Colorado Rockies History: Bruce Ruffin or Jason Hammel at Pitcher?

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Sep 7, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; A general view of Coors Field in the second inning of the game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-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.

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.

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

In our first article, we looked 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. You can read our different reasonings here as we debate Reed versus Rosario.

In today’s article, we head to the mound to debate another difference of opinion. We took reliever Bruce Ruffin while Call to the Pen selected starter Jason Hammel. Two completely different pitchers who come with completely different credentials. Who would you take? Read our thoughts and let us know in the comments below.

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 /

Our pick: Bruce Ruffin

If the name Bruce Ruffin rings a bell, it’s because he tied a Major League record as Ruffin is the only Rockies player ever to strike out four batters in one inning. One of those strikeouts happened to be Sammy Sosa. You might also recognize Ruffin’s name because he is fourth on the Rockies career saves list, two saves ahead of a guy named Rafael Betancourt. The fact that Ruffin is a Rockies leader in saves is a bit surprising considering he came into the league as a starter with the Phillies. Ruffin started a total of 152 games over a 12-year career.

Ruffin helped break in the club in Colorado’s inaugural 1993 season. For that reason, Ruffin finds himself as the best Rockies southpaw of the 1990s. In that inaugural season, Ruffin did start 12 games for the club but was then used strictly as a reliever until his retirement from baseball in 1997. Over five years in Colorado, Ruffin was one of the more stable and consistent bullpen arms to come through Blake Street.

In total, Ruffin played in 246 games for the Rockies, posted a hearty 3.84 ERA and saved 60 ball games for the club. Before landing in Colorado, Ruffin played college baseball at the University of Texas, where he won a national championship. He then came up with the Phillies to start off the post-Steve Carlton era, earning an Opening Day start for the Phillies in 1990. All together, Ruffin put together a solid resume and found success in the Rockies pen.

Sep 19, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jason Hammel (39) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports /

Call to the Pen’s pick: Jason Hammel

Hammel signed with the Rockies in one of the best trades the club has ever made. In 2009, he was traded from Tampa Bay for prospect Aneury Rodriguez, who never pitched for the Rays. Hammel didn’t seem valuable to the Rays in 2008, pitching only 78.1 innings in the year the Rays reached the World Series. He did not pitch in the postseason that year.

The next year was a completely different story for Hammel. He pitched almost 100 more innings than the year before and spotted a 4.33 ERA, a 10-8 record and a chance to pitch in the first home game of the NLDS in 2009 against the Phillies with Ubaldo Jimenez and Aaron Cook drawing the starting assignments in Philadelphia.

Hammel started that game three well but ultimately gave up four runs in a one-run loss. He might have not been the best pitcher the Rockies ever had, but he gave a semblance and a hope that he could round out the rotation and make the pitching a positive rather than a detrimental piece of the team.

Next: The 5 Different Kinds of Rockies Fans

In all, Hammel pieced together a 27-30 mark during his three seasons in Denver with a 4.63 ERA. He started 87 of the 96 games in which he appeared for the Rockies.

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Our pick: Bruce Ruffin

Call to the Pen’s pick: Jason Hammel

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