An ode to Coors Field, the Best Place on Earth.
The real Rockies fan remember Alan Roach as the in-stadium announcer at 20th and Blake, the old slogan “The Best Place on Earth,” and the Blake Street Bombers.
And while a lot has changed at Coors Field over the course of 31 years, a lot remains the same.
An ode to Coors Field on a special night
Friday night at Coors Field was a blast.
While there were 33,596 in attendance, it felt like a sellout. It was loud, rowdy, and fun for nine innings.
It was my first Rockies game in-person since 2019. Way too long to go between games, but when you live in Fort Collins and have a toddler, the trip to Denver for a Rockies game makes for a long day.
Last night was my little one’s first-ever MLB game and she had a blast. We sat in the Rockpile with our extended family, and were surrounded by fun folks from every generation, including a ton of Zoomers.
We enjoyed the full stadium experience. We saw Dinger as we walked into Coors, munched on cotton candy, kettle corn, and fried chicken, and danced in our seats when the Rockies won.
The night was special because it was my daughter’s first game. But it was also historically special because Kyle Freeland—Denver local and pride of Thomas Jefferson High School—recorded his 1,000th career strikeout.
He said he was going to celebrate with, “A couple Modelos.” Hell yeah, brother.
On top of that feat, the Rox led for most of the game. And when they gave up three runs and the lead in the top of the 8th inning, they came back in the bottom half of the inning to win 4-3. Complete with a good enough 9th by Antonio Senzatela.
Since it was my little one’s first game—made even more special with Father’s Day being tomorrow—it got me thinking back to 1995. That opening year is when I attended my first Rockies game at Coors Field with my dad; how much has changed in 31 years? And what’s the same?
What’s the same about Coors Field?
When they constructed Coors Field in LODO—which then spawned the renaissance of the neighborhood—they knew what they were doing.
The goal was to make it an aesthetically pleasing, and old-looking ballpark. Way back in ’95, they built it with brick, included the manual scoreboards in right field, and gave it a pipe organ.
Those elements all persist, as does the Rockpile, which was added as a family-friendly and budget-friendly section ensuring everyone would be able to afford going to a game.
The ushers are still friendly as ever, and the interactive areas for kids are still great. And you can still take in a great sunset if you’re on the first base side, though newly constructed buildings block the view of the mountains.
They’ve managed to keep Coors Field a fantastic place to take the whole family.
What’s changed at Coors Field since 1995?
Basically all the changes to Coors have been upgrades over the years.
The scoreboard used to be that light green 90s look with a tiny, blurry video board above it. Now it’s this massive light-up screen which honestly could be used better (they should keep the score on the scoreboard at all times).
The people who run Coors also found a way to program the lights to make this cool effect where only sections of the field are lit up in big circles, and they rotate around.
Obviously, the upper deck was taken out, which dropped the capacity by a few thousand seats. But they were rarely filled and the Party Deck is a lot of fun for those wanting to have some drinks and not really care about the baseball game. The enclosed section is also a good spot for kids to go when the noise gets too intense.
As mentioned earlier, Alan Roach isn’t the PA announcer anymore. That’s a bummer, but Roach has risen to fame as the Avalanche PA announcer, working with the Minnesota Vikings, and the NFL for Super Bowls. His voice also rings deeply in the trains at DIA.
And the food options are much better nowadays. However, beer prices are insane—nearly $20 for a tallboy?
Coors Field remains fantastic
Overall, the small changes have only improved the experience for fans. They’ve managed to keep that old-school ballpark feel while adding modern elements to keep fans engaged and enthralled throughout.
Ironically, when Coors was built in 1995 it was the first baseball-only NL ballpark built since 1962.
Now, 31 years later, Coors Field is the third-oldest ballpark in the NL behind only Wrigley Field and Dodger Stadium.
Whether you’re a lifelong Colorado Rockies fan, a fair-weather fan, or don’t care for baseball at all, Coors Field remains a great place to enjoy a night (or day game) in the heart of the Mile High City.
Back in the late 90s and early 2000s, my brother and I went to a ton of games thanks to family friends unable to use their season tickets. We always used to laugh about the slogan “The Best Place on Earth.”
30 years later, I’m starting to wonder if they were right all along.