History of Colorado Rockies in Timeline

The Colorado Rockies are a professional baseball team based in Denver, Colorado, competing in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) West Division. Their home games are played at Coors Field in downtown Denver. The team is owned by the Monfort brothers and managed by Bud Black.

1922: Philadelphia Phillies Record

In 2018, the Rockies became the first team since the 1922 Philadelphia Phillies to play in four cities against four teams in five days.

1955: Denver Bears Replacement

In 1955, the original Denver Bears (or Grizzlies) of the Western League were replaced by a Triple-A team of the same name.

1958: Continental League Proposal

In 1958, New York lawyer William Shea proposed the Continental League as a rival to the existing major leagues.

1960: Continental League Announcement

In 1960, the Continental League announced it would begin play in April 1961 with eight teams, including one in Denver.

April 1961: Continental League Abandonment

In April 1961, the Continental League was supposed to begin play, but it quickly evaporated when the National League reached expansion agreements with New York City and Houston.

1985: Pittsburgh Pirates Purchase Attempt

Following the Pittsburgh drug trials in 1985, there was an unsuccessful attempt to purchase the Pittsburgh Pirates and relocate them.

January 1990: Coors Brewing Partnership

In January 1990, Colorado's chances for a new team improved when Coors Brewing Company became a limited partner with the AAA Denver Zephyrs.

1991: Franchise Granted

In 1991, a Denver ownership group was granted a Major League Baseball franchise, later named the "Rockies".

1992: Ownership Change

In 1992, Michael Monus and John Antonucci dropped out of the ownership group due to scandal, and Jerry McMorris stepped in to save the franchise.

1993: Colorado Rockies Join NL West

In 1993, Colorado joined the NL West, leading to a rivalry with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

1993: Keli McGregor joins the Rockies

In 1993, Keli McGregor joined the Rockies organization and worked his way up.

1993: Inaugural Season

In 1993, the Colorado Rockies began play, sharing Mile High Stadium with the Denver Broncos.

1993: Attendance Record

In 1993, the Colorado Rockies set an all-time Major League record for attendance, drawing 4,483,350 fans.

1993: Expansion Team Debut

In 1993, the Colorado Rockies were established as an expansion team and began their inaugural season, playing their home games at Mile High Stadium.

1993: Alternate Black Uniform Debut

In their inaugural 1993 season, the Colorado Rockies briefly wore an alternate black uniform.

1993: Rockies Begin Play in NL West

Since the Rockies began play in 1993, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants have combined for 21 division titles, often thwarting the Rockies' postseason ambitions.

1995: Coors Field Completion

In 1995, Coors Field was completed, becoming the new home of the Colorado Rockies.

1995: Move to Coors Field

In 1995, the Colorado Rockies moved to their new home at Coors Field, which soon gained a reputation as a hitter's park.

1995: Playoff Elimination

In 1995, the Colorado Rockies were eliminated in the first round of the MLB playoffs.

1997: AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain Begins Televising Games

From 1997, most regular season games were produced and televised by AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain.

1997: Jackie Robinson's Number Retired Throughout Baseball

In 1997, Jackie Robinson's No. 42 was retired throughout all of baseball.

1998: Arizona Diamondbacks Founded

In 1998, the Arizona Diamondbacks were founded, becoming the newest team in the league and intensifying the rivalry with the Rockies.

2000: Numerals Added to Home Uniform

In 2000, numerals were added to the chest of the Colorado Rockies' home uniform.

2000: Purple Alternate Uniform Unveiled

In 2000, the Colorado Rockies unveiled a purple alternate uniform, featuring "Colorado" in silver with black and white trim.

2000: Road Uniform Changes

In 2000, the Colorado Rockies' road uniform underwent changes, including replacing piping with pinstripes and adding black trim.

2002: Alternate Pinstriped Uniforms

From 2002, the Colorado Rockies wore alternate versions of their pinstriped white uniform, with the interlocking "CR" on the left chest.

2002: Keli McGregor becomes team president

In 2002, Keli McGregor rose from senior director of operations to team president.

2004: Vest Design Introduction

In 2004, the Rockies introduced a vest design with black undershirts for their alternate pinstriped uniform.

2005: Black Sleeveless Uniform Introduction

In the 2005 season, the Colorado Rockies started wearing black sleeveless alternate uniforms with silver lettering and black undershirts.

June 1, 2006: Christian Code of Conduct Controversy

On June 1, 2006, USA Today reported that Colorado Rockies management had instituted an explicitly Christian code of conduct, which sparked controversy and was contested by some players.

October 17, 2007: Ticket Sales Announcement

On October 17, 2007, the Colorado Rockies announced that tickets for the 2007 World Series would be available to the general public via online sales only.

2007: World Series Appearance

In 2007, the Colorado Rockies advanced to the World Series but were swept by the Boston Red Sox, capping off an improbable October run nicknamed "Rocktober".

2007: NL Pennant Win

In 2007, the Colorado Rockies secured their only National League pennant after winning 14 of their final 15 regular-season games and winning "Game 163".

2007: Rockies Sweep Diamondbacks in NLCS

In 2007, the Rockies, as a wild card team, swept the division champion Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series en route to their World Series appearance.

2009: Playoff Elimination

In 2009, the Colorado Rockies were eliminated in the first round of the MLB playoffs.

April 20, 2010: Death of Keli McGregor

On April 20, 2010, Keli McGregor, who had worked with the Rockies since their inception and rose to team president in 2002, passed away.

March 2011: Spring Training Home Opening

In March 2011, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona, opened as the spring training home for the Colorado Rockies, shared with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

2011: End of Alternate Pinstriped Uniforms

In 2011, the Colorado Rockies stopped using the alternate pinstriped uniforms that they had been wearing since 2002.

2012: "Purple Mondays" Introduction

At the start of the 2012 season, the Colorado Rockies introduced "Purple Mondays," wearing their purple uniform every Monday game day.

2012: Piping Returns to Road Uniform

Prior to the 2012 season, the Colorado Rockies brought back the purple piping on their road uniforms, keeping other elements from the 2000 uniform change.

2013: Spanish Language Radio Broadcasts on KNRV 1150 AM

As of 2013, Spanish language radio broadcasts of the Rockies are heard on KNRV 1150 AM.

August 17, 2014: Todd Helton's Number Retired

On August 17, 2014, Todd Helton became the first Colorado Rockies player to have his number (17) retired.

2017: Official Purple Color Established

In 2017, PMS 2685 was established as the official purple for the Colorado Rockies, inspired by "America the Beautiful".

2017: Diamondbacks Win Wild Card Game

In 2017, the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Rockies in the National League Wild Card Game.

2017: Postseason Berth

In 2017, the Colorado Rockies made it to the postseason.

2018: Carlos Gonzalez Leaves the Team

As of 2018, The Rockies have not re-issued Carlos Gonzalez's number 5 since he left the team.

2018: Unusual Game Schedule

In 2018, the Colorado Rockies played in four cities against four teams in five days, ending with a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS.

2018: 25th Anniversary Caps

In the 2018 season, the Colorado Rockies wore caps with the "CR" in silver to commemorate the team's 25th anniversary.

2019: Alternate Pants Introduction

Prior to 2019, the Colorado Rockies always wore their white pinstriped pants for home games, but since 2019, they have added alternate white non-pinstriped pants.

January 2020: Jerry Schemmel Let Go From KOA

In January 2020, long-time KOA radio announcer Jerry Schemmel was let go from his role for budgetary reasons from KOA's parent company.

2020: Operations Staff Job Shift

During the 2020 season, Colorado Rockies' baseball operations personnel were made to work as clubhouse attendants in addition to their duties, contributing to dysfunction within the front office.

March 2021: Report on Team Dysfunction

In March 2021, The Athletic reported that during the 2020 season, Colorado Rockies' baseball operations personnel were made to work as clubhouse attendants in addition to their duties, contributing to dysfunction within the front office.

2021: Larry Walker's Number Retired

In 2021, Larry Walker, the first member of the Baseball Hall of Fame wearing a Colorado Rockies hat, became the second Colorado Rockies player to have his number (33) retired.

2022: Jerry Schemmel Returns to KOA

In 2022, Jerry Schemmel returned to KOA, replacing Mike Rice, who reportedly refused the COVID-19 vaccine.

2022: Black Sleeveless Uniform Retirement

In 2022, the Colorado Rockies retired the black sleeveless uniform, replacing it with the "City Connect" uniform.

2022: City Connect Uniforms Debut

In 2022, the Rockies were one of seven teams to don Nike's "City Connect" uniforms, which feature a green and white design with mountain range motifs, lettering from Colorado license plates, and patches representing Denver's altitude and skiing.

2023: Only Denver Franchise Without Championship

In 2023, after the Denver Nuggets won the NBA Finals, the Colorado Rockies became the only one of Denver's major North American professional sports franchises yet to win a championship.

2023: City Connect Uniforms Tweaked

In 2023, the Rockies modified their "City Connect" uniform, pairing it with white pants for day games and green pants for night games.

2023: AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain Televising Games Ends

Until 2023, most regular season games were produced and televised by AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain.

April 10, 2024: FAA Investigation

On April 10, 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began investigating coach Hensley Meulens after he posted a video of himself seated in the captain's seat during a charter flight on a United Airlines Boeing 757.