Five Rockies who were always worth the price of admission

In today’s Denver Post, Rockies beat writer Patrick Saunders made a case for the team to retire Carlos Gonzalez’s number. It’s an interesting read, as Saunders makes a compelling case for putting No. 5 on the facade in centerfield.

During his time in Colorado, Cargo was always a fan favorite. He had a flair for the dramatic, was a five-tool player and put up monster numbers. But is he worthy of being just the second player to have the ultimate team honor bestowed upon him, joining Todd Helton on the very short list of Rockies with their number retired by the franchise?

There are a number of ways to gauge who should and shouldn’t received such honors – stats, accolades, the eye test. All are viable criteria, but they aren’t without their problems. Numbers lie, awards tend to have an East Coast bias, views can be clouded by all sorts of preconceived notions.

So a more subjective method might be the best way to make this determination. And since the whole point of professional sports is to provide entertainment, especially to the hometown fans, answering one question is all that matters: Was a player worth the price of admission?

There have been multiple Rockies who have been great to watch on a nightly basis. But these five were above the rest, making a trip to Coors Field a memorable experience more often than not:

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5. Ubaldo Jimenez – During his five-plus seasons in a Rockies uniform, Jimenez posted a 56-45 record, to go along with a 3.66 ERA. While those numbers might not appear glossy at first glance, they’re pretty stellar when it comes to the franchise’s history. Jimenez still sits atop the Rockies all-time list in more than a dozen statistical categories, including ERA, WHIP and WAR. But beyond the numbers, he also proved that a pitcher could be dominant despite pitching at Coors Field. His 2010 season was one for the ages, as Jimenez was 15-1 at the All-Star break and on the hill for the National League in the Midsummer Classic. He also threw the only no-hitter ever by a Rockies pitcher, tossing the gem in April of that season against the Braves. Jimenez had electric stuff; watching him deal was always a treat.

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4. Charlie Blackmon – During his first eight seasons with the Rockies, Chuck Nasty has been an All-Star four times. In large part, that’s because he’s been the premier lead-off hitter in the National League during his tenure in Colorado. Blackmon hits for average (.302 during his career), has power (highlighted by a 37 home run season in 2017), seems to always be on base (posted a league-leading 387 total bases in ’17) and is sneaky on the bases (averaging 22 stolen bags per year). He’s also been an above average outfielder, largely having to patrol the expansive centerfield at Coors Field. All of this has combined to make Blackmon a fan favorite throughout his career in Colorado, to the point that mangy beards have become en vogue during his time donning No. 19.

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3. Larry Walker – When it comes to hitters in Rockies history, few have been better than Walker. In fact, he sits atop almost every statistical category that isn’t greatly impacted by longevity. During a decade in Colorado, Walker became the team’s all-time leader in batting average (.334), on-base percentage (.426) and slugging percentage (.618); those marks will be difficult to top, even by players who benefit from playing half of their games every season at Coors Field. Walker was a five-tool player, evidenced by the four All-Star appearances, five Gold Gloves and to Silver Slugger awards he earned during his time with the Rockies. But it was his 1997 campaign that sets Walker apart from most of the players in team history. That year, he hit .366, belted 49 home runs, drove in 130 runs, stole 33 bases and won a Gold Glove; it’s nearly impossible to have a better season, which is why Walker became the only player in franchise history to win a National League Most Valuable Player award that year.

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2. Carlos Gonzalez – Cargo came to Colorado prior to the 2009 season as one of the centerpieces from a trade that sent fan favorite Matt Holliday to the Oakland A’s. As a result, the pressure was on for him to justify the move. It didn’t take long for him to deliver. In 2010, Gonzalez proved that his sweet left-handed swing could post monster numbers at Coors Field. That season, he won the National League batting title by hitting .336, while also belting 34 homers and driving in 117 runs. As a result, he easily won a Silver Slugger award that year. But what made Gonzalez special was the fact that he was a five-tool player. Case in point, he also won a Gold Glove in 2010, while stealing 26 bases. He finished third in the MVP race that year, behind Joey Votto and Albert Pujols, a sign of just how special that season was in Colorado. While he never quite reached those kinds of numbers again, Cargo’s decade in Denver did see him hit .290, swat 227 homers, drive in 749 runs and swipe 118 bags; that all-around production, as well as his canon right arm gunning out runners from right field, made Gonzalez a joy to watch every night.

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1. Nolan Arenado – During his first six seasons with the Rockies, it would be difficult to be more productive than Arenado. He’s won the Gold Glove every year he’s been in the big leagues, proving that he’s the best third defensive baseman of his generation. Some would even argue that he’s the best of all-time at his position, in the conversation with the likes of Brooks Robinson. That remains to be seen, but it speaks volumes that Arenado is perhaps more fun to watch in the field than he is at the plate; and he’s been pretty darn good with a bat in his hands, too. In the past six years, Arenado has led the National League three times in home runs, twice in RBIs and one in doubles. So it should come as no surprise that he’s been selected to each of the past four All-Star teams, has won four straight Silver Slugger awards and has finished eighth, fifth, fourth and third in the NL MVP voting since 2015. No other player in Rockies history has been able to make the claim as the best all-around player in baseball across an extended period of time, but Arenado has been in that conversation for nearly half a decade. At only 28 years old, there’s no telling how long he’ll remain one of the best in the game.

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Honorable Mention: Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla, Andres Galarraga, Todd Helton, Matt Holliday, Trevor Story, Troy Tulowitzki