Rockies wear colors of black, silver, purple and white and have a purple mountain with a baseball design as their logo. Their current lineup is a full 40-man roster list and last made a playoff appearance in 1995. The Colorado Rockies team is coached by the crew of Bob Apodaca, Dave Collins, Duane Espy, Mike Gallego, Jamie Quirk, Rick Mathews and Mark Strittmatter. Visit their official site on the web at www.coloradorockies.com.