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.
History
Creation of the Rockies
After failed attempts going back as far as the 1880's, by the early 1990's a major league baseball team seemed an imminent possibility in Denver: the Colorado Baseball Commission, led by banking executive Larry Varnell, was successful in getting Denver voters to approve a 0.1 percent sales tax to partly finance a new baseball stadium. Also, an advisory committee was formed in 1990 by then-Governor of Colorado Roy Romer to recruit an ownership group. The group selected was led by John Antonucci, an Ohio beverage distributor; and Michael I. Monus, the head of the Phar-Mor drugstore chain. Local and regional companies such as Erie Lake, Hensel Phelps Construction, KOA Radio and the Rocky Mountain News rounded out the group. 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 joined the National League in 1993, along with the Miami franchise, the Florida Marlins. The Rockies' first pick in the expansion draft was pitcher David Nied from the Atlanta Braves organization. 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.
First season
In their first season of 1993, coach Don Baylor rehabilitated the career of Andres Galarraga, realizing Andres' eye focusing problems were preventing him from seeing incoming pitches properly. He changed "the Big Cat's" batting stance from a fairly standard one into an open stance where Andres squarely faced the pitcher, then at the last instant would step back to a more standard position as he swung the bat. Andres responded by winning the batting title in 1993 with a .370 percentage.
Ownership issues
After a 1992 accounting and embezzlement scandal at Phar-Mor tarnished the reputation of Monus, both Monus and Antonucci were forced to sell their stakes in the franchise. Trucking company executive Jerry McMorris became head of the ownership group and served as the initial public face of management. His relationship with the other partners was somewhat poor, and his role in the leadership of the franchise dimished over time until he was finally bought out in 2005 (his situation was not helped by the 1999 failure of his trucking firm and subsequent related legal issues).
The team is currently controlled by chief executive officer Charlie Monfort (a former executive with
