Thoughts on the Colorado Rockies from a die-hard fan, my mom

One of the things you learn quickly when you’re overseeing a site like Rox Pile is that there are baseball fans everywhere. There are Colorado Rockies fans in all parts of the world and it’s always a pleasure to chat about baseball with them.

There is one fan, however, who I chat about the Colorado Rockies with more than any other. That would be my Oklahoma-based mom, who just turned 75 last month. She has become one of Colorado’s biggest fans, despite living a time zone away. She often texts me about plays, both good and bad, and even sends little reminders when the Rockies are getting close to taco’s.

My mom sat through countless baseball games of mine as I grew up and she now makes sure she doesn’t miss a Rockies game. Her schedule revolves around Colorado’s 162 games each year. She’s absolutely a baseball fan … but she has become a baseball fan who bleeds purple and doesn’t mind letting anyone know it.

To celebrate this Mother’s Day, I asked her to take over the rest of this article. In it, I think you can see her passion. It’s just another reminder that Rockies fans come in all ages and come from all different parts of the country as well.

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Happy Mother’s Day, Mom, from Coors Field. Here’s hoping the Rockies will bring you a win for your special day.

And now, here are some thoughts from my mom…

We live in Sand Springs, Oklahoma. We are true “flatlanders.” We have hills, not mountains. We have 114 degree days and 95 percent humidity … often on the same day! We have snow flurries, not blizzards. We have lots of beautiful lakes filled with big black bass. My husband has fished 90 percent of them and always turns those bass back after he kisses them and tells them he’ll see them another day! We do not have any clear mountain streams with beautiful rainbow trout, but Kevin took his dad on a wonderful fly fishing trip in Rocky Mountain National Park last summer. That was memorable!

We do have baseball in Oklahoma, with kids starting to play at about age 3. We also have professional baseball, with Double-A and Triple-A baseball teams in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Tulsa used to be the affiliate for the Rockies and that’s where we first saw Nolan Arenado, Jon Gray, Chad Bettis and so many others play at ONEOK Field in downtown Tulsa and eventually make it to Coors Field. That’s also when I first started keeping an eye on the Rockies and how they were doing in the standings.

Kevin’s dad is a 70-plus year St. Louis Cardinals fan. He listened to the 1967 World Series in a foxhole in Vietnam. My dad was a Cardinals fan. Kevin’s other grandfather was a New York Yankees fan.

As for me, I don’t miss a Rockies game. MLB.tv is a wonderful thing. I yell so loud and proud I am sure our neighbors hear me, but they know I am cheering on my Rockies. I wear so much purple. I have Rockies decals on my car, Rockies shirts and Rockies purses. I even have purple shoes to wear to the Padres-Rockies games coming up in June! I can hardly wait! Being a Rockies fan is a thrill, win or lose.

I may have only one son, but I now have a whole team I adore. They have each and every one become my boys! We saw our first Rockies game four years ago. Kevin’s dad and I even made it through every game of the Rockies-Cardinals series at Coors Field last summer without getting a divorce. Being together 56 years, we proved we can even survive that.

Being at Coors Field is a wonderful experience. We’ve met so many great folks there, from the ones at the front gate, to the ladies who push our wheelchairs, to the ushers, to all the fans. Well, maybe not those Dodgers fans who sat in front of us last year! The sunsets are magnificent! That’s worth the price of admission. I love it when the fountains shoot high after a home run! We can’t wait to be there again this June!

I think Bud Black rocks (he likes The Eagles, you know? What a guy!). He’s a wonderful manager and seems like the guy you would love to call your friend. I love Charlie Blackmon! He’s a fisherman, so he’s dear to my heart. I love Nolan Arenado! He owns third base! Trevor Story continues to amaze me every game. Jon Gray, BOOMER SOONER … Oklahoma Proud! I’ve prayed without ceasing for Chad Bettis to beat his cancer and celebrated with him when he came to the Rockies. I praise God every time I see him on the mound. I feel like I know him personally. He’s a fighter for sure. I miss Matt Holliday, another Oklahoma guy.

I can talk forever about David Dahl, Kyle Freeland, Seunghwan Oh, Ryan McMahon and all the others. I think about their mothers and grandmothers and wives on this Mother’s Day and think how proud they must be. I want to thank each of them for sharing their boys with us. You should be very proud!

I love the Rockies and will be watching them when they take the field later today against San Diego! If by chance you don’t believe me, ask my neighbors. They will hear me once again cheering them, all the way from Oklahoma.