Past & Present: All-time Rockies All-Stars

The Colorado Rockies will be as well-represented as they ever have been at the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field next week, sending three players to the festivities with two of them participating in the Home Run Derby and two starting the All-Star Game itself.

With that in mind, here's a look back at the Rockies All-Star representatives throughout the years and how they've performed in the game and/or Home Run Derby:

1993:

Home Run Derby Participants: None
All-Star Game Participants: Andres Galarraga

On his way to a batting title, Galarraga became the first Rockies All-Star in the 1993 game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. The Big Cat entered the game in the sixth, replacing NL starting first baseman John Kruk. He popped out to shortstop in the eighth against Rick Aguilera in his only at bat of the 9-3 loss for the NL.

1994:

Home Run Derby Participants: Dante Bichette
All-Star Game Participants: Dante Bichette

With 21 home runs at the All-Star Break in 1994, Bichette became the first Rockie to participate in the Home Run Derby at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium. He hit three home runs, tying Houston's Jeff Bagwell for fifth place among the eight participants. Ken Griffey Jr. Won the Derby with seven long balls.

Bichette also represented the Rockies in the All-Star Game that season, becoming the first Rockie to get a hit in the Midsummer Classic, leading off the bottom of the fifth with a pinch-hit single against Mike Mussina. It was his only at bat of the game as the NL won, 8-7, in 10 innings.

1995:

Home Run Derby Participants: None
All-Star Game Participants: Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla (starter at 3B in place of Matt Williams)

Vinny Castilla became the first Rockie to start an All-Star Game when he was selected by NL manager Felipe Alou to replace the injured Matt Williams at third base for the game at The Ballpark in Arlington. Castilla went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and a ground out before being replaced in the sixth by Bobby Bonilla. Bichette also represented the Rockies for the second straight year, entering the game in left field in the seventh as a replacement for Barry Bonds. He struck out against Jose Mesa in the ninth in his only at bat of the NL's 3-2 win.

1996:

Home Run Derby Participants: Ellis Burks
All-Star Game Participants: Dante Bichette (starter in RF), Ellis Burks, Eric Young

Burks hit 22 home runs in the first half of the 1996 season and was rewarded with a berth in the Home Run Derby. He hit just one home run in the contest at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, which was won by Barry Bonds.

In his third-straight All-Star appearance, Bichette became the first Rockies player voted by the fans as a starter. He went 1-for-3 with a double in the sixth inning against Texas' Roger Pavlik, who was inexplicably an All-Star despite his 4.82 ERA in the first half of the '96 season. Burks entered the game in the sixth and went 1-for-2 with a double against the White Sox' Roberto Hernandez. Young entered the game as a pinch runner for Craig Biggio in the sixth, staying in the rest of the way at second base, going 0-for-1 as the NL won 6-0.

1997:

Home Run Derby Participants: Larry Walker
All-Star Game Participants: Andres Galarraga, Larry Walker (starter in RF)

In the midst of his MVP season in 1997, Walker participated in the Home Run Derby at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, launching 19 long balls in total, but losing in the finals to Tino Martinez.

In the game, Walker provided one of the most memorable moments in All-Star game history, putting his helmet on backwards and batting right-handed against Randy Johnson in the second inning, eventually drawing a walk. He also grounded out before leaving the game in the fifth inning. Galarraga had a pinch-hitting appearance in the eighth, striking out against Baltimore's Randy Myers as the NL lost, 3-1.

1998:

Home Run Derby Participants: Vinny Castilla
All-Star Game Participants: Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla, Larry Walker (starter in CF)

Vinny Castilla was selected to participate in the Home Run Derby in his home park in 1998, hitting 12 home runs at Coors Field, more than any other NL player, but not enough to beat Griffey.

Walker started his second straight All-Star Game, this time in center field, again going 0-for-1 with a walk. Castilla replaced Chipper Jones at third base in the sixth, going 0-for-2, and Bichette entered the game in the seventh for Barry Bonds, also registering an 0-for-2 at the plate as the AL took home a 13-8 win.

1999:

Home Run Derby Participants: Larry Walker
All-Star Game Participants: Larry Walker (starter in RF)

Walker participated in his second Home Run Derby in three years, but hit just two home runs out of Fenway Park as Griffey won the Derby for the second straight year.

He was also elected as a starter for his third straight All-Star Game as the lone Rockies representative. He went 0-for-2 before being replaced by Luis Gonzalez in the fourth inning of the NL's 4-1 loss.

2000:

Home Run Derby Participants: None
All-Star Game Participants: Jeff Cirillo, Jeffrey Hammonds, Todd Helton

In the midst of his epic 2000 season, Todd Helton made his first All-Star appearance at Turner Field in Atlanta, pinch-running for Galarraga in the fourth inning and manning first base for the rest of the game, going 0-for-2 at the plate. Hammonds got a pinch-hit appearance in the third, flying out against Chicago's James Baldwin. Cirillo replaced Chipper Jones at third base in the sixth, popping out against Todd Jones in his only at bat of the NL's 6-3 loss.

2001:

Home Run Derby Participants: Todd Helton
All-Star Game Participants: Mike Hampton, Todd Helton (starter at 1B), Larry Walker (starter at DH)

This was the only time notorious doubles hitter Todd Helton was selected for the Home Run Derby, and he hit just two home runs at Safeco Field in Seattle as Arizona's Luis Gonzalez took home the Derby win.

For the first time in franchise history, a Rockies pitcher was selected to the All-Star Game, and it was $120 million man Mike Hampton. Hampton threw the fifth inning for the NL, allowing an unearned run thanks to an error by Jeff Kent. Helton and Walker both started the game for the NL, Helton elected by the fans at first base and Walker selected by NL manager Bobby Valentine to DH. Both of them went 0-for-2 as the NL lost, 4-1.

2002:

Home Run Derby Participants: None
All-Star Game Participants: Todd Helton (starter at 1B)

Helton played in his third straight All-Star Game and was voted by the fans to start his second straight in 2002. He went 1-for-2 with a single in the third inning against Roy Halladay and scored on a Bonds home run in the infamous 7-7 tie in Milwaukee.

2003:

Home Run Derby Participants: None
All-Star Game Participants: Shawn Chacon (missed game due to injury), Todd Helton (starter at 1B), Preston Wilson

Helton got his third straight All-Star start in 2003 and hit the first All-Star home run in Rockies history, a two-run shot in the fifth against Seattle's Shigetoshi Hasegawa. Preston Wilson entered the game at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago in the bottom of the inning and got a single of his own in the sixth against Mark Mulder of the A's. Chacon was selected to the game by NL manager Dusty Baker, but was unable to participate in the 7-6 NL loss due to injury.

2004:

Home Run Derby Participants: None
All-Star Game Participants: Todd Helton

Helton was the lone Rockies representative at the 2004 Midsummer Classic in Houston, he had a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth and struck out against Mariano Rivera, who closed out a 9-4 win for the AL.

2005:

Home Run Derby Participants: None
All-Star Game Participants: Brian Fuentes

The Rockies only All-Star in the 2005 game at Comerica Park in Detroit was the first relief pitcher the franchise ever sent to the All-Star Game. Fuentes did not appear in the 7-5 NL loss.

2006:

Home Run Derby Participants: None
All-Star Game Participants: Brian Fuentes, Matt Holliday

Unlike his trip in 2005, Fuentes did make an appearance in the 2006 All-Star Game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. He retired Grady Sizemore, Ichiro Suzuki and Derek Jeter in order in the top of the sixth. Holliday pinch hit in the third inning of his first All-Star appearance and stayed in right field, going 0-for-3 as the AL won, 3-2.

2007:

Home Run Derby Participants: Matt Holliday
All-Star Game Participants: Brian Fuentes (missed game due to injury), Matt Holliday

Holliday became the first Rockie in six years to participate in the Home Run Derby, hitting 13 home runs over two rounds at AT&T Park in San Francisco, coming just one long ball short of the finals in a Derby eventually won by Alex Rios.

For the second time in three years, Fuentes went to the All-Star game but did not make an appearance. Holliday pinch hit in the sixth and again stayed in to play right field, going 0-for-2 at the plate in a 5-4 NL loss.

2008:

Home Run Derby Participants: None
All-Star Game Participants: Aaron Cook, Matt Holliday (starter in RF, replacing Alfonso Soriano), Clint Hurdle

After winning the 2007 pennant, Hurdle had the privilege of managing the 2008 NL All-Stars and brought Cook with him to Yankee Stadium and selected Holliday to replace the injured Soriano in the NL lineup. Holliday went 1-for-3 in the game with a solo home run off of the Angels' Ervin Santana in the fifth inning. Cook entered the game in the 10th, pitching three scoreless innings in a game the NL would go on to lose, 4-3, in 15 innings.

2009:

Home Run Derby Participants: None
All-Star Game Participants: Brad Hawpe, Jason Marquis

Brad Hawpe entered the 2009 All-Star Game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis in the fifth, replacing Raul Ibanez. In his first at bat, he was robbed of a go-ahead home run by Carl Crawford in the seventh inning of a 3-3 game. He also struck out in the ninth inning of the AL's 4-3 win. Marquis was selected to the All-Star team, but did not get in the game.

2010:

Home Run Derby Participants: None
All-Star Game Participants: Ubaldo Jimenez (starting pitcher), Troy Tulowitzki (missed game due to injury)

In another first for the Rockies, Jimenez was selected by NL manager Charlie Manuel as the starting pitcher of the 2010 All-Star Game in Anaheim. He pitched two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk with one strikeout, helping the NL to a 3-1 win. Tulowitzki was selected to the game as well, but missed out with a broken wrist.

2011:

Home Run Derby Participants: None
All-Star Game Participants: Troy Tulowitzki (starter at SS, replacing Jose Reyes)

After missing the 2010 Midsummer Classic with an injury, Tulowitzki was selected to start the 2011 game at Chase Field in Arizona by NL manager Bruce Bochy in place of Jose Reyes. He went 1-for-2 in the game, leading off the fifth inning with a single against the Angels' Jordan Walden in a 5-1 NL win.

2012:

Home Run Derby Participants: Carlos Gonzalez
All-Star Game Participants: Carlos Gonzalez (starter at DH)

Gonzalez was selected by NL captain Matt Kemp to participate in the 2012 Home Run Derby in Kansas City. He hit four home runs and was eliminated in the first round of a Derby won by Detroit's Prince Fielder.

He also was chosen by NL manager Tony La Russa to start the All-Star Game at DH for the NL. He went 0-for-2 with a strikeout before being removed for a pinch hitter in the fourth inning of the NL's 8-0 win.

2013:

Home Run Derby Participants: Michael Cuddyer, Carlos Gonzalez
All-Star Game Participants: Michael Cuddyer, Carlos Gonzalez (starter in OF), Troy Tulowitzki (starter at SS)

For the first time in franchise history, the Rockies have a pair of players in the Home Run Derby and a pair of players voted into the All-Star starting lineups by the fans in 2013. The Rockies will have the biggest presence during this year's All-Star festivities that they have ever had, which can only mean good things going forward.