Colorado Rockies: Fans have been taken for granted for far too long

It has only been a few days since the news that the Colorado Rockies have agreed to send Nolan Arenado and $50 million to the St Louis Cardinals for, reportedly, next to nothing in return.

I have let my frustrations stew and simmer over the weekend and it is now time to let the Rockies organization know how I feel.

For 28 years, the Colorado Rockies’ front office has done this to us (the fans) time and time again. It all started after the 1997 season when “the Big Cat” Andres Galarraga was released after driving in 290 runs in the previous two seasons. At the time, little did we know that there was a guy named Todd Helton waiting in the wings.

In 2004, the Rockies shipped off the aging and oft-injured Larry Walker to the St. Louis Cardinals. This felt like the right thing to do as it gave the now Hall of Famer a chance at a ring which he came ever so close as they were swept by the Red Sox in the World Series that season.

Then there was Matt Holliday in ’08 being traded away to Oakland after leading the Rockies to the World Series in the season before. Luckily, in return, the Rockies received Carlos Gonzalez who became a three-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner.

However, the recent moves have felt like a huge punch in the gut. The insulting way they treated Ubaldo Jimenez by sending him to the mound to start a game only to pull him midway through after being traded to the Cleveland Indians at the trade deadline in 2011.

The way Jeff Bridich secretly traded away Troy Tulowitzki to the Toronto Blue Jays in ’15 as Tulo vowed to never speak to him or other members of the Rockies front office ever again. And then finally, Friday night, the culmination of it all, the departure of the best player to ever to play for the Rockies, Nolan Arenado.

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Rockies management has been able to get away with moves like these because no matter what, they know fans will show up to Coors Field. In 28 seasons, only once has attendance dipped below 2 million for a complete 81-game home schedule and it hasn’t been less than 2.5 million since 2007.

Colorado’s ownership knows that there is no better place in Denver to start off a summer night on town than taking in a few beers and game at 20th and Blake then bar-hopping after in LoDo. This is why they have spent more money on upgrading amenities such as the Party Deck and the soon to be open McGregor Square than on building a sustainable winning team.

I am not telling you what to do with your hard-earned money. What I am saying is that I will be doing some deep soul searching as to how much of my time, my effort, and my money I will invest in a franchise that I dearly love but receive little reciprocation in return.

I am willing to listen with an open mind to what Jeff Bridich and the front office has to say on their plans for the future if/when they hold a press conference to finalize this despicable trade, but this is the final time they have taken my fandom for granted.