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Colorado Rockies History: Wilin Rosario or Jeff Reed at Catcher?

By Kevin Henry |
Jun 25, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies first baseman Wilin Rosario (20) in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field. The Rockies defeated the Diamondbacks 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies first baseman Wilin Rosario (20) in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field. The Rockies defeated the Diamondbacks 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
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Apr 23, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of baseballs and glove prior to a game between the Kansas City Royals and the Baltimore Orioles at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 23, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of baseballs and glove prior to a game between the Kansas City Royals and the Baltimore Orioles at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /

About a month ago, we released our all-time Colorado Rockies 25-man roster. Trust us, it wasn’t easy to whittle the list down to 25 names. We knew we would be leaving some players off and opening ourselves up to debate about who belonged and who should stay in the dugout. You can see the 25 players we picked on our roster by clicking here.

More from Rox Pile

Earlier this week, our sister site at Call to the Pen released its version of the all-time Colorado Rockies 25-man roster. OK, fine. Looks like it’s time we compare notes and see where the differences lie in the two rosters. You can see their version by clicking here.

In all, our two rosters shared 21 of the 25 names. We only differed on four selections. This is the first of four articles that will let you decide which player is more deserving to be on the all-time 25-man roster.

We’ll start today behind the plate. Both Call to the Pen and Rox Pile tabbed Chris Iannetta as a catcher who belonged on the 25-man roster. However, after that, we differed. We took Jeff Reed while Call to the Pen selected Wilin Rosario.

On the following pages, we’ll lay out the arguments for and against each player and let you decide who was more deserving of the all-time honor. Then we’ll ask you to let us know your comments below.

Jun 25, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies first baseman Wilin Rosario (20) in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field. The Rockies defeated the Diamondbacks 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies first baseman Wilin Rosario (20) in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field. The Rockies defeated the Diamondbacks 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Wilin Rosario (Call to the Pen’s choice)

It’s safe to say that Rockies fans are going to remember Wilin Rosario more for what he couldn’t do (field a baseball) rather than for what he could do (hit a baseball). Rosario, who was affectionately referred to as the “baby bull” in Denver, was brought up in the Rockies organization as a top slugging prospect. But after leading the league in passed balls for three consecutive seasons, the front office and Rockies fans grew unimpressed.

Before he was labeled a defensive liability, however, people forget how promising Rosario was as a hitter and how he originally won our affection. In 2012, Rosario set a Colorado Rockies record for home runs by a rookie when he blasted 28 homers. Rosario would finish fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting that season. To follow up a stellar rookie campaign at the plate, Rosario would mash another 21 homers in 2013 to accompany a .292 average. Not long after that, however, Rosario’s defensive skills (or lack thereof) started to cut into his playing time and his contributions at the plate began to diminish as a result.

2015 would be Rosario’s last full season in Colorado as he only played in 87 games, hitting a meager six home runs with a .295 OBP.

Mar 5, 2015; Jupiter, FL, USA; A general view of baseballs on the field at Roger Dean Stadium prior to a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 5, 2015; Jupiter, FL, USA; A general view of baseballs on the field at Roger Dean Stadium prior to a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

Jeff Reed (Rox Pile’s choice)

Originally drafted 12th overall in the 1980 draft by the Minnesota Twins, Jeff Reed was largely a role-playing replacement catcher during his 17-year career. That was the case until landing in Colorado anyway, where he would start in 90 games or more in all three seasons he spent with the club. In 365 games played with Colorado, Reed hit for a .286 average and a .373 OBP. Both of those statistics are very impressive considering his career average was only at a .250 clip and his OBP was at .334.

Reed could hold his own on the defensive side as well, earning him the #2 spot on our recent list of top 5 catchers in Colorado history. To most Rockies fans, it comes as no surprise that a player would do better in Colorado offensively than what career averages suggest, but with Reed, the offensive boost was very significant. Reed’s career average OPS was .695, but during his Colorado tenure, Jeff’s OPS was at a very impressive .829. That is good enough to rank first all-time for a Rockies catcher. Reed never averaged an OPS above .700 with any other team.

Reed was a stable and fairly productive catcher for Colorado during his stint with the club. But, he has an even more significant role in Colorado’s history when he was an opposing player.

While playing for rival San Francisco, Reed was the last out recorded in the Rockies 1995 season. That out proved to be very significant indeed as it clinched the 1995 Wild Card playoff spot. The score of that game was 10-9. The out guaranteed the first playoff appearance in club history. The following offseason, Reed saw the light and joined the Rockies during free agency.

Next: The Top 5 Center Fielders in Colorado History

So who would you take, Rosario or Reed? Let us know in the comments below.

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