In loving memory of George Frazier

“It’s been a great trip and I’ve enjoyed it” -George Frazier

It’s hard to say goodbye.

The growth and endearing longevity that the game of baseball has with generations of fans have long been placed on the shoulders of the individuals tasked with weaving the vast tapestry of the game each and every night. The Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers had Vin Scully, the Chicago Cubs had Harry Caray, and a generation of Colorado Rockies fans had George Frazier.

On Monday, June 19, 2023, Rockies Nation received the sudden and tragic news that the longtime analyst had passed away following a battle with an undisclosed illness at the age of 68. Today, we say goodbye to a man that spent so much time doing something he loved, talking about baseball.

Hailing from Oklahoma, George Frazier played 10 years in a big league uniform from 1978-1987. He spent time with several well-established organizations such as the St. Louis Cardinals, the New York Yankees, the Chicago Cubs, as well as the Cleveland Indians, and the Minnesota Twins. After winning the World Series with the Twins in 1987, Frazier called it a career and hung up his spikes. He would later return to the Twins in 1993, serving as an analyst in the booth to begin his broadcasting career.

For nearly two decades, Frazier had a front-row seat for some of the greatest and most significant moments in the Rockies’ 30-year history, growing a generation of fans while continuing to build new relationships around the game.

The role of an analyst for a baseball broadcast is a simple one; explain the game and provide insights that viewers may not know. They are meant to compliment the play-by-play broadcaster and at times provide the lifeblood of a broadcast. George Frazier did that, and then some.

As an aspiring broadcaster myself, I have many memories of listening to Frazier call games with his long-time partner Drew Goodman on television. When it came down to business, Frazier was always quick to explain the process of pitching, something that always delighted me as a pitcher growing up. He had an easy and eloquent way of speaking in his own way that made him so endearing to listen to. As a fan, I always felt enlightened by him as well as entertained thanks to his antics and quirks in the booth.

Engrained in my memory is a game one year when the Rockies were likely getting stomped by their opponent. As the camera panned the crowd, it focused in on a kid wearing a hat that Frazier just became obsessed with. The camera would cut back and forth between the action on the field and the kid with the hat, with Frazier losing his mind each time he saw and proclaiming something along the lines of “I want that hat!” Well, Frazier got his wish by sending a signed baseball down to the kid and having a member of the TV crew make the trade. He then proceeded to wear the goofy hat for the rest of the game.

He was a true character.

Being a Rockies broadcaster is a thankless job at times. I don’t envy when broadcasters have to figure out what to do in those instances when the team is not performing well to keep viewers entertained, especially during the many lean years the Rockies have had, but Frazier seemed to be built for those moments. He was always quick with a story or anecdote, that not only made a point about the game but was incredibly funny and his chemistry with Goodman in the booth has been missed.

In 2015, fans said goodbye to Frazier at Coors Field when he announced his retirement in order to pursue the noble cause of spending more time with his family.

George Frazier was a professional, witty, humorous, and kind man that loved baseball and people, making sure they knew he cared. The measure of a man is best gauged by the people he impacted and called friends. In looking at the theater of life and the field of baseball, what truly makes them special isn’t the material or the money, or even the things themselves but rather the people we find ourselves surrounded by, and George Frazier was that person for a generation of Rockies fans and more beyond that.

The life and personality of Frazier can be summed up in this clip from 2015.

The man may be gone, but the memories and impact he leaves will live forever.

Our thoughts go out to his family during this difficult time and hope they find comfort in seeing how beloved George was in the Rockies family.

To close, enjoy looking through these tweets about memories and epitaphs that fans, players, and co-workers shared about George Frazier.

★★★

Oklahoma Mourns Passing of George Frazier | Sports Illustrated

Frazier obviously had many times to Oklahoma University as a student-athlete as well as a color analyst for the baseball team after he retired from calling Rockies games. He was beloved in his home state and the OU media relations team has a nice recap of his time as a Sooner.

Phase 1 of All-Star vote ends Thursday; here are the latest standings | MLB.com

The first phase of the All-Star vote ends Thursday and the Rockies have just one player in the top five at their position. Elias Diaz currently sits in fifth place at catcher, well behind top vote-getters Sean Murphy and Will Smith. Additionally, Ryan McMahon doesn’t place in the top 10 at third base, while Randal Grichuk sits 19th in the outfield. Seems the Rockies will have once again to rely on the player vote and/or league designation representatives. At least we have the new All-Star hats, right?

★★★

On the Farm

Triple-A: Reno Aces 10, Albuquerque Isotopes 2

Despite tallying nine hits as a team, including Cole Tucker’s three hits, managed just two runs in an early match-up on Tuesday. Jeff Criswell started on the mound, allowing five runs on six hits in three innings of work. Logan Allen and PJ Poulin combined to allow the other five runs, but Matt Koch, Nick Mears, and Tommy Doyle managed to toss 3 ²⁄₃ innings of scoreless baseball.

Double-A: Erie Seawolves 5, Hartford Yard Goats 4

It was an inefficient start for Case Williams, allowing three runs on six hits in 2 ¹⁄₃ innings of work on 65 pitches. The bullpen turned in a solid performance, but the Yard Goats came up just short, scoring four runs on five hits. They did manage three home runs as a team, including Yanquiel Fernandez’s first Double-A home run since his promotion.

High-A: Tri-City Dust Devils 6, Spokane Indians 5

The Spokane offense did quite a bit, but not enough to overcome solid bullpen work from Tri-City. Sterlin Thompson and Jordan Beck both had two-hit nights, including Beck’s two RBI. On the mound, Caron Palmquist got the start and tossed four innings, allowing three runs and left with the lead. Keegan James followed him out of the bullpen and took the loss after allowing three runs in the top of the sixth to give the Dust Devils the lead and the eventual win.

Low-A: Modesto Nuts 7, Fresno Grizzlies 2

Ryan Ritter and Parker Kelly have two hits apiece for Fresno, but the offense wasn’t able to do much else as they mustered just two runs against Modesto. Caleb Franzen started on the mound and got through five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with one strikeout and two walks.

★★★

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