Colorado Rockies: What players really think about "the wave"

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DENVER, CO – JULY 4: Fans participate in the wave during the sixth inning of a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on July 4, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. The Reds defeated the Rockies 8-1. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /

SEATTLE — Yesterday, we weighed in with our take on “the wave” and whether or not it should be a big part of any Colorado Rockies game at Coors Field. Spoiler alert: We don’t think so, especially when the game is close as it was on the Fourth of July when a “wave” broke out in the ninth inning.

We received so many comments about the article that we thought we would ask Rockies pitchers and position players what the thought about the wave and if it was distracting, a nuisance or just a part of America’s pastime. And what better place to ask baseball players about the wave than Seattle, a city that, legend has it, was the birthplace of the wave.

With that in mind, before the Rockies took the field to open a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field, we did our research and asked our questions. We went straight to the heart of the “wave controversy” … and we will let you decide if you think you should be a part of the man-made tsunami the next time it ripples through the stands at Coors Field.

DENVER, CO – JULY 2: Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning of a game at Coors Field on July 2, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland made it pretty clear how he feels about the wave. In his mind, as a pitcher, it’s a no-go.

“For me, as a pitcher, we’re trying to be as locked in as possible,” Freeland said in an exclusive chat with Rox Pile. “Sometimes when it is going on, I will pitch around it almost. If it’s going behind the backstop, I’ll step off and reset. I don’t need people standing up and going ‘woooooo’ as I’m trying to deliver a pitch.”

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Freeland likened it to what fans often do at a basketball game to keep the away team from scoring.

“I think it’s more of a distraction for the pitcher than the hitter because they don’t have to see it,” Freeland said. “You see a bunch of people standing up and it can be a distraction, just like in basketball when a guy is trying to shoot free throws.”

The 25-year-old southpaw says don’t do the wave, especially when the team you’re rooting for is on defense and doing the pitching.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize the effects it can have on a game, especially if the team you are rooting for is out there on the field,” he said.

OK, so what about position players and even manager Bud Black? We went straight to the sources to find out.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – JUNE 28: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies hits a home run in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on June 28, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

So Kyle Freeland says the wave is more of a distraction for pitchers than hitters … but what about when you’re an All-Star third baseman and in the field? Nolan Arenado shrugs it off.

“I guess it’s alright,” Arenado told Rox Pile. “I think it’s kind of cool when there are a bunch of fans in the stadium and everyone’s doing it. When it’s just a few people doing it or it’s not a packed house, it doesn’t look very good.”

Colorado Rockies: What players really think about “the wave”

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