2007 World Series Nostalgia? Maybe Not Tonight

Reid Compton-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a while since Rocktober. Granted, there are franchises that have suffered for longer periods of time between World Series appearances. But still, it’s been a while, and with the 2013 World Series starting tonight, I can’t help but think back on when the Colorado Rockies made their only appearance in the Fall Classic.

On many nights it would be nostalgia, remembering how cool it was to actually see our team in the World Series. It would be thinking back to pretending to be sick, something that would otherwise be a big deal for this goody-two-shoes, and not even feeling a little bad about it because it was game one of the freaking World Series and the Rockies were actually taking part. 

But not tonight. Tonight I’m thinking about how quickly things change. I’m thinking about just how brief that stint at the top was for certain guys. Not really nostalgia…it’s just kind of a bummer, frankly.

I can blame Joe Buck. Maybe I should, because it was his mention of Matt Holliday as a member of those Rockies that got me thinking about this. That 2007 sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox was still recent enough that you would think Holliday and Troy Tulowitzki aren’t the only key players from that roster who are still at the tops of their respective games. Then you look at the roster, and well, it gets kind of depressing…

Manny Corpas – the unhittable closer for that team. Was recently let go from the Rockies’ 40 man roster, cleared waivers, and would like to return. Bear in mind, this team is desperate for bullpen help…and yet it is Corpas expressing interest in the Rockies, and not the other way around.

Jeff Francis – on again, off again relationship with the Rockies in recent years. The 2013 version of the Rox needed help badly in the 4th and 5th spots in their rotation. It is in that context that the team still told Francis “no thanks” and sent him out to the bullpen for mop-up duty. Six years ago he started game one of the World Series in Fenway Park, just like Adam Wainwright did tonight for the St. Louis Cardinals…and now here we are.

Ryan Spilborghs – struggled this year…in Japan…

Brad Hawpe – out of baseball

Garrett Atkins – out of baseball

Ubaldo Jimenez – rediscovered his dominance at the end of the 2013 season, but in the meantime went through a stretch where he was completely lost. Also, he tried to fight Tulo.

This is obviously only a small sampling from that roster, and some guys have followed the more predictable arcs of productive baseball players. But it is a jarring reminder how quickly things change in baseball, and just how much we should have soaked up that magical run in 2007. Because this wasn’t that long ago, so it doesn’t feel like things should be so much different for these players.

Then again, if this wasn’t that long ago, it feels like it’s way too soon for the Rockies to have already bottomed out. And that already happened…more than once…

So yea…happy World Series everybody!