Colorado Rockies: A bandwagon fan's guide to the 2017 season

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May 23, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Colorado Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon (19) and left fielder Gerardo Parra (8) celebrate a victory against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Well hey there and welcome to the Colorado Rockies fan club. With the Rockies being one of the hottest teams in Major League Baseball and putting together an April and May like at no other time in franchise history, there are going to be plenty of people who suddenly have the urge to wear purple and come down to Coors Field. And that’s OK. There is plenty of room on the Rockies bandwagon for all of you.

After the Rockies took the first three games in Philadelphia to jump out to a 7-2 record on this season-long 10-game road trip, Colorado is getting plenty of attention from the national media. There may even be some more mentions of the Rockies in local media than reports on the battle for the third-string tight end for the Denver Broncos. Maybe that’s pushing it a bit too far, but you get the idea.

There are plenty of people who are dusting off their Rockies hats and gear to prepare for what is shaping up to be a magical summer at the corner of 20^th and Blake. Maybe you’re one of the ones who gave up on the Rockies a few years ago. It’s OK. There are plenty of you out there who are starting to come back to the fold.

Maybe you don’t live anywhere near Denver and you’re just starting to hear about this team that has some pretty darn good young pitching and is mashing the ball right now. That’s OK too. We welcome fans from throughout the world to the Rockies family.

Now, if you’re going to be a bandwagon fan, you’re going to need to know some things about Colorado’s season so far in order to sound knowledgeable with your friends or coworkers or those people who are giving you high-fives at Coors Field. With the Rockies in town for Memorial Day weekend, we figure it’s a great time for you to learn about the 2017 Colorado Rockies. We’re here to help. Let us give you some basic pointers and talking points.

May 21, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Greg Holland (56) throws against the Cincinnati Reds in the ninth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

Maybe one of the reasons why you put your Troy Tulowitzki jersey in the closet a few years ago and never brought it out again was because the Rockies simply had no pitching. No matter how good the offense was, the pitching couldn’t keep up. Too many 15-14 games for your liking, right? Trust me, we understand.

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Well, this year’s team doesn’t have that problem. A young rotation and a solid bullpen are helping the Rockies actually win games this year instead of lose them. People are actually using the word “good” and “Colorado pitching” in the same sentence this season. Crazy, right?

Now that you’re on the bandwagon and chatting it up with your new Rockies friends, be sure to drop the names of Kyle Freeland and Antonio Senzatela with a sentence that is something like, “Wow, these young guys are really stepping up this season, huh?” Bonus points for you if you talk about how well they’ve pitched in the absence of Jon Gray (Colorado’s ace who has been on the shelf for weeks now with a foot injury) and Chad Bettis (who hasn’t pitched this season after battling cancer).

Also, while we’re talking about pitching, you’ll want to introduce yourself to the lights-out closer the Rockies signed in the offseason, Greg Holland. Yeah, a lot of people wondered if he would be able to show the stuff that he had before Tommy John surgery. Well, he’s proving that he has that stuff. He’s 19-for-19 on saves (that leads the Majors by a long shot) with a 0.96 ERA. Drop those numbers when you’re discussing the bullpen.

One last tip … if you want to talk about how this year is so different from last year, just bring up Jake McGee. Another big part of the bullpen’s success this season, McGee has a 2.00 ERA after striking out two in a scoreless inning on Wednesday night. That comes after a 4.73 ERA in his first season with the Rockies. Go ahead and use, “What a difference a year makes, huh?” You’ll blend in just fine.

May 22, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) walks off the field after win against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Rockies defeated the Phillies 8-1. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /

You see that guy at third base? That’s Nolan Arenado. Rockies fans who have watched him game in and game out believe he’s the best third baseman in baseball. You should as well … because he is. No one can make plays in the field like he can. Don’t bring up Manny Machado or Kris Bryant. Just don’t. If you’re going to be on the bandwagon, that’s a no-no.

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See that bearded guy in center field? That’s Charlie Blackmon. He also goes by Chuck Nazty. Not Nasty. Nazty. Don’t make that rookie mistake. He’s the best leadoff man in baseball right now. He has 42 RBI in 47 games. From the leadoff position. Think about that.

You remember Carlos Gonzalez from the old days when you used to watch the team, right? Well, he’s still in right field for the Rockies and he is going through a recent renaissance at the plate. He batted cleanup for much of the start of the season before being moved down in the lineup because he was in such a deep slump. How deep? He was hitting .188 on May 10. Now? He’s hitting .252 on the season after Wednesday night when he smacked a three-run homer. That’s part of a seven-game hitting streak which is seeing him hit .464 during that stretch. There’s a nugget of knowledge to drop on your new friends.

Oh, one more thing, the Rockies signed Ian Desmond to play first base in the offseason and didn’t re-sign their first baseman from last year, Mark Reynolds. Then, in the spring, they decided to re-sign Reynolds to a minor league deal. Desmond was hit in the hand in spring training so Reynolds took over at first again. Now Reynolds is one of the leading home run and RBI guys for the Rockies and, because of that, Desmond is playing left field. There, that’s the short version that will catch you up on things there.

Some other sentences that you can use at any time…

“Man, I hope David Dahl is able to play soon.”

“I wish Trevor Story would lower his strikeouts.”

“Alexi Amarista has been a pretty pleasant surprise, huh?”

Drop those sentences and start a conversation. If you ever get stuck on what to say next, saying something about hitting at Coors Field is always a way to bridge the gap.

Next: 3 things we have learned on this Rockies road trip

Enjoy the bandwagon ride, new Rockies fan. It’s going to be a fun one.

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