Rockies, Cubs & Baseball

Last night, Brett and I went to see a baseball game at Coors Field, where his beloved Cubs were visiting the Rockies.  It's become somewhat of a tradition to go see the Cubs whenever they visit the Mile High City.  I think Brett went last year with friends because I was unavailable or too uncomfortable to go due to my pregnancy.  Never had an issue with heat until my pregnancy with Preston and I was pretty lucky because aside from a couple of weeks last year, we had a very decent summer when it comes to the temperature.  Aside from last year though, I think we've gone together every year since I moved out to Colorado.

We had really nice seats and a bit of money to spend courtesy of Brett's team at work.  Thank you Performance Excellence Team!!! :)  We got to the game early, having walked 13 blocks or so from my office to the ball park.  It was nice that a couple of ushers applauded us for featuring both teams with our jerseys - Brett with his Kerry Wood Cubs and me with my "Tulo" Rockies jersey.  While I do love the Cubs, I don't have a Cubs jersey and don't get to wear my Tulo jersey often and Brett insisted I wear it.  It's really nice when you meet people that actually have a love for the game, and not just their team.  So, good job Coors Field ushers!  Way to show your love for the game!

I was a little disappointed to see that they are building a new apartment complex on the west side of the park.  I feel like it will take, and has already taken part of the charm out of Coors Field.  It was fabulous to have that Rocky Mountain view above left field.  Now, there just remains a little window where, if you're lucky depending on where you are sitting, you might get to see the mountains and a gorgeous sunset.  I don't know who to blame... Denver?  Molson Coors?  The Rockies organization?  Well, whoever is responsible, this is one disappointed fan... and we fans already have enough disappointment given the miserable 45-68 record the Rockies boast with just under 70 games to go.  Great offense, when they can stay healthy.  Horrible pitching (no offense pitchers).  Either they need to get really good pitching coaches, or really good pitchers.

We really did enjoy our evening.  It was a close game until the 6th inning when the Rockies exploded with 6 runs and added another 4 during the next inning.  Sorry Brett!  Don't worry, what did your grandpa always say?  "Tomorrow is another day, and the Cubs might just win"?  (And they did win this afternoon)  I like that quote.  Brett shared it with me when he and I were just friends and I was having a rough couple of days. He told me this uplifting story about his grandpa.  Made me feel better instantly, and grandpa was right.  Tomorrow is another day, and tomorrow brings the possibility of a happy day.  The eternal possibility of hope.

I had a fun time cheering for both the Cubs and the Rockies.  It was nice, I was happy no matter which team scored or whichever team made a nice play.  So what's a Montreal Canadiens fan doing cheering for the Cubs and the Rockies?  Good question because I grew up detesting baseball.  I think it was a mix of my brother Jason liking baseball and my need to not like what he liked because he always thought I'd break his stuff.  Lol, sorry Jay.  I've gotten over that ;).  The other part is that the few times I tried to watch baseball, it was just such a slow game, so drawn out.  A lot of the pitcher throwing to first to keep the runner from stealing a base.  I guess when you don't understand the game, it's hard to get into.  Plus when you are used to the go-go action of hockey, and you compare it to the speed of a baseball game, it's hard to relate.

When I moved to Colorado though, Brett would often watch the games on TV.  The Rockies have really good coverage which makes it fun to follow the team because you really get to know the players.  And then we got a big screen TV with HD channels.  That did me in.  Everything was so clear.  You could actually follow the ball.  You could see the expressions on the player's face.  You could feel the strategy behind the game.  Now I'm hooked.  Okay, well not so much this year.  It's been hard to get into.  The season was just about to start when Preston passed away.  We had all this Cubs gear for him - onesies, slippers, bibs, bottles.  Now, it's all hiding in his room, never to be used by him.  Maybe, he will be happy to one day see, a little brother or sister using them in his place.  I'm sure that he's cheering on the Cubs from his cloud in Heaven.  I hope that he's watching every game with his great-grandpa Olaf.  Perhaps, he'll make sure that next year is the year of the Cubs.