Topps Cards That Should Have Been: 2007 Rockies

 

It occurred to me that not only have I been very sporadic posting recently, but I still have a great deal of Topps Cards That Should Have Been that I haven't posted. So I'll try to unspool a few between here and the start of the season.

The 2007 Rockies, a lot of people forget, made a World Series and could have won it had it not been for the strength of the 2007 Red Sox. The Rockies had Matt Holliday in peak shape, Brad Hawpe and Aaron Cook in their prime, bit players like Willy Taveras and Kaz Matsui on hand, and the kind of piecemeal power core that doesn't feel as genuine anymore. 

Even if Chris Iannetta would take the job eventually, the Rockies' initially gave the catching position to former Giants backup catcher Yorbit Torrealba, who'd spend his entire career as a serviceable replacement-level backstop. Given the starting job, Torrealba hit .255 in 113 games, surpassing 100 hits for the first time and becoming a helpful presence in the postseason, with 8 RBIs, 10 hits and a homer against Arizona. Topps, for some reason, decided to turn a blind eye to this.

Elmer Dessens began the decade as one of the best pitching tools a power-heavy Reds team had to offer, but spent the remainder of the 2000s as a journeyman middle reliever. He'd split 2007 between Milwaukee and Colorado, eventually settling back in the rotation for the Rockies. In 5 starts, he'd have a 7.58 ERA with 10 Ks and a win. Thankfully, a return to the bullpen with the Mets would set his career straight.

Also in the category of people who caught for the Rockies before Chris Iannetta got the starting gig, former Orioles catcher, and fellow countryman of Dessens, Geronimo Gil played his last games in 2007 for the Rockies. He only played 5 games, and mustered 1 hit, but at the very least his defensive numbers were still what they were in Baltimore.

And now we come to the strange one I'd always wanted to document. Steve Finley...in Denver. Finley had already spent the decade as a late blooming hero for the Diamondbacks, Angels, Dodgers and Giants. By 2007, he was 42 years old, and most of the magic had worn off. In 43 games at Coors Field, Finley only hit .181 with 17 hits, 2 RBIs and 1 home run. On one hand, it's typically a lot to ask for peak perfection from someone over 40, even in the steroid era, but Finley didn't have much left to prove, and even with the easier air to hit long balls, Finley still petered off quietly. Heck of a career, but not exactly the starriest finish.

I might try and do these either daily or every other day, cause there's quite a bit left.