Coors Field: The Five Best Things About Colorado’s Home Field

1. The View

Stalnaker: Sure, other ballparks have city views and river views, and then there’s San Francisco with its dumb bay. But I would submit to you that there is no better sight to catch your eye than the Rocky Mountains, resplendent in majesty behind the outfield at Coors. If you don’t choke up just a tiny bit when the mountains come on the screen during “God Bless America,” you probably don’t have a soul. And those sunsets! There’s not much in the world that’s better than that.

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Henry: One of the best things you can do for someone who is visiting Denver is to take them to a game at Coors Field. The setting is spectacular when the sun starts going down and those yellow and orange colors start filling in the sky behind the Rocky Mountains. This is the best time to be high (not in the 4-20 sense, mind you) in the stadium out in right field so you can get a good view. Grab one of those purple-colored seats and just sit back with a cold one and watch nature’s handiwork. It’s hard to beat that.

Of course, I will also say that it is hard to beat just the general feel of the ballpark heading to the stadium. If you’re driving into downtown Denver from anywhere, you have a great view of the Rocky Mountains. Those of us who live here may almost take that view for granted but it’s something to behold for folks who travel to the Mile High City from other parts of the country. A friend of mine from Minnesota came to the opening series of the season against the San Diego Padres. I don’t know how many times he commented about the mountains and that you could see them from Coors Field.

Yeah, I’d say we’re pretty lucky to have that view for every home game.

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2. The Atmosphere

Stalnaker: Like I said, I’ve been to a lot of other ballparks. There are a few, like Busch Stadium, where the fanbase is solid. But most fans fall on a spectrum of “entirely indifferent” to “insufferably rude.” I won’t say where I’ve found the extreme examples of these things, just that Coors Field is one of the rare baseball venues where the fans are both engaged and generally respectful. I wish we could train them all that the wave is stupid and that booing while the opposing pitcher holds our runner on first base is nonsensical, but those are small complaints. I have so many memories of moments at Coors Field that would not have been the same with a different crowd. One of the best was Todd Helton‘s last game in September 2013. It’s hard for me to imagine Yankees fans reacting that way to Alex Rodriguez‘s goodbye, or even Red Sox fans enjoying David Ortiz that much.

Henry: I’ve been to a lot of other ballparks as well. I completely agree with Michelle on St. Louis (even though I grew up following the Cubs and hate to give St. Louis any kind of compliment … but that’s just me). I’ll compare the folks attending a game at Coors Field to those going to watch the Cubs at Wrigley Field as well. Both fan bases love their beer (although I’ll take Colorado’s craft beer scene any day of the week) and that is often a primary reason to go to the game … grab a buddy, grab a beer, get a good view and some sun, then head out.

I’ve seen Yankee fans heckling a young kid (like 8 or 9 years old) for wearing a Minnesota Twins hat to a game at Yankee Stadium. I’m glad Colorado fans respect the opposition and come out to enjoy the game. After all, there are times when Rockies fans in the stadium are almost outnumbered by those cheering for the opposing team. I remember being stunned at all of the orange and black pouring into the stadium for the recent series against the San Francisco Giants. When Denver is drawing in more and more new residents from throughout the country every month, it’s no surprise to see a section full of New York Mets fans or hear plenty of cheers for teams as far away as Miami or Washington D.C. when their teams come to town.

Next: We Might Have a Problem with the Rooftop

3. The Rooftop

Stalnaker: Okay, full disclosure: I think the Rooftop is kind of stupid. I watched about three innings of one game from there after it opened in 2014, and I’ll never buy tickets up there again. The reason is that it’s just not built for real baseball fans. The only way to both sit and watch a game at the same time is to watch it on a screen (why would you come to a ballpark and then watch the game on a screen??). If you get a spot at the ledge, you’ll have a spectacular view of the field, but if you move away for just a second, you’ll lose that spot and with it your view. And most of the people on the Rooftop are there to drink and hang out with their friends, so it’s pretty loud and rowdy.

But here’s why I think it’s actually one of Coors Field’s best features. For starters, plenty of people go downtown to drink on the weekends, and the Rooftop allows them to do that in a beautiful place. So what if they’re not watching the game? They’re doing what they love and simultaneously adding to the Rockies’ crowd of supporters. They are there, even if they are a little oblivious to what’s going on. Also, people who would normally like to go to games but who would perhaps drink a little too much and ruin the experience for others tend to gravitate toward the Rooftop. That doesn’t mean you won’t occasionally find yourself sitting in front of someone’s drunk uncle; it just means that there’s a place for people who like being at the game but prefer other activities to actually watching it. In other words, I personally want nothing to do with the Rooftop, but the fact that it’s there makes Coors Field a better place.

Henry: The Rooftop is absolutely a place for people to go so they can say they went to Coors Field … and still socialize with their friends without being bothered with a baseball game. It’s a great place to drink, socialize, and meet up with old friends … or make new ones. If you’re interested in really keeping up with the game, take a seat somewhere else.

Next: Let's Talk About Food...

4. The Food

Stalnaker: I don’t think that Coors Field has the best ballpark food in the country, but it does have some great options, and, most importantly, you’re allowed to bring your own food in. This allows me to spend half what I would inside the ballpark and still enjoy delicious baseball goodies. If you’ve never stopped by Joel’s hot dog cart on 19th and Wynkoop before the game, you’re missing out. Joel serves up traditional baseball fare for super cheap ($4 will get you a hot dog, chips, and a drink), and he’s fast and friendly. He’s also been down there for 20 years. So support local businesses, get cheap food, and appreciate the fact that you’re allowed to carry it in with you.

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Henry: Like I said earlier, I’ve been to plenty of games in other stadiums throughout the country. I’ve had a Dodger Dog in Chavez Ravine and I’ve had the Gilroy Garlic Fries at AT&T Park that made me stink for three days (looking back, that was a bad, bad decision on my part). I agree with Michelle that it’s great to be able to bring in your own food. You can certainly stock up on plenty of snacks from the vendors outside, and one of those frozen waters purchased outside on a hot August day sure comes in handy about the third or fourth inning of the game.

Call me a non-traditionalist, but I like to eat burgers at Coors Field, and I’m a huge fan of CHUBurger (started in Longmont so I feel like I’m supporting the locals as well). I’m also a big fan of visiting Helton’s Burger Shack out in left field.

Next: Let's Talk About Our Favorite Walk-Up Music

5. Charlie Blackmon‘s Walk-Up Song

Stalnaker: I wonder if Blackmon knew what a moment he was creating when he picked “Your Love” by The Outfield a couple of years ago. In any case, one of my favorite things about Coors Field right now is when the entire crowd croons “toniiiiiight” as the song fades out. The lyrics are not especially kid-appropriate, but you get the sense the kids have no idea what they’re singing anyway. Bravo, Chuck.

Henry: Pardon the pun, but I am right in tune with Michelle on this one. We might not agree on much sometimes in Colorado, but we can certainly all agree that we simply have to finish the lyrics to Chuck Nazty’s walk-up song when it trails off.

If you don’t think walk-up songs set a mood or a tone, I’ll harken back to a night when the Rockies were playing the San Francisco Giants and Tyler Chatwood was on the mound. When Chatwood took his turn at the plate, “Careless Whisper” from George Michael blared over the loudpseakers. The Twitter universe exploded as did the press box with people wondering what was going on with that song choice. There was also quite the debate over whether it was a George Michael song or came from the Wham! days.

Yes, these are the critical moments of a baseball game and seem to draw as much conversation as a great diving catch by Carlos Gonzalez.

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