Editor’s note: In the Colorado Classics series, The Denver Post takes a weekly look at individuals who made their mark on the Colorado sports landscape and what they are doing now.
Jim Harrington always has been good with numbers, and his knowledge told him the Colorado Baseball Commission was financially anemic as it prepared an election campaign in 1990 to determine if there could be a new baseball stadium built to enhance Denver’s chances of landing an expansion franchise in the National League.
An investment banker by profession, Harrington was the commission’s treasurer, and by April 1990, with the Aug. 14 election less than four months away, he looked at an account that had just $28,700. By June, the revenues were up to $46,000, but still a long way from meeting a budget of $423,000.
“We had brochures and a lot of information ready to go, but we didn’t have enough money to even have a mass mailing. We didn’t have the funds to get the message out,” he said.
The commission was formed by legislative action and appointed by people in government in the six-county metropolitan area and then-Gov. Roy Romer. But there wasn’t any public money supplied and the commission was left to raise its operating funds.
Some members of the Denver media were fearful the request to voters to authorize an increase in sales tax of one-tenth of 1 percent to fund the stadium would fail and so would the chances for a big-league team.
“There were those who said we didn’t have a chance,” Harrington remembered. “A number of elected local officials were less than supportive because they didn’t think it would pass.”
Then, on July 3, 1990, the late Bill Daniels stepped forward and gave the commission $100,000. Within a few days, another $54,000 in contributions arrived.
“The gloom that had existed at the end of June was replaced by a sense of optimism,” Harrington said.
Harrington called the campaign a “labor of love. Every member of the commission contributed in a variety of different ways. We all believed in the cause, and I felt that if everybody worked up to the end, we could be successful.”
Town meetings were scheduled throughout the Denver area. Harrington, a representative from Aurora, remembered attending a meeting in Aurora with a roll of pennies in his hand to emphasize the tax was a penny on $10.
Voters passed the tax increase 187,539 to 157,954, with positive returns from Arapahoe, Boulder, Douglas and Jefferson counties, but negative results from Adams and Denver counties. However, commission consultant Rick Reiter noted that the narrow loss in Denver County, 50,803 to 50,223, was a key to the successful results.
“I definitely thought so,” Harrington said when asked if celebrations by underdog winners are more meaningful.
The commission’s work ended four months after the election. When all the bills were in, its finances remained about $51,000 short of breaking even. The shortfall was met by the original Rockies ownership through negotiations with attorney Paul Jacobs.
Harrington and his wife, Marty, remain Rockies fans and attend 15 to 20 games a year at Coors Field, which opened in 1995.
On Aug. 14, the 15th anniversary of the election, Harrington threw the ceremonial first pitch at a Rockies game.
It was a strike, give or take a few inches.
“It crossed the plate in the air,” Harrington said proudly.
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-820-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
Colorado Baseball Commission
Helen Anderson
Gary Antonoff
Odell Barry
John Benitez*
Joseph Blake
Robert Bows
Irv Brown
Chris Christiansen
John Dikeou
Zee Ferrufino
Jim Harrington
Don Hinchey***
Bob Howsam**
Robert Howsam Jr.**
Neil Macey
James Murray
Tryg Myhren
Sue O’Brien
Chris Paulson
Sam Suplizio, co-chairman
Jim Turner
Larry Varnell, co-chairman
Gil Whiteley
Kathi Williams
Roger Kinney, director
*Volunteer counsel
**Advisers
***Administrator
