The date is Aug. 3, 2016 and the Rockies are in the thick of the playoff hunt. The good times are just starting to roll for Walt Weiss and the boys.
“That’s when the fun starts,” Weiss said in reference to his team’s push for the playoffs; “this time of year when you get to watch the scoreboard. When you’re paying attention to the other games, and there’s that focus, that emphasis on your game every night, to win every night. That’s fun.”
The Rockies are currently .500 on the season with a record of 53-53, and are just 3.0 games out of a Wild Card spot after the Chicago Cubs walked off against the Miami Marlins in an afternoon affair at Wrigley. The Rockies were glued to the game, going wild when Matt Szczur scored on a wild pitch to give the Cubs the win. It meant Colorado was a half-game closer to the playoffs.
“It’s a lot easier showing up to the ballpark under those [winning] circumstances.” Weiss explained with a smile on his face.
The organization and city as a whole seem to be locked in with this Rockies team. The players are in the clubhouse are into it fully, watching all the teams ahead of them in the Wild Card standings whenever they can. The press box is filled to the brim with media members, ready for this Rockies team to go on a run.
Broncomania has been dialed down a bit with the Rockies’ latest surge, something that is nearly impossible to do in this Mile High City, especially with the team coming off a Super Bowl championship season.
Smiles and full faces have rushed to the ballpark in recent times, and the Rox are becoming the talk of the town, something that has not happened since the 2009 season.
The road ahead is a tough one with Colorado set to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers (again) all before August comes to a close.
No one expectsto be easy, but the Rockies players and coaches all believe that this team is capable of making a run and bringing the Rocktober atmosphere back to the city of Denver.
Buckle your seat belts, folks. We may be in for one wild ride for the remainder of the Rockies 2016 season.