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	Bud Black
Mascot(s)	Dinger

The Colorado Rockies are a professional baseball team from Denver, Colorado. They play in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) West Division. The team plays its home games at Coors Field in Denver. The Monfort brothers own the club, and Bud Black is the manager.

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 easy to hit home runs there. In 1995, four players (Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla, Andrés Galarraga, and Larry Walker) each hit 30 or more home runs. They were called 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 get a Wild Card spot. They won a special tie-breaker game, "Game 163," against the San Diego Padres. 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, the Boston Red Sox swept them in four games. The Rockies are one of only two teams that have never won a World Series game.

As of the end of 2024, the Rockies have a win-loss record of 2,321 wins and 2,699 losses. This is one of the lowest winning percentages among active MLB teams. After the Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals, the Rockies became the only major Denver sports team that has not won a championship.

Team History: How the Rockies Started

The 1911 Denver Grizzlies were a famous minor league team.

Denver has always loved baseball, with minor league teams playing there since the late 1800s. People in Denver really wanted a Major League team. Mile High Stadium was first built for minor league baseball. It was designed so it could be made bigger for a major league team.

Several times, people tried to bring a Major League Baseball team to Colorado, but it didn't work out. In 1991, Major League Baseball decided to add two new teams. One team was the Florida (now Miami) Marlins, and the other was granted to Denver. The ownership group for Denver chose the name "Rockies." This name comes from the nearby Rocky Mountains, which you can see in their team logo. The name was also used by Denver's first NHL team, which is now the New Jersey Devils.

The Rockies started playing in 1993. They shared Mile High Stadium with the National Football League (NFL)'s Denver Broncos for their first two seasons. This was while their new stadium, Coors Field, was being built. Coors Field was ready for the 1995 Major League Baseball season.

Rockies in the Playoffs: "Rocktober" and More

The Rockies celebrating a win in June 2007. Later that year, they won their first NL pennant.

In their first season in 1993, the Rockies joined the National League West. That year, they set a Major League record for attendance. Over 4.4 million fans came to their games, which is still an MLB record! The Rockies were the first MLB team in the Mountain Time Zone.

The team has made it to the playoffs five times. Each time, they entered as a wild card team. In 1995 and 2009, they were knocked out in the first round.

The 2007 was very special. The Rockies had a record of 76 wins and 72 losses on September 16. Then, they won 14 of their last 15 regular season games! This amazing streak ended with a 9–8 win in 13 innings against the San Diego Padres. This was a special one-game playoff for the wild card spot. After that, Colorado swept their first seven playoff games. They won the NL pennant. By the time the World Series started, the Rockies had won 21 out of 22 games! Fans and the media called this incredible run "Rocktober." However, they were swept by the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.

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

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

Team Uniforms: Colors and Designs

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 became official in 2017.

• Home Uniforms: The Rockies wear white uniforms with purple pinstripes at home. They were the first team in Major League history to use purple pinstripes. The word "Rockies" is on the front in silver with black trim. The numbers and letters are black with silver trim.
• Road Uniforms: On the road, the Rockies wear grey uniforms with purple piping. The word "Colorado" is on the front. The letters and numbers are purple with white trim.
• Alternate Uniforms:
  • Black Uniforms: The Rockies used to wear black alternate uniforms. These had "Colorado" in silver with purple and white trim. They stopped using these in 2022.
  • Purple Uniforms: The team also has purple alternate uniforms. These have "Colorado" in silver with black and white trim. Since 2012, they often wear these on "Purple Mondays" for home games.
• Caps: The Rockies usually wear an all-black cap with "CR" (for Colorado Rockies) in purple with silver trim. They also have a purple-brimmed version.
• City Connect Uniforms: In 2022, the Rockies got special "City Connect" uniforms from Nike. These are mostly green and white with mountain designs on the chest. The letters look like those on Colorado license plates. The right sleeve has a yellow patch with "ROX," "5280" (for Denver's altitude), and symbols for skiing and Coors Field's location. The left sleeve has the "CR" logo. The caps are green with a white panel and a "CO" patch with Colorado symbols.

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 Rockies Players and Awards

Todd Helton (1997–2013) is a Hall of Famer.

Larry Walker (1995–2004) is also in the Hall of Fame.

Many great players have been part of the Colorado Rockies. Some have even made it into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Baseball Hall of Famers

• Todd Helton (1997–2013)
• Larry Walker (1995–2004)
• Jim Leyland (Manager)

Colorado Sports Hall of Fame

Several important people from the Rockies organization are in the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame:

Retired Numbers: Honoring Legends

When a player's number is "retired," no other player on that team can wear it again. It's a big honor!

• 17 - Todd Helton: His number was retired on August 17, 2014. He was the first Rockies player to have this honor.
• 33 - Larry Walker: His number was retired in 2021. He was the first player to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame wearing a Rockies hat.
• 42 - Jackie Robinson: This number was retired across all of baseball in 1997 to honor Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in baseball.
• KSM - Keli McGregor: His initials are honored at Coors Field. He worked with the Rockies from the start and became team president.

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

Individual Player Awards

Rockies players have won many awards for their great performance:

• NL MVP (Most Valuable Player):
  • 1997 – Larry Walker
• NLCS MVP (Championship Series Most Valuable Player):
  • 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: This award goes to the best offensive players at each position.

Nolan Arenado (2013–2020) won 5 Silver Slugger awards.

Troy Tulowitzki (2006–2015) was a 5-time All-Star.

• • 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
• Gold Glove Award: This award goes to the best defensive players 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 Champion: This player has the highest batting average in the National 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

Team Championships

The Colorado Rockies have won the National League pennant once and have been Wild Card winners multiple times.

Team Rivalries

The Rockies have a rivalry with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Both teams are newer to the division. They have played each other twice in the playoffs. In the 2007 National League Championship Series, the Rockies upset the Diamondbacks. They swept them on their way to the World Series. The two teams met again in the 2017 National League Wild Card Game, which Arizona won.

The Rockies also have tough games against the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. These teams often stop 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 combined since 1993.

Home Stadiums and Attendance

Mile High Stadium (1993–1994), the Rockies' first home.

Coors Field (1995–present), the Rockies' current home.

The Rockies were very popular when they first started. They led MLB in attendance for their first seven years. Their first season in 1993 still holds the MLB all-time record for home attendance.

Attendance at Mile High Stadium

Attendance at Coors Field

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

Minor League Teams

The Colorado Rockies have a "farm system" of seven minor league teams. These teams help develop new players for the main MLB team.

Watching and Listening to the Rockies

You can watch Colorado Rockies games on Rockies.TV. This is a streaming service that you can get with or without MLB.tv.

• TV Announcers: Jeff Huson and Drew Goodman are the main TV announcers. Ryan Spilborghs and Kelsey Wingert report from the field.
• Radio Station: The main radio station for Rockies games is KOA 850AM. Some games are also on KHOW 630 AM. The Rockies Radio Network has 38 stations in eight states.
• Radio Announcers: Jack Corrigan and Jerry Schemmel are the radio announcers.
• Spanish Radio: Since 2013, you can also listen to Rockies games in Spanish on KNRV 1150 AM.

See also

In Spanish: Colorado Rockies para niños