DENVER – “We’re talking about history right now,” Carlos Gonzalez said, shifting his tone from the jovial character we are accustomed to – especially after a big RBI double in Tuesday night’s contest – to a stern and reflective one.
As the crowd of reporters dissipated and the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks played in the background, I stood next to Gonzalez and prompted that response by asking what a division title would mean to him.
“It’s never happened before in this organization,” he continued. “I would really enjoy being part of a great group that did something that has never happened before. I think we have a really good chance.”
He is, of course, referring to the fact that the Colorado Rockies have never won the National League West, playing as a Wild Card in each of their four postseason appearances. The man who wears the No. 5 uniform is the only one to have played for each of the last two Denver teams to make the dance.
Gonzalez says that what has set this team apart from other incredibly talented clubs he has been a part of, is the ability to have the proverbial “short memory” bouncing back from tough losses.
Whether it be individual games like so many blown late in June or a gut-punch of a series, like they just experienced in LA, or the ill-timed but temporary loss of Trevor Story, the Rockies always bounce back.
They have done so this time by winning five straight, sweeping the Diamondbacks in Arizona right out of postseason contention, then winning their first two back at home against the fading Philadelphia Phillies who have fallen apart in the final month.
“Everybody is pulling together,” Gonzalez said. “Everyone is doing the best they can to make that happen, to bring that division title here and make people proud.”
Since being traded into the organization in his rookie season, Gonzalez has become one of the most recognizable faces in franchise history. His sweet swing had fans swooning in 2010 when he made a legitimate MVP bid and, though some rougher patches in the last few seasons, has never failed to bring a Coors Field crowd to their feet. They’ve never lost faith in him and he has never lost faith in them.
There have been swirling conversations for at least the fourth year in a row that this might be Gonzalez’ last season in a Rockies uniform. He is an impending free agent, though, he was that last year. It’s hard to imagine him in any other uniform at this point.
He has become an institution in Colorado and I could easily see him returning on another one-year deal, but it would also make plenty of sense for him to leave if someone else offers a multi-year deal. And if these are his final few games in purple, it’s worth taking the time to appreciate them.
And, perhaps as a parting gift, or maybe just as a promise for as long as he has the opportunity to play here, he wanted to make it clear that this season is for you.
“Our fans have always been supportive over 25 years,” he said. “And to win the division for them would be amazing.”
