DNVR Exclusive: 2007 World Series reunion headlines local SABR event

DENVER – On Saturday night, the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) held it’s 22nd annual banquet and at the center of the festivities was a small reunion of the Colorado Rockies’ team that went to the 2007 World Series.

Close to 200 packed the Super Suites at Coors Field to hear keynote speaker Clint Hurdle regale with stories from a decorated career, both as a player and manager.

Autographed bats from Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon, as well as a framed Mickey Mantle signed photograph highlighted a silent auction displaying artifacts and memorabilia from players present and past.

Also in attendance were two players from the National League pennant winning club: infielder Clint Barmes and starting pitcher Jason Hirsh, who also doubled as the Master of Ceremonies. 

SABR’s Director of Development, Ben Rose, provided remarks on the state of the organization and upcoming national events. Roger Kinney, head of the Denver Metropolitan Sports Committee that helped bring Major League Baseball to Colorado, was the 2019 recipient of the award for Lifetime Achievement in Baseball.

“I appreciate the opportunity to be here,” Hurdle began his address to the fans, friends, former colleagues in attendance. “So many familiar faces out there. It’s really good to see you all. It’s good to be back.”

Providing updates on his three children and their extra-curricular activities, as well as the blessings of still having both sets of parents for him and his wife, Karla, Hurdle’s trademark oratory skills were on full display. “He’d live and die in this atmosphere,” Hurdle said of his father’s Rockies’ fandom. “He’d always try to figure it out. And I’d say, ‘Dad, that’s the wrong approach here. The only thing you’ve got to figure out is who has the most runs at the end of the game because it’s a whole different ball game here.’”

Throughout his time at the podium, a common theme of having belief played out. While modern baseball has a focus on analytics, which Hurdle readily acknowledged, there was an omnipresent theme of believing in what can’t be seen.

While highlights of the 2007 run to the World Series played on the televisions of the suite, the 2013 NL Manager of the Year for the Pittsburgh Pirates couldn’t help notice. 

“To see these videos? I have not watched any of the playoff videos because I told myself, ‘When I’m done, I’m going to watch them all. I’m going to watch every play, every pitch when I’m done.’ This is the first time I’ve seen them. And the number of goosebumps I’ve gotten seeing the action, seeing the smiles, the fans, it’s incredibly cool to be here and be a part of that.”

Before the electric run of play that saw the Rockies winners of 21-out-of-22 contests, Colorado was far from that memorable team of special players. “We’re walking into September like, ‘Eh. Ok. I don’t know.’ Analytically, we were probably out of it. The probability of making the playoffs? The number was probably small. That’s not how it ended up. We went 20-8 in September. And 1-0 in October. Or should I say, Rocktober.”

Hurdle’s vibrant personality took center stage, especially when inserting his sense of humor into the storyline. “We’ve got good news and we’ve got bad news,” Hurdle said to his players on the eve of the memorable Game 163. “I said, ‘The Padres are coming and we’re playing in our home park tomorrow night.’ (Hurdle mimicked the sound of a clubhouse erupting in celebration.) ‘What’s the bad news?’ ‘(Josh) Fogg is starting.’

His heart-warming side was on full-display as well, particularly when explaining the story of his friendship with Kyle Blakeman, the 15-year-old boy plagued with a rare form of cancer, and the meaning of the number 64 that he placed atop every Rockies’ lineup card during the magical run in 2007.

He also couldn’t pass up the opportunity to discuss Keli McGregor’s importance to the organization and to him. “After my father, he was the second most important man in my life.”

Never one to hide the secrets of success, Hurdle shared the source of his power in coaching: caring about the person and not just the player. Once trust is built, you can start helping make them better. Then, get out of the way and let them play. 

Even when it appeared the evening was ready to wrap after Hurdle’s time at the podium, there was the 2007 World Series panel with the Rockies’ trio, moderated by MLB.com’s Thomas Harding.

Barmes shared his most memorable moment during the electric September streak. “I’ll never forget the day where we were in the clubhouse – I can’t remember who it was – and someone said, ‘Why don’t we just win out?’ Well, that’s what it was going to take to do it. Everybody thought, ‘We’re here. We might as well try.’” 

It was more of the same from Hirsh, who spent much of the late-season run on the injured list. Nevertheless, he was there for every minute and supported his team every which way he could.  

“I can’t remember if it was the game where we came back against Florida,” the co-owner of Mile High Collegiate Baseball League said. “I remember we had just completed a comeback. We were walking up the stairs and Jeff Francis was next to me. He was laughing and we were looking at each other: ‘Who’s going to do it tomorrow?’ That was really where it started to hit me that something was going on here.”

The topic of Game 163 loomed large over the next hour of storytelling and questions from the baseball obsessed audience. 

How’d they overcome the unlikely down two runs in the 13th against the Padres’ future Hall of Famer? “I don’t know how many times we watched Hoffman warm up. So, when we fell behind, I said, ‘Boys. We got ‘em right where we want ‘em. Because he’s worn out,” Hurdle recounted with a chuckle.

Was there any considering to call for a squeeze play with Holliday at third base and Jamey Carroll at the plate? “It was definitely a thought,” the former manager responded. “I like action after action. So, in my mind, we need to do it the next pitch… But I thought that I didn’t want to get in the way of this. I stayed out of the way,” the skipper said of the move to do nothing.

Stories about Hurdle’s kindness over the years trickled out from the crowd. Everything from leaving voicemails for season ticket holders to giving away baseballs was shared by the adoring audience.

Before it was time to say goodnight, the topic of superstitions and baseball players was broached. As if you could have one without the other, the stories continue the through line of the power in believing what you cannot see.

One banquet attendee and former Rockies’ employee explained how many times the furniture was moved in and out of the visitor’s clubhouse during Game 163 and the three separate times they put up the plastic over the lockers. 

But maybe the best tale of superstition of the evening involved franchise great Todd Helton. “He starts a game with a beard his first at bat. Punch out.” Hurdle continued to describe the next three at bats for Helton, each one equally as unsuccessfully with the star first baseman’s beard decreasing in size each time.

“He’s clean shaven for the fifth at bat. He hits a walk-off home run. And when he comes back, he said, ‘I told you!’ Now that’s just crazy,” Hurdle punctuated to roar of laughter.

The night was not only the culmination of hard work by Rocky Mountain Chapter President Paul Parker, who orchestrated the reunion, but for the diehard baseball fans of Denver and Hurdle himself.

“The guy that you saw in Colorado has grown. That guy you saw in Pittsburgh, growing, hopefully making a difference. Trying to being a servant and not having his own personal agendy,” Hurdle humbly professed. “Karla is the one that helped put that in play.”

While the future for Hurdle is unclear, himself a free agent after his contract with Pittsburgh ran out in September after nine years with the organization, the 2007 Rockies manager is quite confident about his former club’s future.

“I believe that something special is still going to happen here. I believe that.”