Pedro Astacio, former Rockies pitcher
Pedro Astacio has fond memories of pitching in Colorado from 1997 from 2001, during which time the righthander racked up 749 strikeouts, thirdmost in club history, while also ranking sixth among all Rockies in wins (53), winning percentage (.525) and WAR (10.8).
But the moment that stands alone to the 49-year-old is his first start at Coors Field on Aug. 28, 1997 — just nine days after being traded by the Dodgers to Colorado for infielder Eric Young. On that day, he got his first taste of the high-altitude faithful.
In that game, a 9-5 victory over Seattle, Astacio mowed through seven innings of two-run baseball before getting taken deep twice, and getting the hook, in the eighth. But the Roberto Kelly and Edgar Martinez solo dingers that chased him are not what Astacio recalls about the outing.
“The best moment was my debut at Coors Field, and it was a great moment because I pitched a great game against a great team in the Mariners,” Astacio said. “When I finished and left the game, everyone in the stands stood up and gave me an ovation.”
Nowadays, the Colorado record holder for most complete games (14) is with the organization as a special assistant to the Rockies’ Dominican Summer League team. His focus is on player development for 16- to 19-year-old prospects, both in his native Dominican Republic as well as at the Salt River complex in Arizona and with players at the rookie level in Grand Junction.
“It’s exciting to pass my knowledge about the game to young players,” Astacio said. “And besides the skills training, it’s good to get them learning about how to be successful with the game. If they truly do have the dream of playing in the big leagues, I try to show them all the things you have to do in order to achieve that dream.”