TUCSON — Has it really been 17 years since a young Mexican kid was telling reporters he should be starting at shortstop ahead of Freddie Benavides?
Vinny Castilla was convinced he should be in the lineup during the team’s inaugural season. He was proved right, eventually snatching the job away from the waifish-hitting Benavides. That cameo proved two things: Vinny was better than Freddie, but his size meant his future was replacing Charlie (Hayes) at third base.
Unlike catcher, which has been a sinkhole through the years, shortstop has been relatively kind to the Rockies. It’s just that Troy Tulowitzki’s largesse has made his predecessors hard to remember.
But before the “Tu-lo!” chants became a staple at Coors Field, Walt Weiss was a favorite, attracting legions of fans who loved his work ethic. And Neifi Perez was the Rockies’ best shortstop pre-Tulo, even if he was the most maddening.
Perez did something Tulowitzki hasn’t done yet — win a Gold Glove. Perez’s problem was that hitting at altitude inflated his self-worth. He thought he ranked fourth in the shortstop pantheon a decade ago behind Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra. That led to big contract demands, and that led to a trade to the Royals, a move that essentially turned him into a utilityman.
In between, there were the steady hands of Royce Clayton and the roller-coaster ride of Clint Barmes (who will ever forget his pinch-me-am-I- dreaming April of 2005?).
