Weiss impressed by Tulo since 2005 Draft

DENVER -- Manager Walt Weiss said if he'd had his way, Troy Tulowitzki would have been the Rockies' shortstop immediately after the club drafted him in the first round (seventh overall) out of Long Beach State in 2005.

Weiss was a special advisor to general manager Dan O'Dowd at the time.

"He came out here and worked out right after the Draft, and I went upstairs to talk to Dan and said, 'Where is this kid going?'" Weiss said. "He said, 'Modesto.' I said, 'Does he have to go there?'

"I was serious. I said, 'Can we keep this kid? He's that good.' He made that kind of an impression on me right away. He's a very unique talent."

Tulowitzki entered Sunday's game against the Cubs hitting .338. Had he not missed 25 games with a broken rib and dropped below the threshold of plate appearances per game to be eligible for the batting title, he would have been No. 1 in the National League.