FanPost

It is time... (new Rockies fan)

Dear Rockies fans,

it is time.

It is time for me to introduce myself and join this community as a Colorado Rockies fan. My name is Jan, I am a 35-year old, living in Belgium. For years, I have been attracted to US sports, mainly football. I've spent years trying to find a team to root for, eventually settling on the Jacksonville Jaguars. I might need to jump ship to the Broncos on the football side and now seems like a good time for that (though orange isn't very much my color, so I'll keep that under consideration for a bit).

Recently, I've gotten more and more into baseball as well. Understanding the rules was one thing, you have to admit there are some strange ones in there. Finding a team to root for in this sports was another. I've quietly gone through them all. Some I like better than others, some were just boldly and quickly eliminated from the list. Eventually, I came down to a shortlist of four. The Mariners, Cubs, Pirates and Rockies made the final cut.

Then having to take it down to the one I would eventually invest my time in, took me months. Eventually, and with the help of my dear and loving wife, I settled on your (and mine now) beautiful Rockies. The love for the mountains also helped in this decision.

It's not the most flashy or sexy team at the moment, they appear plain bad and are well in play for the worst record at the end of the season (it's still long, I know). To me, it just feels right. I've been reading into the history of the team, the great players that roamed Mile High Stadium and later Coors Field. From Andrés Galarraga, over Larry Walker, the Legend and next year HOF Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki and now Charlie Blackmon. I've read and watched movies of the teams of the past, also about the magnificent 2007 season (should've been a fun ride).

I'm not here for the glory, I'm not here for compassion, I'm here because I want to root for this team, I want to follow their every play and absorb everything that's going on that concerns this beautiful franchise. It's not easy, mostly due to the hour difference and having a busy professional and family life, but I'm trying to keep up as much as possible. I'd also like to become a part of this community, not just lurking and reading, more actively commenting and enjoying the knowledge that's present here. And of course, I want to get to know you, the heart of this community and true fans.

It's about the beautiful game of baseball and the amazing team that's the Rockies.

My first badge of T-shirts and hats is on the way, as a jersey I'm doubting between Tovar, Blackmon and Marquez. Guess Ezequiel makes most sense long term? Should you have any advice on books to read, podcasts to listen to (besides the ones hosted here) or other sources to keep up, please let me know, I'm commuting over two hours a day, so there's some time for that.

Sincerely,

Jan

Go Rockies!

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]).