Clint Barmes Named Starting Shortstop to Colorado Springs' Team of the Decade
Sitting atop countless team season and career leaderboards, Barmes a no-brainer
One of the most talented and longest-tenured Sky Sox members of the last decade, SkySox.com is proud to name Clint Barmes the starting shortstop to "Colorado Springs' Team of the Decade!"
Drafted in the 10th round (287th overall) in the 2000 amateur entry draft out of Indiana State University, Clint Barmes got his start with Portland of the Northwest League shortly after signing. Hitting a cool .282 with 12 steals in 181 at-bats, Barmes earned a promotion to Asheville to finish out the season. Scuffling there, he hit just .173 in 81 at-bats.
Repeating Asheville in 2001, Barmes performed far better, though still left something to be desired. Slugging five homers in 285 at-bats, he finished with a .260 batting average including 21 steals.
2002 was a coming out year for Barmes, as he found his power stroke, mashing 15 longballs in 485 at-bats at AA Carolina. Finishing with a .272 average and 15 steals to boot, the Colorado Springs faithful would not have to wait long before the shortstop's debut at Security Service Field. Beginning 2003 a member of the Sky Sox, Barmes flashed his exceptional tools all year long. Starting the year off with a bang, the shortstop delivered three three-hit games in the first seven contests, including an April 6 match where he ripped off three doubles.
His power finally coming around late in the year, with his first round-tripper on June 28, Barmes closed out 2003 at a furious pace. Hitting safely in 21 of 22 games from July 31-August 22, Barmes' stretch included a 16-game hit streak that saw the shortstop bat .433 (26-for-60) with two homers, ten runs, and ten runs batted in.
Closing off the season with a .276 average, seven homers, and 12 steals, Barmes finished second on the team in hits, first in doubles, and first in at-bats.
Poised for a breakout season in his repeat of AAA in 2004, Barmes put together the best season of his young career. One of the team's most highly touted players, the shortstop hit the ground running in '04. Starting the season with multi-hit games in nine of the team's first 12 contests, Barmes maintained a .400 average as far into the season as May 2.
Finishing the year on another torrid stretch, Barmes failed to reach base safely in just three games during August, a span over which he hit .347 (34-for- 98) with three homers, 18 runs scored, and 13 RBI.
With a final line that included a .328 batting average, 16 home runs, 104 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases, Barmes established himself as one of the biggest up-and-comers in the Rockies organization - ranking as Colorado's 10th best prospect.
In light of Barmes' incredible performance, he was assigned to the big club to begin 2005, where the rookie was everything the Rockies had hoped for. Playing in 81 games, the shortstop batted .289 with 10 home runs in just 350 at-bats, while being named the MLB's Rookie of the Month in April. That opening month, Barmes took the league by storm, batting .410 with four home runs, a .467 OBP, and a .639 slugging percentage.
Despite the blazing start to his Major League career, rough days were ahead for Barmes. In his encore performance in 2006, he would hit a lackluster .220 as the league caught up to the phenom.
Sent back to the Springs for the '07 season to rediscover his swing, Barmes again proved once again why he is considered among the Sky Sox' all-time best.
Registering 428 at-bats in 108 games, the shortstop would hit .299 with 11 homers over the course of the year. Called up to Denver three times to fill-in over the course of the season, Barmes would finally stick with the Rockies in September - a prelude to winning a spot on the Rockies' Opening Day roster to begin 2008, where he has since stuck.
Still, Barmes would make one more appearance in a Sky Sox uniform in 2008 - a five game stint in mid-June at Security Service Field. Wowing the Colorado Springs crowd one last time, Barmes proved that he still had plenty of magic left in his bat, going 3-for-5 with two RBI in his final game on June 21.
Since his final appearance, Barmes has been a mainstay in the Rockies' lineup. Playing in 261 MLB games over the last two seasons, the shortstop is among the most indispensable components in the Rockies' lineup - thanks in large part to his development to the south in Colorado Springs.
Debut for the Sky Sox
This Day in History, April 3
Baseball Births, March 6
Sky Sox Career Highlights
2004 PCL All-Star Selection
Single Season Team Leaderboard
All-Time Single Season Leaderboard
Sky Sox Career Leaderboard
Rockies' Top Ten Prospect List
Career Major League Statistics
Once again, congratulations to Clint Barmes, starting shortstop for "Colorado Springs' Team of the Decade!"
And thanks again to all our fans, without whom this wouldn't be possible!
Drafted in the 10th round (287th overall) in the 2000 amateur entry draft out of Indiana State University, Clint Barmes got his start with Portland of the Northwest League shortly after signing. Hitting a cool .282 with 12 steals in 181 at-bats, Barmes earned a promotion to Asheville to finish out the season. Scuffling there, he hit just .173 in 81 at-bats.
Repeating Asheville in 2001, Barmes performed far better, though still left something to be desired. Slugging five homers in 285 at-bats, he finished with a .260 batting average including 21 steals.
2002 was a coming out year for Barmes, as he found his power stroke, mashing 15 longballs in 485 at-bats at AA Carolina. Finishing with a .272 average and 15 steals to boot, the Colorado Springs faithful would not have to wait long before the shortstop's debut at Security Service Field. Beginning 2003 a member of the Sky Sox, Barmes flashed his exceptional tools all year long. Starting the year off with a bang, the shortstop delivered three three-hit games in the first seven contests, including an April 6 match where he ripped off three doubles.
His power finally coming around late in the year, with his first round-tripper on June 28, Barmes closed out 2003 at a furious pace. Hitting safely in 21 of 22 games from July 31-August 22, Barmes' stretch included a 16-game hit streak that saw the shortstop bat .433 (26-for-60) with two homers, ten runs, and ten runs batted in.
Closing off the season with a .276 average, seven homers, and 12 steals, Barmes finished second on the team in hits, first in doubles, and first in at-bats.
Poised for a breakout season in his repeat of AAA in 2004, Barmes put together the best season of his young career. One of the team's most highly touted players, the shortstop hit the ground running in '04. Starting the season with multi-hit games in nine of the team's first 12 contests, Barmes maintained a .400 average as far into the season as May 2.
Finishing the year on another torrid stretch, Barmes failed to reach base safely in just three games during August, a span over which he hit .347 (34-for- 98) with three homers, 18 runs scored, and 13 RBI.
With a final line that included a .328 batting average, 16 home runs, 104 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases, Barmes established himself as one of the biggest up-and-comers in the Rockies organization - ranking as Colorado's 10th best prospect.
In light of Barmes' incredible performance, he was assigned to the big club to begin 2005, where the rookie was everything the Rockies had hoped for. Playing in 81 games, the shortstop batted .289 with 10 home runs in just 350 at-bats, while being named the MLB's Rookie of the Month in April. That opening month, Barmes took the league by storm, batting .410 with four home runs, a .467 OBP, and a .639 slugging percentage.
Despite the blazing start to his Major League career, rough days were ahead for Barmes. In his encore performance in 2006, he would hit a lackluster .220 as the league caught up to the phenom.
Sent back to the Springs for the '07 season to rediscover his swing, Barmes again proved once again why he is considered among the Sky Sox' all-time best.
Registering 428 at-bats in 108 games, the shortstop would hit .299 with 11 homers over the course of the year. Called up to Denver three times to fill-in over the course of the season, Barmes would finally stick with the Rockies in September - a prelude to winning a spot on the Rockies' Opening Day roster to begin 2008, where he has since stuck.
Still, Barmes would make one more appearance in a Sky Sox uniform in 2008 - a five game stint in mid-June at Security Service Field. Wowing the Colorado Springs crowd one last time, Barmes proved that he still had plenty of magic left in his bat, going 3-for-5 with two RBI in his final game on June 21.
Since his final appearance, Barmes has been a mainstay in the Rockies' lineup. Playing in 261 MLB games over the last two seasons, the shortstop is among the most indispensable components in the Rockies' lineup - thanks in large part to his development to the south in Colorado Springs.
Debut for the Sky Sox
- April 3, 2003 v Oklahoma : 0-5, RBI
This Day in History, April 3
- April 3, 1860: The first successful Pony Express run to Sacramento, California, begins.
- April 3, 1917: Returning from exile, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin arrives in Russia during the Russian Revolution
- April 3, 1969: The United States begins the Vietnamization of the war effort in southeast Asia.
- April 3, 1996: The "Unabomber," Ted Kaczynski is arrested in Montana.
Baseball Births, March 6
- March 6, 1900: Lefty Grove: Starting Pitcher, Boston Red Sox; Six-Time All-Star Selection, Hall of Fame Inductee, 1947
- March 6, 1915: Pete Gray: Outfield, St. Louis Browns; Only one-armed man ever to play in Major Leagues
- March 6, 1939: Cookie Rojas: Second Base, Kansas City Royals; Five-Time All-Star Selection
- March 6, 1940: Willie Stargell: Outfield Pittsburgh Priates; Seven-Time All-Star Selection, Hall of Fame Inductee, 1988
- March 6, 1979: Clint Barmes: Second base, Shortstop
- March 6, 1979: Erik Bedard: Seattle Mariners, Starting Pitcher
Sky Sox Career Highlights
2004 PCL All-Star Selection
Single Season Team Leaderboard
- 1st - At Bats, 2003 (492)
- T-1st - Stolen Bases, 2003 (12)
- 1st - Longest Hit Streak, 2003 (16 Games)
- 1st - At Bats, 2004 (533)
- 1st - Hits, 2004 (175, 1st - PCL)
- 1st - Runs, 2004 (104)
- 1st - Doubles, 2004 (35)
- 1st - Stolen Bases, 2004 (20)
All-Time Single Season Leaderboard
- 2nd - At Bats (533, 2004)
- 2nd - Hits (175, 2004)
- 3rd - Runs (104, 2004)
- T-4th - Doubles (42, 2004)
Sky Sox Career Leaderboard
- 1st - Doubles (97)
- 1st - Hit By Pitch (47)
- 2nd - At Bats (1,471)
- 3rd - Hits (444)
- T-3rd - Runs (237)
- 9th - Stolen Bases (40)
Rockies' Top Ten Prospect List
- 2005 - COL #10
Career Major League Statistics
- G- 532
- AB - 1904
- BA - .258 (491-for-1904)
- R - 249
- HR - 53
- RBI - 235
- SB - 36
- BB - 90
- SO - 331
Once again, congratulations to Clint Barmes, starting shortstop for "Colorado Springs' Team of the Decade!"
And thanks again to all our fans, without whom this wouldn't be possible!