After taking a week off to participate in the Opening Day festivities in Denver, I'm back with Rockies Retro, and this week's subject enjoyed arguably the greatest single season for a starting pitcher in Rockies history - until last year, that is, when Ubaldo Jimenez blew him and everybody else out of the water.

Marvin Freeman began his professional career in 1984 after being drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the second round of that year's amateur draft out of Jackson State University. He was originally drafted by the Montreal Expos in the ninth round of the '81 draft, but did not sign. Standing 6'7" but only weighing about 180 pounds early in his career, Freeman earned the nickname "Starvin' Marvin." Freeman debuted that year in short-season A-ball for Bend of the Northwest league, going 8-5 with a 2.61 ERA. He allowed just 64 hits in 89.2 innings, but did walk 5.2 batters per nine. That would be a continuing theme throughout Marvin's minor league career, as he never posted a K/BB ratio higher than 1.74, and often walked more batters than he struck out - such as in 1985 at Reading, where after getting promoted to AA, he proceeded to walk 52 batters while striking out just 35. Still, the Phillies saw something in the young righty, as he was more or less unhittable during his first few years in the minors.

After posting a win-loss record of 13-6 and an ERA of 4.03 in 27 starts in AA in 1986, Freeman got the call to the big club, debuting with the Phillies on September 16^th. Across three starts, he went 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA, despite walking more batters (10) than he struck out (8). His first win also came on the same day that his first daughter was born. Freeman would spend three and a half more season with the Phillies organization, bouncing between AAA and the majors (and throwing a no-hitter for the Maine Guides in the process), before being traded to the Atlanta Braves for Joe Boever before the deadline in 1990.

During his time with the Braves, Freeman began to find a level of control that he never previously experienced during his professional career, as he posted a K/BB ratio of over 2-to-1 for the first time. He was also used primarily as a reliever, which brought a decent amount of success to the lanky right-hander in his late-20's. He made 101 regular season appearances for Atlanta from 1990-92, accruing a 9-5 record with a 3.16 ERA with 87 strikeouts compared to 45 walks. He was a very solid contributor to two teams that went to the World Series, though he didn't have great success in the postseason (14.73 ERA in 3 appearances during the '92 NLCS). Freeman came back down to earth a bit in 1993, as his ERA rose to 6.08 and he only pitched in 21 games, partly due to injuries. He was released by the Braves after the season, and signed by the Colorado Rockies four days later.

Continue past the jump to read about Freeman's days as a Rockie.

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It seems that over the past few years (or at least, since Kaz Matsui originally left for Houston), second base has been the one position on the field that has led to a lot of indecision from the Rockies brass. First there was Jayson Nix, who was ineffective for a month in 2008 before losing the job to the likes of Clint Barmes and Omar Quintanilla. Then there was Barmes who, after doing a solid job in '08, hacked his way through two below-average seasons before also heading to Houston (via trade). Now, the Rockies are trying to decide between some kind of combination of Jonathan Herrera, Jose Lopez, and Eric Young Jr. What some of the team's younger fans may not realize is that the club's waffling over the second base job is nothing new. So, in honor of the intense battle to be Troy Tulowitzki's double play-turning counterpart going on currently, I decided to do a piece on one of the guys that was a part of some of the early battles for the same position (although at the time, it was to be Walt Weiss' counterpart).

Jason Bates began his professional baseball journey in 1992, when he was drafted in the 7^th round (270^th overall) out of the University of Arizona by the expansion Colorado Rockies. Bates was seen by the organization as a scrappy player with a good glove and solid enough contact skills to have a shot at the big leagues. So scrappy, in fact, that he was given the nickname "Pete Rose, the Sequel" by teammate Marvin Freeman prior to the 1995 season. He was part of the Rockies' first (and only, at the time) minor league team outside of extended spring training, a rookie league team located in Bend, OR, during the summer of 1992. During that season, Bates would post an OPS of .838 and walked more than he struck out, which caught the eye of the Rockies' brass as he would be invited to the major league camp for spring training the next year. Playing in place of big league incumbents such as Charlie Hayes and Nelson Liriano, Bates went on to hit .305 during the spring and although he didn't make the big club, he was promoted all the way up to AAA.

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I thought it would be interesting to go back through the Rockies minor league teams of the past and take a look at a few of our forgotten prospects. As an initial frame, I'm going to start by selecting the Rockies best minor league rotation from each season (from a future potential standpoint) and then take look at the less familiar names on the list. 

1992:

Best Rotation: Bend Rockies

Forgotten prospect: Lloyd Peever

It's not like I have much of a choice, Bend and the Rockies' Arizona complex team were the only Rockies affiliates in action in 1992, before the team expanded to four affiliates in 1993 and was more or less fully operational in 1994. That said, the 1992 Bend squad wouldn't be a bad selection in any year, as four of the five most frequent starters would eventually appear in the major leagues. Mark Thompson, Garvin Alston, Roger Bailey and John Burke all eventually got to the show. The fifth on the list of most starts at Bend, Chris Henderson, threw 47.2 innings and gave up 48 walks, he got a bit better when he switched to the pen a year or two later but there's typically no cure for that level of control issues. Number six on the list, however, is more interesting as a forgotten relic of Rockies prospectdom, Lloyd Peever.

Peever went 14-0 as a junior at LSU, working off an advanced change-up to help fuel the Tigers to an SEC championship and the pitcher was honored with Collegiate Baseball magazine's Player of the Year award. The early 1990's LSU teams were stacked. So much so that despite winning their powerhouse conference for the third straight year, that 1992 season looks like a disappointment in retrospect, sandwiched in between two national championships in 1991 and 1993.

With an undefeated Friday starter and the nation's top freshman, infielder and future Rockie Todd Walker, you have to wonder what happened to prevent the Tigers from reaching the College World Series again. What happened was Augie Garrido, Phil Nevin and Cal State Fullerton. See, my theory is that maybe Nevin, who was a god of college baseball that year with the Golden Spikes, the CWS MVP and every other conceivable player of the year award, was preemptively striking back at Peever and Collegiate Baseball magazine for taking the one major award he didn't win, and the Titans rolled through the Baton Rouge regional outscoring their opponents, including the defending national champion Tigers, 35-3 in four games.

It's typically a truism with big time college athletic programs that when the team itself has a relatively down year, the stand-out individual performances on that team will get propped up instead. And so Peever's one magical season with the Tigers still gets fondly recollected in their lore even as the NCAA regional performance gets scrubbed. For the Rockies, his exploits in the minors get forgotten. The Rockies drafted the 5'11" RHP in the fourth round and he joined other inaugural Rockies draftees when they were introduced to fans at the DU Coliseum. The Rockies sent Peever to Bend, where he pitched decently, with a 2.91 ERA and 48/10 K/BB ratio. He progressed well and was on a course for the majors for two more seasons before an elbow problem and Tommy John surgery shut him down after a few starts with the Sky Sox in 1995. TJ surgery can sometimes derail prospects' careers, and Peever's an example, as he wasn't the same after returning in 1997.

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The Colorado Rockies have been represented very well in All-Star Games during their short history, sending 16 different players and a manager to the midsummer classic. Here's a rundown of each game (as well as some Home Run Derbies) and how it related to the Rockies:

1993: Andres Galarraga

As the first All-Star in franchise history, the Big Cat will forever be a part of Rockies' lore. However, he didn't really do anything special in this game, going 0-for-1 (pop out to SS).

1994: Dante Bichette

Bichette was Colorado's first Home Run Derby participant, as he was eliminated in the first round after hitting three home runs - finishing in a tie for fifth overall (with Houston's Jeff Bagwell). In the actual game, Dante only got one AB (as a pinch hitter) but made the most of it, as he led off the fifth inning with a single to left off of Mike Mussina.

1995: Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla

By virtue of an injury to San Francisco's Matt Williams, Vinny Castilla became the first Rockie to ever start an All-Star Game, as the third baseman was written into the eighth slot in the NL's batting order. It wasn't a great day for Colorado's stars; Castilla went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and Bichette K'd in his only at-bat.

1996: Dante Bichette, Ellis Burks, Eric Young

'96 marked the first season that the Rockies sent three players to the midsummer classic. Burks participated in the Home Run Derby, but hit just one home run - a 405' tater - and was eliminated in the first round. As for the game, Bichette (who started the game in LF) and Burks each had an extra base hit, and Bichette scored a run. EY was 0-for-1 after entering the game as a pinch runner and defensive replacement. At the time, this was probably the best All-Star game in terms of performance by Rockies players. This was also the last time the National League won an All-Star Game.

See what happened during the wild 1997 All-Star festivities, and much more, after the jump.

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Tonight marks the first time since June of 2006 that the Rockies and Angels have squared off. Going into that series, the Rockies had just come off a 4-2 homestand that saw them take 2 out of 3 from the A's and Rangers. They stood at 38-37 overall. Los Angeles, meanwhile, had yet to hit their stride, as they were just 34-41. Here's a breakdown of what was to come:

Game 1: Jason Jennings vs. John Lackey (L 5-4)

Jason Jennings was cruising along through seven innings, not having allowed a run while striking out five. However, he gave up a lead off single to Maicer Izturis and walked Adam Kennedy, then was removed from the game in favor of Jose Mesa. Mesa promptly gave up two singles, an intentional walk, and a double - with a run-scoring groundout sandwiched in between - and the Rockies suddenly found themselves down 5-3. Jorge Piedra hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth off of Francisco Rodriguez, but the Rockies weren't able to get anything else. Piedra, Brad Hawpe (2-for-4 with an RBI), and Todd Helton (HR, 2 RBIs) led the Rockies offensively.

Game 2: Aaron Cook vs. Jeff Weaver (W 12-4)

Jeff Weaver continued his struggles, as the Rox pounded him for six runs and nine hits in two innings, and he fell to 3-10 on the year. Meanwhile, Aaron Cook posted a 20:6 groundball-to-flyball ratio, and earned the win with a solid seven-inning effort. Every starter in the Rockies' lineup had a hit, and everyone with the exception of JD Closser had at least two hits. Garrett Atkins and Clint Barmes each drove in three runs, Matt Holliday had three hits and scored three runs, and Brad Hawpe went 2-for-5 with a homer and 2 RBIs.

Game 3: Jeff Francis vs. Ervin Santana (W 6-2)

The Rockies' offense exploded at the expense of Scot Shields in the eighth inning, after failing to breakthrough against Santana through seven frames. The damage was done on an RBI single by Garrett Atkins and a bases-clearing double off the bat of Jorge Piedra. Jeff Francis was solid for the Rox, pitching 6.2 innings and allowing 2 runs on nine hits. The bullpen won the game, though, as they held the Halos scoreless in 2.1 innings. Ramon Ramirez picked up the win (although he blew a save), and Brian Fuentes struck out two in the ninth and earned the save. Piedra, Cory Sullivan (3-for-5), and Garrett Atkins (2-for-3) paced the Colorado offense.

Let's see you win at least two out of three again, eh guys?

GO ROCKIES!!!!!!

The last time Colorado and Tampa Bay (who are the last two World Series losers) met was in June of 2007, when they squared off in a three game series at Coors Field. The Rockies (who began the series at 33-33) were coming off a 4-2 road trip in which they claimed series victories over Baltimore and Boston in their home parks. The (Devil) Rays, on the other hand, hadn't quite reached bandwagon status yet, and were struggling through another rough season (despite holding a 29-35 record, which wasn't too bad for them at the time). Let's take a closer look at the series:

Game 1 - James Shields vs. Rodrigo Lopez

Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe hit back-to-back home runs off of the emerging James Shields during a four-run first inning and the Rox never looked back. Rodrigo Lopez pitched six strong innings, allowing two runs on eight hits while striking out three, as the Rockies cruised to a 12-2 victory. Willy Taveras and Matt Holliday each pounded out three hits in the ball game, while Todd Helton and Jeff Baker picked up two hits apiece. Holliday (4) and Helton (3) combined for 7 RBIs.

Game 2 - Andy Sonnanstine vs. Jason Hirsh

Brad Hawpe hit a grand slam in the first inning on a fly ball that was judged as a shallow pop up by Tampa Bay right fielder Jonny Gomes to get the Rockies on the board. The Rockies also got deep flies from Garrett Atkins and Willy Taveras on their way to a 10-5 victory - their fourth straight win. Jason Hirsh didn't fare too well, as he allowed five runs on six hits (including two homers) in 4.1 innings, but the bullpen picked him up. Taylor Buchholz, LaTroy Hawkins, Jorge Julio, and Brian Fuentes combined for 4.2 innings of three-hit ball to seal the deal for the Rox.

Game 3 - Scott Kazmir vs. Aaron Cook

The Rays were finally able to break through against the Rockies, at the expense of Aaron Cook. Cook was roughed up for six runs on ten hits in six innings, and gave up three long balls (two of which were to Jonny Gomes). Though the Rockies (specifically Kazuo Matsui, Matt Holliday, and Brad Hawpe) countered with three homers of their own, it was not enough to catch up with the Rays, as they handled the Rox 7-4 in the series finale.

Let's hope this year's series turns out like the one that these two teams played exactly two years ago...GO ROCKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!

With the MLB Draft taking place this Tuesday, I thought it would be appropriate to review the history of the Rockies' first round draft picks. Since the franchise first played in 1993 (and drafted in 1992), this is easily possible (so take that, Red Sox fans). Sandwich picks are included. So, without further adieu, here we go...

1992: John Burke (RHP - University of Florida - drafted 27th overall)

All of Burke's success with the organization came in the minor leagues. In 1993, he was a California League All-Star while posting a 3.20 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 119 innings. In 1995, Burke helped lead Colorado Springs to the PCL Championship, as he went 7-1 with a 4.55 ERA and was voted the league's best pitching prospect. However, it was all downhill for Burke once he reached the majors, finishing his career in 1997 with a total of 4 wins, 6 losses, and a 6.75 ERA in 28 appearances.

1993: Jamey Wright (RHP - Oklahoma City, OK - drafted 28th overall)

Wright has had a long and somewhat successful career as a big leaguer, and showed flashes of brilliance during his two stints with the Rockies, but wasn't really ever able to put it all together. He was unable to strike anybody out for the most part, and thus was extremely hittable - especially in pre-humidor Coors Field. His best year in the big leagues came last year with Texas, where he finished 8-7 with a 5.12 ERA.

1994: Doug Million (LHP - Sarasota, FL - drafted 7th overall)

Million was a highly regarded prospect, coming off a fantastic senior year in high school in which he was named the 1994 High School Player of the Year by Baseball America. He was 6-3 with a 2.20 ERA in his first professional season, and was making his way up the ladder in the Rockies organization before he tragically passed away on September 23, 1997 from a severe asthma attack.

1995: Todd Helton (1B - University of Tennessee - drafted 8th overall)

No explanation necessary...the guy's only been one of the best hitters and arguably the best defensive first baseman in baseball over the past decade-plus.

1996: Jake Westbrook (RHP - Danielsville, GA - drafted 21st overall)

Before he really had a chance to make any impact in the organization, Westbrook and two other minor leaguers were traded to the Expos for Mike Lansing in 1997. Soon after finding his way to the Indians organization, Westbrook had some success in the big leagues, as he won 44 games between 2004 and 2006. He's still with the Indians, but has been battling injuries for the past few seasons and is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery.

1997: Mark Mangum (RHP - Kingwood, TX - drafted 18th overall)

Mangum went 4-6 with a 4.80 ERA in Rookie league ball in '97. The next year, he was pitching in the Expos organization after being the PBTNL in a trade that brought Dave Veres to the Rockies. He never made it to the big leagues.

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Naturally, with the buzz of today's managerial change overwhelming Rockies fans everywhere, this week's edition of Rockies Retro summarizes each manager's tenure (mostly focusing on each skipper's first month on the job). Maybe it will give us some perspective on what to expect from Jim Tracy, but it's much more likely that if anything happens that corresponds in any way, shape, or form with what is listed here, it will be a complete and utter coincidence. So, without further adieu, let's get right to it.

Don Baylor (First month on the job: April 1993)

This case is obviously different than the rest, as Baylor was the first manager of an expansion team which he guided to an 8-14 record in their first month of existence (which was also his first month as a big league manager). Any failures the Rockies may have had during their first month - and there were quite a few - can and should only be attributed to the fact that they were playing their first baseball games as a franchise. At any rate, we all know that Don Baylor went on to have quite a bit of success as the manager of the Colorado Rockies, guiding them to three straight winning seasons and a playoff berth in the mid-90's.

Jim Leyland (April 1999)

Taking over for the ousted Baylor before the start of the season, Jim Leyland and the Rockies did not field the type of quality team that they were expected to field that year. Leyland's club stumbled to a 9-10 record out of the gates, and things only got worse from there. Colorado, who had legitimate expectations to be a playoff team, finished 72-90 and Leyland would not return the following season.

Buddy Bell (April 2000)

Bell, the third manager in the history of the franchise, didn't have a great first month as the Rockies' skipper, (mis)guiding them to an 11-14 record during that span. However, the team recovered nicely over the course of the next couple of months and if not for a ridiculous swoon in July that saw the club drop 22 of 29 games, the Rockies would have had a shot at the playoffs. Instead, they settled for their first winning record in three years (82-80). Bell would only last one more full season before losing his job in April of 2002 - the first time a Rockies manager had ever been fired in the middle of a season.

Clint Hurdle (April 2002)

The recently-dispatched Hurdle had a very strong first month as a manager, winning 20 out of 28 games after the club started 6-16. That first month included two 6-game winning streaks and only one losing streak which was the result of getting swept in Philly. The Rockies were obviously beneficiaries from the change right off the bat, but it didn't really last, as they still finished the season 16 games under .500. Of course, we all now know Hurdle's ultimate fate - just one winning season and seven years later.

Jim Tracy (May 2009)

Who knows if the Rockies will get a spark from the managerial change; the only thing we do know is that a mid-season change has only happened once before now, and it paid immediate dividends (though in the long run, it didn't change things much). At the very least, Tracy and the Rox got off to a good start today, and hopefully it turns into something they can hang their hats on.