Colorado Rockies: Memories of Key Players at Double-A Tulsa

Nolan Arenado

2012 for Tulsa: .285 average, 12 HR, 56 RBI in 134 games

Best game: April 5 at San Antonio: 4-for-5, 3 RBI

“Nolan’s season in Tulsa reminded me a lot of the one Matt Holliday had in Tulsa. Going into the 2012 season, everyone thought Nolan was going to tear up Texas League pitching and be gone in a month. The bar was set high, really as high as it ever was for anyone during the Colorado Rockies days with the Drillers.

“In the field, he was good but not great. You could see the Gold Glove potential on some plays but the consistency just wasn’t there. It was a mixed bag, but he was also very young when he came to Tulsa. He was just about to turn 21 when he got here.

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“Hitting-wise, you’d see flashes but he didn’t really tear it up at the plate. His numbers were OK but, when you look back now, you wonder how Nolan Arenado could only have 56 RBI in a full season at Double-A? And just 12 homers? The RBI count is still mysterious to me.

“He seemed to be really pushing but had a talk with (former Colorado general manager) Dan O’Dowd later in the season and that seemed to help him.”

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