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The Fountain of Coors
By Keith Glab 1/4/05
I've always had a problem with those commercials that depict athletes using lo-carb beer as some kind of sports drink. The problem, of course, is that carbohydrates are necessary for an athlete's energy, and a low-carbohydrate beer offers less of a performance aid than the highest calorie beer available.
I do, however, believe that there is some magical drink that enhances performance somewhere in Colorado. No, I'm not saying that thin air and large outfield pastures aren't involved in the offensive explosions we see in games played in Colorado. I am postulating that there must be some reason that mediocre players go to Colorado and establish themselves as bigger offensive threats after they leave.
Let's observe a few case studies, focusing on each player's age and OPS for their three full seasons immediately before becoming a member of the Colorado Rockies, and the contrasting OPS's these players posted in the three full seasons since their leaving Coors field:
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Player
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Pre-Colorado Age/OPS
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Post-Colorado Age/OPS
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Dante Bichette
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26/726 27/669 28/726
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36/827 37/785 38/DNP
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Dante Bichette entered Mile-High Stadium as a light-hitting outfielder with an arm that was often mistaken for artillery. He left Coors Field known as a slugger who was a liability on defense. Notice that his alleged prime, ages 26-28, was less effective than his twilight seasons at ages 36 and 37. A prototypical trait for one who has drunk from the Fountain.
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Player
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Pre-Colorado Age/OPS
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Post-Colorado Age/OPS
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Ellis Burks
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26/736 27/744 28/793
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34/964 35/1025 36/911
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Had Ellis Burks not sported chronic health problems, he might have been known as one of baseball's premier hitters between 1999 and 2002... his four full seasons immediately following his time in Denver. During this span, Ellis hit .301 and homered once every 15.1 at-bats. This is a far cry from the man who never hit .300 or hit more than 21 homers in a season prior to playing in Denver.
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Player
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Pre-Colorado Age/OPS
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Post-Colorado Age/OPS
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Andres Gallaraga
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29/715 30/604 31/673
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37/991 38/DNP 39/895
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This is the man who founded the Fountain of Coors. Gallaraga's career looked over at age 30, but thanks to the Fountain, he was a top slugger in his late 30's while battling cancer! Few players have benefited from the Big Fountain more than the Big Cat.
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Player
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Pre-Colorado Age/OPS
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Post-Colorado Age/OPS
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Jose Guillen
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23/656 24/750 25/695
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27/928 28/849 29/???
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Between July 29 and August 1 of 2002, Jose Guillen started in the outfield for the Rockies' AAA affiliate in Colorado Springs. In between posting a 1.062 OPS in 17 at bats there, Jose must have nipped off to Denver to drink from this fountain he'd heard so much about. His post-Colorado numbers speak for themselves, and the Nationals should get good production out of their new right fielder.
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Player
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Pre-Colorado Age/OPS
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Post-Colorado Age/OPS
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Todd Walker
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24/641 25/845 26/740
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29/785 30/760 31/820
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Todd must have only taken a brief sip from the Fountain, as his post-Coors numbers are only marginally better than those he posted early in his career. He has been considerably more consistent, however, and we would be wrong not to give some credit to the great beverage.
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Player
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Pre-Colorado Age/OPS
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Post-Colorado Age/OPS
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Larry Walker
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25/859 26/841 27/981
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38+/???
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Some would say that Larry's two months in St. Louis don't represent a large enough sample size to judge how well he will do outside of Coors. History gives us a clue, however. The Redbirds can expect no less than a .900 OPS for Walker over the next few years, and as he fits nicely into the Ellis Burks mold of potent hitter with injury troubles, he could even be significantly better than that.
For those of you out there who refuse to believe in a magical spring that improves a baseball player, there is another explanation. Although a player cannot bring the thin air or spacious outfield of Coors with him when he leaves, he can take a better approach at the plate. Hitters tend to get primarily fastballs at Coors due to the lack of sharp movement on breaking balls pitched there. If, when a player leaves, he takes most breaking pitches and looks only for a fastball, he's likely to succeed.
This might also explain why Rockies perform so terribly on the road. They try to swing at breaking balls that they are used to see rolling into the sweet spots of their bats. Perhaps they need an entire off-season to process the info, lay off the breaking balls, and make good decisions in a sea-level atmosphere.
But as for me, I'm going to drink a steady regiment of Coors Light in the hopes that it may have been brewed with water from the Fountain of Coors, and instantly become talented enough to succeed in the big leagues.
Notice another player benefit from the Founain? Have some bottled Fountain water to sell? Think the author's off his rocker? In any case, contact him at Keith@BaseballEvolution.com.
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