Rockies manager Bud Black thinks so, Saunders: Rockies pitchers are learning to love the changeup. Sure, it was different. Despite the mixed feelings outside, what struck you right away was how blessedly normal the vibe was inside the park, at least from a social distance. A foul ball that went into the stands in the first inning was captured by a fan as others around him applauded. And, yes folks, the fans did come back. He is a beat reporter covering the Colorado Rockies and Denver Broncos in addition to covering other professional, college and high school athletics around the state. The team is also set to allow a full capacity for its final two exhibition games vs. the Brewers on March 29 and 30. It was an Opening Day unlike any other when the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers took the field at 20th and Blake on Thursday afternoon. 58 minutes ago Photos: Colorado Rockies opening day at … Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. After a bit of stress in the ninth, Colorado walked away with an 8-5 decision in the first chapter of a 162-game story that will unfold as the season goes along. Rockies announce plans to increase capacity at Coors Field starting opening day The revised variance builds upon a previous approval that called for a capacity of 12,500 fans at opening day After a year of no fans, cooperation between the Rockies and state and local government and health officials has made it possible to host 21,363 fans, or 42.6% of normal capacity. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports. The Colorado Rockies can host 42.6% of Coors Field’s capacity, and the Texas Rangers will allow 100% capacity at Globe Life Field after Gov. Hope springs eternal on Opening Day, it is often said, and that may never be more true than in 2021. The Colorado Rockies host the Los Angeles Dodgers for opening day in Denver on Thursday, April 1, 2021. He owes his infield and their turning of double plays a steak dinner sometime soon. Colorado Rockies 2021 Guide It was the first time fans were allowed in the stadium since 2019, as the Rockies opened up at nearly 43% capacity. Opening day on April 1 will have more energy than anticipated, as the Rockies announced Tuesday that the club has received a variance to allow 21,363 fans into Coors Field. Like the first game of the season, it’s a step toward what is to come. German Marquez walked six Dodgers in four innings, yet somehow gave up just one run. Those hoping for a boycott after a nightmare of an offseason were sorely disappointed as Dodgers fans cheered on their team in person (complete with “Let’s Go Dodgers” chants) … and Rockies fans did their best to drown them out. Kickin' It with Kiz: Should Drew Lock stay or go as Broncos quarterback? Cody Bellinger hit a home run with Justin Turner on base, but Turner thought it was caught for an out and ran back to first base. All part of a sellout (at limited capacity, of course), it felt like the “fan wars” of old inside a bustling Coors Field, a familiar and good feeling. The parking lot was filling up. The home run counted for one run instead of two. He is a member of the BBWAA and PFWA. Why are restaurants having a hard time hiring with Colorado's unemployment rate at 6.4%? It was a reminder that this is a game played by humans, officiated by humans … and once again watched in person by humans. The pesky Rockies made it the worst opening day of Kershaw’s career. Fans are coming back to Coors Field … Walking in the stadium around lunchtime on Thursday, I passed plenty of fans chatting about the season to come while in line to get into the game that was scheduled to start roughly two hours later. 2 prospect per MLB Memories of the Blake Street Bombers still run deep at 20th and Blake. Man carrying AR-15 is shot, killed by police in Colorado Springs, Hearing aids for the masses: How changing technology and government policy can help. Them's fighting words. Those fans, in blue, purple, and even Cardinals and Brewers jerseys, made their presence felt on Thursday afternoon, cheering as the public address announcer welcomed them to Coors Field as part of the pregame ceremonies. That is all… pic.twitter.com/f3M3W4fwPL, — AT&T SportsNet™ | RM (@ATTSportsNetRM) April 1, 2021. Colorado Rockies news from FanSided Daily, Colorado Rockies podcast: 2021 predictions and hot takes, including on the front office, Colorado Rockies morning after: Chris Owings unlikely Opening Day hero, Colorado Rockies morning after: Pitching falters, snapping three-game winning streak. Chris OWINGS! They erupted when Vinny Castilla, now a special assistant to the general manager, was introduced. The Rangers will revert to "Distanced Seating" for home games after Opening Day. There will be an online reservation system to buy tickets, which will be sold in “pods” of 2-4 tickets. The Rockies will start selling tickets to April home games Thursday, with season plan holders receiving first dibs to buy tickets for the opening homestand against the Dodgers. The Rockies are opening at home for the first time since 2011. MLB Opening Day: When The Rockies Start 2021 Season ... At Coors Field, a 42.6 percent capacity will be allowed to start the season, meaning around 12,500 fans will be allowed inside. Attendants were directing traffic. “It took a lot of hard work from a lot of people, and we thank the state of Colorado, the City and County of Denver, and their health officials, along with MLB for partnering with us to ensure that our thorough and detailed plan complies with all health and safety measures.”. Build your custom FanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis on Colorado Rockies and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. But the biggest winner on Thursday was a return to Coors Field and coming together to cheer for our favorite team, no matter what color it wears. Last year, no fans were allowed at any of the Rockies’ 30 home games due to the pandemic. Owings and Trevor Story provided some “Oh wow” defensive moments. The Twins would love to have their Opening Day roster settled with several days remaining in camp, but it doesn't look like things will be that easy. All staff and fans are required to wear a face mask at all times (face coverings such as neck gaiters and bandanas are not approved face coverings in the stadium). All concessions, ticket office and retail transactions at the stadium will be cashless, while seeds and nuts in the shell are not permitted. Why have models of Colorado’s coronavirus trajectory been off? Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. It felt … like a Rockies baseball game, something that simply couldn’t be said about any of the times I sat in press box during the 2020 campaign as the pandemic kept fans away. Sure, there was plenty that happened on the field, including this head-scratching moment. And that “TONIIIIIIIGHT” never sounded better as Charlie Blackmon stepped toward the plate. Apr 1, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; A fan holds a sign outside of Coors Field before the Opening Day game between the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Apr 23, 9:55 AM EDT ... in the venue with the largest Opening Day capacity. Tickets are available for every game on MLB Opening Day 2021. Rockies fans even got taco’s, thanks in part to three Dodger wild pitches and solid days at the plate from Tapia, Cron, and Owings. Powered by Minute Media © 2021 All Rights Reserved. MLB Opening Day 2021: All 30 Teams Begin Season Thursday - Across America, US - Every team is in action on Thursday, as Major League Baseball returns to its 162-game slate. Apr 1, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; A fan holds a sign outside of Coors Field before the Opening Day game between the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Dodgers. 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The list of opening-day starters since is: Kyle Lohse (2015), Wily Peralta (2016), Junior Guerra (2017), Chase Anderson (2018), Jhoulys Chacin (2019) and Woodruff. Fans cheered loudly for Scott Oberg, in uniform but wondering what his future holds after blood clots once again wiped out a season of what could be on the mound. The Rockies defeated Clayton Kershaw and the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-5, on a spectacular Opening Day before a sellout crowd of 20,570 at Coors Field on a … pic.twitter.com/ErecD0td3d. People bring energy, and they did on a sun-splashed Thursday once again. Ride The Rockies Returns In 2021, Strict COVID Protocols Will Be In PlaceRide the Rockies had to cancel in 2020 because of the pandemic but will go on as planned for 2021. The revised variance is about 42.6% of the stadium’s capacity, and builds upon a previous approval that called for a capacity of 12,500 fans at opening day. Same goes for that cheer for the “mountains” mention in “God Bless America.”. Cron and Josh Fuentes did solid work at the corners. But 2021’s opening day win felt like a giant baseball hug. If inventory allows, the general public can start buying tickets at a later date, to be determined. Rockies announce plans to increase capacity at…, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Submit to Stumbleupon (Opens in new window). Rockies allowed boost in fan attendance for Opening Day It was the first time fans were allowed in the stadium since 2019, as the Rockies opened up at nearly 43% capacity. If you had Raimel Tapia helping the Dodgers to a home run that turned into an RBI single through some rulebook wizardry, you need to quit your day job and head straight to Las Vegas. UFC 261 live blog: Real-time updates from the Kamaru Usman-Jorge Masvidal fight night, Grading the Week: If NBA MVP race is Nikola Jokic vs. Steph Curry, we all know who it's "gotta be", Denver airport shoots to 7th in the world in passenger traffic amid pandemic turmoil, "There is nothing else like it in the world:" Dozens rally to save Casa Bonita in Lakewood, Nuggets Journal: Will Barton's injury means Denver has zero margin for error, Three out of five Coloradans hospitalized for COVID-19 during fourth wave are under 60. “We couldn’t be happier to be inviting Rockies fans back into Coors Field,” Rockies COO Greg Feasel said in a statement. Kyle Newman is a sportswriter for The Denver Post, a position he’s held since 2016. But it’s a step that sure felt good to take. If that isn’t a welcome back to Coors Field, I’m not sure what is. The left-field picture remains unsettled, a competition in which Alex Kirilloff has the highest ceiling, but the club's No. When the Colorado Rockies take the field for Opening Day Thursday, fans will be back in the stands for first time since 2019. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Opening Day brought crowds back to lower downtown on April 1 — though not quite the crowds of years past, since capacity at Coors Field is now held to 21,000. C.J. Rockies fans aren’t embracing Dick Monfort and Jeff Bridich. Opening Day 2003 Greeley Central alum Shawn Chacon pitched a gem, allowing only 2 hits and striking out 8 over 7 innings to help the Rockies to a 2-1 opening day win. But it was also a day of rebirth in LoDo, as a reported 20,570 fans returned to Coors Field for a regular season game for the first time since late September of 2019. That’s a good thing, Raimel Tapia blasts Rockies past Phillies in walk-off victory. Simple little things like that made this Opening Day perhaps the most special one at 20th and Blake since Coors Field opened in 1995. Thursday was a time to still take precautions, with fans wearing masks and social distancing measures in full effect as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to plague our society. Bellinger passed Turner on the bases and was ruled out. The auto-generated “crowd noise” humming during the 2020 season during games was nothing compared to the energy and the buzz you could feel throughout Thursday’s games. They cheered when the Dodgers lined up for pregame introductions and, yes, cheered even louder when the Rockies took their place along the first-base line.