Blake Street was an undulating purple snake of revved-up Rockies fans as the first pitch of the first Mile High World Series game neared Saturday night.
“It’s here, it’s here,” howled program seller David Watkins, 40, to fans at 20th and Blake with an index finger pointed to heaven.
“It can’t be the World Series,” hollered back superfan Todd Goad, 36, of Firestone. “This is Colorado.”
Fans took turns at a woodchipper, tossing in their “Sox,” even as the winter chill seeped into the Fall Classic.
Fans otherwise dressed their parts. Todd Helton jerseys rounded every corner, and there were more Matt Hollidays than you should shake a stick at.
Despite the deep deficit in the Series, there was no shortage of swagger and hope.
“We will, we will Rock you,” bellowed Jeffrey Scott, 19, of Fort Collins as a contingent of jersey-wearing Sox fans walked by.
“I’m just trying to make them feel at home,” he told his girlfriend, Danica Thorne, 20, of Loveland. “I’m acting like a loud jerk.”
Some fans could have it both ways by shelling out 20 bucks for a “Red Rox” T-shirt from Jason Wells of Five Points.
The environmental attorney, 36, printed up 200 T-shirts to sell at the game. He grew up in Connecticut pulling for the Sox but moved to Colorado in 1992 for college and never left.
“I’m rooting for a long Series,” Wells said. “I’ve got a lot of T-shirts to sell.”
Rockies fans can’t touch the longevity of the crazed Red Sox Nation, with the rabid love of the team threading together generations of families and fans, he said.
“This is still the first generation of Rockies fans,” Wells said. “It’s great to be here when it’s all getting started.”
The game was the third wedding anniversary for Dustin Stalcup, 23, of Aurora and his baseball-loving bride, Lisa, 24.
“This is our gift to each other,” he said of the tickets. “This is the one thing we love to do together.”
For Robert Adams, 71, of Charlotte, N.C., the end of a marriage formed a long relationship with the World Series.
“My wife left me and I took up going to World Series and Super Bowls,” he said.
Smith hasn’t missed a Series since 1960, he said, as he tried to find a single ticket. He had paid $500 for a seat in Fenway Park on Thursday night, but his budget was $600 as gametime neared.
“I’m dead from the neck up,” he explained.
J.P. Henderson drove 15 1/2 hours from his home in Houston to Denver, even though he was one ticket short of being able to get in with his girlfriend and her father.
He was willing to pay double the face value to scalpers on the street, but he couldn’t find a ticket for less than quadruple it.
“I’m not paying an arm and a leg,” Henderson said. “I’m an Astros fan.”
“Santa Claus” came farther to cheer for the Rox. Thomas Dods, 58, a white-haired Kris Kringle ringer, jumped on a plane in his hometown of Honolulu.
“I’m bringing the heat to Colorado,” he said.
At Mori’s Sushi Bar and Tokyo Cuisine, near Coors Field, Sachiko Mori was pulling especially for Kazuo Matsui, who has eaten at the family restaurant and impressed the staff with his friendliness.
“Everybody is a Matsui fan,” she said of the staff and clientele.
For firefighter Mike Roluti, 23, the Series was already a win for Colorado.
“It’s a no-lose situation,” he said outside Coors Field. “Nobody thought the Rockies would be in the World Series. Nobody thought they could beat the Red Sox.
“But if we win, it’s David beating Goliath.”
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
