Editor’s note: In the Colorado Classics series, The Denver Post takes a weekly look at individuals who made their mark on the Colorado sports landscape and what they are doing now.
Owning up to being not good enough may be the most difficult thing for aspiring professional athletes to admit.
Mark Strittmatter not only can critique his playing career in baseball in a matter-of-fact manner, but he can laugh as he’s saying it. He chased his dream of playing big-league baseball for nine years in the Rockies’ organization. His tenacity gained a coveted 27 days with the Rockies in 1998. He had four at-bats, but didn’t get a hit.
“Obviously, I wanted more than 27 days, but I always can say that I was a big-league player,” Strittmatter said. “I know now that it’s hard to get there, but much more difficult to stay. The bottom line, I wasn’t good enough. I can say that easily. Some players say the breaks didn’t go their way. I find it easier to just say I wasn’t good enough.”
Strittmatter’s strength was his catching. He built a solid reputation with his work behind the plate as well as how he handled pitchers.
“Defensively, I could play in the big leagues, but offensively I would have been overmatched every time I went out there,” Strittmatter said.
But his qualities as a catcher didn’t go unnoticed by Rockies manager Clint Hurdle, who brought Strittmatter back into the organization in 2003. While he had only 27 days of major-league time as a player, Strittmatter is completing his fourth year in the major leagues as bullpen catcher for the Rockies.
Strittmatter’s role with the Rockies is more than as a current bullpen catcher. He’s part of the fiber of the organization. He was a member of the franchise’s first June draft class in 1992. Together with his nine years as a player and four as the bullpen catcher, Strittmatter’s tenure with the organization in an on-field capacity is tied for second longest with P. J. Carey, behind only Rockies bullpen coach Rick Mathews (15 years). Carey has managed minor-league teams in the organization since 1993 and was bullpen coach in 1997.
Strittmatter looks back at the early days of the Rockies’ organization with fond memories – especially the first year of the 1992 Bend (Ore.) Rockies, the first team in the organization to play a game.
“As I look back at that time, it was pretty cool,” Strittmatter said. “Everybody in Denver was ecstatic about the new big-league team. In 1992, we were the only players. We gathered at the University of Denver’s baseball field before we went to Bend. Everybody was watching us and talking about baseball.”
That first draft class more than lived up to expectations.
“I think we had 10 players from that first class make it to the major leagues, and six or seven had pretty good careers,” Strittmatter said. “I think that was amazing. Those were pretty good numbers and something the Rockies should be proud of.”
Infielder Craig Counsel would be the stalwart of the class. He earned World Series rings while with the Florida Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Carey, who managed many members of that first class along the way, saw the special association that developed.
“They were the first drafted players to come into an expansion franchise, and the bonds they made are special and very strong,” Carey said. “Stritty’s a baseball guy. He controlled the game from behind the plate. He loved to play the game and he played it very well defensively.”
Mathews believes the 37-year-old Strittmatter still could catch today.
“He really was good with helping pitchers and he was good at calling the game,” Mathews said. “He was so valuable to the pitching staff. He can catch and throw with a lot of guys. He’s been a great organizational guy who still can catch.”
From the giddy days of Bend and the fun of the first years of the Rockies organization, there was a steady education about the ways of baseball.
“For the first two or three years nobody was getting released,” Strittmatter said. “But as soon as all the minor-league affiliates were in place, you started to see friends go. That was the tough part of it.”
But it still was a difficult lesson when he learned firsthand about the business of baseball. Late in the 2000 season, he was traded to the San Diego Padres. When he left, he was the last of the 2002 draft class remaining.
“I thought I would have gotten a phone call, but my manager told me,” Strittmatter said. “Did I get traded for a dozen baseballs? I didn’t ask and didn’t want to know. I played for Las Vegas in the Padres’ organization. When I first got there, it was different. Everything was totally new.”
Strittmatter left baseball and went home to Ridgewood, N.J. He worked in his brother’s food business and taught baseball to youngsters in the evenings.
“I still was teaching the game and I wasn’t lost for something to do,” Strittmatter said. “I missed the game, of course. I played it my whole life. I did get a chance to interview for the manager’s job in Casper, but didn’t get it.”
Strittmatter still is in the game. He’s building his résumé and working toward moving up.
“I might want to go into coaching or managing, but maybe (work instead) in the front office,” Strittmatter said. “I want to stay in baseball. Hopefully I can.”
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
