During the 2018-19 offseason, it seemed the only addition the Colorado Rockies made was Daniel Murphy at the cost of $24MM.
A more thorough examination suggests financial investments in the organization through new technology such as devices created by Rapsodo, in addition to a slew of renovations to Coors Field were set in motion when the team and the Metropolitan Baseball Stadium District agreed to stay put with a 30-year lease in March of 2017.
Major home improvements to 2001 Blake Street date back to the 2017-18 offseason when the videoboard received major augmentation – increasing in size by 258% – as well as a revamped INFINITI Club, and the introduction of the UCHealth “Hit the Mitt” sign in left field.
Phase two this past winter included various renovations to the Club Level, improvements to The Rooftop, upgrades in the Interactive Area and 428 new LED field lights that reduced electricity usage by nearly 50 percent.
With the third and final phase of improvements set to culminate with the opening of McGregor Square in January of 2021, the Rockies hope to make the third-oldest ballpark in the National League into a baseball mecca as one of a handful of stadiums in use continually for 50 or more years. (Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Dodgers Stadium, Angel Stadium and Oakland Coliseum are currently the only active ballparks with 50 or more years of use.)
In addition to the fans benefiting from these upgrades – nearly three million turned up on the doorstep of 20th and Blake – the players enjoyed the improved conditions of their workplace, especially the new clubhouse.
“For being in the big leagues for a few years and seeing this? It’s like the next step,” starting pitcher Jon Gray said of the wares beneath the stands. “This is the top of the line. This is the best clubhouse in the major leagues.”
Other changes to the players environment were less publicized. “They put the same lights that are outside in the batting cage, so we can actually get used to it,” catcher Tony Wolters praised. “I know Dick Monfort got them installed. You can actually put day time on there or night time and you can get your eyes ready for that time of day and what that will look like.”
Despite such improvements not translating to a winning percentage above .500 on the field, it’s easy to understand the potential for positive impact. As for the effectiveness of the LED lights on the field, the reactions were mixed.
From a function standpoint, there’s no denying the quality. “I think it was definitely the way to go,” utility player Garrett Hampson said. “The ability just to turn them on (quickly) if there’s a storm or something like that is great. I think every ballpark should gravitate towards that at some point.”
Wolters’ unique perspective as the only player with a view of the entire field was also in line with others enjoying the upgrade. “I feel like Coors Field, it’s always been a great visual at night. The lights before, you saw great. Now it’s a little bit better. I like the LED lights.”
But not everyone is giving the LED lights a five-star review. After moving to right field to make room for Ian Desmond and David Dahl in center field – only to have Colorado outfielders finish 29th in defense (according to UZR, Ultimate Zone Rating) – Charlie Blackmon was not quite as kind in his analysis.
“They’re super bright. Like really bright,” he iterated. “If you’re in the outfield and you look up, all you see is glare. It’s definitely something we have to get used to. I don’t know if you could measure how many lumens those things are putting off, but they might be too bright.”
It’s unclear how much players were consulted with in regards to the new lighting system, but it’s certain that Blackmon wasn’t given the opportunity to share his two cents on the matter.
“People don’t really ask me about that kind of stuff,” he admitted.
With the Rockies cleary committed to making the confines even more friendly to everyone spending time at Coors Field – fans, as well as those representing the organization on and off the field – there’s potential for more changes to be made to ameliorate this point in question. Only time will tell if all stakeholders favor such adjustments.
