Welcome to 5 Quick Questions, a new series here at Mile High Sports where we will ask as many Colorado Rockies ballplayers as we can, and maybe a few coaches, front office members and media too, the same set of questions.
These questions are designed to help us all get to know them better but also as a way of celebrating the history of the game of baseball and the unique traditions of the local club.
We will be keeping track of trends to see if any favorites emerge across the board and making note of particularly fun or interesting answers, while also adding a bit of context wherever it may be needed.
Next Up: Mike Moustakas and Tyler Kinley
Who were your favorite players growing up?
Mike Moustakas: “Chipper Jones. Ken Griffey Jr. And I love Miguel Tejada.”
Tyler Kinley: “Chipper Jones.”
When you think of the Rockies, who is the first player who comes to mind?
Mike Moustakas: “Larry.”
Tyler Kinley: “Either Larry Walker or Todd Helton, as a kid. Now I think of Charlie. The consistency. He’s playing all the time; you don’t see him with long stints on the IL.”
They say that the triple is the most exciting play in baseball. Do you agree and if not, what is?
Mike Moustakas: “I disagree. 3-2, bases loaded, two outs. Something’s gonna happen.”
Tyler Kinley: “A walk off homer. There’s nothing better…and I’ve been on both sides.”
If you could have any job in the world other than your own, what would it be?
Mike Moustakas: “I don’t know. This is always what I wanted to do. I don’t really have anything else. Baseball player.”
Tyler Kinley: “Golfer. I don’t have a real chance though, Free does.”
What is your favorite ballgame that you have played in?
Mike Moustakas: “Game 5 of the World Series where we won.”
Tyler Kinley: “MLB Debut. But also, our rival game in high school, I used to always get up for those.”
Notes:
On November 1, 2015, the Kansas City Royals defeated the New York Mets 7-2, winning the World Series for the first time since 1985. Moustakas went 7-for-23 (.303) with three RBI in the series. Future Rockie Wade Davis recorded the only Save the Royals needed in the set. That season, Moustakas was an All-Star and placed 22nd in MVP voting.
Kinley made his MLB debut on April 7, 2018 for Minnesota Twins against the Seattle Mariners. He gave up a hit and a run and stuck out a pair. He also ended up with the ol’ pitcher Win. Nothing too fancy, but you never forget your first.
Interestingly on his high school rivals, St. Thomas Aquinas, was former Rockie and momentary folk hero Stephen Cardullo.
Two votes for longtime Atlanta superstar Chipper Jones who was absolutely one of the best players of his generation but also had the benefit of being on TV quite a bit during their glory days when a lot of us 30-somethings were falling in love with the game as kids.
Ken Griffey Jr. is another name we should expect to hear more moving forward, especially from this age group, and shoutout to the 2002 AL MVP Miguel Tejada who played six consecutive seasons without missing a game following a seventh where he played in 160.
More votes for Walker and Helton but Kinley gets Charlie Blackmon on the board for All-Time Rockie.
We will forgive Moustakas for technically picking a situation over a play because situations in baseball are where most of the drama comes from and it’s tough to beat 3-2, two outs, bases juiced. The literal definition of an action pitch.
Also interesting to note that relief pitcher Tyler Kinley chose the walk-off home run. As he said later, that means for the most exciting moments he is either on the wrong end or sitting on the bench. Still, he says, it’s hard to beat that rush.
Kinley also is our second would-be golfer though he insists that Freeland would have the much better chance at actually making the tour.
Stephen Cardullo