Rockies Lose, But Coors Field Fans Keep Winning

Here’s a thought to brighten up the Rockies’ gloomy start to June: Coors Field is still one of the best fan experiences in baseball.

I will be a Rockies fan till the day I die, but some years I’m more engaged than others. Being a blogger helps; I know I have a quota to fill every month, and I have other blogger friends whose writing I want to read, so I keep up with things pretty well these days. In the past, life often got in the way: for example, the 2006 season, when I was without internet for most of it and the Rockies weren’t any good anyway. I also lived away from Denver for the bulk of Coors Field’s existence–my family moved to Georgia in 1997, over the next fifteen years I lived either there or in New York. Eventually I started going to Rockies away games and rekindled my love, which was certainly aided by those playoff seasons in 2007 and 2009.

More from Colorado Rockies News

But one thing that’s made it much easier to stay involved with the Rockies these past few years is Coors Field. Though I love the team and want them to win no matter where they are, the ballpark experience this team puts on is so exceptional that I think I’d go whether I cared about the Rockies or not. (The guy who helped me at Verizon yesterday agrees; he couldn’t name a single current player, but “the beer on the Rooftop is awesome.”)

Like most of you, I’d rather have a winning team than a nice ballpark, any day of the week. Since the Rockies can’t seem to figure that out on a consistent basis, though, let’s take what we get and be thankful. Sunday morning I ran the Rockies’ Home Run for the Homeless 5K and was reminded again of the 20-year blessing that is this ballpark. The race started on Blake Street right outside the stadium, wound around LoDo, and finished up with a lap around the warning track. After the race, there were free hot dogs, Coke, beer, and more post-race-appropriate snacks like bananas and granola bars. They had a “fun run” for the kids on the field. All in all, it was a terrific event, and all the proceeds went to help the homeless community in Denver.

More from Rox Pile

Since the Rockies provide two free tickets to a game for each participant, which more than makes up for the $35 cost to enter, they essentially pay us back for participating. Could the Rockies simply make a lump sum donation to charity and call it good? Absolutely. But they don’t, because they know fans love to be in the ballpark and they want to give us opportunities to do so. I’ve been on the field three times in the past year for various reasons. I have my thoughts on the Rockies’ front office management and on the consistent on-field issues we see. Nevertheless, I cannot argue with the amazing experiences I’ve had being a local fan, and I can’t say enough about the wonderful place that is Coors Field.

Home/Colorado Rockies News