Weather the Storm: Two Days in Different Colorado Ballparks
I was planning on doing a comparison of a professional baseball game and a club college game as part of my social media project on baseball in Colorado, but to be frank there is little to compare. The two teams I planned to do a blog post on were the University of Colorado Boulder Buffaloes, a club team, and the Colorado Rockies, an MLB team. Juxtaposing the two reveals more contrasts than it does similarities.
So let’s contrast the two experiences, shall we? A little background on both the games is necessary. I went to a Rockies vs. San Diego Padres tilt on April 23rd, 2018. There was a rain delay which caused the game to start an hour later than expected. As a result, the fan turnout was less than stellar. There were a lot of vacant seats in Coors Field that night. Temperatures were in the high thirties and my friends and I could really feel it in our seats up high near the Rooftop Bar. So could the Padres’ players, one of whom committed an unforced error to give the Rockies a two-run lead in the bottom of the first inning. After three quick ground-outs in the top of the second inning, Colorado was once again batting. Three singles and a sacrifice fly led to a bases-loaded situation for star Trevor Story. He promptly hit a bomb to center field that went the distance. Home run, Rockies! The Padres, meanwhile, had no answer for starting pitcher Kyle Freeland. He recorded eight strike-outs while only allowing three hits all game. The final score was Rockies 8 to Padres 0.
Things didn’t go nearly as well for the Buffs as they did the Rockies. The location of their final series of the season was at City Field in Fort Collins, Colorado. It was a sunny, pleasant day. There were about twenty to twenty-five CU fans in the bleachers, and about double that for CSU fans. Playing their bitter rival, Colorado State University, the Buffs wanted to bring the intensity early. However, they came out flat and gave up several runs in the early innings. The final score looked closer than the game actually was: CSU 7 to CU 4.
The biggest difference was the professionalism of the two clubs. Obviously, the Rockies are a much bigger operation and play in a far larger venue. But just being pro doesn’t inherently mean there is no comparison to be made; CU football and the Denver Broncos have similar operational logistics. Still, this was not the case between these baseball teams. The Rockies’ fan base is much more established than the Buffs and it showed, as the fans at a poorly-attended Rockies game exponentially outnumbered the fans at the CU game. It wasn’t even close.
Still, I had a lot of fun at the CU vs CSU game. I went to the game with my girlfriend and we both enjoyed the weather and the quality baseball being played. To be frank, I had more fun at the CU game just because the weather was way better. My biggest takeaway is that the weather makes a big difference. The Rockies have perennially struggled with low-attendance numbers in the early season, as the volatility of Denver weather often leads to delays and cancellations (or just flat-out unenjoyable weather to sit in for a few hours).
My final take: if you are planning on seeing a baseball game in Colorado, make sure you take a look at the upcoming weather. Whether its minor league ball, MLB, or club, the weather can make all the difference.
