2012 Media Guide - MLB.com - Colorado Rockies

Daniel J. O’Dowd
Executive Vice President, Chief Baseball Officer/General Manager
Dan O’Dowd is entering his 13th season leading the Rockies Baseball Operations
department. This is O’Dowd’s second season as the Rockies Executive Vice President,
Chief Baseball Officer/General Manager after spending 11 seasons as the Rockies
Executive Vice President, General Manager. Only three other general managers have been
with their respective clubs for longer periods of time.
The Rockies have reached the postseason in two of the last five seasons, as O’Dowd
is the first general manager in franchise history to construct more than one playoff team. Over
the last five seasons, only five National League clubs, Philadelphia (473), St. Louis (431),
Milwaukee (426), Los Angeles (423) and Atlanta (422), have more wins than the Rockies
(412). The 2009 National League Wild Card Champion Rockies, built by O’Dowd and his staff, had more wins (92) and
a higher winning percentage (.568) than any other team in franchise history. O’Dowd also formed the roster for the 2007
Rockies club, which won 90 games for the first time and captured the first National League Championship in Rockies
history.
Following the 2009 season, O’Dowd was named Sporting News’ Executive of the Year in a vote by his peers. He
was selected by a panel of 31 general managers and assistant general managers and was awarded the honor at the
general managers' meetings in Chicago.
The 2011 season marked the continuation of a plan that began nine years ago. Beginning in 2003, O’Dowd joined
with others in the front office in a commitment to build competitive teams from within. The dividends from that commitment
are apparent, as the Rockies captured the NL Wild Card in 2009, the NL pennant in 2007 and were named
Organization of the Year by Baseball America at the 2007 Winter Meetings in Nashville, TN. That selection, which is
based on a franchise's performance during the season with the team, coach, general manager and organizational
package taken as a whole, was the first for the Rockies since the inception of the award in 1982.
The Rockies have followed an organizational plan geared towards scouting and player development during
O’Dowd’s tenure. On Opening Day 2009, the Rockies put together an entire lineup of homegrown players, the only
team in the Majors to accomplish that feat in 2009. Furthermore, when the Rockies clinched their second postseason
appearance in a span of three years, a 9-2 win vs. Milwaukee on October 1, 2009, all nine players in the starting lineup
were either originally drafted or signed by Colorado.
The Rockies, specifically in recent years, have shown tremendous character. In 2009, the team fell to 12 games
under .500 and 14.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West before challenging to win the division and earning the
NL wild card. Following a managerial change, the Rockies posted the best record in the NL from June 4 through the
end of the season. The 2007 Rockies proved to be as resilient as perhaps any other team in baseball history, staving
off elimination game-after-game throughout the final days of September. The players on that team, many of whom
came up through the Rockies’ organization, fought through a season that saw the Rockies fall as many as nine games
below .500. Despite a slow start, things turned for the club late in the second month of the season, as the Rockies
posted the best record in the NL from May 22 through the end of the year. The season culminated with 21 victories in
22 games from mid-September through the first two rounds of the playoffs, vaulting the team into the World Series.
Twenty-one of the 41 players who have appeared on Colorado’s playoff rosters since 2007 were either drafted
or originally signed by the club. In 2007, Colorado’s World Series roster featured 16 players who were originally drafted
or signed by the Rockies. Of those 16 players, 12 of them, including Troy Tulowitzki, were drafted or signed during
Dan O’Dowd’s tenure as general manager of the Rockies.
The abundance of prospects in the Rockies system has produced several contributors at the Major League level.
In 2011 Rex Brothers joined the club’s bullpen and was a constant stable in late-inning relief, holding opponents scoreless
in 40 of his 48 outings on the season, including 16 perfect outings. Other players who came up through the
Rockies system; Jhoulys Chacin, Dexter Fowler, Chris Nelson, Matt Reynolds, Seth Smith and Troy Tulowitzki, all were
major contributors to the success of the team in 2011. Tulowitzki, previously a Rookie of the Year candidate, has finished
top-8 in NL MVP voting each of the last three seasons and earned Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards each
of the past two seasons. Tulowitzki also earned his second invitation to play in the All-Star Game, earning a start at
shortstop for the first time in his career.
In addition to progress at the Major League level, the organization’s farm system continues to display unlimited
promise in many regards. Baseball America again recognized Colorado for their work in the 2010 draft, naming the
Rockies 2010 class one of the top-4 among all MLB teams. The previous season, Baseball America named the
Rockies draft the best in baseball. Colorado was ranked ahead of Arizona, Seattle, San Diego and Boston as the top
five drafts. Colorado has also signed their top-3 draft picks in each of the last five seasons. In an effort to sustain the
kind of success the team has attained through drafts, the franchise has not given up a draft pick due to a free agent
signing since 2001. The club retained all of its picks again for the 2012 draft, the 11th straight year the Rockies have
had a selection in each round.
Down on the farm, Rockies Minor League players experienced success in 2011, as several players were ranked
by Baseball America as a top-20 prospect in the league they played in during the 2011 season. 2011 trade acquisition,
left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz (Carolina League No. 2 prospect) at Double-A and 2011 compensation round draft
Current Gm’S tenure
General manager team Since
Brian Sabean . . . . .Giants . . . . .9/30/1996
Billy Beane . . . . . .Athletics . . .10/17/1997
Brian Cashman . . .Yankees . . . . .2/3/1998
Dan o’Dowd . . . .rockies . . . .9/20/1999
roCKIeS General manaGerS
General manager Years
Dan o’Dowd . . . . . . . . . . . .1999-present
Bob Gebhard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1991-1999
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