“Very nice,” he said, giving me a wry, knowing smile and a short laugh.

Some background is definitely required here.

In 2014, Weiss was managing the Rockies on a hazy, humid September Sunday morning at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Somehow, Weiss, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding, and I started talking about our 1970s crushes. We mentioned, of course, Farrah Fawcett and her famous poster, Cheryl Tiegs and her poster, as well as other supermodels and Hollywood stars. I said I once had a poster of pop singer Linda Ronstadt.

Then came the bombshell.

“I had a crush on Barbara Streisand,” Thomas said. “I thought she was hot.”

Walt and I were aghast. As Walt pointed out, “Babs” had a nose like his own. No way Thomas was telling us the truth, right? To this day, insists he was.

The kicker came after the Rockies lost to the Cardinals that day. Walt pulled us aside and said, “You know, when I was going out to the mound to make a pitching change, I kept thinking about Barbra Streisand. Thanks a lot, Thomas.”

The point of my ramble down memory lane? My nearly 28-year career at The Denver Post ends Wednesday when the Rockies host the Red Sox at Coors Field. I’ve covered World Series, Super Bowls, Final Fours, Nuggets games and scores of high school state championships alongside Kyle Newman. In the end, my fondest memories are not about games, highlight reels, strategy, upsets, or scoops. My fondest memories are about people. It’s what I wrote about best.

Being a baseball beat writer is the most gratifying of any of the major sports beats, in my humble opinion. You get to know the people, from owners and managers to players and clubbies to broadcasters and fellow writers. Meanwhile, the walls between the NFL and the media grow thicker and taller with each passing year. I can’t imagine Broncos beat writers talking about their boyhood crushes with coach Sean Payton.

I was hired by The Post in October 1998, joining Adam Schefter as a Broncos No. 2 beat writer, just in time to cover John Elway’s second Super Bowl title. In the summer of 2005, I was yanked off the Broncos beat and moved to the Rockies, as the No. 2 writer behind current Post columnist Troy Renck. It was a demotion for me, no doubt.

My wife, Nancy, and I were shocked by the grind of the baseball beat, especially back in the days when The Post still traveled to cover the Rockies. We eventually embraced the lifestyle, though it wasn’t easy.

Covering a team afflicted with chronic losing wasn’t easy either. I covered the Rockies for nearly 20 years, and during that time, they had five winning seasons, made the playoffs four times, and made one magical run to the World Series in 2007.

I’ve had to rewrite more deadline game stories than I can count. The adage in the Coors Field press box: “The Rockies blew another lead. And they blew another lede.”

But, all in all, it’s been quite a wonderful ride. What follows are excerpts from some of my favorite stories I wrote for The Post. The common theme is people.

McCaffrey family legacy

When I started covering the Broncos, first for the Longmont Times-Call and then with The Post, training camp was still held at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. The players stayed in one dorm, the media in another, and we shared the same cafeteria. Access to the players was incredible. I once interviewed Elway while riding in a golf cart as the fans screamed for autographs — Elway’s, not mine.

That’s how I got to know wide receiver Ed McCaffrey and his wife, Lisa. In 1999, I profiled their family’s rich sports legacy:

When 5-year-old Max McCaffrey plays soccer, his 3-year-old brother, Christian, can’t bear to watch.

“Christian is always trying to run out on the field to be with his big brother,” his dad said. “We have to keep reeling him back in.”

Christian can’t help it. The need for speed, the energy driving his little motor, the desire to follow the bouncing ball — they’re in his genes.

His grandfather won a silver medal in the 100-meter dash at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Uncle Billy became a legend in the Pennsylvania Rust Belt and later won a national basketball championship with the Duke Blue Devils.

When she was a pixie in South Florida, Christian’s mom scored so many goals for her high school soccer team that her mug shot ended up in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd.”

Christian’s dad? All he’s done is win three Super Bowl rings, earn a trip to the Pro Bowl, develop a stiff-arm that could stop a rhinoceros, become one of the best receivers in Denver Broncos history and destroy forever the notion that white men can’t run.

Arenado’s SoCal roots

In 2016, Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado was a budding star. I traveled to his boyhood home of Lake Forest, in Orange County, California. While the Rockies hosted the Blue Jays at Coors Field, I sat in the living room of Fernando and Millie Arenado as they watched the game on TV. It was a remarkable day, topped off with a trip to El Toro High School, less than 10 minutes from the Arenado home. I spent an hour reminiscing with Mike Gonzalez, Arenado’s high school coach.

Here’s the beginning of my story about Arenado’s baseball roots:

LAKE FOREST, Calif. — The trim, stucco home looks like many others in this quiet, middle-class Southern California neighborhood. There is a basketball hoop out front and a beautifully tiled swimming pool in the backyard.

Step inside and you’re enveloped by warmth. Family photos cover every wall, every shelf, every nook and cranny. The family dog, a white Havanese named Mojito (“Mo” for short), hops up on the comfy couch to greet visitors.

Baseball is everywhere, too. Indeed, the home is something of an impromptu museum. Near the TV in the living room sits Nolan Arenado’s gleaming 2015 Silver Slugger Award. Open a nearby cabinet, and one of Arenado’s three Gold Glove Awards sits among a sea of memorabilia.

Likely more baseball stuff will be added after Tuesday night����ap All-Star Game in San Diego, where Arenado, the Rockies’ third baseman, will be appearing, the second year in a row he was voted in by fellow major-league players. Who knows? Perhaps an All-Star Game MVP trophy will be his newest baseball heirloom. At the very least, his All-Star Game jersey will find a place in the Arenado home.

Upstairs is the “Bonus Room,” as the family calls it. In the middle sits a pool table, now overflowing with framed photos, jerseys and signed baseballs. On the couch in front of a big-screen TV sits a Star Wars stormtrooper helmet. Back in the day, Arenado wore it while playing video games.

A day in the life of Buddy Black

I covered five managers in my time with the Rockies: Clint Hurdle, a force of nature and philosophy; Loquacious Jim Tracy, one of the nicest men I’ve ever met; Weiss, a fellow Bruce Springsteen fanatic; Bud Black, a walking baseball encyclopedia who’s beloved throughout the game; and current manager Warren Schaeffer, full of incredible passion and heart.

Of all of the Rockies’ managers, I know Black the best. We’re near the same age and share the same sense of humor. We still text frequently. In 2018, in the midst of a race for the National League West title, Black allowed me to go behind the scenes and chronicle a day in the life of a big-league manager:

It����ap the second week of September, the Rockies are chasing their first division title, and Bud Black has former Bronco Peyton Manning on his mind.

He’s trying to figure out a way to get the legendary quarterback to appear in a video that would play on the giant scoreboard at Coors Field as the Rockies make their run to a possible National League West crown.

“I want Peyton, waving his arms up and down, to get the crowd going,” Black says. “Hey, we don’t care about the snap count! We want it loud! ‘Omaha! Omaha!’ ”

Later in the afternoon, he’ll call in Julian Valentin, the director of social media, to see if there has been any progress on Project Peyton. (Valentin tells Black that it����ap being looked into).

Black’s office, down the hallway from the players’ spacious clubhouse, contains a comfy black-leather couch and a tidy desk. Photographs of Coors Field adorn the walls, including one that captures the joy of a young boy watching a game. Encased in a glass frame is the lineup and a baseball from Black’s first game as Rockies manager. It����ap dated April 3, 2017, a game in which the Rockies beat the Brewers at Milwaukee, 7-5.

Black has plenty on his to-do list, though he goes about his chores with a relaxed, easy manner. Colorado’s second-year manager, age 61, plans to watch video, meet with his coaches, chat with some players and confer with head trainer Keith Dugger. The night before, the Rockies hammered the Diamondbacks, 13-2. With nothing to stew over and no second-guesses haunting him, he got an excellent night����ap sleep. Today, he’s open to having a reporter shadow him, from arriving at the ballpark just after noon through another critical game that night vs. Arizona.

Helton gets the call

Todd Helton is the greatest player in Rockies history. He’s a complex, moody, smart and extremely funny man. His sense of humor can be cutting and takes some getting used to. Somehow, we bonded.

In January 2024, Helton invited Thomas and me to his home outside Knoxville, Tenn., to be there with his family and close friends when he got the call that he’d been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. We all figured he’d get in, but there were no guarantees. It turned out to be one of the most memorable days of my career:

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Todd Helton, arms folded across his chest, nervously paced the living room of his home Tuesday afternoon.

“I haven’t been superstitious for 10 years, not since I retired,” the Rockies’ iconic first baseman said. “Today, I’m superstitious. I didn’t look at anything, I didn’t watch anything, I didn’t look at the internet.”

He could have spared himself the angst.

Because, fittingly, at 5:17 p.m. Eastern time, No. 17 got the call of a lifetime. Told that he had been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Helton pumped his fist and finally took a deep breath.

“It����ap the greatest honor you can get as a baseball player,” Helton said. “Getting your number retired and getting elected to the Hall of Fame are the two greatest achievements you can get.”

Still, Helton wasn’t quite ready to let it all go.

“I’m going to go (crazy) when y’all leave,” he said.

The sweet-swinging Helton, the beloved heart and soul of the Rockies for 17 seasons and one of the most accomplished players of his era, received 79.7% of the vote, clearing the 75% bar required by the Hall of Fame and the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Matzek, ‘The Yips,’ and me

We’ve all got something. Mine is anxiety and depression, something I’ve dealt with for much of my adult life.

That’s why I was so interested in Tyler Matzek’s story. The former Rockies pitcher had such a bad case of the yips, brought on by performance anxiety, that it nearly ruined his baseball career. In December 2015, we met in a Southern California coffee shop and talked for nearly three hours. He was remarkably candid.

In 2021, he won a World Series as a shutdown reliever for the Braves. But before that, I wrote this story:

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif. — On Sept. 5, 2014, at Coors Field, Tyler Matzek pitched a three-hit shutout against the San Diego Padres. Poised and confident, and throwing a 94 mph fastball with graceful ease, the Rockies’ rookie left-hander was dominant. Over his final six starts, Matzek went 4-2 with a 1.55 ERA. He looked like the Rockies’ ace of the future.

Yet demons lurked in the corners of Matzek’s mind, and by the time he took the mound for the Rockies’ 2015 home opener April 10, he was headed for trouble.

“Even when things were going the right way, there was this overwhelming stress inside me that just kept building and building and building,” Matzek said recently while sipping coffee at a Starbucks in Southern California. “(Then) I just couldn’t hold that stress any longer and my game collapsed.”

Matzek was suffering from performance anxiety.

It wrecked him on the mound and even began to creep into his everyday life.

“My wife, Lauren, said it was our worst time, relationship-wise, because I was so tight, so stressed, just waiting to explode from this thing,” Matzek said. “She knew it wasn’t about her, but it was hard.”

But the quiet, intelligent 25-year-old confronted his condition head-on, confident he would fulfill the promise that prompted the Rockies to make him the 11th pick in the first round of the 2009 draft. He is determined to compete for a job in the Rockies’ starting rotation in spring training.

Thanks, mom

The day after I cover my final Rockies game, Nancy and I are flying to Southern California. We’ll join my extended family to scatter the ashes of my mom, Anita, and my dad, Dusty, in Laguna Beach, their favorite vacation spot.

This is my final chance to say thanks, sharing past stories with you:

Somewhere up there, my mom is smiling.

Ryan McMahon hit a home run for the Rockies in their 4-3 win over the Giants on Thursday night. McMahon broke out of a horrendous slump.

“RyMac” was my mom’s second-favorite Rockie, right behind Todd Helton. Why? Partly because he’s Irish, mostly because I like RyMac.

She was thrilled when Helton invited me to his Knoxville, Tenn., home to witness his Hall of Fame phone call in January 2024. When my wife, Nancy, and I were invited to Helton’s party in Cooperstown last July, my mom felt like she was there.

During her last years, I watched Rockies road games with her when I could. She rarely asked why the team was winning or losing. Strategy was not her thing. She always asked, “Is so and so a good guy?”

That����ap the kind of sports fan my mom was. She knew nothing about OPS, yards after catch, 3-point percentages, or point spreads. She just liked how players played and hoped they were good people. She loved Dr. J, Nolan Arenado and Floyd Little.

In the Broncos’ infancy, when Little was their only star and the game plan was “Little off left tackle, Little off right tackle,” my mom would shout, “Don’t hurt Floyd!”

In her later years, she’d tried to stay up late enough to watch manager Bud Black’s postgame news conference, not because she wanted to hear his explanations but to hear me ask a question.

Thanks, dad

I wrote this journal a few months before my dad died in May 2022:

What do you get your dad for his 90th birthday?

I’ve been pondering that question for the past few weeks. I kept striking out.

Then, as I perused the web, I came across a cool T-shirt. Cardinals red, the shirt displays the image of Stan Musial, leaning on a baseball bat. The script simply reads: The MAN.

How many sports-related T-shirts, sweatshirts and books have I given my dad over the years? I’ve lost track. It doesn’t matter. My dad’s going to love his “Stan the Man” T-shirt.

A father and son bonding over sports is not unique, but it is different for every father and son.

Walter Patrick “Dusty” Saunders was born on Sept. 24, 1931, in Denver. He was a lonely kid. His father died when he was 9 years old, and his mom died when he was 10.

In the 1940s, my dad’s companions were the radio, books and sports. He became a St. Louis Cardinals fan because he could pick up the strong signal from KMOX radio in St. Louis. Musial was his favorite player.

In 2006, my first full year on the Rockies beat, I took my dad to St. Louis for Father’s Day to watch the Rockies play the Cardinals in the first year of the new Busch Stadium. He chatted with Clint Hurdle and Todd Helton. After the game, my dad, MLB.com Rockies beat writer Thomas Harding and I had dinner at former Cardinal Mike Shannon’s restaurant. Thomas and I still talk about that day.

Toss out that ugly inning and an 8-6 loss to the Cubs on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field could have been a much different story.

Because the Rockies did so many things right after falling behind 7-0, beginning with rookie outfielder Sterlin Thompson hitting the first two home runs of his career. Then Hunter Goodman’s two-run homer in Colorado’s three-run eighth put the Rockies within rally distance.

In the end, it wasn’t enough, and the Cubs took two of the three in the series, and Colorado finished its road trip 2-4.

Key Moments: In the second innings, Chicago teed off on Sullivan, who was making his second big league start. The inning included a leadoff walk by Alex Bregman, a two-run triple by Matt Shaw, a two-run homer by Dansby Swanson, and an RBI double by Seiya Suzuki.

Pete Crow-Armstrong’s leadoff homer down the right field line in the fourth compounded a tough night for Sullivan. However, Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer told reporters postgame that he was certain the home run should have been ruled a foul ball. 

Thompson’s first career homer was a one-out shot to left in the third off Javier Assad. His second was a one-out blast to right-center off Assad in the fifth.

Who’s hot: Thompson, who added a double in the seventh for a 3-for-4 night that raised his average from .207 to .242.

Third baseman Kyle Karros hit a solo home run in the ninth, his fourth of the season. He’s hitting .359 (23 for 64) with five doubles, one triple, three home runs, and nine RBIs over his last 21 games.

Goodman’s home run was his 21st. The catcher is one of three rookies in franchise history with 50-plus hits and 10-plus home runs in the first half of the season, joining Todd Helton and Trevor Story.

Who’s not: Sullivan, who gave up eight runs on nine hits, including two homers, in four innings.

Worth noting: Thompson became the first visiting player to hit his first two career home runs in the same game at Wrigley Field since the Astros’ Orlando Miller on July 10, 1994.

Pitching probables

Thursday: Off day
Friday: Pirates RHP Bubba Chandler (2-7, 4.76 ERA) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-7, 7.98 ERA), 6:40 p.m.
Saturday: Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (6-6, 2.85) at Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (7-4, 4.79), 7:10 p.m.
Sunday: Pirates RHP Jared Jones (1-1, 6.23) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-8, 7.13), 1:10 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

Cole Carrigg’s off to a pretty solid start in his MLB career, but why was he promoted instead of Charlie Condon or Zac Veen? Was he just playing that much better than them? Is it to manage their service time in the majors? A little of both? Thanks.

— Marshall, Parker

Marshall, since you submitted your question, Carrigg has been sensational. It’s not about service time.

In the Rockies’ excruciating loss to the Cubs on Monday night, he drove in all four runs and hit an eighth-inning, three-run home run that should have stood as the game-winner.

Carrigg plays with a swagger and an edge, and in that regard, he reminds me of Troy Tulowitzki as a rookie. I asked one of Tulo’s former teammates if he shared my opinion.

“I see some,” the teammate responded. “Tulo wasn’t on the razor’s edge of out of control like Carrigg.”

Anyway, to your question, the Rockies front office sees a lot of things that fans don’t see, and that I don’t see or consider. Paul DePodesta, the president of baseball operations, recently told me that they take a hard look at “the process” a player has in the minors as a major part of their decision on when to promote a player.

Carrigg has proven that he was ready. I think promotions for Condon and Veen could very well depend on what happens as the trade deadline nears.

Patrick, I heard you’re leaving soon. It’s been a pleasure reading your coverage all these years. The Denver sports community is losing an absolute legend. What are some of the most memorable moments of your career?

— Ryan C., Aurora

Ryan, thanks for your kind comments.

Leaving The Post after nearly 28 years is a hard and emotional decision, but it was time. The buyout I was offered made me accelerate my retirement timeline. The baseball beat, particularly covering a losing Rockies team over the last few years, has been a grind. Plus, the industry is changing fast, and I’m becoming a bit of a dinosaur.

I have far too many memories to mention here in any detail, so I will list a few: Rocktober; covering all three of the Broncos’ Super Bowl title wins; watching Nolan Arenado play third base; spending time in the dugout talking baseball and music with Bud Black; being at Todd Helton’s house in Tennessee when he got the call that he was elected to the Hall of Fame; working with some incredible colleagues, especially Kyle Newman and Troy Renck; crazy, fun times in the press box with the crew; covering games at all 30 major league ballparks; having Coors Field as my office on perfect summer nights; and forming a friendship with MLB.com’s Thomas Harding, with whom I’ve had a bromance for 25 years.

I’ll be writing a farewell story soon, so keep an eye out for it.

Did you expect T.J. Rumfield to be our breakout star this season? I certainly didn’t, but, boy, is it nice to have a solution at first base after so many years of failed experiments. Do you think he’ll win the Rookie of the Year award?

— Mike, Denver

Mike, I was excited about Rumfield after seeing him play in spring training and reading the reports on his skill set. As I wrote in February: “T.J. Rumfield was a big-league first baseman trapped in Triple-A limbo.”

But I have been surprised by the quality of his at-bats; he’s been hitting like a seasoned veteran. His glove work at first base has been outstanding.

However, I don’t think he’ll be named the National League’s top rookie, for a few reasons.

First, he plays in Colorado for a team with the worst record in baseball and he’s not going to get much attention from the baseball writers who vote for the award.

Second, he plays his home games at Coors Field, which will automatically disqualify him in the minds of some voters. That’s a shame, because he’s hit just as well on the road as at home. At Coors, he’s slashing .263/.353/.449 (.802 OPS), with five homers and 22 RBIs. On the road, he’s slashing .287/.359/.465 with four homers and 12 RBIs.

Third, there are several strong candidates, led by Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt, Reds first baseman Sal Stewart, and Mets right-hander Nolan McLean.

Are you surprised, disappointed, or comfortably numb by how the Rockies have performed so far this season?

— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.

Comfortably numb? You must be a Pink Floyd fan.

Anyway, I’m not sure my characterization is on your list. I would say mildly encouraged, but the state of the pitching staff is a huge concern.

Hey Patrick! Who do you think has the best shot at becoming our lone representative at the All-Star Game? I thought it was going to be Mickey Moniak before he went on IL. I feel like our best shots are Hunter Goodman, Antonio Senzatela or Tomoyuki Sugano.

— Ryan, Aurora

Ryan, the Rockies will have only one representative, and it’s going to be Goodman for the second consecutive season. As I write this, he’s slashing .255/.327/.537 (.864 OPS) with 27 RBIs.

The club announced that veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland, who is off to an excellent start, was placed on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation. The move is retroactive to Monday. Depending on how long Freeland is out, the IL stint could affect his chances to activate his player option for the 2027 season.

“There’s inflammation in there, but we won’t know exactly what����ap going on until we get the picture or MRI,” “The last couple days it has felt good, I think me taking the steps I did and backing off before the start in San Diego was good.”

Freeland had been scheduled to start on Sunday.

“We think this is a minor issue,” manager

The good news for the Rockies is that veteran lefty starter Jose Quintana was reinstated from the 15-day IL. Quintana, 37, was scheduled to start against the Astros in Houston on Wednesday night.

Quintana went on the IL because of a strained right hamstring. He’s made just one start this season, on March 29 at Miami. He took a no-decision after pitching 4 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits and four walks. He struck out two.

Freeland, 32, was Colorado’s Opening Day starter for the fifth time. After three starts, he was 1-1 with a 2.30 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. The lefty has struck out 13 while walking four.

Freeland, a Denver native and a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School, signed a five-year, $64.5 million contract extension with the Rockies in 2022. The deal runs through the 2026 season. Freeland’s contract includes a $17 million vesting player option for 2027 if he reaches 170 innings pitched in 2026.

Freeland, who’s in his 10th season with Colorado, has reached 170 innings just twice in his career. In 2018, Freeland made 33 starts and pitched 202 1/3 innings while going 17-7 and posting a 2.85 ERA. He finished fourth in the National League Cy Young Award voting. In 2022, Freeland made 31 starts, pitching 174 2/3 innings, and finished with a 9-11 record and  4.53 ERA.

Freeland recently told The Post how proud he feels to have pitched for his hometown team for 10 seasons.

“I mean, looking back, 10-year-old Kyle would say that there is no chance,” he said. “It����ap the coolest thing for me to say that I spent 10 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, the team that I grew up with. This team was born in 1993, the same year that I was born.

“I got to know two Rockies Hall of Famers — Larry Walker and Todd Helton. I would say that����ap all pretty cool.”

Colorado’s starting rotation has been hit or miss through the first 17 games. Veteran right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano is 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA across three starts. But right-handers Michael Lorenzen — 1-2, with an 8.10 ERA in five appearances (four starts) — and Ryan Feltner — 1-1, 7.30 ERA over three starts — have struggled.

Overall, Colorado’s starters had a 4.95 ERA entering Wednesday, the fifth-highest in the majors.

For that, the Denver native deserves to be knighted. Or at least have a medal pinned to his No. 21 jersey.

So says former Rockies starter Aaron Cook, who toiled at Coors from 2002-11 and is second on the Coors Field list with 104 career starts.

“Hell yeah, he deserves a badge of honor,” Cook said while driving through Texas cattle country south of San Antonio. “I was there for the better part of 10 years, so for Kyle to do what he’s done? For that long? Hell yeah, he deserves a medal.”

Freeland, who turns 33 on May 14, is off to a strong start this season. Heading into his scheduled start on Sunday in San Diego, he’s 1-1 with a 2.30 ERA after three outings. Last Tuesday night, pitching on the ninth anniversary of his major league debut, Freeland allowed just one run on three hits over 6 1/3 innings.

Freeland carries battle scars from the toil and trouble of pitching in LoDo, but that’s not what he likes to talk about.

“I’m very proud of being with one organization for my entire career,” Freeland said. “One, that’s a feat in and of itself. Two, to do it in the hardest park in the majors is its own thing.”

Jason Jennings is the only Rockies player to win National League Rookie of the Year, doing so in 2002 at age 22. In that rookie season, the right-hander made 32 starts and finished 16-8 with a 4.52 ERA.

Jennings had his ups and downs in Colorado before he was traded to Houston after the 2006 season. But even in that final season with the Rockies, Jennings was an effective pitcher, making 32 starts, pitching a career-high 212 innings, and posting a 3.78 ERA.

Today, however, Jennings marvels at Freeland’s toughness and staying power.

“I don’t even think about the pitching aspect of Colorado,” he said. “You have to be so mentally and physically tough. It’s so hard on the mind, so hard to recover. And he has done it for so long.

“It’s a whole different animal. The grind of taking the ball every fifth day, surviving some really tough seasons, surviving Coors Field, it is really impressive. You don’t see many guys last 10 years in the league, let alone at Coors Field. Most guys, after four or five years, it is like, ‘Get me the heck out of here.’ ”

Cook, who spent a week at spring training this year working with Colorado’s minor league pitchers, said that baseball at altitude presents a plethora of problems for pitchers, including:

• Adjusting pitching sights at Coors Field after returning from a road trip. That is, adjusting their mental focus on a specific, small target, like a catcher’s mitt or shoulder, to guide their pitch movement and improve command.

• Realizing that there are going to be games at Coors when you’re going to get shelled, but also realizing that as long as you were one run better than the other guy, you’d done your job — inflated ERA be damned.

• Understanding that the huge outfield can turn a small-scoring inning into a blowout inning in a hurry.

However, Cook said it was the wear and tear, both physically and mentally, that was the hardest thing for him to deal with.

“Listen, I never said anything about Coors Field when I was playing there because I would never give merit to anything outside of my control,” he said. “But now that I’m 15 years removed from it, I can say, Coors Field is not an easy place to pitch. Period.

“But, for me, the hardest part, really, was the recovery. If I had to make two starts on the same homestand, I felt like I had made two starts in three days. It wasn’t just my arm or my legs; it was my whole body. Full fatigue. The mental part fatigues you, too. It just drains you, drains you, drains you.”

Former Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd struggled every year trying to figure out how to make starting pitchers effective — and keep them healthy.

“We have found that every starter who has pitched here for 185 to 200 innings for three consecutive years over the lifetime of this franchise has broken down with a significant injury,” O’Dowd told The Post in 2012. “That inability to keep pitchers healthy has been one of our biggest struggles. We have to find a way to change that.”

The current Rockies regime is giving it a go. Paul DePodesta (the new president of baseball operations), a slew of new pitching coaches and coordinators, and manager Warren Schaeffer, are trying to solve the issue by using several long relievers and employing occasional “openers” to start games. The club also plans to limit the number of times a starter takes the mound during a homestand.

“It’s not a hard plan, but if we can avoid (starting a pitcher) twice, we would like to,” Schaeffer said. “It all depends on our schedule and if the availability of the bullpen allows it.  All the numbers show a huge spike in ERA the second time. It just makes sense to try and avoid it.”

Freeland is in the final year of his contract, with a vesting player option. Veteran right-hander Antonio Senzatela, who is now a reliever after struggling as a starter last season, is also in the final year of his contract. Like Freeland, Senzatela made his major league debut in 2017, but injuries (a torn ACL, Tommy John surgery) have limited Senzatela to 145 career starts.

“Speaking for myself and ‘Senza,’ this place isn’t easy, and it can break you down,” Freeland said. “But it shows the kind of people and pitchers that we are, that we are willing to take on that brute force and try to win games here in Colorado.”

Freeland is making $16 million this season and can activate his $17 million option with Colorado for 2027 if he pitches 170 innings. He’s pitched at least 170 innings twice, in 2018 (202 1/3) and in 2022 (174 2/3), but he came close in 2025 (162 2/3).

Though Freeland’s best season was in ’18, when he went 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA for Colorado’s last playoff team, he says he’s better equipped now to endure the rigors of Coors Field.

“One thing I learned when I was younger, from veterans like Tyler Chatwood, is that you have to take care of your body,” Freeland said. “You have to listen to your body. Get in the training room. If something is bugging you, take care of it right away. Because in Colorado, things are going to spiral a lot faster with injuries than they would at sea level. Injuries are worse here, too.”

Now, it’s the young guns like right-hander Chase Dollander who come to Freeland for survival tips.

“Guys ask me all the time, ‘What are the secrets to pitching in Colorado?’ ” Freeland said. “I say, ‘Sleep and drink as much water as you possibly can.’ Those are the two things that you have to take care of.”

Freeland wears his 117 Coors Field starts like a badge of honor, but that’s not what he celebrates most.

“Being here — for 10 years — is the thing I’m most proud of,” he said. “Being able to do it with my hometown team, and to stay with one team — something very rare in this age — that makes me so proud.

“I mean, looking back, 10-year-old Kyle would say that there is no chance. It’s the coolest thing for me to say that I spent 10 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, the team that I grew up with. This team was born in 1993, the same year that I was born.

“I got to know two Rockies Hall of Famers — Larry Walker and Todd Helton. I would say that’s all pretty cool.”

If my informal eight-man panel is correct, the Rockies will join Gil Hodges, Don Lock, and Claude Osteen in an infamous chapter in major league history. Hodges was the manager, Lock was the best hitter, and Osteen was the best pitcher for the 1964 Washington Senators. losing 100 or more games for the fourth consecutive season.

No major league team has done that since. But the 2026 Rockies will, at least according to my panelists.  Add up their predictions, divide by eight, and you get a 59-103 record.

I’ll start. I’m encouraged by the long-overdue front-office shuffle led by new team president Walker Monfort. And I’m intrigued by young players like third baseman Kyle Karros and Charlie Condon. But the reality for this season is that the starting pitching is still too thin over the long haul, and the offense too punchless to improve by 20 games over their 119-loss 2025 season.

Saunders’ prediction: 60-102.

Sean Keeler, Denver Post columinst

The season highlight might well be those long-overdue statue unveilings for Todd Helton and Larry Walker. Beyond that? Meh. The best thing about 2026 for the Rox is also the worst: The record won’t mean much. It’s a free hit for Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes. A honeymoon year. A transition year. A throw-everything-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks year. It would be great to give a long-abused fan base some good vibes before Dick Monfort and his fellow Lords of the Realm torpedo 2027, but I wouldn’t count on it.

Keeler’s prediction: 62-100.

Kyle Newman, Denver Post sportswriter

The Fightin’ Rox will be better in 2026, but they are attempting to climb out of the abyss. This is going to take years to get competitive again, so book a fourth consecutive 100-loss season.

The starting pitching will be better, but the Rockies’ depth at that critical position remains thin. After an inevitable injury or two to starting pitchers, the season will unravel quickly. Also, the Rockies won’t hit for enough power once again, even though they’ll play better at home. Look for 2027 to be a true turning point year where Colorado can perhaps sniff a win total in the 70s.

Newman’s prediction: 60-102

Nate Peterson, Denver Post sports editor

Looking for a purple-and-silver lining for 2026, Rockies fans? Here it is: Colorado’s hard-luck MLB franchise will again be the worst team in baseball, but it will somehow, someway avoid the historical ignominy of four-straight 100-loss seasons.

No, Ted Lasso isn’t the skipper, but the arrival of Paul DePodesta, the addition of some crafty veterans on the mound and the development of young talent on the field will be enough to avoid the century mark for losses. The Rockies won’t be the 1962 Phillies, who improved by an MLB-best 34 wins. But they’ll be 20 wins better, which will feel like a miracle. 

Peterson’s prediction: 63-99

Troy Renck, Denver Post columnist

The Rockies will be terrible, but a light will replace an incoming train at the end of the tunnel. With a veteran starting rotation, improved health of shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle, and a versatile lineup that strikes out less, the Rockies will look like a major league team again. That is not meant as a backhanded compliment, but an indictment of the past regime. As the use of analytics and improved coaching takes hold as prospects develop, hope will return.

Renck’s prediction: 60-102

Jorge Castillo, ESPN baseball writer

Will they flirt with the wrong kind of history again?

Colorado finally hit the front-office reset button, hiring longtime executive Paul DePodesta as president of baseball operations to replace general manager Bill Schmidt to course-correct. … DePodesta didn’t overhaul the roster over the winter, instead signing four players to contracts of one or two years and making minor trades. The Rockies will look to avoid disaster.

Keith Law, national baseball writer, The Athletic

I have the Rockies finishing with the worst record in baseball again, but winning 11 more games, and I’m not sure how strongly I can even defend that other than to say that it����ap very hard to be 119-loss bad two years in a row. They do have new people calling the shots in the front office, including Paul “The Revenant” DePodesta, and I expect some gains on the margins, but they’re going to need more than an Ezequiel Tovar breakout to get back to even 60 wins this year.

Dan Szymborski, FanGraphs baseball writer

If another NL West team shocks the Dodgers, it won’t be wearing purple-and-black.

Pose a Rockies- or MLB-related question for the Rockies Mailbag.

Is Zac Veen going to make the team? If so, will he play?

— Chris Haag, Cincinnati

Chris, you are not the only one asking about Veen. He’s an intriguing player because he was a first-round draft choice (No. 9 overall in 2020), and because he has prodigious power potential.

But Veen, 24, did not make the Opening Day roster for Friday’s game at Miami because he’s dealing with a knee injury that slowed him for much of spring training. Even if Veen had been healthy, I doubt he would have made the team. He has a lot of work to do to become a better outfielder, and he needs work as a hitter, too. There are a lot of holes in his swing. The hope is that he doesn’t turn into a strikeout machine like the departed Michael Toglia.

Like a lot of people, I’m rooting for Veen, who’s had to deal with a lot in his young life, including substance abuse issues.

I have been following the Rockies since their 2007 run to the World Series. What a ride that was. My younger stepson learned baseball at Coors Field. He saw Chris Iannetta hit a ninth-inning grand slam against the Houston Astros and has gone with me since. My question is this: What in the world does everyone see in Jordan Beck? I see a lot of strikeouts. I see an impossibly uncontrollable swing. His head turns completely on his shoulders. He cannot possibly see the ball after he swings. Yes, he has gotten better in the outfield on defense and has a really good, accurate arm. But at the plate? Please help me out here.

— Ari Nixon, Brush

Ari, I think the best word to describe Beck is “streaky.” But when he’s hot, he’s a force, so I understand why so many fans and members of the front office and coaching staff believe he has All-Star potential. Plus, you have to remember that Beck is only 24.

Consider this little statistical nugget: per OptaSTATS, Beck became the second player in major league history to have his first five home runs of a season all come in two days (April 24-25), joining Ty Cobb on May 5-6, 1925. Beck was also the first Rockie in history to have five home runs in any two-day span.

But also consider this: He opened the 2025 season with the Rockies but was quickly optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on April 7 after starting the season 3 for 20 (.150) over nine games.

And then there are his dramatic home/road splits. He slashed .303/.348/.466 with 18 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, and 36 RBIs in 76 games at home, while slashing .204/.280/.355 with nine doubles, three triples, eight home
runs and 17 RBIs in 72 road games.

Finally, Beck needs to cut down on the K’s. He struck out 80 times in 251 plate appearances in the second half last season, a 31.9 strikeout percentage that was the eighth highest in the majors post All-Star break.

I’m not as critical of Beck’s plate approach as you are. He wouldn’t have gotten this far without a decent approach. He still has a solid chance to be a very good big-league player.

For the first time in years, the Rockies have changed their front office personnel and incorporated new ways to play baseball and win games. Even if the new regime is successful (75-80 wins) and analytics take hold, how many years can we wait to consistently get .500 baseball? How far is the Rockies’ analytics department behind the league? I predict 75-87 (maybe my last prognostication). Cheers!

— Robert Emmerling, Limon

Robert, I salute your optimism. But 75-87 this season?! In the name of the late Harry Caray, “Holy Cow!” I don’t see it.

Like you, I applaud the Rockies’ willingness to change their process. It’s way past time. As far as consistent, .500 baseball? I would think 2028 would be reasonable.

Hi Patrick, I have enjoyed your insights for a long time for both baseball and football. I also enjoyed reading your dad’s articles for many years. The Rockies have historically done well developing Latin American players (Ubaldo Jimenez, German Marquez, Ezequiel Tovar, etc.). Are there any young Latin American players we should be looking for in the near future to make an impact? Why don’t I ever see the Rockies being named as a possible suitor in the Asian market? Both Japan and Korea have produced many quality MLB players in the last few years, but I never see the Rockies as a possible landing spot. Thanks.

— Gene Ryan, Green Valley, Ariz.

Ryan, thanks so much for the compliment and for remembering my dad, Dusty Saunders.

A quick, bittersweet anecdote about my dad, who was a big baseball fan. My dad died at age 90, almost four years ago. I was with him on the day he died, and I was watching a Rockies road game when he passed. In his eulogy, I joked that my dad woke up briefly, saw that the Rockies were getting rocked again, and said, “I can’t take it anymore.” Then he passed away.

OK, on to your question. The Rockies’ best Latin players right now are outfielder/second baseman Roldy Brito (Dominican Republic), outfielder Robert Calaz (Dominican), and third baseman/shortstop Wilder Dalis (Venezuela).  I think 2028 would be the earliest we see any of them in the big leagues.

As for the Rockies’ presence in Asia, they used to simply punt, believing they couldn’t compete. But Paul DePodesta, the new president of baseball operations, plans to change that.

“I absolutely think it’s important,” DePodesta said during baseball’s winter meetings in December. “We’ve talked about a necessity for us to be sort of active in every possible avenue to acquire talent. So whether it’s Latin America, whether it’s Asia, whether it’s the waiver wire, you have Major League free agent [and] trades. I mean all of it. I think we have to be actively involved in all of those to try to find some potential solutions for us. And so I do think that’s an area where we’ll probably ramp up our efforts to some degree.”

At this point, it is pretty obvious to everyone, including Kris Bryant and the bat boy, that he will never play baseball again. With the highest annual player salary on the team, you would think he would be inclined to initiate a contract renegotiation to provide some relief to our current payroll. Seems like I remember Todd Helton doing this, which was a pretty stand-up and classy move to help the team.

Do you think these discussions may be possible at all?

Looking forward to all your 2026 Rockies articles!

— Troy, the biggest Rockies fan in Virginia

Troy, thanks for reading. It’s very much appreciated.

You’re correct, Helton did defer part of his contract. In March 2010, Helton signed a two-year extension ($9.9 million 2012–13) that also reworked his 2011 salary and 2012 buyout, totaling $13.1 million in deferred money.

However, the Bryant situation is much different. Helton was still playing, and he was a Rockies icon, with deep ties to ownership. Bryant is not playing and is still owed $81 million over the next three seasons. Plus, Bryant’s agent is Scott Boras, one of the most powerful men in sports, and he’s going to get all of that money for his client.

At some point, a deal will likely be worked out. This is what I wrote last November:

“Retirement, with a financial agreement worked out with the Rockies, seems like the sensible course of action. It����ap what former Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg eventually did when he finally retired in April 2024. Strasburg, who had not pitched since June 9, 2022, is receiving all the remaining $105 million owed from his original seven-year, $245 million contract.

“His original contract was heavily deferred — $11.4 million annually, according to USA Today — with Strasburg scheduled to receive $26.5 million in 2027, ’28 and ’29. When Strasburg retired, the contract was restructured to spread out the deferrals further into the future.”

Who will be doing the Rockies radio broadcasts in 2026? On the spring training simulcasts, I thought I understood they were auditioning three possible partners with Jack Corrigan. Who employs them? Are the TV broadcasters the same as before? Thank you.

— Steve, Aurora

Steve, funny you should ask. I had just reached out to David Tepper, the program director at 850 KOA. He told me that it has not yet been decided who will work with Corrigan in the radio booth. For now, Corrigan will team with longtime producer Jesse Thomas when the Rockies open their season on Friday in Miami.

During spring training, the Rockies auditioned Zach Goodman (announcer for the Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles and son of Drew Goodman, the Rockies’ longtime TV play-by-play man), Albuquerque Isotopes announcer Josh Suchon, and Hartford Yard Goats announcer Jeff Dooley. I believe one of those three will join Corrigan.

KOA is looking to replace Jerry Schemmel, the longtime Colorado broadcaster, who was laid off for the second time by iHeartMedia last October. Schemmel now works as an ambassador and chief fundraiser for Best Day Ministries in downtown Longmont.

Do the Rockies have enough to win 50 or 60 games this season?

— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.

Ed, you’re not a glass-half-full kind of guy, are you? At least not when it comes to the Rockies. They will be improved, so yes, they can win 60 games. In fact, my preseason prediction is a 60-102 record.

Dressed in Rockies purple, with a birthday tiara perched atop her baseball cap, and a lavender lei around her neck, she’s talking to outfielder Charlie Blackmon during a Cactus League game at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The 6-foot-3 Blackmon is crouching down to greet Mabel, who stood about 4-foot-7. Blackmon was one of Mabel’s favorite players. Mabel was one of Blackmon’s favorite fans.

“Mabel is a true one of one,” Blackmon told me. “She was a star that shone bright. It was uncanny how she could make you feel better about yourself. The world needs more people like Mabel Miyasaki.”

Mabel would have been 101 this coming Friday, but she died on Feb. 5. When she passed, the Rockies lost one of their greatest, funniest, kookiest, and ferocious fans. Donning purple nail polish and Rockies earrings, she attended nearly every home opener, dating back to the first one at Mile High Stadium in 1993.

“It’s tough, she left a hole that will never be filled,” said her daughter, Meri Miyasaki. “We’ll miss her a lot.”

I’ll miss her, too. When I got started in this sportswriting business at the Longmont Times-Call too many years ago to count, Mabel was a fixture at Niwot High School baseball games, where she handed out candy and gum. She worked in the Niwot High lunchroom for years and was the Cougars’ super-booster.

As her obituary noted, “Mabel became known as the “Bubble Gum Lady.” She strongly encouraged (i.e. shamed) people to place donations in her green coffee can for the Niwot Booster Club.”

Mabel used to invite me — and former Rockies infielder Clint Barmes, too — to her home for her version of chicken teriyaki and rice.

Mabel was born to Tasanji and Yoshi Shibao on March 6, 1925, in Brighton, where she grew up working the family farm. A self-described tomboy who was surrounded by five brothers, she fell in love with baseball at an early age. She once told me that she escaped boring kitchen duties — “girly stuff” is how she put it — by going outside to throw and hit baseballs.

Her favorite Rockies included Hall of Famers Larry Walker and Todd Helton, Vinny Castilla, Tony Wolters, trainer Keith Dugger, as well as Blackmon and Barmes.

Walker called her “Sushi Mom.” Former manager Clint Hurdle gave Mabel a framed, signed photo inscribed: “Grandma, thank you for your love.” She got to throw out a first pitch to Barmes during a Cactus League game in 2010.

Mabel also shared a special friendship with the late Keli McGregor, the former team president who died unexpectedly in 2010. In the main corridor of the Rockies complex at Salt River Fields, a large photo is displayed showing Mabel reaching her tiny hand through the netting behind home plate to shake the 6-6 McGregor’s giant paw.

“They had a very special bond,” Meri said.

Mabel’s tradition of celebrating her birthday with a dinner during spring training dates back to the early days of the franchise when the Rockies’ camp was at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Ariz. She and her family, and often a Rockies player or two, would gather at Sakura, a teppanyaki restaurant in the heart of Tucson.

One year, reliever Manny Corpas joined the celebration.

“He got me drunk,” she told me, wrinkling her nose. “I got really silly.”

Hearing that, Meri rolled her eyes and chimed in: “Mom, it doesn’t take much. You had two glasses of wine!”

Thomas Harding, my best buddy from MLB.com, often joined Mabel’s family for those birthday dinners.

“They would get in so much trouble together,” Meri recalled with a laugh. “They would get out of control.”

Mabel seemed to know everybody, probably because she would talk to anybody. For more than 20 years, she worked at a McDonald’s in Longmont. When she retired in 2014, she was one of the oldest McDonald’s employees in the country.

“My mom was one of a kind,” Meri said. “And she was one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever known. She wasn’t afraid of hard, physical labor.

“But stubborn? Oh my! She had a stubborn streak you wouldn’t believe. But the thing that I loved most about her was that she loved to have fun. She was always the life of the party. Even when things were tough late in her life, she had that mischievous grin. She would always laugh.”

Mabel’s last spring training was in 2020, right before the pandemic shut everything down. But she continued to attend Rockies home openers at Coors Field, all the way up to last year when she was 100.

She won’t be there in person this year. She will be there in spirit.

That’s my go-to response when friends, family and fans ask me about the madness of Major League Baseball’s economic system. It’s the only way to wrap our minds around it.

Of course, for a fan who shells out $20 for a hot dog and a beer at a Rockies game at Coors Field, that’s of little comfort. That’s real money.

But back to the madness.

Coming off two straight World Series titles, the Dodgers will again have a payroll of more than $400 million in 2026. Only four other teams — Yankees, Mets, Phillies and Blue Jays — are projected to top $300 million, The Marlins ($79.3) and White Sox ($85.9) bring up the rear. That’s a Grand Canyon-sided disparity.

The rebuilding Rockies, fresh off a 119-loss season, but hopeful with a new front office in place, are projected to have a $131.2 million payroll.

The club held its Fan Fest on Saturday. Hall of Famers Todd Helton and Larry Walker were in town, the new brass met with fans, players percolated with optimism, and Dinger did his Dinger thing.

But a dark shadow looms as MLB once again nears an economic tipping point and talk of a lockout next winter heats up.

According to a the national baseball writer for The Athletic, most MLB owners are “raging” in the wake of Kyle Tucker’s four-year, $240 million free-agent deal with the Dodgers. Drellich reported that it’s “a 100 percent certainty” the owners will push hard for a salary cap beginning in 2027.

Leading the charge will be Rockies owner Dick Monfort, chair of the league’s labor committee. Part of the reason Monfort stepped away from his day-to-day interactions with the Rockies and handed them over to his son, Walker, is that Monfort will be engulfed by the labor battle. Monfort has said that the only way to fix baseball is to establish a salary cap and a salary floor.

Last September, an anonymous mid-sized-market team president “How do we compete? We try to do everything right. We draft well. We develop well. And then we get the (expletive) kicked out of us by clubs that buy their players. It feels like the game is rigged.”

While Monfort and the vast majority of MLB owners see a salary cap as an economic and competitive necessity, the MLB Players Association says a cap is a nonstarter; a line in the sand.

Eleven months from now — on Dec. 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET, to be exact — MLB’s current labor agreement expires. At that point, the owners would, in all likelihood, lock out the players. Free agency and trades would cease as they did in 2021.

Worse, if a lockout wiped out most of spring training, an extended work stoppage — baseball’s last was in 1994-95 — would be inevitable. The hope throughout the industry is that it won’t come to that.

Last January, the Dodgers signed left-handed reliever Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72 million contract. Big Blue’s move left many fans, and many owners seeing red. Even Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner sang a song of woe.

“It’s difficult for most of us owners to be able to do the kinds of things (the Dodgers) are doing,” a week after the Scott deal.

On the day of Scott’s signing, , a clearinghouse for baseball news, ran a two-question poll for its readers. The first asked: “Do you want a salary cap in the next MLB CBA?” After more than 35,000 votes were cast, an overwhelming 67.2% said yes. Then there was this: 50.2% of respondents said they would be willing to lose the 2027 season if baseball implemented a salary cap.

But Tony Clark, the executive director of the MLBPA, has continually said that there’s nothing to fix.

“As an organization, you get ready for the next negotiations as soon as the ink is dry on the previous one,” in December. “I can’t speak for the other side, but our interests are getting into the room and hammering out a fair and equitable deal. That����ap our commitment. The other stuff is just noise.”

At the All-Star Game in Atlanta last July, Clark labeled the push for a salary cap “institutionalized collusion.”

“A cap is not about any partnership,” Clark told reporters. “A cap is not about growing the game. That’s not what a cap is about. As has been offered publicly, a cap is about franchise values and profits. That’s what a cap is about.”

MLBPA’s argument boils down to this: It has watched the NFL, NBA and NHL implement caps, and in every case, the players’ share of revenue eroded afterward. Major League players say they won’t let that happen.

So at a time when baseball is thriving on the field (thank you, pitch clock), and when MLB surpassed 70 million fans a third straight season, a dark cloud hovers over the game.

Surely the owners and players can find a solution. Increased revenue sharing, a better way to distribute television and streaming money, and a salary floor to keep the cheaper owners honest have to be real options.

The club announced Saturday at Fan Fest that it plans to unveil statues honoring Todd Helton and Larry Walker during the 2026 season.

Walker’s will be unveiled and celebrated on Aug. 23, with Helton’s statue unveiling scheduled for Sept. 19. Both statues will be unveiled prior to games at Coors. The celebrations include replica statue giveaways to the first 15,000 in attendance at each game.

Walker Monfort, Colorado’s executive vice president, said the location of the statues at Coors Field is still being determined.

The statues are being created by Longmont sculptors George and Mark Lundeen of Lundeen Sculptures. The Rockies called them “two of the most renowned sculptors in the world.”

Additional details regarding the unveiling events and celebrations will be announced at a later date.