Rockies Retro: Colorado's All-Star History

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.

1997: Andres Galarraga, Larry Walker

The Big Cat made it back to the ASG after a three-year hiatus, but it was Larry Walker who best represented the club at this year's event. Walker participated in the HR Derby and put on a clinic, homering nine times in each of the contest's first two rounds. However, he ran out of gas at the end and ended up finishing as the runner-up to Tino Martinez, despite hitting three more homers overall. The following night, Walker started and went 0-for-1 with a walk, but had a memorable at-bat against Randy Johnson in which he turned his helmet backwards and batted from the right side of the plate after the Big Unit threw a fastball over his head. Galarraga struck out in his only AB.

1998: Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla, Larry Walker

At Coors Field in Denver, Vinny Castilla finished third in the HR Derby, hitting 12 homers through two rounds. For the fourth straight ASG, the Rockies had a player in the starting lineup. Walker was that man in '98, in front of 51,267 mostly Rockies fans. Walker was 0-for-1 with a walk and a run scored, while Bichette and Castilla combined to go 0-for-4 with a K.

1999: Larry Walker

This was the first year the Rox only had one player in the game since 1994. Walker hit just two homers in the Derby and was out in the first round. He started in LF the next night and went 0-for-2 and was one of the five consecutive NL batters who fell victim to Pedro Martinez via the punch out to start the game.

2000: Jeff Cirillo, Jeffery Hammonds, Todd Helton

The new-look Rockies sent three guys to the ASG who had never been there before. They didn't do much, however, as they combined to go 0-for-4 in reserve duty.

2001: Mike Hampton, Todd Helton, Larry Walker

Hampton earned the distinction of being the first Rockies pitcher ever to be named an All-Star. Helton participated in the Derby and hit just two homers - the longest of which was a 425' shot. Both Helton and Walker started in the ASG, but combined to go 0-for-4 with a K. Hampton pitched an inning and gave up a hit and an unearned run.

2002: Todd Helton

Helton was the only Rockies player to make it in '02, but he was voted in as a starter and represented the club well in the game. He hit an RBI single off of Roy Halladay in the third inning that scored Jimmy Rollins, and came around to score a run of his own when Barry Bonds homered in the next at-bat.

2003: Shawn Chacon, Todd Helton, Preston Wilson

Helton was voted in as a starter for the third consecutive season, and responded by hitting a two-run homer in the fifth inning off of Shigetoshi Hasegawa that put the NL up 2-1. Wilson tacked on a single for the NL in two AB's, as well. Chacon was a DNP due to an injury.

2004: Todd Helton

Helton was named to the team for the fifth straight time, but did not play. He has not made it to an All-Star Game since.

2005: Brian Fuentes

In '05, the Rox were one of those dreadful teams whose only All-Star is a relief pitcher. On top of that, Fuentes did not even pitch in the game, which has to be one of the only occasions in recent memory that a team went two straight ASG's without seeing any of its players appear in the game.

2006: Brian Fuentes, Matt Holliday

Holliday went 0-for-3 in his first ASG appearance, but Fuentes represented the Rox well as he pitched a scoreless inning and struck out Grady Sizemore.

2007: Brian Fuentes, Matt Holliday

Holliday fared well in the Home Run Derby, hitting 5 bombs in the first round and 8 in the second, and finished in a tie for third overall (with Albert Pujols) with 13 total homers - one of which traveled 475'. He proceeded to go 0-for-2 with a strike out in the game. Fuentes did not play due to injury.

2008: Aaron Cook, Matt Holliday, Clint Hurdle (manager)

Holliday got the NL on the board with a fifth inning home run off of Ervin Santana. He finished 1-for-3. Meanwhile, Aaron Cook threw THREE innings - an ASG rarity these days - of shutout ball despite having A LOT of traffic on the base paths (some the fault of his own - 4 hits and 3 walks, and some the fault of Dan Uggla, who committed 3 errors). Although the NL lost, the members of the Rockies organization fared extremely well in this contest.