Spilborghs joins Rockies' broadcast team

DENVER -- Ryan Spilborghs, who made memorable plays and displayed a memorable personality from 2005-11 as a player with the Rockies, will join the Root Sports broadcast team for the Rockies this season.

Root Sports announced Thursday that Spilborghs would be featured as an on-air analyst for Rockies Pregame and Toyota Postgame shows, and he will contribute to such baseball programming as Rockies Weekly and Rockies Real Time. Spilborghs, 34, was drafted by the club in 2002 and played his entire Major League career with Colorado, hitting .272 with 42 home runs in 619 games. His hustle and exuberance made him a fan favorite.

"I feel so fortunate to have played in the Major Leagues and now be able to pursue a career with Root Sports," Spilborghs said in a press release from the network. "Being able to work in Denver and still be a part of the Colorado Rockies gives me the best of both worlds. I'm looking forward to sharing my love of baseball and this community with the fans."

Rockies fans will forever remember Spilborghs for a dramatic, 14th-inning grand slam against the Giants in 2009 -- a year that saw the Rockies qualify for the playoffs. It was the first walk-off slam in club history.

"We're very excited to have a former and popular Rockie as part of the broadcast team," Greg Feasel, the club's executive vice president/chief operating officer, said in the press release. "'Spilly's' personality combined with his knowledge of the game will bring fun and insight to every Rockies broadcast."

Root Sports general manager David Woodman said in the release, "His background as a player, as well as his charismatic personality, add a new energy and insider focus to our Colorado Rockies broadcasts."