History of Colorado Rockies in Timeline

The Colorado Rockies are a professional baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. They are members of the National League West Division in Major League Baseball (MLB). Their home games are played at Coors Field, located in downtown Denver. The team is owned by the Monfort brothers.

1901: Third most losses

In 2025, the Colorado Rockies finished tied with the 2003 Detroit Tigers for the third most losses in baseball history since 1901.

1904: Previous 60-game record

In 2025, the Colorado Rockies' 10-50 record after 60 games eclipsed the 11-49 previous worst 60 game mark held by the 1904 Washington Senators.

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.

1932: Boston Red Sox Run Differential

In 2025, the Rockies also ended the season with the worst modern-era run differential of -424, easily shattering the previous worst held by the 1932 Boston Red Sox who had a run differential of -349.

1955: Triple-A Team

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

1958: Continental League Proposal

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

1960: Continental League Team in Denver

In 1960, the Continental League announced that play would begin in April 1961 with eight teams, including one in Denver headed by Bob Howsam.

April 1961: Continental League Announcement

In April 1961, the Continental League announced that play would begin with eight teams, including one in Denver headed by Bob Howsam. However, the league never played a game due to National League expansion agreements.

1962: Two less losses

In 2025, The Colorado Rockies had two less losses than the 2024 Chicago White Sox and one fewer loss than the 1962 expansion team the New York Mets.

1985: Attempt to Purchase Pittsburgh Pirates

Following the Pittsburgh drug trials in 1985, an unsuccessful attempt was made 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, as part of Major League Baseball's two-team expansion, an ownership group representing Denver, led by John Antonucci and Michael I. Monus, was granted a franchise, named the "Rockies".

1992: Ownership Change

In 1992, Michael I. Monus and John Antonucci were forced to drop out as owners after Monus's reputation was ruined by an accounting scandal. Jerry McMorris stepped in to save the franchise.

1993: Expansion Counterparts

In 1993, along with the Miami Marlins, the Colorado Rockies joined the MLB as one of two expansion teams. As of 2023, these two teams are the only MLB teams to have never won a division title.

1993: Begin Play in MLB

In 1993, the Colorado Rockies began play in Major League Baseball, sharing Mile High Stadium with the Denver Broncos while Coors Field was constructed.

1993: Inaugural Season and Attendance Record

In 1993, the Colorado Rockies began play in the National League West. That year they set the all-time Major League record for attendance, drawing 4,483,350 fans and became the MLB's first team based in the Mountain Time Zone.

1993: Alternate Black Uniform

The Colorado Rockies originally wore an alternate black uniform during their inaugural 1993 season for only a few games.

1995: Coors Field Completion

In 1995, Coors Field was completed for the Major League Baseball season.

1995: Move to Coors Field

In 1995, the Colorado Rockies moved to Coors Field, which became known as a hitter's park. The 1995 team, featuring Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla, Andrés Galarraga, and Larry Walker, each hit 30 home runs and were nicknamed the "Blake Street Bombers."

1995: Inauguration of Coors Field

Since 1995, the Colorado Rockies have played their home games at Coors Field.

1997: Jackie Robinson's Number Retired Throughout Baseball

In 1997, Jackie Robinson's jersey number 42 was retired throughout all of Major League Baseball, honoring his legacy.

2000: Numerals Added to Chest

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

2000: Road Uniform Changes

In 2000, the Rockies' road uniform piping was replaced with pinstripes, "Colorado" was emblazoned in front, chest numerals were placed, and black trim was added to the letters.

2000: Purple Alternate Uniform

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

2002: Alternate Pinstriped White Uniform

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

2003: Colorado Rockies Lost Season

In 2025, the Colorado Rockies finished tied with the 2003 Detroit Tigers for the third most losses in baseball history since 1901.

2004: Vest Design

From 2002, the Colorado Rockies wore alternate versions of their pinstriped white uniform. This design featured sleeves until 2004, when they went with a vest design with black undershirts.

2005: Black Sleeveless Uniform

In the 2005 season, the Colorado Rockies started wearing black sleeveless alternate uniforms.

June 1, 2006: Christian Code of Conduct Controversy

On June 1, 2006, USA Today reported that Rockies management had instituted an explicitly Christian code of conduct for the team's players, banning men's magazines and sexually explicit music from the team's clubhouse. The article sparked controversy.

October 17, 2007: Rockies Announce Online-Only Ticket Sales

On October 17, 2007, the Colorado Rockies announced that tickets for the upcoming 2007 World Series against the Boston Red Sox would be available to the general public via online sales only, reversing prior plans to sell tickets at local retail outlets.

2007: Rockies Upset Diamondbacks in NLCS

During the 2007 National League Championship Series, the Colorado Rockies, as a wild card team, upset the division champion Arizona Diamondbacks in a sweep. This led to the franchise's lone World Series appearance.

2007: World Series Appearance

In 2007, the Colorado Rockies advanced to the World Series but were swept by the Boston Red Sox. The team won 14 of their final 15 regular season games, culminating in a victory over the San Diego Padres in a one-game playoff for the wild card berth, and swept their first seven playoff games to win the NL pennant.

2007: NL Pennant Win

In 2007, the Colorado Rockies secured a Wild Card position by winning 14 of their final 15 regular-season games, including a 13-inning victory against the San Diego Padres. They swept the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS and NLCS, earning the NL pennant, before being swept by the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.

April 20, 2010: Death of Keli McGregor

Keli McGregor, who had been with the Colorado Rockies since 1993 and served as team president since 2002, passed away on April 20, 2010. He is honored at Coors Field with his initials.

March 2011: Opening of Salt River Fields

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

2011: Alternate Pinstriped White Uniform

From 2002 to 2011, the Colorado Rockies wore alternate versions of their pinstriped white uniform, featuring the interlocking "CR" on the left chest and numerals on the right chest.

2012: "Purple Mondays"

At the start of the 2012 season, the Colorado Rockies introduced "Purple Mondays" in which the team wears its purple uniform every Monday game day, though the team continued to wear them on other days of the week.

2012: Return of Purple Piping

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

August 17, 2014: Todd Helton's Number Retired

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

2017: Diamondbacks Win Wild Card Game Against Rockies

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

2017: Postseason Berth

In 2017, the Colorado Rockies made a postseason berth.

2017: Official Purple

One of the Rockies' team colors is purple, inspired by "America the Beautiful", but uniformity lacked until PMS 2685 was established as the official purple in 2017.

2018: Carlos Gonzalez Leaves the Team

In 2018, Carlos Gonzalez left the Colorado Rockies, and his jersey number 5 has not been re-issued by the team since.

2018: Four Cities in Five Days

In 2018, the Colorado Rockies made a postseason berth and became the first team since the 1922 Philadelphia Phillies to play in four cities against four teams in five days, eventually losing to the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS.

2018: 25th Anniversary Cap

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

2019: Alternate White Pants

Prior to 2019, the Colorado Rockies always wore their white pinstriped pants regardless of what uniform top they wore during home games. Since then, the Rockies have added alternate white non-pinstriped pants to pair with either their black or purple alternate uniforms at home.

March 2021: Report on Rockies' Labor Practices and Dysfunction

In March 2021, a report in The Athletic detailed how Colorado Rockies' baseball operations personnel were made to work as clubhouse attendants during the 2020 season, resulting in extremely long work days and highlighting a dysfunctional atmosphere within the front office.

2021: Larry Walker's Number Retired

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

2022: Black Sleeveless Uniform Retired

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

2022: "City Connect" Uniform Release

In 2022, the Colorado Rockies were one of seven additional teams to release Nike's "City Connect" uniforms.

2023: Denver Nuggets NBA Finals Win

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

2023: Lost Season

In 2023, the Colorado Rockies lost 103 games each season.

2023: "City Connect" Uniform Tweaks

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

April 10, 2024: FAA Investigates Rockies Coach's Flight Deck Video

On April 10, 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initiated an investigation after Colorado Rockies coach Hensley Meulens posted a video of himself in the captain's seat during a United Airlines Boeing 757 charter flight.

2024: Lost Season

In 2024, the Colorado Rockies lost 101 games each season.

2024: End of First "City Connect" Uniform

The Colorado Rockies' first "City Connect" uniform was worn until the end of the 2024 season.

June 2025: Walker Monfort promoted to team president

In June 2025, Walker Monfort, son of owner Dick Monfort, was promoted to team president of the Colorado Rockies franchise.

2025: Rockies' All-Time Record

At the end of 2025, the Colorado Rockies had an all-time record of 2,364–2,818, with a .456 winning percentage, the worst among active MLB franchises.

2025: Worst Start to a Season

In 2025, the Colorado Rockies had the worst start to a season of any team through 39 games, starting off at 6–33 and later setting the record for the worst team record through 50 games with a record of 8-42. After 60 games, the Rockies' 10-50 record became the worst, since 1901. They also finished the season with the worst modern-era run differential of -424.