Colorado Rockies: 5 reasons for fans to be thankful this Thanksgiving

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RICHMOND, CA – NOVEMBER 25: Slices of pumpkin pie sit on a table during the Great Thanksgiving Banquet hosted by the Bay Area Rescue Mission on November 25, 2015 in Richmond, California. Hundreds of homeless and needy people were given a free meal a day before Thanksgiving. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) /

This week, families and friends will be gathering to spend time together, eat ridiculous amounts of food, and reflect on the things they are thankful for.

Clearly, that makes this the perfect time to discuss baseball.

With the World Series behind us and spring training fast approaching, Colorado Rockies fans have plenty to look forward to for next season and the years to come.

We also have a lot of good things to look back on.

The 2017 season was one to remember for Rockies fans. Not only did the team make the playoffs for just the fourth time in its history, but it finally began to take some serious steps toward solving the problem that has plagued the organization since its inception — finding quality starting pitching.

Rookie starter Kyle Freeland brought national attention to his impressive first season by coming within two outs of throwing a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox.

Third base sensation Nolan Arenado hit for the cycle at Coors Field against the division rival San Fransisco Giants on Fathers’ Day. That by itself would have made this one of the Rockies most memorable moments from 2017. However, the fact that Arenado capped his cycle off with a walk-off three-run blast off Giants closer Mark Melancon with the Rockies down by a run at the time makes this one of the trademark moments in Rockies history.

Though these are moments that fans are certainly thankful for, there are several signs within the organization that the club is on the right track.

Following are five reasons why Rockies fans should be thankful this Thanksgiving.

DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 15: Bud Black #10 of the Colorado Rockies cheers after a defensive out in the first inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field on September 15, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Bud Black is in charge

A lot was made of the Rockies offseason additions of Ian Desmond and Greg Holland, but the biggest move General Manager Jeff Bridich made before the 2017 season was bringing in veteran manager Bud Black to helm the wheel of his club.

Black is a baseball man, simply put.

His long career includes pitching 15 years for the Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, and San Fransisco Giants.

It was with the Royals in 1985 that Black won his first World Series.

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He won another ring in 2002 with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as Mike Scioscia’s pitching coach.

Anything about Black’s tenure jump out at you?

Black has decades of pitching experience.

Because of that, he brings an irreplaceable wealth of knowledge to a team that has historically struggled to put together a decent pitching staff.

There is no doubt that this played heavily into Jeff Bridich’s decision to bring Black to Colorado.

Rockies fans are certainly thankful for that decision.

In his first season, Black led a young team that had four (yes, four!) rookies in its starting rotation for much of the year. Not to mention, starters Jon Gray and Tyler Anderson were in only their second years.

Black’s pitching experience ended up being all it was made out to be and more as he guided these young arms (and the team) through the ups and downs of a 162-game season.

Black’s first year with Colorado was good enough that many made an argument for him to win the NL Manager of the Year award.

DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 26: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates as he crosses home plater after hitting a 2 RBI home run in the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins at Coors Field on September 26, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Nolan Arenado’s otherworldly awesomeness

Sports on Earth’s Will Leitch called Arenado’s epic Fathers’ Day cycle the Rockies signature moment of 2017 in an article that really summed up the excitement of the 2017 season. If you want to remember how you felt when you saw that ball sneak over the left field wall, I would recommend you read it.

When we talk about Arenado, so often we focus on his extraordinary offensive numbers, and rightfully so. That being said, a big piece of what makes Arenado the player he has become is his ability to come through in the big moment.

It wasn’t just the cycle on Fathers’ Day.

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It was the two-run triple off Zach Greinke in the eight inning that pushed the Rockies past the D-Backs 4-3.

It was the three-run first inning home run off Clayton Kershaw that propelled the Rockies to a four game sweep of the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

It was the game in Arizona in the middle of September where he tied the game with a double in the sixth inning before breaking the tie in the eight with a three-run home run.

The guy just finds the big moment and comes through.

Not to mention he plays better defense than anyone else in the National League and has posted three consecutive seasons with at least 130 RBI.

KANSAS CITY, MO – AUGUST 22: Starting pitcher Jon Gray #55 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the 1st inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on August 22, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Colorado’s pitching is a threat — No, really!

That’s right.

The Rockies boast a formidable pitching staff that has already seen a lot of success. And the best part? They’re young. Really young.

This means that more success can be expected for many years to come.

Jon Gray (10-4, 3.67 ERA, 9.1 K/9) is showing signs that he could soon become a true Major League ace.

Charlie Blackmon became the player the Rockies hoped he would be … and then got better

When Charlie Blackmon was promoted to the Major Leagues, John Sickles of SB Nation said he had been described by scouts as a potential fourth outfielder. Sickles said he did not project Blackmon to be a “star,” but thought he would be a decent Major Leaguer for a number of years.

Back in 2010, Rox Pile mentioned that Blackmon, though a good player, was stuck behind a deep Rockies outfield. However, the same article projected that Blackmon could potentially challenge Dexter Fowler for the center field job if Fowler’s struggles continued.

Though Blackmon was expected to be a quality player, it doesn’t seem anyone saw Blackmon’s MVP-worthy play in the future (or his equally impressive beard, for that matter).

In the minors, Blackmon was roadblocked by players whose names you’ve likely forgotten, but he kept playing hard and eventually he got his chance.

It was this hard work that got him to the big leagues, endeared him to the fan base, and lifted him to national prominence.

In his first full season in 2014 he hit 19 home runs and stole 28 bases. The next year he stole 43.

In 2016 he hit 29 home runs, drove in 82 runs, and brought his batting average up to .324.

And of course there’s last season when he led the league in hitting at .331, smashed 37 home runs and drove in 104 runs.

It seems that no matter what happens, Chuck Nazty just keeps getting better.

MIAMI, FL – JULY 09: Brendan Rodgers #1 of the Colorado Rockies and the U.S. Team fields the ball against the World Team during the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at Marlins Park on July 9, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Behind Brendan Rodgers and company, the future is bright

Rodgers is currently listed as the sixth-best prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. A quick middle infielder who can hit for power and for average, he was drafted out of high school in 2015 as the number three pick behind Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman.

Last season, Rodgers split time between the High-A Lancaster JetHawks and the AA Hartford Yard Goats. Over that time, he hit .336 with 18 home runs and drove in 64 runs in 89 games.

Rodgers will be 21 until August of next season, so he’s still very young, but the Rockies organization as well as Rockies fans can’t wait for their chance to see him play at Coors Field.

Other young talented hitters abound in the Rockies system. Rockies fans have seen glimpses of players like Raimel Tapia, David Dahl, and Ryan McMahon (55th overall according to MLB Pipeline). These players are only at the beginning of their careers and should continue to develop.

On the pitching side, Riley Pint is ranked 54th on MLB Pipeline. His ability to hit 102 MPH with his fastball combined with a plus change-up and strong power curve makes Pint one of the top pitching prospects in the game.

As a side note, Pint turned 20 earlier this month, so there’s plenty of room for growth.

Behind Pint, a long list of other talented pitchers await their turn to take aim at conquering Coors Field.

2017 was a good year, but Colorado might be even better in 2018, 2019, 2020, etc.

Next: Could the Rockies trade for a closer from New York?

So this Thanksgiving, Rockies fans can be thankful not just for a memorable season but also for the expectation that the future will be even better.

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