A. Who could sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in Latin.
B. Credited with successfully suggesting both a mascot (Dino) and a mascot name ("Dinger") in Major League Baseball.
C. Known to have mooned Rockies big shot Charles Monfort on a dare.
D. Believed to have witnessed all 1,557 games played by the Colorado Rockies.
2. In 1997, the Rockies, hungry for history, retired the uniform of:
A. Chicago Cubs great Ernie Banks, because he once "played two" against the Denver Bears.
B. Jackie Robinson, because he broke the color barrier in the majors.
C. Jimmie "The Beast" Foxx, who, after retiring from the big leagues, ran a baseball camp for thirty years near Salida.
D. Dave Hostetler, a former Denver Bear, honored for hitting the longest homer at Mile High Stadium.
3. On June 10, 1998, chubby fan favorite Dante Bichette became the first Rockie to:
A. Open a combined saloon/restaurant designed to capitalize on his newfound fame.
B. Knock himself out during a game, after he tangled with the outfield fence at -- for him -- a fast trot.
C. Hit for "the cycle," baseball lingo for a batter whacking a single, double, triple and homer in one contest.
D. Sign a contract with a clause guaranteeing him game-day pasta, cooked by a personal chef.
4. As part of their empire, the Rockies once linked with this minor-league team:
A. The Carolina Mudcats.
B. The Kane County Cougars.
C. The Appleton Appleknockers.
D. The Toledo Mudhens.
5. The forward-looking Rockies signed the franchise's first player from the Far East. His name and country?
A. Sadahura Oh, Japan.
B. Tsao Chin-Hui, Taiwan.
C. Ben Flamingham, New Zealand.
D. Li "Lightning" Lychee, Hong Kong.
6. Before the first pitch was thrown in front of 80,277 fans at the Rockies' 1993 opener, Travis Buckley had made news. That's because:
A. The retired United States Air Force general, who gave his name to Buckley Airfield, agreed to "drop" the first ball from an F-16.
B. The rowdy Golden teen was the first fan ever arrested for trespassing at a Rockies game: He was caught streaking across the outfield.
C. The promising pitcher was the first player acquired by the club in a trade.
D. The lucky fan waited two weeks to purchase the initial $1 seat in the Rockpile. He was given a season pass as a reward.
Answers:
1. D. Hagin is thought to have watched all of the Rockies games -- good, bad and ugly alike -- from the start. No wonder he left.
2. B. The Rox retired No. 42 as a salute to Robinson's contributions, and that number now decorates the right-field wall in Coors Field. But the move wasn't all that momentous: No. 42 is retired across baseball.
3. C. Dante (burp!) swatted the horsehide for the cycle -- although it's believed he later celebrated with pounds of lasagna.
4. A. The Rockies dug the Mudcats of the AA Southern League in 1997. It was too late for Mudcat Grant, however.
5. B. Denver liked Chin music in 1997. Sadly, Chin has not been in.
6. C. Buckley, a hurler, was pried from the Montreal Expos in exchange for a to-be-named player (Matt Connolly).
