Tulo: The complicated legacy of Troy Tulowitzki

With the announced retirement of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, how will the former all-star be remembered in the game of baseball?

When Troy Tulowitzki broke onto the season towards the end of the 2006 season, the Colorado Rockies knew they had someone special.

The former 7th overall pick in 2005’s draft, Tulowitzki impressed every member of the organization, but even he could not have predicted the immediate impact he would have.

2007 was his official rookie season. He was a rare combination of tools seen from a shortstop; because he possessed all five.

He could hit for contact, hit for power, had a slick glove, a cannon for an arm and no slouch on the bases.

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Tulo’s decade with the Colorado Rockies created the mold of the new heir to the throne; the face of the franchise with Todd Helton on the latter of his career.

Five-time all-star, two-time gold glove and silver slugger, a second-place finish for 2007’s NL Rookie of the year and six top-25 MVP finishes.

He accomplished the rarest of feats as a rookie, converting Major League Baseball’s 13th ever unassisted triple play – just fifteen in history. This happened in the first month of his rookie season.

Tulo had the numbers, the accomplishments, and his name etched in the record books for accumulating a feat rarer than the perfect game (23) or four home runs in a game by one batter (18).

Despite the success, Troy Tulowitzki’s career did not end the way he wanted it to.

During a rocky 2015 season, Tulo got injured while simultaneously trade rumors swirled around the shortstop’s future in Colorado.

There became a growing disconnect between Tulo and the new EVP and GM Jeff Bridich and before the deadline, Tulo became the centerpiece of a six-player trade with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Tulo was easily on the rise as the best shortstop in the game. He was the Rockies’ annual representative at the Midsummer Classic. The water was left murky between Colorado and Tulo.

Tulo became part of an immediate contender in Toronto, but the team never made it to the World Series.

Once again, Tulo began to deal with injuries. So much so that it practically eliminated him from the lineup.

He never matched the type of numbers he had in Colorado with Toronto and never was able to fully recover from injury to be a factor for the New York Yankees; who signed him this past offseason.

Tulo finished with some solid numbers in a 13-year career: .290/.361/.495 slash line, 225 home runs, 780 RBI and a 44.2 WAR.

That matches closely to another shortstop who started on at a great pace with a 9-year tenure in Boston, but after a trade just never truly matched the same level as a hitter and fielder: Nomar Garciaparra.

.313/.361/.521 slash line, 229 home runs, 936 RBI and a 44.2 WAR. Garciaparra also collected one silver slugger, two batting titles, was a six-time all-star and 1997 AL rookie of the year.

If we consider what this would mean to the hall of fame voters, Garciaparra didn’t last long on the ballot. He was a first-timer in 2015 and then off a year later.

What does his career mean for Tulo? It will likely result in a similar ending.

While Tulo achieved a few other feats compared to Nomar, the careers, in the end, are similar enough to predict the same fate regarding Cooperstown for Tulo.

If anything he may be honored by the Rockies, though there is still some complex emotions likely between the two parties given how the relationship ended.

Tulo won’t be out of baseball, however. It was recently announced after his retirement that he will become a coach for the Texas Longhorns:

This is a huge get for the Longhorns. In addition, Tulo will get to coach against his former teammate Matt Holliday, who is set to join the Oklahoma State staff.

The legacy Troy Tulowitzki left is indeed complicated. He was a star at his peak. He accomplished things very view others have been able to even sniff at. But Tulo was Tulo, and that’s really all that matters no matter how you view his career.