Attending The Final Rockies Game Of The Season With Mark

My friend Mark - seen in the photograph on the left - and I attended the final Colorado Rockies game of the season at Coors Field yesterday afternoon. They were playing the Los Angeles Dodgers, and so Dodger fans were in abundance, as usual, due to the large number of California transplants living here, but thanks to the retirement of Rockies all-star Charlie Blackmon, Rockies fans were in abundance, too, and the game was a sellout.

I always like to attend the last game of the season because the Rockies players walk around the field after the game to thank the fans, as seen in the photograph on the right. I always try to get a seat on the lower level, in the outfield and as close to the front as possible in order to get close-ups of the players as they pass by. Unfortunately, because the game was a sellout, the only seats available were in the upper deck, and so I had to make do with my zoom lens, with mixed success.  As for the game, the Dodgers won by a score of 2 to 1, and the Rockies finished the season with a record of 61-101, joining my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox (41-121) and the Miami Marlins (62-100) as the worst teams in baseball this year, although the White Sox also earned the distinction of having the worst single-season record in the history of Major League Baseball.

But no matter. There is always next year, and at Coors Field the day was all about Charlie Blackmon - seen holding his son in the photograph on the left - and celebrating his 14 years with the Rockies. Charlie's retirement will be a big loss for the team. In addition to being a great player, he was always all about the fans, and each year when the players walked around the field after that final game, he was right there by the stands, shaking hands, posing for pictures, talking with the fans, and making sure they knew they were appreciated. Over the last few years, I've noticed that some of players have barely looked at the fans, let alone shaken their hands, during this walk, and quickly head back into the clubhouse as soon as they can, while Charlie always lingers on the field, waving to everyone, the last one to leave the field. Have a great retirement, Charlie!