Season to Forget: The 2023 Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are nothing short of an enigmatic mix of raw, young, exciting new talent and veteran presence that commands attention. Yet, they unlocked a new level of disappointment with the first 100+ loss season in 31 years. Something needs to give.
As a die hard Colorado Rockies fan, I can say that come spring, every year, when i’m asked who is going to win the World Series, I will always say the Colorado Rockies. Knowing full well that I most likely have a better chance of winning the lottery than seeing that dream come true with the state the team currently finds itself in. Now I will be honest about the fact that I do not know much about the business side of baseball, but I see and hear about the short comings at all levels of the organization on a regular basis. From a front office that is fine setting a new franchise record of 100+ losses and an owner who not only takes no accountability but actively looks to blame others for the missing the mark season after season.
Let’s look at the facts, since the Rockies last winning season which included a post season run in 2018, it has been a steady and consistent decline in the product being produced. With one of the greatest farm systems in baseball that have turned out the likes of Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki, Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon, the Rockies have the tools and resources to put a team together that would make teams like the Dodgers and the Braves take a second look at their playing strategy. I personally would like to see the front office and Dick Monfort loosen the purse strings- for someone worth while and not a wast of $120Mil- and go after the Shohei Ohtani’s, Spencer Striders and Blake Snells. Not to mention that while Denver and Coors Field are known as a “hitter’s ballpark” because of it’s altitude- we’ll get into the science of baseball later- that is the exact same personality trait that makes it a very unique selling point to any present and future Cy Young winner. Who doesn’t want to say that they were the pitcher who came in and won that Cy Young and even, dare I say, a championship with Coors Field as a home field?
When it comes to the world of professional sports, if you tell someone you are a Rockies fan, if they know, they laugh and apologize. If they themselves are a Rockies fan, congratulations, you’ve found someone who is a member of a sad and disappointed club of truly some of the best fans in the world. As fans, a growing and large portion of our disappointment comes from the complacency of the front office to continue being ok with a mediocre performance again and again with no end in sight. When we have division rivals such as the Dodgers, Giants and Diamond Backs, who are willing to make the trades (not just trades that send their best players and large amounts of cash) and spend the money on once in generation players, why aren’t we? Where is the money from those sold out games, the extension of alcohol sales and Mcgregor Square going? As fans, and primary investors in the team, are we not owed the curtesy of being told what steps are being taken to improve the product? Boycotting games is not only the wrong way to go about it, it punishes the players who have no part in this fight other than to provide incredible entertainment at a high level for eight months of the year. Instead, continue to keep the conversation going of selling the team to someone who has the team’s best interests at heart. Say a certain California-based billionaire who owns multiple professional sports teams in and around the Denver area who just so happens to be missing a professional baseball team in his, rather impressive portfolio.
When I look back on the rather disappointing season that 2023 has been for our home town Davids, I can’t help but hold out hope for what the 2024 season will bring. With rookies like Nolan Jones, Brenton Doyle and Ezequiel Tovar (to name a few), and the presence of veterans like Charlie Blackmon, Ryan Mcmahon and Brendon Rodgers, we have a solid field presence. Not to mention if we were to anchor our starting rotation with 2018 Kyle Freeland, 2019 German Marquez, a healthy Antonio Senzatela and a bolstered bullpen that can hold a lead, we will be a force to be reckoned with.
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