Cameron MacLennan | March 28, 2025
The Colorado Rockies aren’t exactly the most historic sports franchise in the world.
Consistent spells of mediocrity and, as of late, bottom-of-the-barrel-level baseball has diminished the love Rockies fans feel towards the franchise.
The real star of the franchise throughout the past three decades has always been Coors Field. Even when the Rockies are finishing under .500, the team has had a winning record in Denver in 21 of the 30 seasons at Coors Field.
As we cover nos. 16-20 for our Coors Field 30th Anniversary series, there are lots of incredible moments scattered throughout. Fans must remember and be grateful for all the fantastic memories Coors Field has given us over the last 30 years.
Read more from the 30 in 30 series!
- Coors Field Moment No. 1 – Game 163: Colorado completes their improbable run to Rocktober
- Coors Field Moment No. 2 – Dante Bichette christens the Rockies’ new baseball cathedral
- Coors Field Moment No. 3 – Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki and the Colorado Rockies are World Series bound
- Coors Field Moment No. 4 – Nolan, Bloody Nolan: Arenado’s walk-off cycle spurs Rockies to end postseason drought
- Coors Field Moment no. 5 – The Toddfather delivers a walk-off domino for Rocktober
No. 16: Chad Bettis returns from testicular cancer – Aug. 8, 2017
Talk about a moment that pulled on the heartstrings.
In November of 2016, Chad Bettis was diagnosed with testicular cancer. After originally believing that he would be back a few months later for Spring Training, things didn’t come that easy for Bettis. In March, it was discovered the cancer had spread. Battling with chemotherapy for the first part of 2017 made his return less and less likely.
Bettis, determined to finish his story, made an emotional return to a big league mound on August 8, 2017. A victory to just pitching professionally again, Bettis capped it off his triumphant day by tossing seven shutout innings en route to a 3-0 Rockies win.
No. 17: Rookie Clint Barmes ushers in new era of Rockies on Opening Day – April 4, 2005
Tell me if this sounds familiar. After multiple years of sub-.500 performances, an infielder hits a walk-off home run on Opening Day to signify a turning of eras for the Rockies. Following four straight losing seasons from 2001-04, rookie shortstop Clint Barmes started 2005 with a two-run, walk-off home run at Coors Field to beat the San Diego Padres, 12-10.
Two years after this memorable moment, the bubbling youth movement took Colorado back to the postseason.
Could Ryan McMahon’s walk-off grand slam to beat the Tampa Bay Rays during the 2024 home opener also become a moment to signify a change of fortune for the Rockies in the coming years?
No. 18: Todd Helton rises in the ranks of the all-time greats – Sept. 1, 2013
When you imagine the Colorado Rockies, you think of Todd Helton. On September 1st, 2013, Helton engraved himself into the record books when he became just the 96th player in MLB history to reach the 2,500-hit mark.
Helton was the center of attention during a 7-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds. In what was his final season, the moment capped off a stupendous career for the Rockies’ first baseman.
The legendary slugger has no shortage of eye-popping statistics and franchise records. Helton is the Rockies’ all-time leader in the following categories (ready for this?): hits (2,519), home runs (369), games played (2,247), runs (1,401), walks (1,335), doubles (592) and RBI (1,406).
From his debut in 1997 to retirement in 2013, Helton was the definition of consistency for Colorado through a lot of ups and downs. Playing in less than 115 games in just three seasons of his 16 full seasons, one of Helton’s most notable abilities was his availability.
Though it took a few years for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) to get it right, Helton was rewarded for his 17-year career by being voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 2024.
No. 19: Fans sell out Coors Field for 203 consecutive games – June 13, 1995
When Coors Field opened on April 26, 1995, it quickly became one of the hottest tickets in Denver history. From June 13 of that first season to Sept. 6, 1997, fans of the Rockies sold-out the building for 203 consecutive games.
Throughout that time, Colorado enjoyed a .626 winning percentage (127-76) with the Rocky Mountain faithful packing the ballpark. That run spurred the team to the first and only time with three consecutive winning seasons (1995-97), one of which earned them a place in the postseason. The streak was broken during the second game of a doubleheader. But the next two days? Back to selling out. Kudos, Mile High baseball maniacs.
No. 20: Denver hosts the MLB All-Star Game – July 7, 1998
Denver truly became a big league city in the mid-1990s when Major League Baseball expanded in 1993. Followed by the Quebec Nordiques relocating to become Colorado Avalanche in 1995, Denver no longer became a cow town that happened to have two major sports teams.
In just their fifth year of existence, MLB bestowed the honor of hosting the MLB All-Star Game in 1998 to the Rockies. Ken Griffey Jr. won the Home Run Derby and the American League came from behind to beat the National League, 13-8.
Coors Field hosted again in 2021. The Midsummer Classic was originally set to be in Atlanta before it was moved due to the Georgia State Legislature’s passage of the controversial Election Integrity Act of 2021. The 2021 All-Star Game saw Pete Alonso win the Home Run Derby and the American League got a 5-2 win thanks to an absolute bomb from the game’s MVP, Vlad Guerrero Jr.
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