Colorado Rockies: The 5 most memorable moments from 2017

One of the most emotional moments of the 2017 season came on August 14 when Chad Bettis returned to the mound after battling testicular cancer. His step onto the turf at Coors Field was met with loud cheers and plenty of signs as Rockies fans knew exactly what Bettis had gone through to make his return.

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After being diagnosed with cancer in the offseason, it was believed that Bettis was on his way to recovery before another diagnosis was revealed during spring training. After just one spring training start, Bettis was focused on chemotherapy and recovery.

Bettis, however, was still very much a part of the team. He even joined his teammates in Arizona during a series with the Diamondbacks. When he first returned to Coors Field to proclaim he was working on his comeback, he put forth an aggressive timeline for his return. With hard work and the support of the entire Rockies organization, Bettis returned to the mound on August 14 against the Atlanta Braves.

And not only did Bettis return, but he also returned with a vengeance. He pitched seven scoreless innings against the Braves to help Colorado to a 3-0 win.

The 28-year-old Bettis would go 2-4 with a 5.05 ERA in nine starts, with his debut against Atlanta being his best and most memorable start of the season … not only for him but for Rockies fans throughout the world.

Want to remember how amazing how the night was? Check out this video…

OK seriously, was there a cooler moment last season than Nolan Arenado once again tormenting the San Francisco Giants? OK maybe I should narrow that down a little bit since he does that so often with his glove and bat. How about this … was there a cooler or more iconic moment from the 2017 season than Arenado hitting a walkoff home run on Father’s Day to cap off his first-ever cycle?

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And if that wasn’t cool enough, how about the sheer joy and emotion that Arenado showed as he rounded the bases and crossed home to celebrate with his teammates? How about the blood-soaked jersey after an inadvertent collision between Nolan and a teammate’s helmet? How about the moment he proclaimed that it was fun to play for the Rockies?

A three-run homer off Giants closer Mark Melancon to give the Rockies not only a 7-5 victory, but also a National League-best 46-26 record at the time? Yeah, that’s pretty memorable. But the entire few minutes after the hit are what Rockies fans will always remember, including the blood streaming down from Arenado’s face. That jersey ended up framed as a permanent reminder of the day that few Rockies fans will ever forget.

Here is proof that Nolan Arenado doesn’t just torment the Giants. He also does a pretty good job of making life for all National League West teams pretty miserable.

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A day game that wasn’t televised provided one of the biggest offensive displays in Rockies history as Arenado blasted three home runs on July 19 to pace Colorado to an 18-4 demolition of the San Diego Padres. During the offensive explosion, Colorado piled on 21 hits, including a career-high five from Arenado.

The All-Star third baseman hit a solo shot off San Diego starter Clayton Richard in the fourth, a solo shot off reliever Kevin Quackenbush in the fifth and a two-run blast off Quackenbush in the sixth. Yes, that is three home runs in three innings, a sign that not only was Arenado clicking on all cylinders but that the Rockies offense was on fire as well.

The crowd of 37,128 could sense they might see history when Arenado stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning, with a chance to become one of less than 20 players in Major League history who have connected on four home runs in a single game. However, Arenado flied out to left field, falling just short of MLB history but setting plenty of personal marks on the day in the process.

The final game before the All-Star break provided one of the most surprising and fantastic moments of the 2017 season.

Kyle Freeland stepped to the mound against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, July 9, on a bit of a cold streak. He had lost his previous three starts, surrendering 25 hits and 14 earned runs in 17.1 innings. The 24-year-old rookie southpaw was looking to go into the All-Star break with a bit of momentum. He did just that and much, much more.

Freeland took a no-hit bid into the top of the ninth inning as he threw a season-high 126 pitches, striking out nine White Sox as Colorado posted a 10-0 decision. A single by Melky Cabrera with one out in the ninth ended Freeland’s bid and day. When Colorado manager Bud Black went to the mound to take Freeland out following Cabrera’s hit, the ovation was as loud as any moment at Coors Field in 2017.

Two of the best moments of the day? Gerardo Parra making a diving catch to preserve the no-hitter (watch the catch here) and the reaction of Freeland’s mom when the no-hitter was lost (watch the reaction here).

Freeland’s no-hit bid established a new high for a Rockies pitcher in terms of consecutive outs at Coors Field. Ubaldo Jimenez still holds the distinction of throwing the only no-hitter in Colorado history, and that came in 2010 in a road game against the Atlanta Braves.

While the Rockies jumped out to a 46-26 record and looked to be a lock for the playoffs after Nolan Arenado’s Father’s Day heroics, getting back to Rocktober was anything but easy for Colorado. In fact, the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals made life very uncomfortable for the Rockies during a September battle when Colorado was just trying to hold on to the second Wild Card spot.

However, Colorado did prevail and make the postseason for the first time since 2009. While the clinching may not have been the most exciting moment, the celebration in the locker room more than made up for any celebration that could have happened on the field.

On September 30, the Cardinals came from behind to post a 7-6 win over the Brewers at Busch Stadium, with former Rockies pitcher Juan Nicasio nailing down the victory that would officially eliminate Milwaukee and send Colorado to the postseason.

The Rockies watched Milwaukee’s loss before they took the field against the Dodgers in Denver. Part of the celebration took place before the game but the real party happened after what became a meaningless end-of-season game.

I was lucky enough to be part of the media contingent in the Colorado clubhouse watching the celebration take place. I still thank Ian Desmond for pouring champagne on my head as part of the festivities. It was something I will never forget.

Next: 3 things the Rockies still need to do before 2018

The outpouring of emotion that night in the Colorado clubhouse is one of the best moments of the 2017 season … and an incentive for many of the Rockies players to get back to Rocktober in 2018.