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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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The Colorado Rockies throw baseballs
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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