Colorado Rockies facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Colorado Rockies
2025 Colorado Rockies season
Established in 1993
Team logo Cap insignia
Major league affiliations
National League (1993–present) West Division (1993–present)
Current uniform
Retired numbers	17 33 42 KSM
Colors
Purple, black, silver, white
Name
Colorado Rockies (1993–present)
Other nicknames
The Rox The Blake Street Bombers
Ballpark
Coors Field (1995–present) Mile High Stadium (1993–1994)
Major league titles
World Series titles (0)	None
NL Pennants (1)	2007
NL West Division titles (0)	None
Wild card berths (5)	1995 2007 2009 2017 2018
Front office
Principal owner(s)	Richard & Charles Monfort
President	Greg Feasel
General manager	Bill Schmidt
Manager	Warren Schaeffer (interim)
Mascot(s)	Dinger

The Colorado Rockies are a professional baseball team from Denver, USA. They play in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) West Division. Their home games are played at Coors Field in Denver. The team is owned by the Monfort brothers.

The Rockies started as a new team in the 1993 season. For their first two years, they played at Mile High Stadium. Since 1995, they have played at Coors Field. This stadium is known as a "hitter's park" because it's easier to hit home runs there. In 1995, four Rockies players hit 30 or more home runs each. These players were Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla, Andrés Galarraga, and Larry Walker. They were nicknamed the "Blake Street Bombers."

The Rockies have made it to the playoffs five times. Each time, they got in as a Wild Card winner. In 2007, the team won its only NL pennant. They did this by winning 14 of their last 15 regular season games. This amazing streak helped them secure a Wild Card spot. It ended with a thrilling 13-inning, 9–8 win against the San Diego Padres. Fans called this tie-breaker game "Game 163."

After that, the Rockies swept the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks in the playoffs. They entered the 2007 World Series having won 21 of their last 22 games. However, they lost to the American League (AL) champions Boston Red Sox in four games. The Rockies have never won a World Series game. They are one of only two teams never to win a World Series game, along with the Seattle Mariners.

As of late 2024, the Rockies have a total record of 2,321 wins and 2,699 losses. This winning percentage is one of the lowest among active MLB teams. After the Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals, the Rockies became the only major Denver sports team yet to win a championship.

Team History and Beginnings

The 1911 Denver Grizzlies were a famous minor league team.

Denver has a long history with minor league baseball. People and businesses in the area really wanted a Major League team. Denver's Mile High Stadium was first built for minor league baseball. It was designed so it could be made ready for a major league team. Several tries to bring Major League Baseball to Colorado had failed before.

In 1991, Major League Baseball decided to add two new teams. One of these teams was given to a group representing Denver. This group was led by John Antonucci and Michael I. Monus. They chose the name "Rockies" because Denver is close to the Rocky Mountains. This name was also used by Denver's first NHL team, which is now the New Jersey Devils.

Monus and Antonucci had to leave the ownership group in 1992 due to a financial issue. Trucking business owner Jerry McMorris stepped in at the last minute to save the team. This allowed the Rockies to start playing in 1993. The Rockies shared Mile High Stadium with the National Football League (NFL)'s Denver Broncos for their first two seasons. This was while Coors Field was being built. Coors Field was finished for the 1995 Major League Baseball season.

Early Seasons and Playoff Runs

The Rockies celebrating a win in June 2007. They won their first NL pennant later that year.

In 1993, the Rockies began playing in the National League West. That year, they set an all-time MLB record for attendance. They had 4,483,350 fans come to their games. This is still the MLB record. The Rockies were the first MLB team located in the Mountain Time Zone.

The team has reached the playoffs five times. Each time, they were the National League wild card team. In 1995 and 2009, they were knocked out in the first round.

In 2007, the Rockies made it to the World Series. However, they were swept by the Boston Red Sox. The team's winning streak leading up to the World Series was one of the best ever. On September 16, they had a record of 76 wins and 72 losses. Then, they won 14 of their last 15 regular season games. This amazing run ended with a 9–8 victory in 13 innings over the San Diego Padres. This was a special one-game playoff for the wild card spot. Colorado then won their first seven playoff games. This led them to win the NL pennant. By the start of the World Series, the Rockies had won 21 out of 22 games. Fans and the media called this incredible October run "Rocktober."

Colorado also made the playoffs in 2017 and 2018. In 2018, the Rockies played in four different cities against four different teams in five days. This included their last regular season game, a tie-breaker game, a Wild Card game, and the first game of the playoffs. They eventually lost to the Milwaukee Brewers in the playoffs.

The Rockies have never won a division title since they started. They are one of three MLB teams that have never won their current division. The Rockies have played their home games at Coors Field since 1995. Their spring training home is Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona. They share this facility with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In 2023 and 2024, the Colorado Rockies lost over 100 games each season. In 2025, the Rockies had the worst start to a season for any team through 39 games, with a record of 6 wins and 33 losses. They continued to struggle, setting the record for the worst team record through 50 games (8 wins and 42 losses). Their record after 60 games (10 wins and 50 losses) was also the worst in Major League Baseball history for that many games.

Team Challenges and Changes

On June 1, 2006, USA Today reported that Rockies management had set up certain rules for players. The Denver Post later published an article where many Rockies players disagreed with these claims. Former Rockies pitcher Jason Jennings said the article was "misleading."

On October 17, 2007, a week before the 2007 World Series, the Rockies announced that tickets would only be sold online. Five days later, the ticket company had to stop sales because too many people tried to buy tickets at once. The Rockies said they were attacked by a "denial of service" issue. The Federal Bureau of Investigation started its own look into these claims. Ticket sales started again the next day, and all three home games sold out quickly.

In March 2021, it was reported that Rockies staff had to do extra work, like laundry for players. This led to very long workdays. Former staff members described a difficult work environment. The general manager, Jeff Bridich, resigned the next month.

On April 10, 2024, a coach posted a video of himself in the pilot's seat during a flight. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is looking into this incident.

Team Uniforms and Colors

One of the Rockies' main colors is purple. This color was inspired by the line "For purple mountain majesties" from the song "America the Beautiful." The exact shade of purple used by the team became official in the 2017 season.

The Rockies' home uniform is white with purple pinstripes. They were the first team in Major League history to wear purple pinstripes. The front of the uniform says "Rockies" in silver with black trim. The numbers and letters are black with silver trim.

The Rockies' road uniform is grey with purple piping. The front of this uniform says "Colorado." The letters and numbers are purple with white trim.

The Rockies also have an alternate black uniform. They wore this a few times in their first season in 1993. In 2005, they started wearing black sleeveless alternate uniforms. These had "Colorado" in silver with purple and white trim. They stopped using this black sleeveless uniform in 2022.

The Rockies also have a purple alternate uniform, which they first showed in 2000. This uniform says "Colorado" in silver with black and white trim. The letters and numbers are black with white trim. Since 2012, the Rockies have had "Purple Mondays," where they wear their purple uniform for Monday games.

The Rockies usually wear all-black caps with "CR" in purple with silver trim. They also have a purple-brimmed version.

In 2022, the Rockies released their first "City Connect" uniform. This uniform was mostly green and white with mountain designs. The letters were like those on Colorado license plates. The uniform also had symbols for Denver's altitude (5280 feet) and skiing.

The Rockies' second "City Connect" uniform has light blue and purple colors. This represents the change from day to night over the Rocky Mountains. The uniform also uses red, yellow, and blue from the Colorado state flag. The Denver city flag is also inside the hat.

Home white pinstriped uniform, worn by David Dahl.

Road grey uniform, worn by Ryan McMahon.

Alternate purple uniform with home white pants, worn by Wade Davis.

Alternate purple uniform with road grey pants, worn by José Reyes.

Alternate purple uniform with white pinstriped pants (2000–2018), worn by David Dahl.

Alternate black vest uniform with white pinstriped pants (2005–2018), worn by Carlos González.

Alternate black vest uniform with black/purple cap and road grey pants (2005–2021), worn by Carlos González.

Alternate white pinstriped vest uniform (2004–2011), worn by Jason Giambi.

Road grey pinstriped uniform (2000–2011), worn by Alex White.

Famous Players and Awards

Baseball Hall of Famers

Hall of Fame first baseman Todd Helton (1997–2013)

Hall of Famer Larry Walker (1995–2004)

Colorado Sports Hall of Fame

Retired Numbers

When a player's number is "retired," it means no other player on that team will wear that number again. It's a special honor.

Todd Helton was the first Colorado Rockies player to have his number (17) retired. This happened on August 17, 2014.

Jackie Robinson's No. 42 was retired across all of baseball in 1997. This was to honor his importance to the sport.

Larry Walker, who is in the Baseball Hall of Fame, became the second Rockies player to have his number (33) retired. This happened in 2021.

Keli McGregor worked with the Rockies from the very beginning in 1993. He became the team president in 2002. He is honored at Coors Field with his initials, KSM.

Todd Helton 1B Retired August 17, 2014 Larry Walker RF Retired September 25, 2021 Jackie Robinson All MLB Honored April 15, 1997 Keli McGregor President Honored September 28, 2010

Numbers Not Used Anymore

The Rockies have not given out Carlos Gonzalez's number 5 since he left the team after 2018. It is not officially retired, but no one has worn it.

Individual Player Awards

• NL MVP (Most Valuable Player):
  • 1997 – Larry Walker
• NLCS MVP (Playoff Series MVP):
  • 2007 – Matt Holliday
• NL Rookie of the Year:
  • 2002 – Jason Jennings
• NL Comeback Player of the Year:
  • 2017 – Greg Holland
  • 2020 – Daniel Bard

Silver Slugger Award Winners

Five-time All-Star Nolan Arenado (2013–2020)

Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (2006–2015) was a five-time All-Star.

The Silver Slugger Award is given to the best offensive player at each position.

• Dante Bichette (1995)
• Vinny Castilla (1995, 1997–1998)
• Andrés Galarraga (1996)
• Eric Young (1996)
• Ellis Burks (1996)
• Larry Walker (1997, 1999)
• Mike Hampton (2001–2002)
• Todd Helton (2000–2003)
• Matt Holliday (2006–2008)
• Carlos González (2010, 2015)
• Troy Tulowitzki (2010–2011)
• Michael Cuddyer (2013)
• Nolan Arenado (2015–2018)
• Charlie Blackmon (2016–2017)
• Trevor Story (2018–2019)
• Germán Márquez (2018)

Hank Aaron Award

• 2000 – Todd Helton (This award is for the best offensive player in each league.)

Gold Glove Award Winners

The Gold Glove Award is given to the best defensive player at each position.

• First base:
  • Todd Helton (2001–2002, 2004)
• Second base:
  • DJ LeMahieu (2014, 2017–2018)
  • Brendan Rodgers (2022)
• Shortstop:
  • Neifi Pérez (2000)
  • Troy Tulowitzki (2010–2011)
  • Ezequiel Tovar (2024)
• Third base:
  • Nolan Arenado (2013–2020)
• Outfield:
  • Larry Walker (1997–1999, 2001–2002)
  • Carlos González (2010, 2012–2013)
  • Brenton Doyle (2023–2024)

Manager of the Year Award

• 1995 – Don Baylor
• 2009 – Jim Tracy

NL Batting Champions

A batting champion is the player with the highest batting average in their league.

• Andrés Galarraga (1993)
• Larry Walker (1998, 1999, 2001)
• Todd Helton (2000)
• Matt Holliday (2007)
• Carlos González (2010)
• Michael Cuddyer (2013)
• Justin Morneau (2014)
• DJ LeMahieu (2016)
• Charlie Blackmon (2017)

Team Awards

• 2007 – Warren Giles Trophy (National League champion)
• 2007 – Baseball America Organization of the Year

Championships and Playoff Wins

Team Rivalries

The Rockies often have tough games against the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. These teams have often stopped the Rockies from winning their division. The Rockies have never won the NL West division title. The Dodgers and Giants have won 21 division titles since 1993.

Rivalry with Arizona Diamondbacks

Rockies-Diamondbacks 4th of July game, 2009

The Rockies have a rivalry with the Arizona Diamondbacks. This is partly because both teams are newer to the division. Colorado joined in 1993, and the Diamondbacks started in 1998. The two teams have played each other twice in the playoffs. In the 2007 National League Championship Series, the Rockies, as a wild card team, surprised everyone by sweeping the Diamondbacks. This led the Rockies to their only World Series appearance. They met again in the 2017 National League Wild Card Game, which Arizona won.

Home Game Attendance

Mile High Stadium (1993–1994)

Coors Field (1995–present)

The Rockies had the highest attendance in MLB for their first seven years. Their first season in 1993 still holds the MLB all-time record for home attendance.

+ = 57 home games in strike shortened season. ++ = 72 home games in strike shortened season.

Minor League Teams

The Colorado Rockies have seven minor league teams. These teams help develop new players for the main MLB team.

Radio and TV Broadcasts

Colorado Rockies games are shown on Rockies.TV, a streaming service. This service is available with MLB.tv or on its own. Games are also shown on cable TV providers like DirecTV, Xfinity/Comcast, and Spectrum.

Jeff Huson and Drew Goodman are the main TV announcers. Ryan Spilborghs and Kelsey Wingert report from the field. Jason Hirsh and Cory Sullivan host the pre-game and post-game shows.

The Rockies' main radio station is KOA 850AM. Some late-season games are on KHOW 630 AM. The Rockies Radio Network has 38 stations in five states.

Jack Corrigan and Jerry Schemmel are the radio announcers. Jerry Schemmel returned in 2022.

Spanish language radio broadcasts of the Rockies are on KNRV 1150 AM.

See also

In Spanish: Colorado Rockies para niños