History of the Colorado Rockies

Lore & Background

The history of the Colorado Rockies began in 1991 when an MLB expansion franchise for Denver was granted to an ownership group headed by John Antonucci. The team started play in 1993 in the NL West. The Rockies have reached the MLB postseason five times, three times as the National League wild card team (2007, 2017, 2018) and twice as division winners (1995, 2009). They have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs four times: in 1995, 2009, 2017, and 2018. In 2007, the Rockies advanced to the World Series, only to be swept by the Boston Red Sox.

Denver had a rich minor-league baseball history dating to 1885, and several earlier attempts to bring MLB to Colorado failed, including a proposed Continental League team in 1960 and rumored relocations of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Oakland Athletics. The Colorado Baseball Commission, led by Larry Varnell, secured voter approval of a 0.1 percent sales tax to help finance a new stadium. An advisory committee formed by Governor Roy Romer selected an ownership group led by John Antonucci and Michael I. Monus. On July 5, 1991, the National League approved Denver and South Florida as expansion sites for 1993. The name 'Rockies' was chosen due to Denver's proximity to the Rocky Mountains.

Ownership issues arose after a 1992 accounting and embezzlement scandal at Phar-Mor forced Antonucci and Monus to sell their stakes. For a time, the franchise might have moved to Tampa, Florida. Trucking-company executive Jerry McMorris became head of the ownership group, but his role diminished over time, and in 2005 he sold his stake to Charlie and Dick Monfort. The Rockies' first game was on April 5, 1993, a 3–0 loss to the New York Mets. Their first home win came on April 9, 1993, an 11–4 victory over the Montreal Expos before 80,227 fans, the largest regular-season MLB crowd to date. The team finished 67–95, a record for a National League expansion franchise, and set a major-league attendance record of 4,483,350.

Reader's Guide

The Colorado Rockies represent a significant expansion of Major League Baseball into the Mountain Time Zone, marking the league's first team in that region. Their creation followed decades of failed attempts to bring MLB to Denver, including the collapse of the Continental League and unfulfilled relocation rumors. The team's early years were defined by high-scoring offenses at Coors Field, exemplified by the 'Blake Street Bombers'—Andrés Galarraga, Dante Bichette, Larry Walker, and Vinny Castilla—who capitalized on Denver's thin air. The Rockies set enduring attendance records in their inaugural season, drawing over 4.4 million fans, a mark that still stands. Their 2007 World Series appearance, though resulting in a sweep by the Boston Red Sox, remains the franchise's deepest postseason run. Ownership instability, including the forced sale of original owners after a scandal and later financial troubles of Jerry McMorris, shaped the team's early governance. The Monfort family has controlled the team since 2005. The Rockies' legacy includes both on-field achievements and their role in expanding MLB's geographic footprint.

Did You Know?

• The Rockies set a major-league attendance record of 4,483,350 in their inaugural 1993 season, a record that still stands.
• The first home run in Rockies history was a leadoff home run by second baseman Eric Young in the first home game on April 9, 1993.
• The Rockies were the first MLB team based in the Mountain Time Zone.
• The team's name 'Rockies' was previously used by Denver's first NHL team, now the New Jersey Devils.

The Long Road to a Franchise

Denver's baseball roots stretch back to 1885 in the minor leagues, yet the city endured decades of frustration before a major-league club finally took root. In 1958, New York attorney William Shea floated the Continental League as a rival to the established majors, and by 1960 the venture announced eight teams—including one in Denver under Bob Howsam—set to open in April 1961. The league collapsed without a single game once the National League secured expansion deals for New York and Houston. Later, whispers of the Pittsburgh Pirates relocating after the 1985 drug trials and rumors of the Oakland Athletics moving to Denver both fizzled. By the late 1980s, though, the possibility felt tangible. The Colorado Baseball Commission, guided by banking executive Larry Varnell, won voter approval for a 0.1 percent sales tax to fund a new ballpark. Governor Roy Romer formed an advisory committee in 1990 to recruit owners. The selected group, led by Ohio beverage distributor John Antonucci and Phar-Mor head Michael I. Monus, was joined by local firms such as Erie Lake, Hensel Phelps Construction, KOA Radio, and the Rocky Mountain News. On July 5, 1991, the National League approved Denver as an expansion site for 1993, making the Rockies the first MLB team in the Mountain Time Zone.

Ownership Turmoil and Stability

The Rockies' ownership story began with a stumble. In 1992, an accounting and embezzlement scandal at Phar-Mor damaged Michael Monus's reputation, forcing both him and John Antonucci to divest their stakes. For a period, no credible Denver-based buyers emerged, and the franchise appeared headed for Tampa, Florida before it had even taken the field. Trucking executive Jerry McMorris stepped in as the public face of the ownership group, though his relationships with fellow partners grew strained and his influence waned over time. The 1999 collapse of his trucking company and the legal fallout that followed only deepened his difficulties. By 2005, McMorris was compelled to sell his share to Charlie and Dick Monfort, former ConAgra executives whose family meatpacking and distribution business had been acquired by ConAgra in 1987. Charlie had served as team CEO since 2003, and Dick had been vice chairman since 1997. In 2011, Dick Monfort succeeded his brother as both chairman and CEO, bringing a degree of stability to a franchise that had weathered more than a decade of ownership uncertainty.

The Inaugural Season and Mile High Magic

The Rockies' first game arrived on April 5, 1993, at Shea Stadium against the New York Mets, with expansion-draft pick David Nied starting on the mound. Denver fell 3-0. Four days later, at Mile High Stadium, the team captured its first victory, an 11-4 rout of the Montreal Expos, with Bryn Smith earning the win over his former club. The game's most electric moment came in the bottom of the first inning when second baseman Eric Young launched a leadoff home run. The crowd of 80,227 set a record for the largest single regular-season MLB attendance that still stands. The season was otherwise a struggle typical of a first-year expansion club: a 2-17 stretch in May and no winning month until September's 17-9 run. Yet the Rockies finished with 67 wins, a National League expansion record. First baseman Andrés Galarraga won the batting title at .370 after manager Don Baylor convinced him to switch from a closed stance to an open one, letting him square up and track pitches more effectively. Home attendance of 4,483,350 set an MLB record.

Postseason Appearances and the 2007 Heartbreak

Since their 1993 debut, the Rockies have reached the MLB postseason five times, four of those entries coming as National League wild-card teams. The franchise was eliminated in the first round three times: in 1995, 2009, and 2017. The defining moment, however, came in 2007, when Denver advanced all the way to the World Series only to be swept by the Boston Red Sox. That four-game series remains the franchise's deepest postseason run and its most painful loss. The wild-card path that carried the Rockies to the playoffs on four occasions underscores how often the team found itself on the bubble rather than commanding a division outright. Despite the repeated first-round exits and the 2007 sweep, those five October appearances stand as the franchise's most significant collective achievement, a testament to the talent and altitude advantage that periodically elevated Denver above its division rivals and delivered unforgettable moments for the fan base at Mile High.

Gallery