Favorite Rockies Players #1 - Andres Galarraga

Tweet

All good things, as they say, must come to an end, and so it is with my Favorite Rockies Players series. #1 in the countdown is first baseman Andres Galarraga. Nicknamed The Big Cat due to his quick reflexes at first base, Andres Galarraga was an original Rockie, and played four seasons with the team. During his time in a Colorado Rockies uniform, Galarraga was a two time All Star, won a Silver Slugger Award, was the National League Home Run Leader in 1996, and, in both 1996 and 1997, led the National League in Runs Batted In. Despite missing 42 games due to injury, Galarraga had his best season in 1993. With a .370 batting average, The Big Cat led the National League with 56 multi hit games. That season he hit 22 home runs, drove in 98 runs, and scored 71 runs. He had a .403 on base percentage, and a .602 slugging percentage. All of which got him named Sporting News Magazine's Comeback Player of the Year. In a city that had spent decades trying to land a Major League Baseball team, Galarraga was one of Denver's first baseball heroes. A fan favorite, Galarraga was so popular that he received a standing ovation when he returned to Coors Field, where the Rockies play, as a member of the hated San Francisco Giants. Galarraga was essentially a journeyman, playing for seven different teams, but yeah, we love the guy here. (Stats verified by Wikipedia)