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ALL STAR GAMES: 1998
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: Jacqueline, my sister Connie, and I saw the Rockies beat the Cubs in Coors Field in August 1998.
This is a mighty big stadium for such a modest-sized city, but Coors Field was nevertheless routinely sold out in its early years. It is widely praised as one of the most aesthetically pleasing of the Neoclassical stadiums, with the added bonus of Rocky Mountain views, from the right field stands, at least. There is a tall, gaudy scoreboard behind the left field bleachers and an evergreen-landscaped replica of Rocky Mountain terrain in center field, with a fountain, of course. Overlooking that is the "Rockpile," an elevated bleacher section for budget-minded fans, adorned with team flags along the curved back side. Very classy. The grandstand is similar to other recent stadiums, with three main decks and one skybox level. In place of the mezzanine deck in the right field corner is a multi-story private club house. There is more overhang between the upper decks in right field, giving fans out there a somewhat closer view. There is no skybox level on that side. About 75 percent of the cost to build Coors Field was funded with taxpayer dollars; a special regional sales tax was imposed, annoying some people who don't visit Denver very often. (That's why it's the Colorado Rockies.)
Situated at an elevation of one mile, the thin air at Coors Field allows for significantly longer flight trajectories. Dr. Robert Adair (author of The Physics of Baseball) estimates that a fly ball hit 400 feet near sea level would, if hit equally hard, travel about 420 feet in Denver. Thus, it is (somewhat) easier to hit a home run over the center field wall at Coors Field (415 feet) than at a typical near-sea-level stadium with a 400-foot distance to center field. The biggest impact on play, however, is not so much the greater number of home runs as the increased opportunity for triples, given the long distances to those corners.
The layout of Coors Field has only a modest amount of asymmetry, as the walls are angled only about 5 degrees from perpendicular to the foul lines. Among the other stadiums in its class, the shape of its outfield bears the closest resemblance to Comerica Park. The overall stadium structure is most similar to Ameriquest Field, but with the grandstand wrapping around the opposite corner. The outside perimeter of the structure is a rounded square, fitting inside the street grid on the north (formerly run-down) side of downtown Denver. There is a wire mesh fence on top of the wall in left field, so as to cut down on the number of home runs. The outfield wall between the bullpens and the right field corner is quite high, about 16 feet. This cuts down on the number of home runs by lefties. One of the nice touches (also present at several other Neoclassical stadiums) is the angle in the right field corner.
The Rockies were briefly pennant contenders after moving in to their beautiful new home, but their lack of good pitching did them in. In 1998, their lineup included Todd Helton (then a rookie), Larry Walker, Vinny Castilla, and Dante Bichette. Of those sluggers, only Todd Helton remains today. In recent years, average attendance has sometimes dropped to about 50 percent of capacity. Interestingly, the original plans called for a seating capacity of 43,800, but the huge crowds at Mile High Stadium forced an upward revision. The day before this page was first posted, an escalator went haywire at a Rockies game (which was nearly sold out, for once), and at least 32 people were injured. In 2005 two rows of box seats were added between the dugouts, reducing the distance behind home plate by about six feet.
SOURCES: USA Today / Fodor's (1996); Rockies Official Scorecard Magazine (Aug. 1998)
FAN TIPS: Mike Zurawski
