With another tumultuous offseason underway for the Colorado Rockies, there is already negativity swirling around the fanbase like a winter storm preparing to blanket the roads that lead to the 2022 baseball season. Having lost Trevor Story in exchange for a compensatory draft pick, the possibility of Jon Gray having played his last in purple, and general manager Bill Schmidt not intending to trade off what few sellable assets the team has (though I honestly believe this is a good thing) can take a toll on the Rockies faithful after another losing season. However, as we gather around our tables on this Thanksgiving Day (for those who celebrate) and load our plates with turkey, gravied yams, and stuffinged ham, we think about what there is to be thankful for. Sometimes it may not seem that way, but there are plenty of things to be thankful for from your Colorado Rockies. I turned to my wonderful colleagues here at Purple Row to ask then what they were thankful for.
Mario DeGenz
“I’m thankful for the Rockies being a team that plays games where the ball is in play far more often than usual and defense matters a lot.”
Renee Dechert
“I’m thankful for the starting rotation who are skilled and fun and re-writing the #Coors narrative. One of the reasons most of MLB can’t understand the Rockies, IMHO, is that they don’t get what the Rockies are trying to do with pitching. (The Coors narrative is just too strong.) That’s not to say the there aren’t problems (because, clearly, there are, and they’re significant), but the emphasis on starting pitching has been largely missed. I’m grateful we’ve gotten to see it and appreciate it.”
Mac Wilcox
“I’m thankful that, for all their faults, the Rockies game experiences are still great. Coors Field is a fantastic place to watch a game, and Rockies fans in general are a very welcoming bunch. Coors Culture (tm) is really strong, even if the team itself is lackluster at times.”
Skyler Timmins
“I’m thankful that the Rockies have a number of humble and likeable characters on their team that are easy to root for. Yes, there are things to be said about how the organization is run, but I will always root for the guys on the field! Alternate thankfulness: the Subaru Strikezone and Super-Mo presented by Jeff Huson.”
Sam Bradfield
“I’m thankful that there are so many wonderful guys on this team from the bottom up who are easy to root for and easy to chat with. I’m grateful that there’s a good culture and understanding of the media’s role in helping them tell their stories and that they’re all usually more than happy to chat. I know some teams and players have a lot of animosity towards the media and the Rox aren’t like that, and the communications staff is incredible. I’m absolutely thankful for how everyone works together so well.”
Joelle Milholm
“I’m grateful that the Rockies exist. I played Little League as a kid and loved baseball so much. I was eight when MLB announced Colorado was getting the Rockies. I was a Cubs fan since I had WGN and could watch their games. Getting the Rockies meant having a team of my own that I could see in person. I slowly transitioned from the red and blue to the purple and black and got to spend summers with my family at Coors Field. I left one losing team (who then went onto win the World Series) for another, but they are still mine and I love them. I’m also grateful for 2007 Rocktober, which was the most fun I’ve ever had as a fan.”
Adam Peterson
“I’m thankful for All-Star Week. The home run derby was a top-five live sporting event for me but I also got to meet a lot of our writers in person for the first time! And no matter what happens with the team, the Rockies (at least indirectly) gave me Purple Row and I’m consistently thankful for that.”
Justin Wick
“I’m thankful for always having pro baseball to look up to growing up; I am just old enough to not know life without Rockies baseball and it was always special to soak in every ounce of the big leagues knowing that I wouldn’t have had it growing up a few years earlier. I’m thankful for how it’s shaped my life and how an early passion led me into a life full of — and all too often based in — the moments on a baseball field.
I’m thankful that 2021 was able to bring that back in such a big way. 2020 gave us a taste of no MLB action in Denver again and I can’t even begin to imagine my home city without ballpark gates, much less having them locked for an entire year. I’m thankful that Denver was able to take center stage in the baseball world this July for All-Star Week with such an unreal comeback for the city, the businesses and the people. I’m thankful that a devout community shares that same passion for baseball in Colorado like I have my entire life, and the entire world got a chance to see it this summer.”
Travis Rowland
“I’m thankful that the Rockies have had at least one (and usually two or more) likeable stars throughout their history as a franchise. Even in the down years, there was always a Big Cat, Walker, Helton, Tulo, Nolan, or Trevor.”
Kenneth Weber
“I’m thankful for the Rockies having a fan base that is invested. There are a lot of casual fans that follow the team, but there are also a lot of people who have a deep passion for the team and the sport. Having such a large following, no matter how deep their roots run, allows us to have a constructive conversation about the team any time with so many different individuals.”
Evan Lang
“I’m thankful for the Rockies in maybe more ways than I can count. I’m old enough that every season of Rockies baseball came after I was born, but young enough that I’ve known nothing but Rockies baseball since childhood. I grew up idolizing wonderful stars like Larry Walker and Todd Helton, and have seen and players and faces change, come, and go over the years. I cherish my Rockies, through both the good times and the not-so-good. From the exhilarating highs of Rocktober, to feeling my stomach drop out as we were swept in the World Series, to the 2017 and 2018 playoff runs and the dark times of the early 2010s, they are truly my everything and my beloved Rockies.
I am also so profoundly thankful for the having the Rockies (however indirectly) lead me to this period in my life where I can say I am a professional writer. It’s an absolute dream come true to create for the fans, and interact with so many amazing and interesting people both inside and outside the Rockies organization.”
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Former Colorado Rockies closer Wade Davis retires after 13 seasons | Rox Pile
After a long and storied 13 season career, 2015 World Series Champion closer Wade Davis has retired. The Rockies brought in Davis in 2018 with a three year, $52 million contract. He was a key piece of the Rockies’ 2018 playoff run, setting the franchise’s single season saves record with a career high 43. Unfortunately, injuries, altitude, and age finally caught up with him during a bumpy 2019 season and a 2020 where he made just five appearances. Despite how things may have worked out in Colorado, I wish Wade Davis nothing but a heartfelt congratulations on his retirement and a career well done.
Here are the 10 MLB prospects who impressed scouts the most in the Arizona Fall League this year | The Athletic ($)
Another writer is singing the praises of Rockies prospect shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, and this time it’s Zach Buchanan of the Athletic. Buchanan has good things to say about Tovar’s “really good” defense, though mentions it still needs some of the fine tuning that comes with experience. Tovar is just 20 years old. What Tovar needs to work on the most is his batting, where “he has tools, but they just need to come together.”
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