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.