With the baseball season upon us, I must admit that I struggled to find the positives when it came to writing about the Colorado Rockies. The team had gotten off to another slow start, the pitchers were getting shelled, and Kris Bryant was again, a virtual no-show. So, I cheated. I sat down at my computer, then asked ChatGPT to write me an 800-word article about the Colorado Rockies and all that was good. Within minutes, there it was. The words Cold Beer repeated 400 times. So, here it is. My annual story about the Colorado Rockies, written before they become too irrelevant, which is roughly... Read More

Seneca, the great Roman Philosopher once wrote – Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. But no one could have been prepared for this. Elias Diaz was a no-name, journeyman catcher for the Colorado Rockies, batting .270 with just 9 HRs and 45 RBIs. He spent his days calling pitches for a staff that had a league worst 5.66 ERA, and his nights thinking about being on a team that was dead last in their division, 18.5 games out of first place. And it was only July. The original plan was to probably go fishing, visit some relatives, or simply rest at home with an ice pack on his right... Read More

As the Denver Nuggets rolled through the downtown streets of LoDo, champagne filled and shirtless, the confetti flew, and fans cheered. A franchise that began back in 1967 had finally captured its first NBA Championship. A victory parade of epic proportions. But as the fire engines stopped, and thousands packed into Civic Center Park, I realized that Denver’s victory parade was also a goodbye parade. A goodbye to sports for quite some time. Forty-one days to be exact. Starting with the NBA draft on June 22 (in which – spoiler alert – the 7’5 French guy is going first) and ending with... Read More

The baseball season is ridiculously long. Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in early February. Opening Day is at the end of March, and with 162 games to be played, the regular season lasts all the way to the end of September. And now that Major League Baseball has expanded their Playoffs to include six teams in each league, it is fair to believe that your favorite team may be playing in October – or even Game Seven in November. The point being – baseball lasts forever. Even the worst of teams can hover just below .500 for months, go on a decent winning streak sometime after... Read More

The beginning of spring brings us warm weather, Easter brunches, bottomless mimosas, and plenty of empty carbs. Spring also brings us the NBA Playoffs, The Masters, the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and a Rockies team that is not yet mathematically eliminated. Unlike the Dallas Mavericks, I was interested in the final games of the NBA season this fine spring weekend. Unlike Bryson DeChambeau, I participated in all four rounds of The Masters. And unlike Jorge Masvidal, I finished the weekend on my feet, and ready for more – despite the bottomless mimosas. • Intrigue at The Masters usually begins... Read More

It makes sense that C.J Cron has gone virtually unnoticed for the last nine years. The first baseman/DH spent the first four years of his major league career in the shadows of Mike Trout and Albert Pujois in Anaheim. The next three years were spent buried in the obscurity of the Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins, and Detroit Tigers. After batting just .190 for the Tigers, and with limited options, Cron found himself signing a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies that happened to include an invitation to Spring Training. Making the major league roster was quite the accomplishment but... Read More

Name any baseball movie and you will generally find loveable losers that conquer in the end. A drunk coach, a female pitcher, and a team of misfits turn it around in The Bad News Bears. Jake Taylor and his team of castoffs take Cleveland to the playoffs in Major League. And once Roy Hobbs finally gets his shot (no pun intended if you’ve read the book), the fledgling New York Knights are practically unbeatable in The Natural. Unfortunately, the Colorado Rockies are not a movie. The script reads like one with frugal owners, star players leaving for greener pastures, and a roster full of colorful... Read More

Maybe the trick to enjoying the NFL draft is not to participate in it. In 2021 the Denver Broncos passed on linebacker Micah Parsons. The 2020 draft gave us Jerry Jeudy instead of Justin Jefferson. Noah Fant was hardly the steal of 2019, Josh Allen was available in 2018, Garett Bolles has been holding since 2017, and the 2016 NFL Draft…..that was Paxton Lynch. The Denver Broncos ended up trading a boat load of picks for quarterback Russell Wilson, finally joining the festivities with the 64th pick, and last one of round two. But let’s be honest. By the 64th pick, the Broncos could have... Read More

The term March Madness was practically an understatement for this year’s NCAA Championships. Gonzaga couldn’t make it past the Sweet Sixteen, North Carolina had an epic battle against Duke, and Saint Peter’s knocked off Kentucky, Murray State, and Purdue. The NFL gave us its own version of March Madness with Tyreek Hill joining the Dolphins, Davante Adams going to Vegas, and Russell Wilson heading to the Broncos. Baseball joined in on the March Madness by ending its lockout, implementing the DH in the National League, and starting a Free Agent frenzy. The hope was that March Madness would... Read More

Stop me if you have heard this story before.  A young team with playoff potential trades their best player, fires their General Manager, fails to develop their pitching staff, and eventually ends up 32.5 games out of first place with a record of 74-87. Meanwhile, ownership cries about the woes of being in a small market environment, defends himself by stating that his team has the 11th highest payroll in the major leagues, and fans exit the gates as soon as “last call” is announced. It started with Matt Holliday leaving back in 2008, then Troy Tulowitzki in 2015. DJ LeMahieu left for a batting... Read More