3 of the biggest one-hit wonders in Rockies franchise history

The Rockies though they found a pitcher that could wrangle the thin air in Colorado during Joe Kennedy's 2004 season

This might be unfair as Kennedy actually had a decent career that was cut short with a very tragic ending at a young age. He spent his first five seasons with the then, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and they were pretty forgettable seasons. He compiled an 18-31 record with a 4.98 ERA; he struggled but he could eat some innings (149.1 average innings pitched with Tamp Bay). It all ended with a tough year that saw his ERA skyrocket over six.

He was traded to the Rockies before the 2004 season and boy did he make the Devil Rays pay for it immediately. The 25-year-old wasn't expected to put up great numbers considering he had struggled in Tampa Bay and was now headed for the hardest park to pitch in, in all of baseball. He seemed to have proven that theory wrong, when he went 9-7 over 162.1 innings pitched with an incredible 3.66 ERA. His walk and strikeout numbers were about the same, but he managed an impressive nine hits per nine and a stellar .9 HR/9. It still stands as one of the better single seasons from a Rockies pitcher in franchise history.

It seemed the Rockies had found a pitcher that could manage the thin air in Colorado. With a young crop of elite talent (Holliday and Tulo) either debuting or set to debut, paired with veterans like Todd Helton, it semed like the Rockies had found a starting pitcher that could really help them contend. Unfortunately, the following year, Kennedy couldn't find the same success. Over 92 innings, he had an ERA over seven while surrendering more than 12 hits per nine innings before being sent to Oakland in a trade that acquired Eric Byres.

Between 2006 and 2007, Kennedy would throw 145.2 innings with three different teams, with an ERA over four, before one of the most unfortunate events happened. Kennedy got up in the middle of the night and collapsed, later passing away due to a heart condition. Kennedy looked to be a promising young lefty that would've been a valuable arm for the Rockies throughout their mid-2000's title aspirations, but like most pitchers, he just couldn't beat the beast that is Coors Field.

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