CarGo smacks milestone HR to steal Tulo's thunder in return
It was supposed to be Troy Tulowitzki's night Monday at Coors Field, with the five-time All-Star - presently employed by the Toronto Blue Jays - returning to the ballpark where he spent the first 10 years of his MLB career and established himself as one of the greatest players in Colorado Rockies history.
Carlos Gonzalez wasn't having it.
Though he very much respects his former teammate, who received a standing ovation when he stepped to the plate for the first time, Gonzalez wasn't upset about stealing Tulowitzki's thunder, when his sixth-inning blast pushed him past the decorated shortstop on the Rockies' all-time home run leaderboard.
Rockies' all-time HR leaders
| Name | HR | GP | wRC+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Todd Helton | 369 | 2247 | 132 |
| Larry Walker | 258 | 1170 | 147 |
| Vinny Castilla | 239 | 1098 | 101 |
| Dante Bichette | 201 | 1018 | 109 |
| Carlos Gonzalez | 189 | 902 | 125 |
| Troy Tulowitzki | 188 | 1048 | 124 |
"Tulo did special things for this organization. It showed when he stepped to the plate," Gonzalez told Nick Groke of the Denver Post. "But for me, I kind of took it personally. I want to make sure the fans are on my side."
How could they not be? Gonzalez, who arrived in Colorado three years after Tulowitzki debuted, is also one of the best players in the franchise's 23-year history, compiling more WAR than all but three players (one of whom is Tulowitzki) while serving as a bright spot on the unfailingly awful teams the organization has fielded for the last half-decade.
So, Gonzalez said, given his track record, he deserved just as much love as Tulowitzki, who went 0-for-4 in his return as the Rockies grabbed a 9-5 victory.
"When they were cheering him and they got the Tu-lo chant, I was like, 'OK, let me make sure I’m the one wearing purple,'" Gonzalez said. "You better cheer for me when I hit it in the seats."