The Rockies had plenty of reasons to celebrate in 2007.
With the 2017 MLB postseason underway, fans across the country can fantasize about champagne-soaked celebrations, parade’s down city streets, and exorcising the ghosts of seasons past.
Sadly for nine teams, this postseason will amount to nothing more than a “what could have been?” conversation at sports bars for decades to come. For many disgruntled fans, the wounds of years past are still too fresh, and the anniversary of the 2007 postseason brings back some especially harrowing memories.
Surprisingly, many of the 2017 postseason contenders also had their chances in 2007, but it remains to be seen if the results will be the same.
If the thought of the 2007 postseason still triggers clenched fists for you, read at your own risk. In this series, we’ll take a trip down memory lane to revisit the contenders in the 2007 playoffs, what got them there, and where they went in years to come.
Next up, the 2007 Colorado Rockies.
2007 Colorado Rockies (90-73, 2nd in NL West, NL Wild Card Winner)
They were flying high in the Mile High City in 2007 when the Rockies captured their only National League pennant, a height they haven’t reached since. Matt Holliday led a young offensive core of he, Troy Tulowitzki, RF Brad Hawpe, 3B Garrett Atkins, and CF Willy Taveras. And who could forget the stalwart Todd Helton at first base?
Despite not a single starting pitcher finishing with an ERA below four, the Rockies found themselves in shouting distance of the playoffs on September 16, with a 76-72 record. What followed in the next few weeks is baseball history, with the Rockies winning 13 of their next 14 games, to force a one-game playoff with the San Diego Padres for the Wild Card spot. The game was a classic, and the Rockies had their work cut out for them, facing off against 2007 Cy Young award winner Jake Peavy. The Rockies would strike first, scoring two in the first, but a 4th inning grand slam by Adrian Gonzalez would put the Padres ahead. After trading leads, fans nervously look on as the game went to extra innings. When the Padres Scott Hariston clobbered a two-run home run in the 12th inning, the game seemed all but over, especially with future Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman toeing the rubber for the save.
The Rockies wouldn’t be denied, however, when Holliday followed back-to-back doubles with a game-tying triple. After an intentional walk to Todd Helton, Holliday would test the arm of Brian Giles on a Jamey Carroll line drive. With a headfirst slide, he scored on a sac-fly, sending Coors Field into a frenzy and the Rockies to the playoffs.
Manager: Clint Hurdle (6th with team)
NLCS MVP: Matt Holliday (.333/2/4)
End Result: Lost World Series to Red Sox in four games
This one seemed over from the start, with the Red Sox clobbering Jeff Francis and the Rockies for 13 runs in Game 1. Boston’s pitching didn’t give Colorado any reason for hope either, with Josh Beckett allowing just one run in seven innings pitched. Ubaldo Jimenez stepped up in Game 2 for the Rockies, but so did Curt Schilling. In a 1-1 game, Mike Lowell’s 5th inning RBI double would give the Red Sox the lead, and they wouldn’t lose it again in the series.
2008 Record: 74-88 (3rd in NL West)
The magic didn’t return for the Rockies in 2008, partly due to a dreadful 3-15 season record against the Arizona Diamondbacks, who they eliminated from the playoffs the year earlier. Despite solid seasons from Aaron Cook and newcomer Ubaldo Jimenez, the Rockies lineup couldn’t replicate the same success as their playoff run season. After 2007 saw four Rockies hit over .300 (including three over .320) and three with over 100 RBI, just two hit over. 300 in 2008 and none reached the 100 RBI plateau. They’d bounce back for another Wild Card win in 2009, but would run into the Philadelphia Phillies, and win just one game before NLDS elimination.
Top Draft Pick: RHP Casey Weathers (8th overall from Vanderbilt)
In a draft where his Vanderbilt Commodores teammate David Price was selected 1st overall, it seemed to be 1A and 1B with Price and Weathers, but of course, history had other plans. As has been the case with most of the top picks mentioned, Weathers never could achieve major league success, or even reach the Triple-A level. Tommy John surgery stole his control early on, and he never reclaimed it. He’s still pitching independent ball.
Other Notable Picks: 2B Jordan Pacheco (9th round), LHP Chris Sale (21st round), CF Logan Schafer (47th round)
How different baseball may be today if Chris Sale chose to sign with the Rockies out of high school? We’ll never know, and Sale may not be the same player today if he didn’t play at Florida Gulf Coast, but the thought of him wearing a Rockies uniform is definitely intriguing.
Pacheco debuted with the Rockies in 2011 but changed positions, and never could get a handle on an everyday job. Since being claimed off waivers by the Diamondbacks in 2014, Pacheco has mostly been a minor league player with Arizona, Cincinnati, Atlanta, and now Oakland.
Schafer made his big league debuted with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2011, but through 2017 is a .214/4/53 hitter in 318 career games with Milwaukee and Minnesota. He spent last season in Triple-A Norfolk for the Orioles.
Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects: SS Troy Tulowitzki (#15), LHP Franklin Morales (#30), RHP Jason Hirsch (#42), 3B Ian Stewart (#46), OF Dexter Fowler (#48), RHP Greg Reynolds (#76), RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (#84), C Chris Iannetta (#92).
The Rockies farm system was loaded with familiar names in 2007, in fact, Colorado had more players in the Top 100 than any other team. Troy Tulowitzki deserves no introduction, though a slew of well-documented injuries surely have taken him off the Hall of Fame trajectory he one seemed to be on. Having played 130 games in a season just three times since his debuted in 2006, Tulowitzki will always be associated with the injury bug, but the statistics he put up despite missing so much time are something to behold. A five-time All-Star, and two-time Gold Glove winner, Tulo’s glove may have outshined his bat in his prime. That’s no knock on his plate work though, as he’s still a career .290 hitter with 224 homers, 779 RBI, and 263 doubles. He’ll forever be one of the faces of the Rockies franchise, despite playing for the Blue Jays since a mid-2015 trade.
Morales would spend four seasons with the Rockies as a reliever, before being acquired by the Red Sox, and winning a World Series in Boston. He’d return to Colorado for the 2014 season, this time as a starter, and later win another title in Kansas City. His last major league appearance came with fellow draft-mate Troy Tulowitzki on the 2016 Blue Jays and is now playing Mexican ball.
Ian Stewart was given ample chances to prove he could be a big league third baseman but never took them. Though he flashed great power potential in his five years with the Rockies, hitting 25 homers and 18 homers in 2009 and 2010 respectively, his .156 average in 2011 would be the nail in the coffin for his Colorado tenure. He’d get another shot with the Cubs in 2012, and the Angels in 2014, but his average only dropped. He’s now retired.
Dexter Fowler has quietly carved out a nice career for himself, with the Rockies, Astros, Cubs, and now Cardinals. Never mistaken for a power hitter, Fowler’s respectable .268 career average has kept him in the starting lineup for every team he’s played on. This past season he hit .264/18/64 in his first year with the Cardinals, the 18 homers being a career high.
It doesn’t say much, but Ubaldo Jimenez will go down as one of the best pitchers in Rockies history. He made 30 or more starts from 2008-2011, including a fantastic 2010 year, in which he hurled a no-hitter, and nearly took home a Cy Young award. It’s been a struggle, to say the least since leaving Colorado in 2011, struggling with the Indians and now Orioles. He’s had one season of a sub-four ERA since leaving Colorado, despite having three full sub-four seasons in the notoriously tough Coors Field. He led the league in earned runs this past year, with a 6.81 ERA in 25 starts for the Orioles.
Chris Iannetta earned his first major league hit against Jake Peavy in 2006, and it’s safe to say he’s had to fight for every one since. Unlike most hitters, Coors Field was never too kind to Iannetta’s batting average, as he hovered in the low .200 for most of his six years with the Rockies. After four years with the Angels, and one with Seattle, Iannetta found new life with the Diamondbacks, hitting .254/17/43 with Arizona in 89 games this year. He’s now the seasoned veteran on a team loaded with fresh faces.
Team Leaders:
- BA: LF Matt Holliday- .340
- HR: LF Matt Holliday- 36
- RBI: LF Matt Holliday- 137
- SB: CF Willy Taveras- 33
- W: LHP Jeff Francis- 17
- ERA: RHP Aaron Cook- 4.12
- SO: LHP Jeff Francis- 165
- SV: LHP Brian Fuentes– 20
Individual Awards: Matt Holliday (Silver Slugger-OF)
Previous Entries: Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies
