“We are who they thought we were!” – Denny Green (sort of) 

In his legendary rant following a loss to the Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals head coach Denny Green didn’t exactly say that. He sort of did. His real words were actually the opposite (basically, flip-flop “we” and “they”), but for purposes of my rant, I thought a “revised” version of Green’s message was appropriate.

In other words, and as it pertains to the Colorado Rockies and their loyal fans, “we are who they thought we were.”

And this is what they think: The Colorado Rockies are a joke.

Sorry, folks. I hate to be so blunt, but it’s the truth. On a national level, the Rockies get absolutely zero respect. None. Nada. Zip.

The Rox never get voted into the All-Star Game by the fans (who don’t know anything, by the way); they only get added later by the players’ and managers’ vote. Whether it’s All-Star voting, preseason polls or postseason hardware, Rockies players are always viewed with an asterisk. Like Rodney Dangerfield, they get no respect.

Nationally, Rockies hitters’ numbers are severely discounted. Take Charlie Blackmon for example. He’s having a stellar year – hitting .310, 43 RBIs, 12 homers and 10 stolen bases. The centerfielder elected by fans to start for the NL All-Stars is Blackmon’s predecessor, Dexter Fowler, whose numbers aren’t nearly as impressive – .290, 28 RBIs, seven HRs and six stolen bases. Were it not for an injury, Fowler would be the starter in tonight’s game. Miami’s Marcell Ozuna (.307, 47, 17, 0) will start in his place. Blackmon will be watching tonight’s game from his couch, enjoying popcorn, soda and statistics that are equal or better than any outfielder on the roster.

At third base, Rockie Nolan Arenado and Cub Kris Bryant have extremely comparable offensive numbers. But on defense, Bryant isn’t even a true third baseman. He’s started 28 games at third, 22 in the outfield and one at first base. Again, no love for Arenado, the best defensive third baseman in all of baseball.

Pitchers, on the flip side, don’t enjoy the double standard that comes along with the national sentiment of “Oh, he did that at Coors Field…” It’s easy to hit at 5,280 feet in elevation right? Thus, in theory, it must be so much tougher to pitch? Well, nobody ever thinks of it that way. Tyler Chatwood isn’t an All Star (and probably shouldn’t be), but his 3.29 ERA is viewed as, well, a 3.29 ERA. Nobody says, “Geez, Chatwood did that pitching half his games at Coors Field? Impressive!”

That’s just how it is, Rockies fans (and Rockies), and my griping, or the constant reminder of similar injustices from the Root Sports broadcasting crew on a nightly basis, will never be considered outside of Colorado. Nobody listens. Nobody cares. Remember, they all think the Rockies are a joke.

But here’s where the Rockies are to blame (and no, this has nothing to do with missing the postseason 20 of their 23 years, soon to be 21 of 24). Every year at the Midsummer Classic, the disrespected, undervalued, unloved, underappreciated Colorado Rockies who actually do get to participate in the festivities, do absolutely nothing. On a national stage, with all of baseball watching, the woe-is-us Rockies do nothing to dispel the belief that they don’t belong.

In the Home Run Derby, the Rockies – who are supposedly home run hitters – rarely show up. In 1997, Larry Walker belted 19, but lost in the final round to New York’s Tino Martinez (who only hit 16 in total). Other than that, no Rockie has ever finished in the top two. Last night’s performance by Carlos Gonzalez, who hit 12 homers and did not advance past the first round, falls into the category of “typical.”

Since every team gets at least one player on the ASG roster, a marketing ploy that’s watered down the honor of being an All-Star since 1935, it’s not really relevant to count the total number of Rockies that have been selected to play in the game itself. Since their miraculous run to the World Series in 2007, a total of 13 Rockies have played in eight Midsummer Classics. And here’s how they did:

2015: Nolan Arenado 0-1, Troy Tulowitzki 0-1, D.J. LeMahieu 0-2
2014: Charlie Blackmon 0-2, Troy Tulowitzki 1-3
2013: Carlos Gonzalez 0-2, Troy Tulowitzki 0-2, Michael Cuddyer 0-1
2012: Carlos Gonzalez 0-2
2011: Troy Tulowitzki 1-2
2010: Ubaldo Jiminez 0-1 (pitched 2 scoreless innings, with one strikeout)
2009: Brad Hawpe 0-2
2008: Matt Holliday 1-3

For all our whining about how nobody gives the hometown nine any respect, when the spotlight turns to the Rockies, they’ve done little to earn any either. A paltry 3-for-24 (that’s a pathetic .125 average) at the plate certainly doesn’t do much for altering the perception that Rockies players can only hit at Coors Field, a park where the air is so thin the ball just flies out. (That’s sort of a myth too, as Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park and Seattle’s Safeco Field have allowed more HRs per game this season, and Yankee Stadium is on the exact same pace as Coors with 2.88 homers per game.) And oh, by the way, Rox hitters have produced all of one RBI during the All-Star break in the last eight years – Matt Holliday’s solo shot in 2008 was the last time a Colorado batsman contributed to the actual score of the game. And then he was traded.

I’m of the belief that the Rockies generally did get screwed when it came to the selection of the National League All-Star roster this year. Aside from Gonzalez and Arenado, who deservedly got the nod, Trevor Story, Charlie Blackmon and D.J. LeMahieu all should have earned a spot on the squad. Then again, with a record of 40-48 heading into the break, it’s hard to cry too loudly.

And if history is any indication, the voters will be proven correct once again. After all, when the entire nation is watching, recent Rockies who’ve earned All-Star designation have a bad habit of proving they never belonged in the first place.

No pressure Nolan and Cargo. But if you don’t hit, we are who they thought we were.