Colorado Rockies: A Real “Character” Team

 

 

Jays brass might want to look to the Colorado Rockies as an example of how to build the “character” club that they so much desire.

Jays GM JP Ricciardi always laments on how important team chemistry is and how he has tried to build a team full of “character guys”. Instead of pitchers (Lilly) showing up the manager when being pulled, or writing that the ‘ship is sinking’ on the clubhouse whiteboard (Hillenbrand),the playoff bound Rockies did something that demonstrats what a classy ballclub they really are. The Colorado Rockies players have voted a full playoff share to Mandy Coolbaugh, the widow of Mike Coolbaugh, the first base coach for the Rockies Double-A affiliate who was killed during a game this year when he was hit by a line drive. He had a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old, Jacob and Joseph, his wife’s was six months pregnant at the time of his death. Last year, a full playoff share for a member of the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals amounted to $362,173 (U.S.)

As Kman constantly laments, the way to build a franchise is by developing players through the farm system and locking them up to low cost long term deals when they are young. This is what the Rockies have done for the most part, having developed their own talent which is starting to bear fruit. That’s what happens when you have a team likethe Rockies(largely home-grown). There’s a common thread you don’t find when you bring a lot of players in from outside the organization.

If you would like to make a donation to the Mike Coolbaugh fund, please send your donation to:

The Mike Coolbaugh Memorial Fund
c/o Spirit Bank
1800 S. Baltimore Avenue
Tulsa, OK
74119