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Well, not really, but it is amazing how connected the club is to both starting quarterbacks in this game.
If you're not aware, the Rockies and longtime friend Todd Helton gave Peyton Manning a place to recuperate inside the walls of Coors Field when he was recovering from neck surgeries during the NFL lockout in 2011. This experience likely helped sway Manning's decision to eventually sign with the Denver Broncos. Manning had the following to say about the time he spent with the Rockies in this piece from Jim Caple.
"I was truly a Rockie. I had my own locker. Cuddyer is using my locker now. He didn't ask for my permission but I guess it's OK. It was a great week. I'm indebted to the Rockies because I needed a place to work during the lockout.
"The whole Rockies organization, I can't thank them enough for opening their arms up to me last year when I was truly an outsider."
I you want even more on this story, check out this video.
Then on the other side of field, we have Russell Wilson, who was taken by the Rockies in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB draft and later posted a .366 on base percentage as a second baseman for their single A affiliate in Asheville in 2011.
Here's what this means. Less than three years ago, the Rockies had not one, but BOTH starting quarterbacks for this year's Super Bowl inside of their organization. Stop and think about how ridiculous that is for just a moment - And perhaps even stranger, it's not like the Rockies just started getting quarterbacks inside of their organization. Todd Helton played quarterback in college, Seth Smith played quarterback in college, Matt Holliday was a prep star in Stillwater, Oklahoma and signed to play at Oklahoma State before choosing baseball. This club even drafted Michael Vick at one point.
In fact, the Rockies have gotten so good at getting snap callers inside their organization, the quarterbacks they've drafted in their brief history have now won more NFL playoff games than all the quarterbacks the Broncos have drafted in their franchise history spanning back decades.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry about this but it certainly is interesting. This club that can't find a way to win its own division even once found a way to get two quarterbacks inside the organization at the same time less than three years before they met in the Super Bowl.
Who knows? Maybe their next move is grant Brett Anderson his wish.
Hey @Rockies just spitballing here..but there should be a team-building trip to the Super Bowl.
— Brett Anderson (@BrettAnderson49) January 19, 2014
Links
Kyle Parker, another Rockies' quarterback (why not?) is spotlighted in this article from Bernie Pleskoff. Pleskoff loves Parker's raw power and believes that many of his swings and misses come from late pitch recognition and not slow hands, leaving open the possibility for him to continue to improve as he gets more at bats while only concentrating on baseball. If everything works out, he could provide some real pop off the bench later this season.
Jay Jaffe of Sports Illustrated grades the Rockies off season so far. Like many here at Purple Row, he doesn't quite understand the Dexter Fowler trade, but believes the rest of the moves are solid enough to generate a better season in 2014.
Chris Cobb of Yahoo sports talks about the importance of Rockies rotation. If you've been here all off season, there's not going to be anything new in there, but it is nice to see a national writer understand the drop off that existed in 2013 between the very productive top of the Rockies rotation and the eyesore that was a carousel of inefficiency at the number five slot.
As noted before, Rafael Betancourt wants to pitch again for the Rockies - And only for the Rockies. It's going to be tough for him to make a comeback this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last August, but it looks like Betancourt is going to give this comeback try a go, and if he's successful, he'll be on the mound at Coors Field again either at the very tail end of this season, or in 2015.
And finally today, we have the most optimistic outlook I've seen for the Rockies in quite some time. Justin Millar from MLB Daily Dish believes that before long, Colorado could threaten the Dodgers for NL West supremacy.