How To Be an Out-of-Town Rockies Fan
by I_Am_Marshall on Sep 12, 2010 12:31 AM MDT
Email
Print
I live near Cincinnati, but I'm a big-time Rockies fan. It's hard being a fan of an out-of-market team (unless, God forbid, you enjoy the Red Sox or Yankees). Mostly, the local media doesn't cover your team at all, and your only sources of Rockies news is what you dig for yourself on the Internet. The only things anyone in this area knows about the Rockies come from one-paragraph write-ups in the newspaper, and the annual Coors Field massacre, where Reds teams get ceremonially destroyed. Over the past couple years, I've discovered some tricks that have made this season by far the most enjoyable yet.
1.) MLB.TV
Hands down, the most important thing for out-of-market games. Even if it means having to watch FSNRM personalities singing 70s/80s tunes in a falsetto, I've gotten to see some of the most exciting moments in real time. Chris Nelson's steal of home was beautiful, but even more so because I was watching the game with a couple Reds fans. I haven't got to watch every game, but I've definitely got my money's worth from that service.
2.) Befriend a Rockies fan. If there are none, convert one.
This is solely for social interaction, because sports are much more fun to take in with other people. I converted my girlfriend into a Rockies fan (she had never watched baseball until this year, but now she watches games on MLB.TV even when I'm not there). The first game she saw was Iannetta's walk-off against the Mets. The second one was Ubaldo's no-hitter. I think her conversion into a baseball/Rockies fan was destiny.
3.) Live within a few hours of a National League stadium.
I know this one's tough because a lot of times you can't control where you live. If you live near an NL stadium though, the Rockies will be coming to town at least once a year. I was out of town when the Rockies came through this year (a 2-month job in Mississippi and I came back right at the end of the 2-9 road trip), but I did get the opportunity to see a couple games live. My girlfriends first live game was the Civil Rights Game (Reds vs. Cardinals...I wrote a FanPost about it earlier. The game ended on a runner being thrown out at the plate. Again, it was fate for her to love baseball). Going to games is such a fun experience that any true baseball fan needs to do at some point during every season.
4.) Scout your Rockies for fantasy purposes.
Troy Tulowitzki, first round. Ubaldo Jimenez, eighth round. Carlos Gonzalez, 12th round. No Dodgers players. Having Rockies in fantasy baseball gives a dual reason to root for them. It helps that those guys completely own.
5.) Own Rockies things, display them publicly.
I went to a Reds/Rox game in 2008. They gave out bobblehead dolls of Adam Dunn in a leisure suit (it was 80s night or something. The dolls were creepy.) A Reds fan approached me and asked if I would sell him the bobblehead doll for his son for $5. It gave me a 25% discount on my ticket. He only asked me because I was wearing a Rockies t-shirt and knew I would probably have no use for that doll. Dunn got traded the next week too. Point is, if you support the Rockies, good things will happen no matter where in the country you are! If you have any suggestions for long-distance fandom, let me know!
Eat. Drink. Be Merry. But the above FanPost does not necessarily reflect the attitudes, opinions, or views of Purple Row's staff (unless, of course, it's written by the staff [and even then, it still might not]).
17 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
6. Be active on Purple Row
I do everything else you mention except for fantasy.
I live between two NL stadiums and within driving distance of a third, and as luck would have it the Rockies come to each of them several times a year (not just once!) Despite this fortune I will be going to only my second game of the season this coming Friday … too bad Ubaldo won’t get to go for 20 :-(
Also MLB.tv is a godsend, especially since I have the at-bat app and can even watch games on the go, which is something those in CO cannot do! So I guess there are certain advantages to living far from CO, though I often long to go back home.
"I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else" - W. Churchill
I read Purple Row a lot, but I don’t get the chance to interact very often. The site has definitely enhanced my understanding of how the organization works, as well as giving insight on different statistics than your standard AVG/OBP/SLG and ERA stats.
by I_Am_Marshall on Sep 12, 2010 6:44 AM MDT up reply actions
Someday I'm going to have to write a book and call it "How To Be An Out - Of - Town Giants Fan - And Live."
Chapter1: STAY THE @#$% OFF OF GASLAMP BALL
If you never ask, you'll never know.
But where's the integrity in saying you never knew if you never asked?
by victor frankenstein on Sep 12, 2010 4:28 AM MDT reply actions
Also, why won't Ubaldo get 20?
Isn’t he pitching in the postseason?
If you never ask, you'll never know.
But where's the integrity in saying you never knew if you never asked?
by victor frankenstein on Sep 12, 2010 4:30 AM MDT up reply actions
He just won't get to 20 wins against the Dodgers next weekend.
Rock Oax will have to settle for win #19. (Hopefully. Got to figure out the Dodgers in LA, which at times seems less probable than winning 21 out of 22 games.)
"Are they called the Rockies because they rock?" - 7 y.o.
I was pretty upset we didn't score any runs for him yesterday
It was really a bittersweet victory, but I was certainly very happy we won. Regardless I will enjoy rooting for #19
"I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else" - W. Churchill
i agree 100%
MLB.TV the last few years has helped sooo much…and i go to basically every NL stadium that the Rockies play at near me in NJ….last year went to washington and new york( which i do every year with my buddy whose a Mets fan) went to philly this year….next year pittsburgh and so on ….eventually i will make a trip to denver for a home stand later on in my life
time to make another run to the postseason....get it going guys!!
Troy Tulowitzki: "When people think of the Rockies, I want them to think of a winning organization."
MLB.TV
Living in north central Texas right now makes seeing the Rockies on a regular basis almost impossible. The closest MLB team to me is the Texas Rangers. However, the Rockies have yet to visit Arlington since I’ve been here. I also have no interest in seeing the live Rangers and sitting in 100 degree weather with 90 percent humidity.
Hopefully, next year the Rockies might come down here to Northern Texas so I can see them on the road. I’ll suffer the awful weather for the Rocks!
My other option is driving or flying six hours down to Houston and watching the Rockies take on Astros. Ugh, I hate Houston! And if you thought Dallas-Fort Worth was bad.. Houston is just straight disgusting. There is no way they could play baseball outdoors year round down there. The humidity is so thick its hard to breathe.
But in any case, I bought MLB.TV a while back and have been very happy with it. I’ve enjoyed watching the Rockies live once again rather than watching game day via ESPN or MLB.com. I didn’t miss listening Drew Goodman though. Another cool feature on MLB.TV is being able to switch to different telecasts.
(7)Another helpful source of information has been the Denver Post. I know, some of the writers on there are a joke, but they do have a lot of information on the Rockies and the various other sports franchises in and around Denver.
I miss Colorado though.. There isn’t better then CO in this country!
You can survive without this
just barely tho. I live out of town (Kansas City) and I violate soo many of these rules and I, barely, hold my sanity. The first 3 are broken for me (We decided to buy MLB Extra Innings so I could watch in my bed) but I do the last one loudly and proudly.
Some hope?
by rockiesfan4ever on Sep 13, 2010 12:44 PM MDT reply actions
You should try living in the UK!
Its not worth me getting MLB TV even as most games start around 2am, although Sunday nights (afternoon for you guys) I do watch the games on Gameday.
Gives you a reason to get up in the morning and check that score though.
Anyway, looking forward to some early UK evening play off action against Philly again this year!
Spend the extra pounds and get the premium package.
The archived games (They become available an hour after the original game ends) will wait patiently for you to find a convenient viewing time for years.
If you never ask, you'll never know.
But where's the integrity in saying you never knew if you never asked?
by victor frankenstein on Sep 16, 2010 12:11 AM MDT up reply actions
Seconded
Also, I reckon even one game a week is worth the 75 quid or so – and I like watching non-Rox games for relaxation, especially ones which don’t involve teams we need to beat :) Also, bear in mind that we get EVERY game over here – no blackouts, not even the national ones.
I broke down & got mlb.tv this year
and it has helped, though it freezes up too often for me.
Before then, I used XM radio to follow the Rockies. (I live in Austin now, but
am moving to CO in 2012).
I still like baseball on radio, though the quality of the hometown announcers
you get on XM varies from pretty good (Rockies) to The Best (Scully) to
simply god-awful (Astros, Padres, Cards/Shannon, and Brewers/Uecker, who is a joke.)
And PR is essential. Absolutely essential.
One thing where out of town fans can equal or exceed (since they’re not at Coors as much) the knowledge level of local fans is minor league teams. They can be followed anywhere
as well as in Denver. So when the players arrive at the Show, you know a lot about them already.
Mediocrity sucks
Uecker a joke? You have to be kidding me. Bob Uecker is pure gold. He may be the funniest man alive. I also like the Pads guys. Jerry Coleman cracks me up. I listen a lot on XM when I’m driving my big rig up and down the highway (summer and occasional weekend job as I go through college).
I only like the Dodgers guys when Scully is on for the first 3 innings. I can’t stand Charlie Steiner. Gary Thorne with the Orioles is excellent. And the Angels announcers, whose names I can’t recall, are very good.
There's a place out west where the Powder River rolls off the Bighorn Mountains. It's a land of red walls, blue sky, and clean air, where the eagle glides high above the canyons and makes its nest in the rocks that overlook the valleys where the sagebrush and cottonwoods grow. This is ranch country - has been for more than a hundred years.
Well things have changed some since the early days, but there's still a thread of character and tradition that runs true from one generation to the next. You can see it in the way folks out here set a horse; you can hear it in the way they talk. And when the work's all done, there's nothing they like better than to get together at the one room schoolhouse under the red wall for another down home, homegrown, Western Saturday night.
I just left this year
to go to college in upper Ohio and what I have found, although impossible for most but great for my situation is the Sling Box. I connect it to my TV at home and get all the games out here. It is hard when I have class at 8 and I’m up until 1 every night watching. I don’t have the ability to go watch the rockies yet but if I stay up here I guess I could drive to Pittsburgh which is probably closer than Cincy. Although we seem never to win in Pittsburgh….
I don’t get to participate much here as it is sometimes hard to break into the group of 20 or so regulars, although they are the nicest people when I do post something. I read everyday and lots of the comments as I watch the games.
What school are you going to?
I have a friend who lives in Hamilton, OH and another who works in Pittsburgh.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Purple Row
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- Security!: Camden Yards guard collides with Royals’ Mike Moustakas
- The Juice: Nelson Cruz matches career high eight RBIs, Pujols stays hot in Seattle
- Benches clear at Fenway as Red Sox-Rays rivalry heats up
- Keeping good company: Albert Pujols becomes fourth-youngest player to hit 450 home runs
- Giancarlo Stanton misses cutoff man, and Logan Morrison is thankful he did (Video)
