Colorado Rockies Countdown: Top Five Shortstops

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Jul 9, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; A general view of the downtown Denver skyline in the sixth inning of the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Royce Clayton (2004, fWAR 1.2)

Royce Clayton is the shortest tenured Rockie to make it on our list. At age 34, Colorado signed the veteran in 2004 as a free agent. In 146 games played, Clayton batted .279 with 95 runs scored, 54 runs batted in while also leading the league in sacrifice bunts. In his lone season with Colorado, Clayton would post a fWAR above one for the last time in his career.

Royce enjoyed a 17 year major league career, but much like Juan Uribe he has primarily always been an average major leaguer. Defensively speaking Clayton was much than Uribe in comparison as he posted a .986 fielding percentage which was one of the better defensive years of his career.

Clayton’s best individual year came in 1997 when he was selected to the All-Star Game as a member of the Cardinals. Interestingly enough, in 2007 Clayton would be released late in the season by the Toronto Blue Jays only to be picked up by the eventual World Series champs Boston Red Rox. In case you’re forgetting, yeah 2007 was the year they won it in downtown Denver. On an interesting note, Royce Clayton played Miguel Tejada in the movie Moneyball.

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