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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BRONX, NY- AUGUST 8: Pitcher Jeff Nelson #43 of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch during eighth inning against the Seattle Mariners in the American League game at Yankee Stadium on August 8, 2003 in the Bronx, New York. The Yankees defeated the Mariners 9-7. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
BRONX, NY- AUGUST 8: Pitcher Jeff Nelson #43 of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch during eighth inning against the Seattle Mariners in the American League game at Yankee Stadium on August 8, 2003 in the Bronx, New York. The Yankees defeated the Mariners 9-7. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) /

There’s one guy I always trade for bullpens in mid-2000s video games and I did that for the 2004 Colorado Rockies.

A good tip for the old video games is to acquire Jeff Nelson for your bullpen. He’s got an above-average fastball and a wipeout slider that make him great in the game and a cheap closer. He was one of the most underrated relievers of the late 90s and early 2000s with some phenomenal teams. He will prove to be a huge part of the game and the 2004 Rockies.

The only game I played in the entire season was Opening Day. The Rockies won 7-2 as Neagle faced Randy Johnson of the D’Backs. Neagle does not have great control so some pitches were not great but he scattered 10 hits in 5 innings, giving up those two runs. The bullpen was great in four innings while I was playing, I realized that outside of Tavarez and Nelson, none of them topped 85 MPH with their fastball. But it worked in the game and during the season.

After Opening Day, I simulated the entire season, including the playoffs. Entering June, the Rockies were 2.5 games back of the NL Wild Card spot and 4.5 back of the Padres in the NL West. In June, Charles Johnson went on the DL for a month with fractured knee cap and Jason Jennings was out for two months with a hernia.

I called up reliever Nelson Cruz from AAA and elevated Elarton from long reliever to fifth starter and Tavarez from middle relief to long relief. Todd Greene started as catcher for the month and I called up JD Closser from AAA for the bench until Johnson returned in July.

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