Rox Pile
Fansided

How the Colorado Rockies could have won the 2004 World Series

By Noah Yingling

17 Jun 2001: Larry Walker #33 of the Colorado Rockies at bat during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Rockies defeated the Reds 4-2.Mandatory Credit: Mark Lyons /Allsport
17 Jun 2001: Larry Walker #33 of the Colorado Rockies at bat during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Rockies defeated the Reds 4-2.Mandatory Credit: Mark Lyons /Allsport /
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Colorado Rockies Larry Walker(L) and Preston Wilson vs Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA on July 21, 2004. (Photo by Jon Soohoo/Getty Images)
Colorado Rockies Larry Walker(L) and Preston Wilson vs Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA on July 21, 2004. (Photo by Jon Soohoo/Getty Images) /

The offense for the 2004 Colorado Rockies was actually pretty good.

This was the offense, at the start of the game, with the designated hitter:

  1. Royce Clayton, SS
  2. Denny Hocking, 2B
  3. Todd Helton, 1B
  4. Preston Wilson, CF
  5. Larry Walker, RF
  6. Jeromy Burnitz, LF
  7. Vinny Castilla, 3B
  8. Charles Johnson, C
  9. Todd Greene, DH

The bench consisted of utility man Damian Jackson, infielder “Clint Barnes” (better known as Clint Barmes but apparently, they didn’t know it was Barmes, which is very odd), and outfielders Rene Reyes and Chris Richard. Obviously, the bench would need some help.

The starting pitching staff is not terrible on paper. In real life, you would not have taken that but it is partially because of injuries for one of the starters.

  1. Jason Jennings, SP
  2. Aaron Cook, SP
  3. Denny Neagle, SP
  4. Shawn Estes, SP
  5. Chin-hui Tsao, SP

Neagle was the best starting pitcher by overall rating and, therefore, my actual ace when I rearranged them by overall rating. However, in real life, with his injury issues and legal issues, he didn’t even play at all in 2004. I tried trading him to other teams but considering his large salary, that did not happen.

The bullpen looked like this:

  • Adam Bernero, long-reliever
  • Denny Stark, long-reliever
  • Jason Young, middle-reliever
  • Cory Vance, middle-reliever
  • Steve Reed, middle-reliever
  • Brian Fuentes, set-up man
  • Shawn Chacon, closer

Young and Vance had a combined 21 career MLB appearances so that’s part of the problem there. Bernero and Stark aren’t good either. Steve Reed is the only one that ended up staying.

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