Colorado Rockies: Improvements that could be made to Coors Field

Replacing “The Player” with Larry Walker walking off Atlanta or Todd Helton clinching the 2007 World Series for the Colorado Rockies

Again, just like the Hall of Fame, this is something that should have happened a long time ago. There are two Colorado Rockies players who deserve the honor of being memorialized at the front of Coors Field more than any other: Larry Walker and Todd Helton. Not only do they both have their numbers retired by the Colorado Rockies, they are Baseball Hall of Famers (well not yet for Todd, but he will be soon).

But what poses would the statue take? Well, it should be one of whichever player’s iconic moments.

For me, when I think of Larry Walker, I think of two things: That SpongeBob NASCAR Jersey and him walking off the Atlanta Braves on August 18, 1999. That bat hanging in the air as the legend watches his home run send the Braves home in those wonderful Turn Ahead the Clock Jerseys.

Personally, Walker was the club’s first (and only thus far) MVP and Hall of Fame. This should be the statue that greets fans into Coors Field.

While I feel Walker deserves the place of The Player, there’s plenty of reason for Todd Helton to have that place. He will also join the Hall of Fame eventually, was the first number retired in club history, and still holds most of the franchise records in basically every counting stat.

So, if they chose Helton to get the honor of being sculpted in front of Coors, what moment should they sculpt?

I’ve watched baseball for most of my life (which I understand is a lot less than many people) and to this day, no highlight gives me chills more than when the 2007 Colorado Rockies got that final out in the NLCS, sending them to their first and only World Series appearance in club history. When Helton throws his arms in the air and screams with his leg on the bag is iconic. If Todd Helton is the replacement for The Player, then it should be that moment enshrined.

Now onto some big picture stuff.

A retractable dome

I will start this by saying, any large-scale changes to Coors Field that could be made should ensure that the iconic Rocky Mountains are still in view. It is the name of the team, after all.

With that being said, I believe a retractable dome should be put in place at Coors Field, which runs from the Rooftop to the First base side, with optional large-scale windows going to the left (look at Minute Maid Park for a good example of this). This ensures that games should never be delayed due to weather and can help boost attendance during bad weather days.

This would be an enormous project for the club to undertake and, personally, is what I wanted to see happen instead of McGregor Square. I do like the square and think it is good for the community. I just think that there are certain quality improvements to the stadium that needed to be done before a huge real estate development.

Updated concourse and concessions

To be fair, I believe this is happening. The Rooftop and the John Dough Pizza Co. complex is exactly the thing I want to see as far as a unique concessions area

One issue I have with Coors Field as it stands today is that all the concourses and concessions look the same. It’s all concrete, white, and green. Almost all the concession stands have the same font and style, despite not serving the same thing. Did you know that there is one concession stand you can buy Rocky Mountain Oysters? I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t know that because it looks the same as every other concession stand. They have a single sign that says “Rocky Mountain Oysters” that looks the same as the signs for “Rockie Dogs” and “Hatch Green Chili Burritos.”

Maybe that’s part of the joke, who knows, I don’t want to give them credit for it because the punchline isn’t worth the rest of the park’s concessions looking generic.

I know the focus should be on the product that is on the field, but I feel people like walking around the park and looking at what is around. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to look at. On top of the concession overhaul, I believe that artwork and displays should be around the park, such as murals, display cases, etc. Something to keep the mind engaged while making laps around the park. They should use a lot more purple at the park to break up the monotony of the gray concrete and white walls.

I will say, don’t touch Helton Burger, that is pretty much the only iconic concession stand that the field has outside of the Rooftop, it’s perfect as is. Now onto my final improvement.

A giant fake antique beer fermenter

If I gave you a picture of Coors Field with no sign of the Colorado Rockies, would you be able to guess that it was Coors Field? Maybe, maybe you would see the mountains at the top of the Jumbotron, maybe you would notice the batter’s eye fountains, or Helton Burger, but those things are easy to miss.

When I think of iconic ballparks, I think of their large structures. Fenway has the Green Monster, Oracle Park has the Coke Bottle, McCovey Cove, and Triples Alley, Camden Yards has the B&O Warehouse, and Petco Park has the Western Metal Supply Co. Building. To give credit, I believe that the new gigantic Jumbotron with mountains on top helped with this issue, but hasn’t fully fixed the issue. My proposal, I believe, would.

A giant fake antique-looking beer fermenter in right-center field, right in between the Rock Pile and the Rooftop. I believe this shouldn’t be for show and could have two uses. First, I think this could replace the current stairs/elevator at the Rooftop, possibly replacing sections 301 and 201 in the process. The second possibility is to have concessions at each level in the fermenter. Traditional concessions on levels one and two and then a full bar at the Rooftop Level. This could offset the cost from potentially lost seats if 301 and 201 need to be removed for this project, though because of the shape of fermenters, I believe only section 301 may need to be sacrificed for either case.

Now, I may be off base with a lot of these ideas and proposals. Maybe Coors Field is perfect as is. For once, I want to see your comments and ideas. Either comment on this article or shout at me on Twitter (@n_sunshine_55) what you think Coors Field should add or leave alone.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.