2012 Hall of Fame Ballot Announced

Here is the ballot for the 2012 Hall of Fame.  4 former Rockies are included in bold. *CORRECTION* 6 former Rockies (I forgot the short stints of Murphy and Womack).

Jeff Bagwell
Jeromy Burnitz
Vinny Castilla
Juan Gonzalez
Brian Jordan
Barry Larkin
Javy Lopez
Edgar Martinez
Don Mattingly
Fred McGriff
Mark McGwire
Jack Morris
Bill Mueller
Terry Mulholland
Dale Murphy
Phil Nevin
Rafael Palmeiro
Brad Radke
Tim Raines
Tim Salmon
Ruben Sierra
Lee Smith
Alan Trammell
Larry Walker
Bernie Williams
Tony Womack  
Eric Young

I think Barry Larkin makes it this year as a solo act, but big gains for Morris and Raines (and hopefully McGriff and Walker) will eventually get them enshrined also.  Bernie Williams is probably the only first timer that will see a second ballot.


Who (if anyone) do you think will make?  Who should make it?

Quarry Cards #'s 49-58

Here is the final installment of this year's Colorado team featuring the final 7 players along with 3 "bonus" cards. There are some truly great photos in this grouping.  Check them out.

Click for #'s 1-8, 9-16, 17-24, 25-32, 33-40, 41-48.

#49 Ian Stewart

Stewart was expected to take the next step to stardom this year.  Instead, he had a horrible year including being demoted after hitting .156 with 0 home runs in 48 games.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Stewart was the NL Rookie of the Month for July 2008.

#50 Huston Street

Street had a "rocky" year, losing his closing duties following an injury.  By the numbers, Street's year was not that bad with a 3.86 ERA and 29 saves.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Street was the 2002 College World Series Most Valuable Player.

#51 Eric Stults

Stults signed in the offseason with the Rockies following a season in Japan.  He appeared in 6 games posting a 6.00 ERA.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Stults is the first alumnus of Bethel College to play in the big leagues.

#52 Troy Tulowitzki

Tulowitzki had another superstar season as the latest franchise player for Colorado.  He hit .302 with 30 homers in 143 games to go along with Gold Glove winning defense.
Quarry Fun Fact:  In 2009, Tulowitzki became the 2nd player to complete both an unassisted triple play and hit for the cycle in his career following John Valentin.

#53 Alex White

White, a key piece in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade, had a steep learning curve in 2011 with an 8.42 ERA in 7 starts with the Rockies.
Quarry Fun Fact:  White was the 2006 North Carolina High School Player of the Year.

#54 Ty Wigginton

Wigginton was acquired to be a backup corner infielder for 2011, but injuries and poor play forced him into a regular starting position.  He hit .242 with 15 homers in 130 games.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Wigginton is the only UNC-Asheville player to ever play in the majors.

#55 Eric Young Jr.

Young once again served as the Rockies "jack of all trades" playing several positions throughout the year.  He hit .247 in 77 games.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Eric Young and his father, Eric, are the only father-son tandem to ever play for the Rockies.

#56 Jim Tracy

Tracy, the 2009 NL Manager of the Year, will enter his 4th season with the Rockies in 2012.  It is the final year of his contract and, without marked improvement, will probably be his swan song in Denver.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Tracy's son, Chad, led AAA with 109 RBIs for with the Rangers affiliate in Round Rock.

#57 Rockies Team

After an April in which the Rockies looked like the best team in the majors, Colorado was one of the most disappointing teams in either league finishing with a record of 73-89.
Quarry Fun Fact:  The 55 players used were the most in Rockies history surpassing 53 in 2007.

#58 Moment of the Year

On August 5th, Juan Nicasio was hit in the right temple by a line drive off the bat of the Nationals Ian Desmond.  The force and the resulting fall caused a fracture of the C1 vertebrae, an often fatal break.  11 days following that incident, Nicasio (along with his mother) stood on the mound and received a well deserved standing ovation from the Coors Field crowd.  As of now, he is preparing to return to pitching in Spring Training 2012.

Well that finishes up the hodgepodge collection of this year's Colorado Rockies.  It is hard to pick a favorite picture out of this group.  The card collector in me says the EYJr. is the best, while the nerd in me (is that different?) loves the Star Wars hazing team photo, but the human being in me says nothing tops a loving son and his grateful mother.  The Stewart and Tracy photos are also great, while the Street photo is simplistically nice.

I hope everyone enjoyed this visual look back at the 2011 Rockies season.  If all goes well, I do plan on doing this again following next year.  (I already have the set designed)  With consistency in mind, I hope the set will not be as large in 2012.

Quarry Cards #'s 41-48

Welcome back to Part 6 of 7 of the 2011 Quarry Cards Colorado Rockies team set.  This group consists of several of the type of player that was the main reason for my attempting this project, middle relievers.   These guys deserve cards too.

Click for #'s 1-8, 9-16, 17-24, 25-32, 33-40.

#41 Greg Reynolds

Reynolds had another opportunity to justify his high draft selection, but had a 6.19 ERA in 13 games.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Reynolds was the 2nd overall pick in the 2006 draft.

#42 Matt Reynolds

Reynolds was one of manager Jim Tracy's favorite bullpen options in 2011, appearing in 73 games with a 4.09 ERA.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Reynolds attended Austin Peay State University...Let's Go Peay.

#43 Josh Roenicke

Roenicke was picked up off waivers from the Blue Jays in June and proved to be a nice pick up for the bullpen.  He had a 3.78 ERA in 19 games.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Roenicke's father, Gary, played in the majors for 12 years mainly with the Orioles.

#44 Esmil Rogers

Rogers won the fifth starter job out of Spring Training, but had a rough season due to inconsistency and injury, going 6-6 with a 7.05 ERA.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Rogers was originally signed as a shortstop, but changed in his 4th year in pro ball.

#45 J.C. Romero

Veteran reliever Romero was well traveled in 2011.  He was signed and released by 3 other teams before joining the Rockies in August.  He had a 4.32 ERA in 12 games for Colorado.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Romero pitched for Puerto Rico in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.

#46 Wilin Rosario

Rosario is regarded as one of the top prospects in the Rockies organization.  He hit .204 with 3 dingers in 16 games in September.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Rosario shares a hometown with Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol.

#47 Seth Smith

Smith established himself as a quality big leaguer as he hit .284 with 15 homers in 147 games.
Quarry Fun Fact:  At the University of Mississippi, Smith served as backup QB to Eli Manning.

#48 Ryan Spilborghs

 

Spilborghs had a very disappointing season as the 4th outfielder.  He hit only .210 with 3 home runs before a bout of plantar fasciitis ended his season early.

Quarry Fun Fact:  Spilborghs played his college ball at UC-Santa Barbara.

Of these pictures, my favorite has to be the Spilborghs even with the bad lighting.  There should be more bubbles on baseball cards.  For those of you that might be curious about the red caps, they were worn during the 4th of July series against the Royals.  How could you not know that?  Didn't everyone tune in for the Rockies-Royals series this year?  

I'll be back later with the final installment of the 2011 Quarry Cards set.  As always, let me know what you think.

Quarry Cards #'s 33-40

Continuing with the madness that was the 2011 Rockies season.  Here is Part 5 of 7 mostly consisting of rookies.

Click to see #'s 1-8, 9-16, 17-24, 25-32.

#33 Jose Morales

Morales was the Rockies primary back up catcher before a broken thumb ended his season after 22 games.
Quarry Fun Fact:  After he fractured his thumb, Morales remained in the game and threw out a baserunner.

#34 Clayton Mortensen

Mortensen, acquired in Spring Training from Oakland, served as a dependable long reliever/spot starter for the Rockies posting a 3.86 ERA in 16 games.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Mortensen was once traded from the Cardinals to the A's for Matt Holliday.

#35 Chris Nelson

Nelson is a perennial prospect for the Rockies that just can't find a position with the big league club.  Despite that, he hit .250 with 4 homers in 63 games.
Quarry Fun Fact:  In high school, Nelson took over at shortstop for current Red Brandon Phillips.

#36 Juan Nicasio

Nicasio was enjoying a very productive rookie season, before suffering a scary neck injury, with a 4.14 ERA in 13 starts.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Nicasio shares a hometown with former big leaguer Stan Javier.

#37 Jordan Pacheco

Pacheco is proving to be a very versatile asset for the Rockies.  He played 4 different positions, including catcher, in 21 games while batting .286.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Pacheco attended the same high school as actors Neil Patrick Harris and Freddie Prinze Jr.

#38 Matt Pagnozzi

Pagnozzi played in 7 games in mid-summer hitting .286 before being waived.  He ended the season in Pittsburgh.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Pagnozzi's uncle, Tom, was a longtime catcher for the Cardinals.

#39 Felipe Paulino

Paulino was acquired from the Astros for fan favorite Clint Barmes.  He didn't fare well in a transition to the bullpen and was sold to KC after going 0-4 with a 7.36 ERA in 18 games.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Paulino had 4 walk-off losses in the month of May for the Rockies.

#40 Drew Pomeranz

Pomeranz, the prized prospect in the Ubaldo trade, pitched well down the stretch with a 2-1 record in 4 September starts.

Quarry Fun Fact:  Pomeranz' brother Stuart was in the Dodgers' minor league system in 2011.

Kind of a middling group of photos here with my favorite being the Morales.  It is also hard to go wrong with catchers and middle infielders with neat pictures.  Interesting side note for Dodger fans.  The Paulino photo was taken during a home run trot by either Kemp or Ethier (I forget which one I cropped out). 

Quarry Cards #25-32

Let's continue on through the midway point of the 2011 Quarry Cards set.  This section is packed with guys that are no longer Rockies.  Of the 8, 4 are on new teams and 3 are free agents not expected back.

Click here to see #'s 1-8, 9-16, 17-24.

#25 Ubaldo Jimenez

Jimenez had an up and down year with the Rockies going 6-9 in 21 starts before being dealt to Cleveland in a deadline deal.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Jimenez was the second Rockie ever to receive the NL Pitcher of the Month following Shawn Chacon.

#26 Alan Johnson

Johnson was called up in April to start the second game of a doubleheader against the Cubs.  He allowed 5 runs in 4 innings of work before being sent back to AAA for the remainder of the season.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Johnson made the majors despite going undrafted in 2005 from Mississippi State.

#27 Kevin Kouzmanoff

Kouzmanoff was acquired in late August from the A's to shore up 3B.  He hit .255 in 27 games with Colorado.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Kouzmanoff was the first player ever to hit a grand slam on the 1st big league pitch he saw.

#28 Matt Lindstrom

Lindstrom was one of the most reliable relievers for the Rockies in 2011.  He had a 3.00 ERA in 63 games.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Lindstrom threw the final (in-game) pitch in Shea Stadium in 2008.

#29 Jose Lopez

Lopez, acquired in the offseason from the Mariners, hit .208 in 38 games before being released in early June. 
Quarry Fun Fact:  Lopez was twice named Mariners Minor League Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002.

#30 Jim Miller

Miller returned to the Rockies, the team that originally drafted him, in 2011.  He had a 2.57 ERA in 6 games.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Miller was traded in 2008 from the Rockies to the Orioles for Rodrigo Lopez.

#31 Kevin Millwood

Veteran starter Millwood joined the Rockies in August and posted a 3.98 ERA in 9 starts.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Millwood has a Little League field named for him in his hometown of Gastonia, NC.

#32 Franklin Morales

 

Morales caused many headaches for Rockies fans in 2011 before being pawned off on the Red Sox in May.

Quarry Fun Fact:  In 2011, Morales finished tied for 11th in the AL with 4 pickoffs.

I LOVE the bobblehead photo for Ubaldo.  The Kouzmanoff and Millwood photos are also fairly interesting.  Of this group, only Lindstrom is on the Rockies current roster, although Millwood might be brought back as well.

Let me know what you think.

2011 Quarry Cards #'s 17-24

Continuing with the 2011 Colorado Rockies yearbook.  This group contain the only 2 players that I could not find an in-game shot for.  One of the two is my very first attempt at airbrushing.  Let me know how it turned out.

Click to see #'s 1-8 and 9-16.

#17 Jason Giambi

Giambi once again proved a valuable bench commodity for the Rockies, blasting 13 homers in 64 games.
Quarry Fun Fact: Giambi was named one of the 10 most superstitious athletes by Men's Fitness.

#18 Hector Gomez

Gomez was a surprise September call up due to Troy Tulowitzki's injury.  He played in 2 games at SS, getting 2 hits.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Gomez hails from the shortstop factory in San Pedro de Macoris.

#19 Carlos Gonzalez

Gonzalez bounced back from an injury and slump filled first half to finish the 2011 season with 26 homers and 92 RBIs.
Quarry Fun Fact: Gonzalez won the 2010 Luis Aparicio Award given annually to the best Venezuelan player.

#20 Edgar Gonzalez

Gonzalez quietly joined the Rockies for 1 game in 2011.  He pitched 2 innings in relief and surrendered 2 runs.
Quarry Fun Fact: Gonzalez was the 2002 Rookie of the Year in the Mexican Pacific League.

#21 Jason Hammel

Hammel had an up and down 2011 season.  He struggled as a starter going 7-13 before moving into a long relief role.
Quarry Fun Fact: Hammel was 5th in the NL with 14 sacrifice hits in 2011.

#22 Todd Helton

Helton had a nice comeback season in 2011 from several years of injury hitting .302 in 127 games.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Helton's knee injury in 1994 opened the door for Peyton Manning to be starting QB at Tennessee.

#23 Jonathan Herrera

Much like the team in general, Herrera got off to a very hot start in 2011 before cooling off in summer and eventually being replaced at second by Mark Ellis.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Herrera is from the same hometown in Venezuela as Carlos Gonzalez.

#24 Chris Iannetta

 

Iannetta played in a career high 112 games while batting .238 (.370 OBP) with 14 homers as the Rockies primary catcher.

Quarry Fun Fact:  Iannetta is 1 of only 3 active major leaguers born in Rhode Island.

I am a big fact of the Helton photo.  I have a lot of Helton cards and I don't think any of them are of him sliding into home.  It is odd that the catcher seems to have disappeared though.  I also love the colorful rain slickers in the Giambi photo.  As always your comments are very appreciated.

Something That Had Never Happened Before

On Monday, the Colorado Rockies traded expensive (though not surprising) disappointment Ty Wigginton and cash to the Philadelphia Phillies for a PTBNL or cash.  Basically, the Rockies paid the Phillies to take Wiggy.  This is normally one of those minor transactions that you would read in the newspaper and then forget about shortly thereafter.

I expected Wigginton to get moved at the trade deadline during the season, but when that didn't happen I KNEW he would be traded during the offseason.  So, that is not the noteworthiness of this trade.  The fascinating aspect of this deal is that this is the first ever trade between the Rockies and Phillies.  Eighteen years in the league and not a single trade had ever happened between the two clubs.  The Phillies were the second team this year that had their first trade with the Rox following a spring training deal with the Pirates for Josh Fields (who was released shortly thereafter).

Big deal you say?  Well, the significance of this is that the Phillies were the final team in the majors with which the Rockies hadn't made a single trade.  To me, this is a huge deal that says the Rockies are a part of the league now.  There were children born on the day of the Rockies first game that voted this past Election Day.  Face it, the Rockies are now a franchise with a history with every other team.

Which team now has gone the longest without a trade currently?  That would be the Evil by the Bay.  Yes, in July 1998 the Giants stole Ellis Burks for Darryl Hamilton and two others. 

One of the many, many reasons that the Giants are my least favorite team.

2011 Quarry Cards #'s 9-16

Let's continue with the next set of eight 2011 Colorado Rockies.

Once again the legal mumbojumbo.
DISCLAIMER: I would like to point out that the photos taken were not taken by me.  These cards are not for sale.  They are just made for my (and hopefully your) enjoyment.

Click here to see #'s 1-8.

#9 Aaron Cook

Cook had a rough season with the Rockies going 3-10 with an ERA over 6.00.
Quarry Fun Fact: Cook surrendered the 3,000th hit of Craig Biggio in 2007.

#10 Matt Daley

Daley was the least successful member of the "Matt-pen" with an ERA of 10.50 in 7 games.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Daley attended Bucknell University, the alma mater of Giants great Christy Mathewson.

#11 Jorge de la Rosa

De la Rosa was on his way to a fantastic year before requiring Tommy John surgery in May. 
Quarry Fun Fact:  Pitched for Monterrey Sultanes of the Mexican League in 2000.

#12 Mark Ellis

Ellis was acquired by the Rockies in late June to take over at second base.  He had a fairly successful transition to the NL after 9 years in Oakland.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Ellis was portrayed by actor Brent Dohling on the big screen in Moneyball.

#13 Edgmer Escalona

Escalona had a good year as a fill-in reliever with a 1.75 ERA in 14 games.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Escalona portrayed Chewbacca in the Rockies rookie Star Wars hazing.

#14 Tommy Field

Field was a September call up for the Rockies hitting a respectable .271 in 16 games.
Quarry Fun Fact: Field was a First-Team All-Southland Conference player in 2008 for Texas State University.

#15 Dexter Fowler

Fowler had a nice recovery to his 2011 season after a June demotion to AAA finishing with 55 extra base hits.
Quarry Fun Fact:  Fowler was a member of the bronze medal winning 2008 U.S. Olympic baseball team.

#16 Cole Garner

 

Garner played in 4 games in July for the Rockies, hitting .222 with 3 RBIs.

Quarry Fun Fact:  Garner was a high school teammate of fellow Rockie Ian Stewart.

I personally love the Matt Daley photo.  Although the Ellis, Field, and Fowler photos are also great.  What is your favorite of this group?