The Colorado Rockies were set to make a splash this past postseason when the biggest upset of the decade happened to end their postseason run. But 2019 won’t be the last time they have a shot at The World Series if Bud Black and the franchise have anything to say about it. It’s anyone’s guess what roster changes or strategy shifts will occur over the spring training season, but one thing’s for certain when Coors Field opens its doors for the Colorado Rockies home games in 2020, we may be seeing the strongest lineup that the franchise has seen in recent years. After two seasons where the men in purple and black made it to the playoffs, sports commentators are already predicting that this may be a threepeat season for the team. But will the Rockies end their playoff run in defeat or do they have what it takes to come out as champions? There’s only one way to find out.
Fans of great baseball and The Colorado Rockies are already marking dates and setting their calendars to catch all of their home games this coming season. Many sports buffs are keeping a close eye on the franchise managers to predict how this coming season will go. But the real excitement comes on game day from the moment the team takes the field. You could be seated with over 46,000 other fans cheering on your favorite players, thrilled by every power play, and glued to your seats as the day goes on with the Rockies ready to impress.
Will you be there?
All You Need to Know about Manager Bud Black
Bud Black, born June 30, 1957, is the current manager for the Colorado Rockies. His career in MLB play began as a pitcher from 1981 through 1995 for various teams including the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians. He later coached the Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim from 2000-2006 and managed the San Diego Padres from 2007 to 2015 where he earned the National League Manager of the Year award in 2010. But the question on everyone’s mind is if Bud Black can bring his experience and skill to the table to push the Colorado Rockies into postseason play when he was announced as franchise manager in 2016.
For many Rockies fans, the question was answered when he won his manager debut with the franchise defeating the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Day, which also led to his 650th win as a manager. You can also look to his current record with the Rockets, which is a .511% win record compared to his .477% record with the San Diego Padres. Also consider how Bud Black has managed the Rockies to postseason play, a feat he hadn’t done with the Padres. While his postseason record currently stands at .200%, the fact is that he seems to be growing better in pushing his roster to greatness after every season. Rockies owners must agree since his contract had been extended before the 2019 season guaranteeing that he would remain manager until the 2022 season.
But will Bud Black be able to overcome his past and become the manager that the Rockies and Rockies fans need? Can he overcome the odds and get his team back into postseason play and excel on the race to the World Series? If you want to see for yourself, then you’ll have to check out the home games at Coors Field and see what a more experienced Bud Black can do.
Why Batters Love Coors Field
Rockies fans will tell you to never question home run averages at Coors Field, but many sports analysts will tell you that there’s a reason that Coors Field is considered one of the most home-run friendly ballparks in the league. With a height of over 5,200 feet above sea level, Coors Field is the highest park in the majors, with the next closest park, Chase Field, measuring at 1,100 feet. The ballpark is tall enough that the 20th row in the upper deck has purple seats to mark the one-mile elevation mark. This height presented an interesting design problem as it meant that there was lower air density resulting in balls flying farther than in similar parks. The designers tried to compensate by extending the outfield fences further from home plate than other parks making Coors Field the largest outfield in Major League Baseball to date. But despite this precaution, Coors Field still leads in home runs, doubles, and triples.
This earned the stadium the nicknames of Coors Canaveral (referring to NASA’s Cape Canaveral) or Williamssport (referring to the Little League World Series site). But later scientific research led to the discovery that it wasn’t thin air that contributed largely to home run distance, instead, it was dry air. As dryer balls were more elastic which made it easier to send them flying. So Coors Field installed a humidor in the rooms where the baseballs were stored which led to home run averages decreasing to averages that were closer to other parks.
Elevation still plays a factor in batting distances, which still leaves Coors Field as one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in today’s Major Leagues. Whether this pans out in 2020 has left to be seen, but it will be exciting to see if the Rockies have higher home run averages at home or in other ballparks.