Colorado Rockies: A look at All-Star snubs throughout their history

Throughout the history of the Colorado Rockies (and most MLB franchises, in general) they have had at least one player per season that could have conceivably been All Stars. This year was no exception.

Both the Rockies and their fans were not too happy that neither reliever Adam Ottavino nor Kyle Freeland were named All-Stars this season. You could even argue that Tyler Anderson could have been an All-Star as well.

For Ottavino, he ends the first half of the season with a 1.62 ERA in 41 games. His FIP is also excellent (2.13) as is his WHIP (0.925) and ERA+ (294). He’s allowing less than five hits per nine innings, less than four walks (which is much better than the 6.6 walks per nine innings that he had last year), and he is striking out nearly 14 batters per nine innings.

Freeland is 8-6 with a 3.11 ERA in 19 starts where he has averaged more than six innings a start. His ERA+ is 153, he has a FIP of 4.08, and an opponent batting average of .238.

Anderson is 6-3 with a 3.72 ERA in 20 starts. He’s averaging about 5 2/3 innings per start. He has a FIP of 4.13, a WHIP of 1.205, and his opponents are hitting .234 against him.

Ottavino not making the team has raised the most stink but it is something that is not an uncommon thing for the Rockies in their franchise history. Let’s look at some of the other instances where this has happened in Rockies history.

In 1994, the Rockies also only had one All Star in Dante Bichette. If you look at his numbers, his trip to Pittsburgh for the All-Star Game that year was well deserved. However, Andres Galarraga was one of a few snubs on the Rockies that year. He posted first half numbers that were very similar to that of Bichette.

Another snub was center fielder Mike Kingery. Kingery did not play at all in 1993 but the Rockies signed him in 1994 and he played very well in the first half. In particular, his slash line was very good.

However, as you can see by his games started, though, he only started 50 games. That is the primary reason why he was not an All-Star that season.

For the first time in their short franchise history, in 1995, the Colorado Rockies would make the postseason by winning the National League Wild Card spot with a 77-67. They were 39-30, which was good enough for first place in the NL West. In fact, they were ahead of the Dodgers by 5 games.

However, they only sent two All-Stars to Arlington, Texas and the Ballpark in Arlington. They would get their first starter in the game, though, as Vinny Castilla started for the National League squad and batted eighth for Montreal Expos Felipe Alou (who was the NL manager because the Expos had the best record in baseball before the player’s strike, that began in August, wiped out the rest of the regular season, all of the postseason, spring training of 1995, and reduced the 1995 season to a 144 game schedule.

The Rockies other All-Star was Dante Bichette.

The Rockies could have had many more, though. One of them could have been reliever Steve Reed, who finished the 1995 season with a WAR north of 4.0. Here’s a look at his first half.

Another Rockie that could be an All-Star was another member of the Rockies bullpen. Darren Holmes (who is actually the Rockies bullpen coach now) had a very good first half of the season as well.

With Reed and Holmes not being regular closers, though, neither one of them were selected as All-Stars. Holmes finished the season with 14 saves but there were seven different Rockies who recorded a save that season, including the Rockies ace, Kevin Ritz, who also could have been an All-Star.

He started 28 games for the Rockies but also made three relief appearances, which included two saves (both were in the second half, though). Here’s a look at his first half stats.

As you can see by the tOPS+, with it being lower than 100 (which is equivalent to his full season stats) in the first half, he faded in the second half, though. The sOPS+ is in relation to everyone else in the league.

The Rockies had even more snubs outside of pitching.

Outside the realm of pitching, the Rockies had two other players that put up numbers that could have made them All-Stars. One of them was a frequent All-Star game snub: Andres Galarraga…and he put up pretty good numbers in the first half.

He finished the season with 31 home runs and 106 RBI. Another snub was Rockies outfielder, Larry Walker. His snubbing was even more egregious, especially if you look at his slash line.

At the end of the season, he came in 7th place in NL MVP voting. He finished with 36 home runs, 101 RBI, a .306 AVG, an OPS of .988, and an OPS+ of 131.

So, even though the 1995 Rockies only had two All-Stars, they realistically could have had up to seven.

In 1996, the Rockies improved on their All-Star number as they had three representatives for the team at the All Star game held at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium. They had Dante Bichette (who started in right field for manager Bobby Cox and the National League), Ellis Burks, and Eric Young.

As we mentioned on the previous slide, though, Andres Galarraga was a frequent snub for the All-Star Game and 1996 was no exception. Take a look at his first half numbers from 1996.

As you can see by the tOPS+, he did even better in the second half of the season (100 is his whole season). However, as shown by the sOPS+ (which is in comparison to everyone else in the league), he was still very good.

He finished the season with 47 home runs, 150 RBI (both of which led the NL), a .304 AVG, an OPS of .958, and a 127 OPS+.

Another snub was across the diamond from him: third baseman Vinny Castilla, who also posted pretty good first half numbers

Castilla finished the season with 40 home runs, 113 RBI, a .304 AVG, and an OPS of .892. He would not garner a single vote for NL MVP.

In 1997, the All-Star Game was held in Cleveland (where it will also be held next season). The Rockies had two representatives for the team in Cleveland: Larry Walker (who started in right field and faced Randy Johnson batting right handed and his helmet turned backwards) and the oft-snubbed first baseman Andres Galarraga.

The Rockies could of (and perhaps should have) had more All-Stars. One of which was Vinny Castilla, who was snubbed in 1996 as well.

He was the epitome of consistency in 1996 and 1997 as in both seasons, as you can see below.

Another possible snub was Dante Bichette.

However, if you look at the rest of his slash line after his average, it is more understandable of why he was left of the team.

1998 was the year that the Rockies hosted the All-Star game at Coors Field. At the time, Coors was in it’s 4th season of play. For comparison now, it is the third oldest stadium in the National League, behind only Wrigley Field (1914) and Dodger Stadium (1962).

The Rockies had three players who were All-Stars in 1998, which included Larry Walker (who started in center field for Marlins manager Jim Leyland (who became the Rockies manager in 1999) and the NL), as well as Dante Bichette, and Vinny Castilla.

They still did have some a snub, though, in first baseman Todd Helton, who was in his rookie season.

Here’s a look at Helton’s first half of the 1998 season.

Helton put up a good first half of the season but really picked it up in the second half, as you can see by his tOPS+. Look at his monster numbers from the second half.

He came in second in NL Rookie of the Year voting, only to Kerry Wood, the young pitching phenom who set the NL record for strikeouts in a game with 20 against the Houston Astros that May in a one-hit shutout.

In 1999, the Rockies only had one All-Star representing them at Fenway Park in Boston and that was Larry Walker, who started in right field for Padres manager Bruce Bochy and the NL squad.

However, Todd Helton very well could have been an All-Star as well as he put up some stellar numbers in the first half.

As you can see by the tOPS+, he put up even better numbers in the second half of the season.

Another Rockie that put up good numbers in the first half was Dante Bichette.

Even though he had a good first half of the season, as you can see again by tOPS+, his second half was even better.

With the turn of the century and millennium, the Rockies, under new manager Buddy Bell, were able to get three All-Stars to represent them at Atlanta’s Turner Field. However, all three were on National League manager Bobby Cox’s bench. They were Todd Helton, third baseman Jeff Cirillo, and outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds (the latter two were in their first seasons as Rockies).

They, again, did have more deserving candidates but, surprisingly, all were pitchers.

Lefty-one-out-guy (aka LOOGY) Mike Myers, in his first season in purple pinstripes, pitched very well in the first half of the season. However, it was in limited innings (21 2/3 innings in 37 games).

The other guy is also a lefty reliever. Gabe White was actually acquired by the Rockies after the season had started (April 7) from the Cincinnati Reds. He pitched very well out of the Rockies bullpen, though, as his ERA before the break was less than 2.00.

As you probably know, though, relievers that aren’t closers have a very hard time getting to the All-Star game, as shown by Adam Ottavino this season.

Even though it was not a great year for the Rockies in 2001 (73-89), they did have three All-Stars, including Larry Walker, who was the DH for Mets manager Bobby Valentine and his NL squad, who were facing the AL at Seattle’s Safeco Field. The other two Rockies were Todd Helton and Mike Hampton, who had a good first half but an atrocious second half (7.46 ERA in 14 starts after the break).

The only other player that the Rockies had that perhaps, was All-Star worthy, was third baseman Jeff Cirillo. His slash line and sOPS+ are the stats in particular that show that he may have been snubbed.

2002

The 2002 Rockies started off their season with a 6-16 record and as a result, fired manager Buddy Bell and replaced him with hitting coach Clint Hurdle. Hurdle would go 67-73 with the Rockies finishing their second consecutive season with 73 wins.

However, in 2001, the Rockies only had one All-Star in first baseman Todd Helton, who started for D’backs manager Bob Brenly and the NL in Milwaukee’s Miller Park.

However, Helton’s teammate, Larry Walker was an obvious snub for the All-Star game. Just look at his stats for the first half.

And if you look at his month by month stats, June and July were great months for him…and it’s the months in which most of the voting happens and the decision making.

Another Rockie that could have been considered was Jose Jimenez (3.30 ERA, 24 saves) but with the way stats were viewed at the time (essentially, wins, losses, and ERA) and his record was 2-5, it’s part of the reason why he did not make it.

In 2003, the Rockies had three All Stars representing them at, what was at the time called, Comiskey Park (later known as U.S. Cellular Field and now known as Guaranteed Rate Field), the home of the Chicago White Sox. Their reps were Todd Helton (shocker), pitcher Shawn Chacon, and outfielder Preston Wilson.

Even though the Rockies were not good, they surprisingly still could have had a few more All-Stars. In fact, it could be argued that the entire Rockies outfield that year should have been All-Stars. One of them was Larry Walker. He did not have as strong of a year as he did in 2002 but still pretty good.

Another outfield snub was Jay Payton, who put up the best numbers he would have in his career.

Out of the bullpen, Brian Fuentes had numbers that were pretty good too.

Todd Helton was, yet again, an All-Star in 2004 and this time, he was, like in 2002, the Rockies only representative. In something that you’ve probably noticed by now, a few more Rockies could posted numbers that could have made them an All-Star.

One of them in 2004 was Rockies third baseman, Vinny Castilla, who was in his second tenure with the team. His numbers looked like this entering the All-Star break.

Rockies outfielder Jeromy Burnitz also put up very good numbers in the first half of his first season in a Rockies uniform.

2005

In 2005, the game was held at Comerica Park in Detroit and the Rockies, yet again, only had one All-Star in Brian Fuentes. As a result, for the first time since 1999, Mr. Rockie Todd Helton did not represent the team at the All-Star game.

However, that doesn’t mean that doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t have been. Here are his first half stats.

2006

The 2006 ASG was at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park and the Rockies had two representatives: Brian Fuentes and Matt Holliday. Again, Helton was the main snub on the Rockies. Here are the first half stats for him.

Another Rockie that posted really good numbers in the half of the season was Brad Hawpe.

Third baseman Garrett Atkins was another Rockie that posted really good numbers in the first half of the season.

The 2007 Rockies, as you probably know, made it all the way to the World Series. You probably also know that they did a lot of their damage in the second half of the season. As a result, they only had two All Stars in San Francisco for the All Star Game in Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes.

They really could have had four total. First off, Brad Hawpe was snubbed for the second consecutive year after he posted great numbers in the first half.

Also, Todd Helton was also snubbed again.

Other guys like Jeff Francis, Garrett Atkins, Troy Tulowitzki, and Manny Corpas posted good overall seasons but particularly with the last three, they did much better in the second half of the season, like most of the team.

2008

The Rockies also had two All-Stars in 2008 in outfielder Matt Holliday and first-time All-Star starter Aaron Cook. However, one guy that you probably wouldn’t think of for being an All-Star and you probably forgot about in general is Taylor Buchholz.

Again in his case, though, he is hurt by the fact that he was not a closer.

2009

For the 2009 Rockies, they only had two All-Stars in starter Jason Marquis and outfielder Brad Hawpe, both of whom were first time All-Stars.

The Rockies had a lot of other snubs, though. One of them was Todd Helton. Here’s what his first half stats looked like.

In addition, Rockies closer Huston Street also had pretty good numbers.

There were some other guys like Troy Tulowitzki and Ubaldo Jimenez had good second half but not as good of a first half.

2010

The Rockies, again, had two All Stars in Ubaldo Jimenez and Troy Tulowitzki. The Rockies were not that good in 2010 so there are not really many others that could have been All-Stars.

However, there was one player that really should have been on the team. That was Carlos Gonzalez. You can see it with his stats.

As you can see by his tOPS+, he did even better in the second half. He eventually came in third in the National League MVP voting and he also won a Silver Slugger Award and Gold Glove Award.

2011

The All Star Game was held in Phoenix in 2011 and the Rockies only had one All Star in shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who started for the NL squad.

The Rockies, yet again, did have other players that could have been All-Stars, though.

Perhaps the biggest snub was the oft-snubbed Todd Helton. These were his first half numbers.

Another snub was outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, who put up these numbers in the first half.

Also, a member of the Rockies starting pitching staff put up good numbers in the first half in Jhoulys Chacin.

2012

The Rockies were not a good team at all in 2012, as they ended up going 64-98. As you may expect with a team that is that bad, they only had one All-Star in Carlos Gonzalez, who started as the NL’s DH.

His teammate in the outfield, center fielder Dexter Fowler, also had numbers that could have made him an All-Star.

The only real possible guy who could have also been considered was Rafael Betancourt (2.84 ERA) but with only 15 saves, he wasn’t one of the league’s top closers.

2013

2013 was an interesting year for the Rockies and the All Star game. They ended up going 74-88 on the season, so it was not particularly good but they had three All-Stars…and all three were in the starting lineup (Troy Tulowitzki at shortstop, Carlos Gonzalez in left field, and Michael Cuddyer as DH).

The Rockies did have two players in their pitching corps that could have been named All-Stars.

The first one is starter Jhoulys Chacin, who after an injury plagued 2012 season, had a good 2013 season.

The other is lefty reliever Rex Brothers. Even though his tenure with the Rockies ended up being short lived and not great, the first half of the 2013 season was very successful for him.

In 2014, the Rockies had two All Stars that represented them at Target Field in Minneapolis in Charlie Blackmon (who got his first All Star nod) and Troy Tulowitzki (who started the game at shortstop).

Again, the Rockies had a few guys that were snubbed from the team. First off, first baseman Justin Morneau had a great start to his Rockies career with these numbers.

He didn’t make the All Star team in the US but, as you can see above, he went to Japan after the season was over and was a part of the “MLB All Stars” team.

Corey Dickerson, who was in his first full season at the major league level, was another guy who put up some good numbers in the first half.

The Rockies also had LaTroy Hawkins as a closer, and he pitched very well in the first half of the season.

2015

The Rockies had three of their four infielders as All Stars in 2015, as Nolan Arenado, Troy Tulowitzki, and DJ LeMahieu all represented the Rockies in Cincinnati.

The Rockies probably should have had another All Star in Charlie Blackmon, as he also posted some great numbers in the first half of the season.

2016

In 2016, the Rockies had two All Stars in Carlos Gonzalez, who started in left field, and Nolan Arenado.

The Rockies, per usual, had some players that were worthy of being an All Star.

One of them was Charlie Blackmon, who put up yet another good first half.

Another Rockie that was snubbed was rookie shortstop Trevor Story who, had he been able to stay healthy, would have probably won the NL Rookie of the Year award.

His double play partner, DJ LeMahieu, was also snubbed after posting these numbers in the first half of the season.

2017

Last season, the Rockies started off the season red hot and, as a result, the Rockies had four All Stars, which is the most in their franchise history.

The name that you probably remember the most in being snubbed is Mark Reynolds, as he was one of the final five players on the NL Final Vote.

Here’s what his first half of the season looked like.

Another guy that could have been an All Star was reliever Chris Rusin. Even though it may not seem like it now since he has struggled a lot in 2018, he was much better in the first half of 2017.

More from Colorado Rockies History

• Colorado Rockies: What if Todd Helton had played football instead?
• The plane crash that changed this Colorado Rockies broadcaster’s life
• The Colorado Rockies have their own “Bobby Bonilla Day” deferred salaries
• Colorado Rockies: Is Ezequiel Tovar on a Troy Tulowitzki-like path to the majors?
• Colorado Rockies: Is the 2022 NL West the best division ever?

Final Thoughts

As you can see throughout our extensive look at the Rockies and their snubs, there’s at least one player every year that is looked over.

Whether or not that’s because Denver is not New York City, Boston, or LA, just an ignorance of how to quantify stats in relation to all the other parks (be it for a lack of stats/info 10+ years ago or now), or just other players being better in the NL that year, Kyle Freeland and Adam Ottavino being left off the All Star Game roster is an oversight.

Next: What worked for the Rockies in 2018 before the All Star break?

For me, personally, I think it’s a little of all of the above.