A first-round pick out of the University of British Columbia, the left-hander arrived in Denver with a polished delivery and a professional poise that seemed immune to the psychological toll of pitching at altitude. For a brilliant three-year window in the mid-2000s, "The Socially Conscious Southpaw" provided the Rockies with a steady-state reliability that finally allowed the organization to dream of October.

He established himself as a model of specialized durability between 2005 and 2007, a three-year run where he averaged over 190 innings per season and posted consistent winning records. He possessed a rare, high-leverage mental toughness, navigating the thin air with a focused intensity that saw him secure 14 wins in 2005 and 13 in 2006. He was the primary engine of a rotation desperate for a frontline anchor, proving that a pitcher could find success in Denver by prioritizing location and movement over raw velocity.

During the historic "Rocktober" run of 2007, Francis had a career year, going 17-9 with a 4.22 ERA, a decent mark for a Coors Field starter in that era, and finishing ninth in the Cy Young voting. He achieved historic outlier status that October, becoming the first Canadian pitcher ever to win a postseason game and start a World Series matchup. He served as the tactical leader of the staff during the club's 21-of-22 game winning streak, providing the veteran-like poise required to carry the franchise to its first National League pennant.

The middle chapters of his story were marked by a difficult physical toll. Following his 2007 heroics, a significant shoulder injury forced him to miss the entire 2009 campaign. While he showed a remarkable resilience by returning for a second stint in a Rockies uniform later in his career, he was no longer the high-frequency workhorse of his prime.

With the Rockies, Francis compiled 82 wins and 869 strikeouts.

A four-time All-Star, Tim Hudson spread those accolades over three teams (Oakland, Atlanta & San Francisco).  Hudson would finish in the top ten in Cy Young voting four times, including a runner-up run in 2000.  He would also finish in the top ten bWAR for Pitcher seven times.  The sinkerball specialist would win 223 Games, an excellent number for his era, and most notably, made history by becoming the oldest Pitcher to start a Game 7 in the World Series, a game that his San Francisco Giants won, giving him his lone World Series ring.

A member of the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals World Series Championship team, Skip Schumaker would never be close to being an All Star but did have an 11 year career with two consecutive seasons collecting 160 Hits.  How many baseball players can say that?

While Shane Victorino is not likely to escape the first year on the ballot, “The Flyin’ Hawaiian” has quite a few accolades to comfort him.  Victorino has two World Series rings, four Gold Gloves and a pair of All Star appearances and the fleet footed outfielder would also lead his league in Triples twice.  This is a pretty good career, wouldn’t you agree?