No-Hitter, NHL Outdoor Games, Concerts and More: Coors Field Is A Place Where Anything Can Happen

James Keating | March 28, 2025

Coors Field’s legacy is equal parts glorious, bizarre, and uniquely Colorado.

The third-oldest ballpark in the National League — look it up if you don’t believe me — is also the most underrated sports venue in America.

It’s not just a ballpark; it’s a laboratory for chaos. For better or worse, the home of the Colorado Rockies is a place where baseball’s unwritten rules are constantly being rewritten. It’s a venue where hitting for the cycle is commonplace, but no-hitters are mythical.

Even those in attendance can’t escape it. You might need sunscreen AND a parka in the same afternoon.

After 30 seasons, the building at the corner of 20th & Blake isn’t broken. It’s the baseball inside the cathedral that doesn’t make sense.

Would Ted Williams have hit .500 in Colorado? Would Bob Gibson’s 1.12 ERA season in 1968 have quadrupled? We’ll never know, but I’m pretty sure I’d pay good money to find out.

More from the 30 in 30 series.

No. 21. Chuck Nazty’s Cycle in Game 162 – September 30, 2018

On the final day of the 2018 season, with a chance to clinch what would have been the franchise’s first-ever NL West title, Charlie Blackmon — aka Chuck Nazty, aka the guy who looks like he’d rather be fly-fishing — went full mountain climber. Like a Sherpa scaling Mount Everest, Blackmon put his club on his back and delivered us to the brink of history by delivering a postseason-clinching cycle.

Blackmon went 5-for-5 with a homer, a triple, two doubles and a single. He recorded five runs batted in and basically said, “Follow me, boys.” The Rockies did not winning the division in game 163 (thanks, Dodgers), but Blackmon’s performance was a reminder of how electric he was at his peak.

Coors Field has seen 18 cycles in its 30-year history. Wrigley Field, which opened before the World War I, and has seen only 10. Let that sink in. Coors Field is the cycle factory of baseball and Blackmon’s masterpiece is a crown jewel.

No 22. Hideo Nomo’s Impossible No-Hitter – September 17, 1996

Pre-humidor, Coors Field is where ERAs went to die. (Come to think of it, that’s still true.) Somehow, Hideo Nomo accomplished a one-of-one, unthinkable feat: tossing a no-hitter in the greatest run-scoring ballpark the Majors has ever seen.

Before the installation of the humidor in 2002, Coors was (and still is, albeit to a lesser extent) a veritable nightmare for pitchers, with its expansive outfield turning routine flies into extra-base hits. Yet, on that rainy September evening, Nomo danced through the Rockies’ lineup with finesse, issuing four walks and fanning eight over nine hitless innings despite having to wait for a rain delay. The Japanese pitching sensation even struck out reigning NL Player of the Week, Ellis Burks, for the final out.

It’s a performance that remains singular and is perhaps the most improbable no-hitter ever thrown. Teams combined to post a 7.06 ERA at Coors Field in 1996. Colorado, by the way, ended up winning the batting title that year, which make Nomo’s feat the most Coors Field thing ever.

No 23. The NHL Stadium Series: Coors Field as an Entertainment Mecca – February 27, 2016

Coors Field isn’t just for the National Pastime. It’s a multi-purpose entertainment venue that once hosted a slew of hockey games. In 2016, the NHL brought its Stadium Series to Denver and the result was one of the most visually stunning outdoor events ever played. The sight of NHL players skating on a rink in the middle of a baseball diamond, with the Rocky Mountains in the background, was straight out of a video game.

Then there are all the concerts. From The Eagles to Billy Joel to the Zac Brown Band, the ballpark has hosted some of the biggest names in music. It’s a testament to the versatility of the stadium as a venue for whatever Colorado throws at it. Maybe we’ll get a Bowl Game at some point?

No. 24. The Coldest Game Ever: Rockies vs. Mets – April 23, 2013

It might have 300 days of sunshine, but the weather in the Centennial State is still unpredictable. One minute it’s sunny, the next it’s hailing and then it’ll become sunny immediately after. On April 23, 2013, the Rockies and New York Mets played the coldest game in ballpark’s history. The temperature: balmy 23 degrees (-5ºC for our international friends of BSB).

But here’s the best part: Rockies one-of-a-kind (take that however you’d like) owner Dick Monfort and other front office members were out there shoveling snow to make sure the game could be played. And to think, MLB fans were shocked when they found out front office staffers were doing laundry and shining shoes back in 2020. In our organization, even when you are the owner, you are asked to wear many hats. (Again, take that however you want.)

No 25. Ichiro’s 3000th Hit: A Hall of Famer’s Coors Field Moment – August 7, 2016

Coors Field has been the stage for countless historic moments, but few are as noteworthy as Ichiro Suzuki’s 3000th hit. On August 7, 2016, the future Hall of Famer stepped into the batter’s box and delivered a moment that will forever be a part of his highlight reel. Base hit 3,000. A triple. Yes, a three-bagger for his milestone because Ichiro had to make the moment even more unforgettable.

Only one other player in MLB history — Paul Molitor on September 16, 1996 — had recorded a triple for their 3000th hit. But Ichiro, being Ichiro, did it with his signature flair, racing around the bases as if he were still in his prime. It was a reminder of why he’s one of the most electrifying players to ever grace the game.

It’s not the only time the Rockies have been on the wrong side of Hall of Fame history. Rickey Henderson notched his 3000th hit in San Diego against Colorado, Craig Biggio did the same in Houston and Miguel Cabrera most recently in Detroit. But Ichiro’s triple at Coors stands out, not just because it happened here, but because it encapsulated everything that makes Coors Field special: the expansive outfield, the thin air, and the sheer unpredictability of baseball in Denver.

It is these instances — pitchers defying the odds, players stepping up in clutch situations, and the unpredictability of Colorado weather — is what truly encapsulate the spirit and history of Coors Field… and I don’t care what Jim Leyland has to say about it.

Blake Street Banter