Colorado Rockies: Remembering Larry Walker trade to St. Louis Cardinals

At the time, trading Walker felt like an end of an era. It was sad. All of the Blake Street Bombers were gone. The team hadn’t really contended for a decade. As fans, we wanted the best for Walker but we didn’t want him to go either. No matter who the front office traded for, the team felt worse off without Walker. Somehow the park wouldn’t feel the same without Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” blaring through the loud speakers as number 33 came to bat.

It never helped when Rockies fans heard what they’d be getting in return for their beloved right-fielder. The Rockies received three prospects in return. At the announcement of the trade, the Rockies were sent minor league pitcher Jason Burch and two players to be named. At that point, it felt like there was no point in it all. At the time of the trade, it didn’t seem like there’d be any silver lining for Rockies fans. It mostly stayed that way as the years went on. The two players to be named became lefty Chris Narveson and Luis Martinez. Rockies fans may have a hard time remembering them as all three never played a day in Rockies uniform.

The best thing to come out of the Walker trade was that it gave Matt Holliday an everyday chance to develop for the 2005 and 2006 campaigns to where he became an MVP-caliber piece to Rocktober in 2007. At least the Rockies didn’t get swindled again when he also played for the Cardinals.

In retrospect, this deal seems to only have taken place to give a legend the fitting sendoff he so rightly deserved. That’s what his number retirement ceremony would have been today at Coors Field in front of both of his former teams. But that’s okay. Why? Because we will be together once again at the ballpark in the eternal optimism that is the beginning of a new season. Whenever that comes again, it will only be that much sweeter to forever see Walker’s number at Coors Field and his plaque in Cooperstown. That’s the ending that matters most.