1993 Colorado Rockies season
Major League Baseball team season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1993 Colorado Rockies season was the inaugural season for the expansion team in Major League Baseball (MLB) located in Denver, Colorado, which were established as a member of the National League (NL), competing in the NL West division, and based at Mile High Stadium. The first manager named for the Rockies was Don Baylor.
| 1993 Colorado Rockies | |
|---|---|
| League | National League |
| Division | West |
| Ballpark | Mile High Stadium |
| City | Denver, Colorado |
| Record | 67–95 (.414) |
| Divisional place | 6th |
| Owners | Jerry McMorris |
| General managers | Bob Gebhard |
| Managers | Don Baylor |
| Television | KWGN-TV (Duane Kuiper, Charlie Jones) |
| Radio | KOA (AM) (Wayne Hagin, Jeff Kingery) KCUV (Francisco Gomez) |
First baseman Andrés Galarraga represented the Rockies at the MLB All-Star Game, held at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Colorado finished with a record of 67–95, in sixth place and 37 games behind the NL West division-champion and NL pennant-winning Atlanta Braves, ahead of only the San Diego Padres. At Mile High Stadium, better known as the home of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL), the Rockies sold 4,483,350 tickets to their home games, setting the Major League record for attendance, which still stands as of the 2023 season[update].
Galarraga concluded the season winning the NL batting title with a .370 batting average, also leading the major leagues. Shortstop Vinny Castilla was the last player from the Rockies' inaugural season to retire, playing his last game at the end of 2006.[1]
Offseason
- November 9, 1992: Neifi Pérez was signed as an amateur free agent by the Colorado Rockies.[2]
- November 16, 1992: Andrés Galarraga was signed as a free agent by the Colorado Rockies.[3]
- November 17, 1992: Dante Bichette was traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to the Colorado Rockies for Kevin Reimer.[4]
- December 7, 1992: Bruce Ruffin was signed as a free agent by the Colorado Rockies.[5]
- December 7, 1992: Bryn Smith was signed as a free agent by the Colorado Rockies.[6]
Draft picks
- The following players were selected in the 1992 Major League Baseball draft.[7]
- John Burke was drafted by the Rockies in the first round.
- Mark Thompson was drafted by the Rockies in the second round.
- Roger Bailey was drafted by the Rockies in the third round.
- Jason Bates was drafted by the Rockies in the seventh round.
- Garvin Alston was drafted by the Rockies in the tenth round.
- Craig Counsell was drafted by the Rockies in the eleventh round.
- Juan Acevedo was drafted by the Rockies in the fourteenth round.
- Angel Echevarria was drafted by the Rockies in the seventeenth round.
- Quinton McCracken was drafted by the Rockies in the 25th round.
- Mark Strittmatter was drafted by the Rockies in the 28th round.
Expansion draft
As opposed to previous expansion drafts such as the 1961 draft, players from both leagues were available to the expansion clubs. Each existing club could protect fifteen players on their roster from being drafted and only one player could be drafted from each team in the first round. Then for each additional round National League teams could protect an additional 3 players and American League teams could protect 4 more. All unprotected major and minor League players were eligible except those chosen in the amateur drafts of 1991 or 1992 and players who were 18 or younger when signed in 1990.
Round 1
| Pick | Player | Position | From | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Nied | RHP | ATL | |
| 3 | Charlie Hayes | 3B | NYY | |
| 5 | Darren Holmes | RHP | MIL | |
| 7 | Jerald Clark | OF | SD | |
| 9 | Kevin Reimer | OF | TEX | Was dealt the same day to MIL for Dante Bichette |
| 11 | Eric Young | 2B | LAD | |
| 13 | Jody Reed | 2B | BOS | Was dealt the same day to LAD for Rudy Seánez. Seánez played briefly in the Rockies' minor league system before being released in July 1993 |
| 15 | Scott Aldred | LHP | DET | |
| 17 | Alex Cole | OF | PIT | |
| 19 | Joe Girardi | C | CHC | |
| 21 | Willie Blair | RHP | HOU | |
| 23 | Jay Owens | C | MIN | |
| 25 | Andy Ashby | RHP | PHI |
Round 2
| Pick | Player | Position | From | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | Freddie Benavides | SS | CIN | |
| 30 | Roberto Mejía | 2B | LAD | |
| 32 | Doug Bochtler | RHP | MON | Played in the Rockies' minor league system before being traded to SD in the Brad Ausmus deal in July 1993 |
| 34 | Lance Painter | LHP | SD | |
| 36 | Butch Henry | LHP | HOU | |
| 38 | Ryan Hawblitzel | RHP | CHC | |
| 40 | Vinny Castilla | SS | ATL | |
| 42 | Brett Merriman | RHP | CAL | Was traded to MIN before the 1993 season for Gary Wayne |
| 44 | Jim Tatum | 3B | MIL | |
| 46 | Kevin Ritz | RHP | DET | |
| 48 | Eric Wedge | C/1B | BOS | |
| 50 | Keith Shepherd | RHP | PHI | |
| 52 | Calvin Jones | RHP | SEA | Never pitched in the Majors again; never even played in the Rockies' minor leagues |
Round 3
| Pick | Player | Position | From | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | Brad Ausmus | C | NYY | Was traded to SD on July 26 and made MLB debut 2 days later |
| 56 | Marcus Moore | RHP | TOR | |
| 58 | Armando Reynoso | RHP | ATL | |
| 60 | Steve Reed | RHP | SF | |
| 62 | Mo Sanford | RHP | CIN | |
| 64 | Pedro Castellano | 3B | CHC | |
| 66 | Curtis Leskanic | RHP | MIN | |
| 68 | Scott Fredrickson | RHP | SD | |
| 70 | Braulio Castillo | OF | PHI | Played 39 games for AAA Colorado Springs before being traded to HOU for Mark Grant, but never played in the Majors again |
| 72 | Denis Boucher | LHP | CLE | Traded before the season to SD for Jay Gainer |
1992 MLB June amateur draft and minor league affiliates
The Rockies and Florida Marlins, set to debut in 1993, were allowed to participate in all rounds of the June 1992 MLB first-year player draft. The Rockies selected 27th overall in the first round, with pitcher John Burke their top pick. Of the 50 amateur free agents selected, ten made the major leagues, including Burke and—most prominently—Craig Counsell (11th round) and Quinton McCracken (25th).[8] The Rockies affiliated with two minor league clubs during 1992 to develop drafted players.
1992 farm system
| Level | Team | League | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-Short Season | Bend Rockies | Northwest League | Gene Glynn |
| Rookie | AZL Rockies/Cubs | Arizona League | Paul Zuvella |
AZL club affiliation shared with Chicago Cubs
Regular season
Opening Day starters
- Freddie Benavides
- Dante Bichette
- Jerald Clark
- Alex Cole
- Andrés Galarraga
- Joe Girardi
- Charlie Hayes
- David Nied (Bryn Smith was the starter for the home opener)
- Eric Young Sr.[9]
Season standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | 104 | 58 | .642 | — | 51–30 | 53–28 |
| San Francisco Giants | 103 | 59 | .636 | 1 | 50–31 | 53–28 |
| Houston Astros | 85 | 77 | .525 | 19 | 44–37 | 41–40 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 81 | 81 | .500 | 23 | 41–40 | 40–41 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 73 | 89 | .451 | 31 | 41–40 | 32–49 |
| Colorado Rockies | 67 | 95 | .414 | 37 | 39–42 | 28–53 |
| San Diego Padres | 61 | 101 | .377 | 43 | 34–47 | 27–54 |
Record vs. opponents
| Team | ATL | CHC | CIN | COL | FLA | HOU | LAD | MON | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | — | 7–5 | 10–3 | 13–0 | 7–5 | 8–5 | 8–5 | 7–5 | 9–3 | 6–6 | 7–5 | 9–4 | 7–6 | 6–6 | |||
| Chicago | 5–7 | — | 7–5 | 8–4 | 6–7 | 4–8 | 7–5 | 5–8–1 | 8–5 | 7–6 | 5–8 | 8–4 | 6–6 | 8–5 | |||
| Cincinnati | 3–10 | 5–7 | — | 9–4 | 7–5 | 6–7 | 5–8 | 4–8 | 6–6 | 4–8 | 8–4 | 9–4 | 2–11 | 5–7 | |||
| Colorado | 0–13 | 4–8 | 4–9 | — | 7–5 | 11–2 | 7–6 | 3–9 | 6–6 | 3–9 | 8–4 | 6–7 | 3–10 | 5–7 | |||
| Florida | 5–7 | 7–6 | 5–7 | 5–7 | — | 3–9 | 5–7 | 5–8 | 4–9 | 4–9 | 6–7 | 7–5 | 4–8 | 4–9 | |||
| Houston | 5–8 | 8–4 | 7–6 | 2–11 | 9–3 | — | 9–4 | 5–7 | 11–1 | 5–7 | 7–5 | 8–5 | 3–10 | 6–6 | |||
| Los Angeles | 5–8 | 5–7 | 8–5 | 6–7 | 7–5 | 4–9 | — | 6–6 | 8–4 | 2–10 | 8–4 | 9–4 | 7–6 | 6–6 | |||
| Montreal | 5–7 | 8–5–1 | 8–4 | 9–3 | 8–5 | 7–5 | 6–6 | — | 9–4 | 6–7 | 8–5 | 10–2 | 3–9 | 7–6 | |||
| New York | 3–9 | 5–8 | 6–6 | 6–6 | 9–4 | 1–11 | 4–8 | 4–9 | — | 3–10 | 4–9 | 5–7 | 4–8 | 5–8 | |||
| Philadelphia | 6-6 | 6–7 | 8–4 | 9–3 | 9–4 | 7–5 | 10–2 | 7–6 | 10–3 | — | 7–6 | 6–6 | 4–8 | 8–5 | |||
| Pittsburgh | 5–7 | 8–5 | 4–8 | 4–8 | 7–6 | 5–7 | 4–8 | 5–8 | 9–4 | 6–7 | — | 9–3 | 5–7 | 4–9 | |||
| San Diego | 4–9 | 4–8 | 4–9 | 7–6 | 5–7 | 5–8 | 4–9 | 2–10 | 7–5 | 6–6 | 3–9 | — | 3–10 | 7–5 | |||
| San Francisco | 6–7 | 6–6 | 11–2 | 10–3 | 8–4 | 10–3 | 6–7 | 9–3 | 8–4 | 8–4 | 7–5 | 10–3 | — | 4–8 | |||
| St. Louis | 6–6 | 5–8 | 7–5 | 7–5 | 9–4 | 6–6 | 6–6 | 6–7 | 8–5 | 5–8 | 9–4 | 5–7 | 8–4 | — | |||
Roster
Transactions
- April 3, 1993: Dale Murphy was signed as a free agent by the Colorado Rockies.[10]
- April 29, 1993: Scott Aldred was selected off waivers by the Montreal Expos from the Colorado Rockies.[11]
- May 14, 1993: Mike Munoz was signed as a free agent by the Colorado Rockies.[12]
- May 19, 1993: Gerald Young was released by the Colorado Rockies.[13]
- June 2, 1993: Bryn Smith was released by the Colorado Rockies.[6]
- July 16, 1993: Kent Bottenfield was traded by the Montreal Expos to the Colorado Rockies for Butch Henry.[14]
- July 26, 1993: Brad Ausmus was traded by the Colorado Rockies with Doug Bochtler and a player to be named later to the San Diego Padres for Bruce Hurst and Greg Harris. The Colorado Rockies sent Andy Ashby (July 27, 1993) to the San Diego Padres to complete the trade.[15]
Draft picks
- The following players were selected in the 1993 Major League Baseball draft.[16]
- Jamey Wright was drafted by the Rockies in the first round.
- Bryan Rekar was drafted by the Rockies in the second round.
- John Thomson was drafted by the Rockies in the seventh round.
- Edgard Clemente was drafted by the Rockies in the tenth round.
- Derrick Gibson was drafted by the Rockies in the thirteenth round.
- Mark Brownson was drafted by the Rockies in the 30th round.
- Terry Jones was drafted by the Rockies in the 40th round.
Major League debuts
- Batters:
- Jay Gainer (May 14)
- Pedro Castellano (May 30)
- Jayhawk Owens (Jun 6)
- Roberto Mejía (Jul 15)
- Pitchers:
- Scott Fredrickson (Apr 29)
- Lance Painter (May 19)
- Curtis Leskanic (Jun 27)
- Marcus Moore (Jul 9) [17]
Game log
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April (8–14)
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May (7–22)
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June (11–14)
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July (10–17)
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August (14–16)
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September (17–9)
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Player stats
| = Indicates team leader |
| = Indicates league leader |
Batting
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Joe Girardi | 86 | 310 | 90 | .290 | 3 | 31 |
| 1B | Andrés Galarraga | 120 | 470 | 174 | .370 | 22 | 98 |
| 2B | Eric Young | 144 | 490 | 132 | .269 | 3 | 42 |
| SS | Vinny Castilla | 105 | 337 | 86 | .255 | 9 | 30 |
| 3B | Charlie Hayes | 157 | 573 | 175 | .305 | 25 | 98 |
| LF | Jerald Clark | 140 | 478 | 135 | .282 | 13 | 67 |
| CF | Alex Cole | 126 | 348 | 89 | .256 | 0 | 24 |
| RF | Dante Bichette | 141 | 538 | 167 | .310 | 21 | 89 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daryl Boston | 124 | 291 | 76 | .261 | 14 | 40 |
| Roberto Mejía | 65 | 229 | 53 | .231 | 5 | 20 |
| Danny Sheaffer | 82 | 216 | 60 | .278 | 4 | 32 |
| Freddie Benavides | 74 | 213 | 61 | .286 | 3 | 26 |
| Chris Jones | 86 | 209 | 57 | .273 | 6 | 31 |
| Nelson Liriano | 48 | 151 | 46 | .305 | 2 | 15 |
| Jim Tatum | 92 | 98 | 20 | .204 | 1 | 12 |
| Jayhawk Owens | 33 | 86 | 18 | .209 | 3 | 6 |
| Pedro Castellano | 34 | 71 | 13 | .183 | 3 | 7 |
| Dale Murphy | 26 | 42 | 6 | .143 | 0 | 7 |
| Jay Gainer | 23 | 41 | 7 | .171 | 3 | 6 |
| Gerald Young | 19 | 19 | 1 | .053 | 0 | 1 |
| Eric Wedge | 9 | 11 | 2 | .182 | 0 | 1 |
Pitching
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armando Reynoso | 30 | 189.0 | 12 | 11 | 4.00 | 117 |
| David Nied | 16 | 87.0 | 5 | 9 | 5.17 | 46 |
| Butch Henry | 20 | 84.2 | 2 | 8 | 6.59 | 39 |
| Kent Bottenfield | 14 | 76.2 | 3 | 5 | 6.10 | 30 |
| Greg Harris | 13 | 73.1 | 1 | 8 | 6.50 | 40 |
| Bruce Hurst | 3 | 8.2 | 0 | 1 | 5.19 | 6 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willie Blair | 46 | 146.0 | 6 | 10 | 4.75 | 84 |
| Bruce Ruffin | 59 | 139.2 | 6 | 5 | 3.87 | 126 |
| Jeff Parrett | 40 | 73.2 | 3 | 3 | 5.38 | 66 |
| Curtis Leskanic | 18 | 57.0 | 1 | 5 | 5.37 | 30 |
| Andy Ashby | 20 | 54.0 | 0 | 4 | 8.50 | 33 |
| Lance Painter | 10 | 39.0 | 2 | 2 | 6.00 | 16 |
| Mo Sanford | 11 | 35.2 | 1 | 2 | 5.30 | 36 |
| Bryn Smith | 11 | 29.2 | 2 | 4 | 8.49 | 9 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darren Holmes | 62 | 3 | 3 | 25 | 4.05 | 60 |
| Gary Wayne | 65 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 5.05 | 49 |
| Steve Reed | 64 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 4.48 | 51 |
| Marcus Moore | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6.84 | 13 |
| Scott Fredrickson | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6.21 | 20 |
| Mike Munoz | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4.50 | 16 |
| Keith Shepherd | 14 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6.98 | 7 |
| Mark Grant | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12.56 | 8 |
| Scott Aldred | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10.80 | 5 |
| Mark Knudson | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22.24 | 3 |
| Scott Service | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.64 | 3 |