How the Colorado Rockies could have won the 2004 World Series

The 2004 Colorado Rockies and the actual NL champion in 2004 had one common player: a future Hall of Famer.

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In real life, the Red Sox would go to the World Series and defeat the St. Louis Cardinals in a four-game sweep to vanquish “The Curse of The Bambino.” Future Hall of Famer Larry Walker was traded from the Rockies to the Cardinals in the 2004 season but since the Rockies were not in the basement of the NL, he obviously was not traded.

The Red Sox team looked slightly different than the true 2004 team but all the big players were all still there: Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon, and Jason Varitek to name a few.

Again, I completely simulated the playoffs (and the regular season) to get a more accurate look on the team. The Rockies defeated the Red Sox in five games. In Game 5, the Rockies were down 1-0 in the ninth inning but Jeromy Burnitz had a walk-off, two-run home run to win the game and win the World Series.

The World Series MVP was Jeff Nelson. In the series, he had three saves and he did not allow a baserunner. Overall, in the playoffs, he pitched eight innings and he had eight saves with an opponent batting average of .043, two walks, and eight strikeouts. He finished the regular season with 51 saves.

I have to say, I was surprised that the team won the World Series, especially against the Red Sox. But it goes to show that when you’ve got health, a good offense, a passable pitching staff, a little bit of luck, and, in this instance, some nostalgia, you could have yourself a team that wins the World Series.