There was some pretty good baseball in Denver before the Rockies came along in 1993.
It wasn’t the major-league variety, but players such as Bobby Richardson, Don Larsen, Andre Dawson, Barry Larkin, Paul O’Neill and the saga of Joey Meyer provided a rich heritage that ushered in the Rockies and major-league baseball.
Meyer, a burly prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers’ organization, played for the Denver Zephyrs and did the Blake Street Bombers justice when he hit a home run estimated at 582 feet on June 2, 1987. The clout landed in the upper deck at Mile High Stadium’s east stands. The team marked the spot with a green seat.
Robert Howsam, general manager of the Zephyrs, provided an insight to the beginning and the end of the minor-league era.
His father, Bob, was there at the beginning when the Denver Bears entered the Single-A Western League in 1947. He took over as team owner in 1948.
Howsam’s grandfather, Sen. Ed Johnson, was the driving force behind the organization of the Western League after World War II.
“Denver had unbelievably great teams,” Robert Howsam said. “It was one of the best minor-league cities for decades.”
When Bob Howsam left Denver, he went on to prominent roles with the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds, where he helped put together the Big Red Machine.
He finished with three World Series rings, two with Cincinnati.
Owner Gerald Phipps and general manager Jim Burris held baseball’s reins in Denver until 1985, when John Dikeou, Dick Betcke and Robert Howsam formed the leadership team and changed the name from Bears to Zephyrs.
“While keeping the baseball going, Gerald Phipps also turned the Denver Broncos into contenders,” Robert Howsam said. “John Dikeou kept a baseball presence in Denver until the big leagues came here.”
The Bears and Zephyrs combined to win 17 league and playoff championships, the last in 1991 when manager Tony Muser guided the Zephyrs to the American Association title and a victory over Columbus of the International League in the playoffs.
While names such as Andres Galarraga, Dante Bichette, Larry Walker, Eric Young, Vinny Castilla and Todd Helton always will evoke memories of the Rockies, other names in Denver’s baseball past made their mark.
Second baseman Curtis Roberts became a hero for the Bears at the same time Jackie Robinson was breaking the color line in Major League Baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
There was Marv Throneberry, who went on to play with the New York Mets, Tim Raines, Whitey Herzog, Bill Freehan, Ryne Duran, Mark Freeman and Eric Davis. They all left a mark. The list of managers who led Denver teams included Billy Martin, Felipe Alou, Ralph Houk, Charlie Metro, Jack McKeon and Vern Rapp.
A pretty good foundation, to say the least.
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-820-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
